By Bobby Carlton
The VR Awards has spent the last six years recognizing ground breaking achievements in immerse technology in multiple categories. Here are this years finalists of companies and their VR experiences that will help define the direction of where this type of technology will have an impact on everything from healthcare, enterprise solutions, and entertainment.
VR Healthcare of the Year
VR Healthcare of the Year recognises projects that are changing the landscape of healthcare industries for good, awarding both B2B and B2C solutions that can demonstrate a clear impact and understanding of the market.
Finalists
- Born Studios Limited – The Forest of Resilience
- Fresenius Medical Care – stay.safe MyTraining VR
- FundamentalVR – Versius in VR: A FundamentalVR and CMR collaboration
- Ghost Productions – Ghost VRSE II Surgical Simulation for Spineology’s Optimesh MIS Spinal Implant
- Osso – Osso VR: Virtual Reality Training for Surgical Teams
- PrecisionOS Technology – Virtual Reality Training for Doctors Doing Orthopedic Surgery in Low-resource Countries
- Rendever – RendeverFit™
- SimX – Emergency Medicine Services (EMS) VR Simulation Training
- VR Medical – VR Medical
VR Education and Training of the Year
Awarded to companies or individuals who have demonstrated practical and innovative uses of VR in education and training. This applies to any industry that has used VR to aid in experiences, videos, games and more (providing it has a positive educational use).
Finalists
- Avantis Systems – Avantis World
- Digitalnauts – VBEE (Virtual Building Element Environment)
- Fectar – Fectar MeetUp – work together in VR and AR – multi-user/multi-device
- Flint Systems – Forklift VR training simulator
- Immerse – The leading education metaverse platform
- Ludus – LUDUS GLOBAL: TO INDUSTRY AND BEYOND
- Make Real – Make Real Ltd / 55E5 / St James’ Place Wealth Management – Immersive Role Play
- MEDIASQUAD GmbH – BRP-Rotax VR Safety Training
- Nexefy Pty Ltd – The KiwiRail Infrastructure Programme
- NextWave Safety Solutions, Inc. -Ladder Safety VR
- Refense AG – Refense Advanced Tactical Training Simulator (ATTS)
- Rezzil – Rezzil Index 2.0
VR Enterprise Solution of the Year
VR Enterprise Solution of the Year specifically rewards projects that satisfy the needs of an organisation rather than individual users. Such organisations include businesses, schools, interest-based user groups, clubs, charities, and governments.
Finalists
- Accenture – Orchestra 1 – Supply Chain Control Tower of the Future in the Metaverse
- Accenture GmbH (together with E.ON SE) – The Republic – The Community for Sustainability
- Contact CI – Contact CI Haptic Integration: US Air Force Lightweight VR Training Simulator
- Dynepic – MOTAR (Member-Operations-Training-Analysis-Reports)
- Immerse – Immerse Marketplace
- Immersionn – Immersionn
- Make Real Ltd – Make Real Ltd / Tunnelskills / CITB – VR Induction Suite
- SEAT S.A. (SEAT & CUPRA) – Immersive Design Check (IMDCH)
- Spinview – Spinview’s Vision OS for Global Media & Entertainment
- Spinview – Spinview’s Vision OS for Transport for London
- WaveFunction, Lda – Metaverse Car Showroom
VR Social Impact Award
Some projects may have smaller budgets, however, that doesn’t stop them from making a significant social impact on the world around them.
The VR Awards Social Impact Award is given to companies or individuals that produce and execute either an experience, product and or service which has resulted in positively impacting a cause for social good.
Finalists
- Big Rock Creative and Microsoft – Microsoft Pride: Pride has no borders
- Cooperative Innovations Ltd – Museum of Plastics 2121
- DiVRse Technologies Ltd – LGBTQ+ VR Museum
- Edstutia – Barnga: Social Impact in Virtual Reality
- Found Object Media – The Future of Energy
- Hope for Haiti – Inspiring Hope
- Lucid Reality Labs – Seeing the Problem
- Magika VRx – Hospice Savannah – SCAD – VR for Good: Transforming End-of-Life and Palliative Care with VR
- Naima Karim – The Anticipation of Rain
- Upstream / Yazda / Surround Vision – Nobody’s Listening
- Virti / Maudsley Learning – VR to tackle discrimination and inequality in mental health care
Rising VR Company of the Year
Without new startups creating innovative solutions and driving forward ambition within the industry, virtual reality would not be where it is today. Commending small businesses with proven business models is VR startup of the year.
Finalists
- Anotherway
- Born Studios Limited
- GeniusX Inc.
- Mayland Labs
- VR Future
Innovative VR Company of the Year
Virtual Reality is a constantly evolving landscape that requires innovative thought leaders to pave the way by leading by example through first-to-market developments. Additional points are given to companies that place focus on their company culture and policies along with how sustainable their practices are.
Finalists
- Andromeda Entertainment
- ARuVR Ltd
- Emerge
- FundamentalVR
- Future House Studios
- Immerse
- Magos
- nDreams
- NXRT
- Owlchemy Labs
- Rezzil
- Sensorium
- The Edge VR
VR Location-Based Entertainment of the Year
Out-of-Home VR Entertainment brings a new level of immersion to theme parks, cinemas, attractions, museums and more. Nominees for this award have researched, implemented and carried out a truly outstanding, quality experience which has resulted in a high level of user satisfaction.
Finalists
- BackLight – Ascenders
- Divr Labs – The Lost Lab
- Emissive / Orange – Eternal Notre Dame
- INFINITY Experiences – THE INFINITE
- Museum of Future Experiences – Gnosis
- Red Bull – Red Bull The Edge Matterhorn VR
- Red Raion / Loveland Living Planet Aquarium – The Ecosystem Exploration Craft & Observatory (EECO) Voyager
- SPREE Interactive – Battery Powered VR Bumper Cars
- Universal Studios Japan, Osaka – Monster Hunter World: Iceborne XR Walk
- VIRTUAL ZONE NEXUS SL – Dead Mansion
- VIRTUAL ZONE NEXUS SL – INVASION
- XR Immersive Tech – UNCONTAINED Hyper-Immersive VR™
VR Marketing Campaign of the Year
Virtual Reality gives marketers a new weapon to reach further demographics in increasingly creative ways. Judges look towards marketing campaigns that integrate Virtual Reality within the majority of the project. Particular focus is placed on the originality and creativity behind each marketing campaign.
Finalists
- canVERSE – Arksen 85 Digital Twin
- Milwaukee Tools – Milwaukee HUB
- MyDearest, Inc. – Project: Gathering
- NEKONATA XR TECHNOLOGIES GMBH – XQ Avatar for Porsche
- Philips – The Wonder of You
VR Film of the Year
Working to create an immersive, spatial and original VR media is very new territory for most designers and cinematographers. All nominations must substantially feature virtual reality within their media and work to create a comfortable and enjoyable experience for the viewer. Additional attention is given to the use of positioning and movement within the media. Can include short film, interactive pieces and design work within VR.
Finalists
- Alchemy Immersive – David Attenborough’s First Life
- Alchemy Immersive – Kingdom of Plants with David Attenborough
- Atlas V, Arte France, BBC, Serendipity, PTS Taiwan, Wild Fang Films, GIIOI – Missing Pictures
- Baobab Studios – Namoo
- CityLights – Experience Yosemite
- Fluffy Cactus – Diagnosia
- Infinite Frame Media – The Choice
- New Canvus – Lustration
- TARGO – Surviving 9/11
- Virtual and Physical Media Integration Association of Taiwan – Samsara
VR Experience of the Year
Experiences are what makes Virtual Reality come to life. VR experience of the year is awarded to companies that produce and execute a truly outstanding, quality experience which has resulted in positive user feedback.
Finalists
- Really Interactive – Virtuoso
- Film Addict – Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li
- Hakawati Studio – Wamdah | Journey to the future
- Interactive Media Foundation – MYRIAD. Where we connect. | VR Experience
- Meta Platforms Inc. – Post Malone’s Twelve Carat Toothache: A VR Experience
- Meta, ARTE France, BFI; Archer’s Mark, Atlas V – On The Morning You Wake (To the End of the World)
- Schell Games – Lost Recipes
- SENSORIUM – Out-of-This-World Experiences
- The MetaMovie – The MetaMovie Presents: Alien Rescue
- YORD/LifeboardVR – VR Vision Board
VR Hardware of the Year
VR Hardware of the Year is awarded to companies producing outstanding and impactful manufactured technology year on year.
Finalists
- Contact CI – Maestro DK3
- Emerge Inc – Emerge Wave-1
- Pico – Pico Neo3 Link
- Varjo – Varjo Aero
- Vive – VIVE Flow
- Vrgineers Inc. – XTAL™ 3 Mixed Reality
VR Game of the Year
Focusing on the use of Virtual Reality within games is the VR game of the year award. This combines the ingenuity and creativity that it takes to make a successful game along with the innovative use of movement that makes an experience worth while.
Finalists
- AEXLAB – VAIL VR
- AMATA K.K. – The Tale of Onogoro
- Fast Travel Games AB – Cities: VR
- ILMxLAB – Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Last Call
- Meta / Capcom / Armature Studios – Resident Evil 4
- Mighty Eyes – Wanderer
- Miru Studio – Finger Gun
- Neat Corp – Garden of the Sea
- POLYARC GAMES – Moss: Book II
- Ramen VR – Zenith: The Last City
- Ready at Dawn / Meta – Lone Echo II
- Schell Games – I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy And The Liar
- Vertigo Games – After the Fall
