H.I.V.E. Virtual Reality is a new virtual reality gaming and entertainment business that has opened in the Heritage Square retail center, at 9325 N. Division. 

Owner Blake Underhill says H.I.V.E., which stands for Highly Interactive Virtual Entertainment, offers customers a chance to play virtual reality games starting at $10 for 15 minutes on up to $25 for an hour.

“For equipment, we use what’s called the HTC Vive headset,” says Underhill. “We offer a variety of games for players, including everything from Google Earth, first-person shooters, real-time strategy games to 3-D design programs that allow you to paint or create something.”

The HTC Vive headset uses “room scale” tracking technology, enabling the user to move in 3-D space and use motion-tracked handheld controllers to interact with the environment.

Underhill says the shop occupies a 1,100-square-foot leased space, which he has remodeled slightly to include separate game play areas.

Although Underhill is currently the company’s only employee, he says he anticipates hiring at least two more people once business begins to pick up.

“I’m working on creating a profitable business model for now, but as we grow, I have some bigger ideas for what I’d like to do,” he says. “There is so much potential for this technology beyond just gaming.”

Underhill is a Navy veteran and former police officer who moved to Spokane from Florida in April to be closer to his wife’s family.

“I have a bachelor’s degree in business and started this company as a way of combining that with my skills in (information technology),” he says. “This technology has been around for a while, but it’s only now starting to come to the market as a safe and enjoyable activity for both individuals and groups.”