This VR franchise comparison puts eight location-based VR brands side by side: Sandbox VR, Zero Latency VR, Another World, HOLOGATE, WARPOINT, Battle Start, ANVIO and Metaforce VR Arena. They differ most in how the brand is paid: a franchise fee plus royalty, a licence with fees agreed privately, a one-off system purchase, or a fixed subscription. Every competitor figure below comes from a public source or is marked "not publicly disclosed"; all were checked in October 2026.
We are Metaforce, so this page is not written by a neutral party. We do not rank the brands. There is no single best VR franchise; the right fit depends on your budget, venue size, market and how you want to pay the brand. Use this VR arcade franchise list as a starting point and confirm current terms with each company.
How do the eight VR franchises compare?
| Brand | Entry fee | Royalty / ongoing fee | Investment | Space | Players per game | Own content | Update cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandbox VR | $50,000 [1] (FDD summary) | 5% of gross sales, min. $1,000 per Holodeck per month [1] (FDD summary) | About $1.4–2.9 million [1][2] | About 4,000–5,500 sq ft (372–511 m²) for 4 Holodecks [3] | 2–6 per group [4] | Own experiences, incl. Netflix and Paramount IP [3] | Not publicly disclosed |
| Zero Latency VR | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed (third party: 15% of gross monthly revenue [5]) | Not publicly disclosed (third party: from $245,000 [5]) | Typical arena about 200 m² [6] | Up to 8 [6] | Library incl. licensed IP (Far Cry, Warhammer 40,000) [7] | Not publicly disclosed |
| Another World | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | From $60,000 (Club), from $80,000 (Arena) [8] | 645–1,075 sq ft (Club), 2,150+ sq ft (Arena) [8] | Up to 10 (Club), up to 20 (Arena) [8] | Own game library [8] | Not publicly disclosed |
| HOLOGATE | Systems are sold; price not publicly disclosed [9][10] | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | 25 m² per ARENA [11] | Up to 4 per ARENA [11] | Library of about 16–17 titles, incl. licensed brands [9][11] | Not publicly disclosed |
| WARPOINT | Franchise from $50,000; subscription $0 [12][13] | Franchise 7% from month 5; subscription 0%, $1,150–2,250 per month [12][13] | Franchise from $80,000; subscription from $10,000 [12][13] | 40–150 m² (subscription) to 400–1,000 m² (park) [12][13] | 2–10 (WARPOINT ARENA 2.0) [12] | Proprietary games, library of 7 [12][13] | Regular, schedule not published [12] |
| Battle Start | None [16] (third party) | None; game subscription $7,400 per year (MINI) or $12,900 per year (ARENA) [16] (third party) | From $25,000 (MINI), from $50,000 (ARENA) [17] | 60+ m² (MINI); 150+ m² play area, 200+ m² total (ARENA) [17][18] | 8–10 (MINI), up to 20 (ARENA) [17] | 34 games in the subscription [16] (third party) | 2 new games a year [16] (third party) |
| ANVIO | "Zero franchise fees" [19] | 10% royalty for ANVIO-brand locations; game licence by annual subscription or per player, prices not published [20] | $0 with own equipment, $5,000 without, park from $20,000+ [20] | 16–400 m² game zones [19] | Up to 12 per zone [19] | 9 titles, incl. Revolta PvP shooter with level editor [19][20] | Not publicly disclosed |
| Metaforce VR Arena | None | None; subscription $4,990 / 6 mo, $7,990 / 12 mo, $14,990 / 24 mo, then $799 per month, taxes included | From RUB 2.5 million (arenas in Russia) | 50–300 m² play area; 100–700 m² total | 4–20 per game; 8–12+ on one arena at once, depending on venue | 5 in-house games, Zombies coming soon; no third-party licences | New maps or games every 6 months, included |
"FDD summary" means a third-party summary of Sandbox VR's Franchise Disclosure Document; "third party" marks figures from directories that the brand itself does not publish. Metaforce figures come from our own franchise terms.
What are the main payment models?
Location-based VR brands use five broad ways to charge operators:
- Franchise fee plus royalty. An upfront fee and a percentage of revenue for the life of the agreement. Sandbox VR and the WARPOINT franchise format publish this model [1][12].
- Licence agreed privately. Zero Latency VR describes a flexible licensing model with local operators [6]; Another World tailors terms to the city and the investment [8]. Fees are not published.
- System purchase. HOLOGATE sells VR systems to existing venues; prices are given on request [9][10].
- Game licence by subscription or per player. ANVIO licenses its games by annual subscription or per player, with a 10% royalty for ANVIO-brand locations [20].
- Fixed subscription. No entry fee and no royalty; a fixed price per term. WARPOINT offers this as an alternative [13]; Battle Start sells its games this way, by venue format [16]. Metaforce VR Arena uses only this model.
For more on the subscription approach, see no-royalty franchise.
How do investment and space compare?
The brands range from compact stations to large venues:
- Smallest footprint: HOLOGATE ARENA, about 25 m² for up to 4 players [11]; ANVIO's 5 × 5 m zone, 25 m² for up to 4 [19].
- Small to mid-size venues: WARPOINT subscription format, 40–150 m² [13]; Another World VR Club, about 60–100 m² [8]; Battle Start MINI, 60+ m² [17]; Metaforce VR Arena, 100–700 m² total with an optimal 150–250 m² total and a 100–150 m² play area.
- Larger venues: Zero Latency arenas of about 200 m² of play area [6]; Another World VR Arena, 2,150+ sq ft [8]; WARPOINT PARK, 400–1,000 m² [12]; Sandbox VR, 4,000–5,500 sq ft for a 4-Holodeck store [3].
