HMS Belfast Virtual Reality tour brings the World War 2 battleship into your home

HMS Belfast, the largest preserved warship in Europe, played an important role in the Battle of the North Cape in 1943, assisting in the destruction of one of the last big-gun German warships: Scharnhorst. At the time, HMS Belfast was the most advanced light cruiser in the world, and she will soon arrive in World of Warships as a Tier VII Premium ship, as part of the Royal Navy line.

With the help of World of Warships historians Richard “The Challenger” Cutland and Nicholas “The Chieftain” Moran, you can discover just what HMS Belfast is made of in the new 360-degree video, which teleports you to the real ship on the River Thames in London, mixing in battle visualisations using the highly detailed 3D ship models from World of Warships.

“HMS Belfast is a famed vessel that inspired us to create an unprecedented VR experience that deepens the historical connection to the World of Warships in-game experience,” said Alex Bobko, Head of Marketing Special Projects at Wargaming. “We just couldn’t pass up such deep access to this noteworthy ship. Visiting her in London allowed us develop groundbreaking content for our viewers, inviting them to jump into a mixed reality VR experience on the real ship, and then get hands-on experience with her in-game.”

Wargaming would like to thank the Imperial War Museum for the opportunity to create the VR experience inside HMS Belfast, and discover what life was like at sea for the crew from 1938 to 1963.

The HMS Belfast VR Experience is viewable for free on any Virtual Reality headset, as well as any mobile or desktop device: