For its thirtieth anniversary, the Saint-Saturnin Sports Section, better known as 4S, had the honor of hosting, Saturday December 21, 2024, under the aegis of Bruno Simon, the final of the third French championship of Ping VR (Ping in virtual reality). Around thirty flesh-and-blood graduates competed against each other in the Jean-Claude-Cissé room… Without a table or a ball!
No more “Ping” or “pong”, the spectator silently follows the match projected on the wall in the background of the players. But the emotions remain. The players masked by their virtual reality glasses sweat and exult during the exchanges. We applaud. The intensity of the confrontation remains intact. In addition to the exact replica of the sport, the virtual interest is also to practice your favorite sport at home or elsewhere with few resources and without logistical constraints.
An experience similar to classic Ping
“The skills developed in the virtual world will enable progress in the real world,” says Stéphane Lelong, director of the development division at the National Ping VR Federation. “Other applications are already being considered : take care of disability, illnesses, such as Parkinson’s »specifies coach Céryl Berthon, referent of the Center league.
It’s also an opportunity to get started. Helmeted, isolated from the outside, the player is thus immersed in this virtual world. The balls in image follow one another in each exchange. After a short time of adaptation, the feeling of playing is unchanged. But be careful not to lean on the table… There is none.
Championship results: 1is : Karl Vast from the Déols club (Indre), 2e : Sébastien Colin from the Belleneuvois club (Côte d’Or), 3e : Steven Ferton from the Mûrs-Erigné club (Maine-et-Loire).
4S Tours, 54, rue Saint-François 37000 Tours. Such. 02.47.38.37.39 or 06.89.89.90.04. Email: [email protected]
