The 2024 Shanghai Virtual Sports Open (SVS) is set to kick off, with the schedule officially released on April 9. From April to November, this eight-month-long event will feature five major sports, all receiving comprehensive upgrades to deliver the ultimate virtual sports experience.

The SVS, jointly hosted by the Shanghai Science and Technology Sports Management Center and Juss Intellisports, is the first comprehensive virtual sports event in China and a city-owned digital sports event founded by Shanghai. Combining traditional sports with digital life, it offers sports events based on intelligent simulation equipment and Internet competition platforms.

The event features five virtual sports — golf, cycling, skiing, rowing, and car racing.

As a globally leading and domestically pioneering virtual sports extravaganza, the SVS is a significant annual event in the virtual sports community. After two successful editions, the SVS stands as a representative of virtual sports events in Shanghai and nationally. The event also attracts a wider world as its line-up, competition standards, and international influence continue to grow.

This year, the virtual rowing event is set to attract top virtual rowers from different countries to compete in the upcoming season, according to the SVS organizer.

The SVS will also start overseas live broadcasting for the first time this year.

Additionally, this year's edition will organize more than 50 offline activities. It will collaborate with professional clubs and international events such as the Chinese Super League football team Shanghai Shenhua, CBA basketball team Shanghai Jiushi Sharks, 2024 FORMULA 1 Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix, and Shanghai Rolex Masters to offer sports enthusiasts a variety of fresh experiences, said the event organizer.

What's new?

1. Virtual rowing is adding an international invitational where athletes from different countries compete together. Also, the virtual racing league is expanding to more than 10 teams.

[Photo/WeChat account: 2024 Shanghai Virtual Sports Open begins in April]

2. Virtual skiing is adding collegiate competitions.

[Photo/WeChat account: 2024 Shanghai Virtual Sports Open begins in April]

3. This year's F1 Chinese Grand Prix will bring in a major upgrade of virtual racing events.

[Photo/WeChat account: 2024 Shanghai Virtual Sports Open begins in April]

4. Four new collegiate teams are added to virtual cycling, including East China Normal University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology.

[Photo/WeChat account: 2024 Shanghai Virtual Sports Open begins in April]

5. Female events and athlete reward points are added in collegiate competitions.

Source: Juss Intellisports