In the sleek lobby of Ravensbourne University London, a young man named Troi is dancing like he’s at a Berlin techno club. With a small pack strapped to his back, an Oculus headset pulled over his eyes, and a virtual saber in each hand, he slashes in deliberate rhythmic patterns, vanquishing gleaming 3D cubes that speed toward him on a large screen. Troi is killing it on the VR rhythm game Beat Saber.
Shedding his headset, he exclaims, “WOW!!! Absolutely amazing!” Troi’s enthusiasm is typical —Beat Saber sold 1 million copies in its first 10 months and often lands on top-game lists— but his mode of expression is not. He is using British Sign Language.