"I am K-pop idol too" Virtual Reality bringing Karaoke into the future in Korea

When karaoke machines first appeared in Japan in the 1970s they were considered an expensive fad. Almost 50 years later, Karaoke room which is called noraebang in Korea is one of Asia’s favorite pastimes and in Korea, it is already absorbing the newest trend in entertainment – virtual reality.

VR integrated Karaoke rooms are getting ready to pop around South Korea’s cities on a massive scale in near future.

On the June 14th, Karaoke franchise maker M-Star released the VR karaoke system 'Sing VR' developed by TJ Media and VR content producer, The Monster Lab.

You can experience singing together with your favorite singer on one stage at karaoke room equipped with a Sing VR device and headmount. After selecting your favorite band's music and turning your head to the side, you can see the band member who plays live next to you. When you look at the front, you can enjoy the enthusiasm of many audiences toward the stage.
In the VR space, you can also experience dancing and singing with your chosen idol dancers.
Currently, Sing VR is being piloted at MN Star's Karaoke branchs at Seoul Boramae Station, Shinlim Station, and Hongdae Station.

"It has been more than 25 years since the karaoke has become one of Korean's favorite pasttime, but there has been no major change except to show the lyrics," said Kwon Joon-eun, vice president of MNSA. "Now we are using the existing karaoke room to experience new things through VR. "