The tech trend getting people off their phones

Americans spend hours every day on their phones, even as demand grows for new, shared experiences that bring people together in real life.

The story: A new wave of entertainment concepts is using technology to create shared, in-person experiences rather than individual ones like streaming or scrolling —  reshaping what a night out in Austin looks like.

The idea: Sandbox VR is built on a simple premise: technology should bring people together, not isolate them.

Unlike at-home VR, Sandbox VR is designed to be a shared, physical experience from the ground up.

The setup is simple, but distinct from traditional gaming: Groups of up to six people enter a private space, put on lightweight headsets and move freely through a digital world that responds to their actions.

The sitch:

• There are no controllers or stationary setups — players walk, turn and interact with one another as the experience unfolds.
• Instead of focusing on a personal screen, full-body motion tracking captures each other's movements, and players communicate and adjust as a group.

What to expect: The experience is designed to feel cinematic, with each moment shaped by how the group reacts and works together

• Players might navigate a zombie apocalypse, explore alien worlds or take on high-stakes missions.
• Each scenario unfolds differently as the group navigates unexpected twists and turns together.

The proof: Sandbox VR serves nearly 150,000 guests each month across more than 80 locations globally, including a location in Austin.

• High repeat visits and word-of-mouth momentum indicate that visitors are coming back in different groups to see how the experience changes.

Here's what else: New experiences like Age of Dinosaurs and partnerships with Netflix on virtual experiences in the Stranger Things and Squid Games universes continue to expand the lineup, giving returning groups a reason to come back.

Take note:

• Ticket prices start at $39 per ticket, depending on the day of the week.

• Guests also receive personalized highlight videos after each session.

The takeaway: As entertainment options multiply at home, the value of going out increasingly comes down to what can't be replicated on a couch or a personal device.

• Sandbox VR taps into that shift by creating experiences people remember not just for what they did, but perhaps more importantly, who they did it with.

What Sandbox VR is saying: The goal is not to replace traditional entertainment, but to offer a more interactive, shared alternative that is shaped just as much by the group as the technology itself.

Book your Sandbox VR experience.