I Rode Pakistan’s Railways Inside a Metaverse Cabin
By Syed John
National railways are licensing their train telemetry to VR arcades faster than they fix bathrooms.
Pakistan Railways can't keep every bathroom stocked, but it just signed a licensing deal with a Lahore VR studio. The result? A metaverse cabin that streams real sensor data onto a virtual window, letting gamers experience a Multan night ride without the mosquitoes. It's simultaneously hilarious and brilliant.
Why license telemetry? Because VR arcades are the new marketing channel. Kids in Toronto can now feel the wobble of a Pakistani bogie, and diaspora parents buy digital tickets out of nostalgia. Meanwhile, the actual train still rattles along, oblivious to its digital twin.
I tried the simulation and felt guilty enjoying a smooth ride while knowing the real carriage lacks working fans. Yet the revenue from these licenses might finance upgrades. Maybe that's the new model: monetize your romance while you fix your reality.