XploreRide New York Brings an Immersive XR Journey to Manhattan in Celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary

“The Promise of New York” invites guests into 250 years of freedom, opportunity, dreams, and reinvention — from spectators to protagonists in the city’s story.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- H.I.S. Americas Inc. (“HIS”) announces the official launch of “XploreRide New York produced by NAKED, INC.,” an immersive sightseeing entertainment experience that uses XR (Extended Reality) technology to transform a moving double-decker bus into a stage where the real streets of New York and digital storytelling unfold as one.

The project brings together travel and tourism company HIS, creative company NAKED, INC. (https://naked.co.jp/), and XR technology company RideVision Inc. (https://ridevision.jp/en/). HIS hosts and operates the tour through its local subsidiary, H.I.S. International Tours (NY) Inc.; NAKED, INC. leads planning, creative direction, and production; and RideVision provides the mobility XR technology integrated into the tour vehicle.

Following the launch of XploreRide in Hawaii in February 2025, New York marks the second destination in the series and an important step toward XploreRide’s vision of becoming a global platform for immersive city experiences.


◆ A New Way to Experience New York in America’s 250th Anniversary Year
In 2026, the United States marks its 250th anniversary. New York — a city shaped by generations of people pursuing freedom, opportunity, creativity, ambition, and dreams — provides a powerful setting for a new kind of tourism experience. Rather than simply looking at landmarks from the outside, XploreRide invites guests to step inside the stories, emotions, and ideas that have shaped the city over time.


◆ The Promise of New York
At the heart of the attraction is “The Promise of New York.” Along the journey, each stop reveals another expression of a promise the city has made across generations: not a guarantee that everyone will succeed, but the promise of a chance - a chance to move, to create, to dream, to express oneself, to challenge convention, and to begin again.

Guests are guided by “Liberty,” the Spirit of Freedom, who has watched generations arrive in New York and gradually comes to articulate what makes the city different. Her perspective connects the city’s history to a simple idea: New York’s enduring power lies not only in its skyline, bridges, or lights, but in the possibilities people have imagined here.


◆ From Spectator to Protagonist
XploreRide (https://xploreride.com/) is designed around a simple idea: travelers should not have to remain spectators. By combining the real cityscape with XR visuals, sound, narration, music, and interaction, guests become part of the story themselves. The experience turns travel time into experience time and transforms the city from something to observe into something to feel and participate in.

During the approximately 45-minute journey, Liberty leads guests through 250 years of New York history. Iconic locations including the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, Broadway, and Times Square become stages for stories of knowledge, movement, expression, dreams, individuality, and freedom. The experience also includes sequences that transport guests to the late 1800s, immersive scenes inspired by New York’s art and entertainment culture, interactive moments, and a cinematic finale above Manhattan.


◆ Interactive Experience Highlights
• XploreRide Snap: Guests appear in the XR world as personalized avatars and can capture and download memorable photos during the experience.
• Statue of Liberty Cosplay Experience: Guests can wear iconic Statue of Liberty-inspired accessories and step into the story of New York.


◆ Technology That Makes the City the Stage
RideVision’s mobility XR technology synchronizes vehicle location and passenger orientation in real time, allowing digital content to align with the surrounding cityscape as the bus moves. This close alignment between physical movement and visual content is designed to create a natural, highly immersive experience and reduce the sensory mismatch common with conventional VR experiences.

For XploreRide, however, technology is not the main character. The city and its stories are. XR is used as a tool that makes hidden histories, emotions, symbols, and imagination visible -allowing guests to experience familiar streets from an entirely new perspective.


◆ XploreRide New York Overview
• Official Launch: August 28, 2026 (preview operations began August 20)
• Departures: 4–6 tours per day
• Capacity: 40 guests per departure
• Duration: Approximately 45 minutes
• Route: Major sightseeing areas of Manhattan
• Languages: English and Japanese
• Ticket Price: Adults (12+): from $30 / Children (7–11): from $15
• Reservations: https://xploreride.com/

Important Information
• XR participation is available for guests aged 7 and above. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or older.
• Children ages 4–6 may ride free with a seat but without an XR headset. Children ages 0–3 may ride as infants without a seat or XR headset.


◆ Comment from New York City Tourism + Conventions
“As New York City joins the nation in commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, we are excited to support innovative experiences that bring our city’s history to life in new and engaging ways,” said Julie Coker, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions. “XploreRide offers visitors a unique opportunity to connect with New York City’s storied history and vibrant spirit while experiencing some of Manhattan’s most iconic landmarks. We look forward to welcoming travelers from around the world to discover all five boroughs during this historic year.”

MASAKAZU KOBAYASHI
H.I.S. Americas Inc.
xploreride-nyc@his-world.com
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