Gamers, are you ready for Power Up? After five successful seasons, this interactive gaming extravaganza is returning to the Science Museum in London on July 27, 2023, and is now here to stay!
Power Up offers visitors a chance to get hands-on with some of the very best video games and consoles of the past five decades. With over 160 consoles and hundreds of games available all year long, visitors of all ages and experience can undertake a journey through the history of gaming, from the Atari 2600 to the PlayStation 5.
The attraction features 14 themes and sections, allowing visitors to pick from their favourite franchise-centred games from Disney to LEGO, jump from a generation of Mario, Sonic, or Zelda to the next, or challenge friends and fellow gamers to Street Fighter IV competitions and driving races in Gran Turismo.
The Science Museum says Power Up isn’t just about looking back; it also showcases the future of gaming. BAFTA Young Game Designers award-winners from the past five years will have their games on exclusive display, with a selection of this year’s winning games ready to be played. These annual awards are open to children and young people in the UK and support them to create, develop, and present their new game ideas to the world.
The attraction is divided into sections that include a physical games area, where you can discover iconic games like Wii Sport, get active with Kinect games, explore the future of gaming through VR experiences, or strum on Guitar Hero and do a spot of Sega Fishing. Additionally, a dedicated PC area features family favourites including Minecraft and classics like Monkey Island 2. Finally, a multiplayer zone invites gamers to battle it out in Splatoon and test their sports skills with Madden NFL 2003. It culminates in an action-packed multiplayer Halo tournament allowing 16 players to join the same game on Xbox 360.
Power Up also features a fun-packed interactive science behind gaming experience, with a timeline wall that illuminates iconic developments in gaming, enriching the learning experience. In its largest iteration at the Science Museum to date, this timeline of key consoles and games starts in the 1970s with the Binatone and invites visitors to follow the evolution of game design and story-telling all the way to the Wii and the Xbox One.
The attraction will have a permanent home at the Science Museum, and visitors can enjoy it for just £10 a day or £15 for an annual pass, offering unlimited access to over 160 consoles for a year.
Mark Cutmore, Head of Commercial Experiences at the Science Museum Group, said, “We are incredibly excited to bring back Power Up, one of our most popular experiences, and to give it a permanent home at the Science Museum. Video games transcend age and skill level, so we have something on offer for everyone, from intergenerational classics to the latest releases by up-and-coming developers. Power Up is an opportunity to explore the history of gaming first-hand: its permanent return at the Science Museum will showcase the UK’s thriving games industry and help inspire future games makers.”
The opening of Power Up’s permanent home will be celebrated on Thursday 27 July with the return of Gaming Lates, an adults-only, after-hours Science Museum event. This special edition will feature themed talks, playful workshops, and fun-packed activities exploring the science of gaming and how play has the power to change minds, improve wellbeing and boost your brain. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy discounted entry to Power Up, as well as the usual Lates highlights, including the chance to dance the night away under real rockets at our silent disco.
For further information or to book tickets for Power Up, you can visit the Science Museum website.
Have you been to the PowerUp exhibition before? Are you tempted to take a look? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or join the conversation over on the Gaming.Buzz Community Discord.