Published investment figures run from $10,000 (WARPOINT subscription, excluding venue costs) to about $1.4–2.9 million (Sandbox VR, per FDD summaries). Not every brand publishes investment, and each counts different items, so compare line by line. Our franchise cost page breaks down a Metaforce budget.
How do players and content compare?
- Group size: from up to 4 players (HOLOGATE ARENA) and 2–6 (Sandbox VR) to up to 8 (Zero Latency), 2–10 (WARPOINT ARENA 2.0), up to 12 (ANVIO) and up to 20 (Another World VR Arena, Battle Start ARENA, Metaforce VR Arena) [4][6][8][11][12][17][19].
- Licensed IP: Sandbox VR, Zero Latency and HOLOGATE list experiences based on film, TV or game brands [3][7][9].
- In-house content: WARPOINT and Another World describe proprietary game libraries [8][12]; Metaforce develops all of its games in-house.
- Update cadence: only WARPOINT (regular updates, no schedule) and Metaforce (every 6 months) publish a statement on updates in the sources we checked.
How large are the networks?
| Brand | Network (as published) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sandbox VR | About 70 locations listed on its site; plan for about 200 franchise locations by end of 2027 | [3][14] |
| Zero Latency VR | 116 venues in 30 countries (April 2025); over 150 installations (August 2026) | [6][15] |
| Another World | 500+ partners, 60 countries | [8] |
| HOLOGATE | 450+ systems installed, 50+ countries | [10] |
| WARPOINT | 300+ locations, 18 countries | [12] |
| Battle Start | 450+ arenas, 40+ countries | [17] |
| ANVIO | 55 clubs, 42 cities, 15 countries | [20] |
| Metaforce VR Arena | 30+ arenas in 4 countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel, Slovakia) | Own data |
How to choose a VR franchise
Questions worth asking every brand:
- What is the total cost over 3 and 5 years, including entry fee, royalty, subscription, marketing fee and equipment?
- Who owns the equipment, and can I buy it from any supplier?
- How many players per game, and how many guests per hour can the venue serve?
- How often does new content arrive, and does it cost extra?
- What happens to the games when the agreement ends?
- Can I talk to current operators in a city like mine?
Read the detailed pages: Sandbox VR franchise, Zero Latency franchise, Another World VR franchise, Hologate franchise, Warpoint franchise, Battle Start franchise and ANVIO franchise. For the format itself, see free-roam VR.
Apply now to discuss your city and venue with Metaforce VR Arena.
FAQ
What is the best VR franchise?
There is no single best option. Brands differ in payment model, investment, venue size and content. Compare total cost over the full term, the space you have and the group sizes you want to serve.
Which VR franchises have no royalty?
Among the eight brands here, Metaforce VR Arena and the WARPOINT subscription format publish 0% royalty, and a franchise directory lists no royalty for Battle Start. Zero Latency, Another World and HOLOGATE do not publish their royalty terms; Sandbox VR charges 5% according to an FDD summary; ANVIO lists 10% for ANVIO-brand locations.
Which VR franchise needs the least space?
HOLOGATE ARENA needs about 25 m² per station. Among free-roam arenas, WARPOINT's subscription format lists 40–150 m² and Metaforce VR Arena starts from 100 m² of total venue space.
Which VR franchise is the most expensive to open?
Of the published figures, Sandbox VR has the highest, about $1.4–2.9 million according to FDD summaries.
Where do these figures come from?
From each brand's official website, its FDD summaries or trade press, listed below. Figures not published by the brand are marked "not publicly disclosed" or "third party".
Sources
Checked October 2026. Figures may change; always confirm current terms with each company.
- Franchise Overview, Sandbox VR FDD summary (third-party): https://franchiseoverview.com/company/sandboxvr
- Franchise Times, "Museum of Illusions franchisee signs multi-market deal with Sandbox VR": https://www.franchisetimes.com/franchise_news/museum-of-illusions-franchisee-signs-multi-market-deal-with-sandbox-vr/article_b19dbe04-97b5-11ef-bbae-cbd41d84993f.html
- Sandbox VR, Franchise Opportunities (official) and main website: https://franchise.sandboxvr.com/, https://sandboxvr.com/
- Sandbox VR, "VR birthday party" (official FAQ on group size): https://sandboxvr.com/articles/vr-birthday-party
- TopFranchise, "The Best Virtual Reality Franchises in the World" (third-party directory): https://topfranchise.com/articles/the-best-virtual-reality-franchises-in-the-world/
- Blooloop, "Zero Latency VR expands to Morocco" (22 April 2025) and "Galaxy Macau casino opens Zero Latency VR arena": https://blooloop.com/technology/news/zero-latency-morocco/, https://blooloop.com/technology/news/galaxy-macau-casino-opens-zero-latency-vr-arena/
- Forbes Australia, "Zero Latency turns 10" (18 June 2025): https://www.forbes.com.au/?p=144873
- Another World, official franchise website: https://franchise.another-world.com/
- HOLOGATE, Entertainment: https://www.hologate.com/entertainment/
- HOLOGATE, official website: https://hologate.com/
- HOLOGATE, ARENA product page: https://www.hologate.com/arena
- WARPOINT, official franchise website: https://franchise.warpoint.com/
- WARPOINT, Subscription: https://franchise.warpoint.com/subscription/
- Wikipedia, "Sandbox VR": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_VR
- Blooloop, Zero Latency VR 2026 report (24 August 2026): https://blooloop.com/zero-latency-vr-2026-report/
- TopFranchise, "BATTLE START — free-roam VR arena franchise" (third-party directory): https://topfranchise.com/products/battle-start/
- Battle Start, official website: https://battlestart.com/
- Battle Start, ARENA package: https://battlestart.com/arena
- ANVIO, franchise (park) page: https://b2b.anvio.com/en/park
- ANVIO, B2B website: https://b2b.anvio.com/