When the HTC Vive headset first released, room-scale virtual reality made it possible to truly transport to a virtual world. Gaming in VR has largely stuck to a bite-sized experience though, letting people get back to the real world before too long. But earlier in 2017, Australian YouTube personality Jack McNee said goodbye to real life and spent more than a day in virtual reality, winning a world record in the process.
The marathon, which was documented on the LPVR YouTube Channel, had him playing Tilt Brush for 36 consecutive hours, 2 minutes, and 16 seconds. It has now been confirmed by the Guinness World Records, beating the previous record, set by tech journalist Georgie Barrat, by roughly 11 hours.
One of the requirements for the record is to stay within a single VR app. McNee’s game of choice was Tilt Brush, smartly picked for its freedom. Throughout the event, McNee drew characters from The Simpsons, Adventure Time, Pokémon, and more. Since the whole event was live-streamed, he was able to entertain himself by playing rounds of Hangman and Pictionary with viewers.
According to the official guidelines, McNee was allowed a few small breaks to relieve himself, but meals were hand-fed during play. He was also not allowed to sleep throughout the gaming session.
While the goal of the stream was to break the previous world record, a secondary goal was to collect donations for The Reach Foundation. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding children in need, whether physically, socially, or financially.
For those looking to break a VR world record, there are other records using a virtual reality headset. In April, Alejandro Fragoso and Alex Christison of Cyberlink set the record for continuous hours watching VR Movies. The duo watched for more than two days straight, totaling 50 hours without any sleep.
Before challenging either of these Guinness World Records, be sure to contact the organization for official confirmation. It is also a pretty good idea to keep a few people around who can properly monitor vitals. With the HTC Vive now $200 cheaper, the bar for earning a world record just got a little bit lower.
