Nissan launches metaverse experience blending car history with driver education

Nissan Motor Co. announced the launch of a new history and safety-themed metaverse experience on March 7. 

Called the “Heritage Cars & Safe Drive Studio,” the new exhibit combines immersive depictions featuring three of Nissan’s most iconic automobiles from history with interactive educational safety exhibits.

Per a press release from Nissan:

“The studio commemorates Nissan’s 90th anniversary year, which began in December. It features three iconic models from Nissan’s past, each set in a meticulously crafted virtual environment that reflects its era.”

The first exhibit features the Silvia Q’s S13, a Nissan known throughout the world for its popularity as a drifting vehicle. In the Heritage Cars & Safe Driving studio, users can check out the historic vehicle and learn about the impact of pedestrian clothing colors on drivers.

In the second exhibit, users can play a mini-game focused on learning about a driver’s field-of-view and how multitasking affects safety while driving. They can also check out a Skyline 2000GTX-E, one of the most popular tuner vehicles of all time thanks to its prominence in popular culture outlets including the Gran Turismo video game series and the Fast and Furious film franchise.

The final exhibit takes users back to the United States in the 1950s and 60s in a setting “reminiscent of a classic American diner and drive-in theater” where they can participate in a hands-on steering wheel spin exercise.

All three experiences were developed in concert with researchers at universities in Japan. These new metaverse exhibits are available on the Meta Quest headset where they join previous entries from Nissan including the company’s first virtual test drive, which launched in 2022.

Nissan also refreshed four existing metaverse worlds in December of 2023 as part of its 90th anniversary celebration.

The company’s metaverse updates come as hardware solutions for AR and VR begin to mature. The launch of Apple’s first mixed-reality headset in February of 2024 signaled renewed competition for tech outfits such as Meta and Microsoft who’ve edged towards consumer and enterprise adoption over the past decade.

Related: Majority of social media posts about the metaverse show positive sentiment