Augment Arcade brings virtual reality to a nightclub and bar.(Photo by Dominic Griffin)

For the average consumer, “virtual reality” is either a sci-fi concept they fondly recall from the ’90s or a superfluous feature the latest smartphones fruitlessly advertise for them. To actually be on the cutting edge of VR requires a financial investment most folks just aren’t going to bother with. But now, there’s a new avenue to explore this digital frontier right here in Washington—and with a side of booze.

Augment Arcade, a pop up bar located in Shaw inside the Flash nightclub (645 Florida Ave. NW), provides a space for all walks of life to get a taste of VR in a casual, social setting. Rather than a gamer-centric endeavor one might imagine whenever they hear the word “arcade,” this is an expected bar experience. There’s pulsing music and tasty drinks, and the VR element is just another activity to partake in outside of dancing and getting tipsy.

“Most of our patrons aren’t gamers. Many are trying VR for the first time,” says Augment Arcade co-founder Daniel Tischler. “It just adds something to it. If you’re upstairs dancing for an hour and take a break, you can come down here and try a different experience. It’s got a nice flow.”

Entry and VR access is $20 for the entire night, with tickets available online ahead of time (The somewhat small space can fill up quickly, so while there are sometimes tickets at the door, it’s best to book in advance). There are four, high-end HTC Vive systems set up and a communal atmosphere.

The employees on site, Tischler among them, are very hands on, helping newbies acclimate to the set-up. As you might expect, drinking and then putting on a headset that obscures your spatial understanding of your physical surroundings can take some getting used to, but they’re great with getting you used to not knocking into things and making sure everyone is able to try each of the different games and experiences available.

You can fight zombies or walk around on Google Earth, but by far the most fun for newcomers is Space Pirates, a first person VR take on ’80s classic Asteroids, where the player stands on a platform and shoots at murderous drones. It’s pretty addictive.

The games are identifiable and a great shorthand for people to grasp how VR works, but it’s not the primary focus of this endeavor. Tischler and his team see the future in VR and want to expand their business to allow more people to feel it firsthand. The bar is currently only open Wednesday and Thursday nights, but there are plans to extend operating hours to the daytime first, then to every day of the week and eventually expanding into its own dedicated location.

There’s also more interesting spins on the traditional elements of the bar. They’ve already got great cocktails with names like Princess Peach and the Shigeru Miyamoto (the legendary Nintendo innovator), but going forward, they’re going to be experimenting with Augmented Reality coasters, the concept of which will be more familiar to the average consumer now that Apple is making AR such a big part of the new iPhones.

While everything coming down the pike sounds exciting, the space as it exists now is more than interesting enough on its own. It’s an inviting, warm atmosphere where anyone can take a spin on hardware only hardcore hobbyists would ever consider purchasing for their own homes.

“We really just love the technology and want to show everyone else,” Tischler says.

It’s certainly makes for a unique night out.

Augment Arcade is located at 645 Florida Ave, NW in Flash nightclub. Hours are 6 p.m. through 2 a.m. Wednesdays anda Thursdays. Tickets are available at augmentarcade.com and at the door if remaining.