Cinema operator Ster-Kinekor opened a free-roam virtual reality arena, branded the SKX-VR Arena, inside its rebuilt Tyger Valley complex in Bellville, Cape Town, when the complex reopened to the public on 9 October 2026. Ster-Kinekor describes it as Africa's first free-roam VR arena housed within a cinema complex.
The arena accommodates up to six players at a time. Ster-Kinekor says it combines VR headsets, haptic controllers and spatial tracking so players can walk, dodge and interact freely in real time. The launch game library includes The Finals, Ocean Depths and Dinosaur Park, for players aged 12 and over, and the operator also offers the arena for team-building activities and group events.
The arena is one of several entertainment options in the upgraded complex, which Ster-Kinekor's chief marketing officer, Lynne Wylie, presents as a way to offer tailored experiences for every type of guest, from big-screen films to free-roam VR.
