Video: Funktronic Labs lives on the cutting edge of virtual reality

The gaming industry is still in the early days of virtual reality‘s resurgence. While some companies are still trying to wrap their heads around what it could mean for games, experienced studios like Funktronic Labs are pushing the medium forward with exciting new ideas.

Formerly based in Kyoto, Japan, Funktronic now has its headquarters in Los Angeles, where there’s a growing community of VR developers. According to programmer and studio cofounder Eddie Lee, the team likes to “live within the intersection of art and technology.” Sometimes, that means making experimental work like Lotus (an interactive audiovisual tool) or Kyoto (a relaxing puzzle-solving experience). Other times, that means creating innovative titles like Cosmic Trip, a first-person sci-fi strategy game built specifically for VR.

Cosmic Trip was one of the first games available for the HTC VIVE, resulting in a long and fruitful partnership with hardware maker HTC. Since then, Funktronic has focused on creating VR experiences that redefine what’s possible with the new technology, leveraging HTC’s platform offerings like VIVE WAVE and VIVEPORT Subscription.

Check out our video below to find out how the developers come up with ideas for their games and the crucial lessons they’ve learned from being at the forefront of VR.