History ShoutOut / ReadyPlayerOne2018

* Several UsefulNotes/Atari2600 games are seen and referenced directly by name, such as ''Videogame/{{Joust}}'', ''Videogame/{{Centipede}}'', ''Videogame/{{Adventure}}'', ''Videogame/{{Pitfall}}'' and all three released ''Videogame/{{Swordquest}}'' games.

* ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'' (1979) - Floral arrangements in the likeness of the Starfleet insignia and the starship Enterprise featured during Halliday's funeral scene.

* ''Film/{{Pinocchio}}'' (1940) - Several characters discuss the nature of reality and whether they are real or pretend.

* ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' (1985) - Parzival's vehicle of choice is Doc Brown's time traveling [=DeLorean=]. [=Art3mis=] calls Parzival "[=McFly=]" after their first meeting. Aech has a Mayor Goldie Wilson poster next to his mirror in his workshop. The Rubik's Cube he buys from the market can set time back one minute and has a small Back To The Future main theme musical cue when activated. Additionally, the Rubik's Cube is named the "Zemeckis Cube" after Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis.

* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' (1984) - Freddy Krueger is one the avatars that attacks Aech in the Battle Royale on Planet Doom. The character is shown in his VideoGame/MortalKombatX model.

* ''Film/Rodan'' (1956) - Rodan is featured in the OASIS.

* ''Sora no daikaijû Radon'' (1956) - Rodan is featured in the OASIS.

* At the climax of the film, I-Rok refers to Sorrento activating the Catalyst in an attempt to kill everyone on Planet Doom as a "Camper move". "Camping" is a video game tactic that began in competitive multiplayer games where a player hunkers down on a single portion of a map and kills anyone who approaches, making many players consider it a cheap tactic not in the spirit of competition.

* ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' (1985) - Parzival's vehicle of choice is Doc Brown's time traveling [=DeLorean=]. [=Art3mis=] calls Parzaival "[=McFly=]" after their first meeting. Aech has a Mayor Goldie Wilson poster next to his mirror in his workshop. The Rubiks cube he buys from the market can set time back one minute and has a small Back To The Future main theme musical cue when activated. Additionally, the Rubiks Cube is named the "Zimeckis Cube" after Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' (1999) - Aech is contructing a replica in her workshop. She uses it in the final battle

* ''Film/ANewHope'' (1977) - There are multiple references to this movie. When trying to recruit him, Sorrento offers Z the Millenium Falcon. Parizval's avatar is wearing Han's Solo's belt. R2-D2 can be seen at the very end in Wade and Sam's apartment. After [=Art3mis=] escapes captivity, she is on a mission to bring down the shield from inside the castle. She evades a passing group of troopers by climbing around a column over a death fall (in this case, lava). These are circumstances and scenes almost identical to Obi Wan's scene the original Star Wars. Also, several X-Wings can be spotted as one of the ships waiting in line to go to the Distracted Globe earlier in the film (it can be spotted when the Firefly class transport flies into the shot -- which, incidentally, makes the engine noise associated with TIE fighters).

* ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014'' - This film's version of the TMNT are visible in the background of several scenes.

* ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzillaII'' (1993) - The Mechagodzilla that appears in the film's climax is based partially on tbe unused design seen on thid film's poster.

* ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzilla'' (1974) - Mecha Godzilla appears.

* Diminishing their relevance considerably from the book plot, a Music/{{Rush}} poster can be seen in [[spoiler:Halliday's bedroom]] near the end of the movie. Helen also wears a shirt with a Rush design in the real world.

* [[Myth/KingArthur Arthurian Legend]]: Parzival is the German rendering of the name Percival, the knight who finds the Holy Grail. Percival and the Holy Grail are both featured in the film, which is based off the Arthurian legend.

* A SPARTAN wielding an Energy Sword can be seen fighting in the background of the big battle on Planet Doom. In addition to being a ''Halo'' reference, many have argued that the SPARTAN in question is specifically Pvt. Tucker, one of the main characters of the {{Machinima}} TropeMaker ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''.

* ''Film/{{Real Genius}}'' (1985) - The wallpaper of Saturn in Halliday's younger self's room is the same as the one in Chris and Mitch's dorm room in this film.

* ''Film/{{RealGenius}}'' (1985) - The wallpaper of Saturn in Halliday's younger self's room is the same as the one in Chris and Mitch's dorm room in this film.

* The little girl who throws a hissy-fit after being zeroed out of the artifact hunt has a ''Franhise/DonkeyKong Junior'' poster on her bedroom wall.

* The little girl who throws a hissy-fit after being zeroed out of the artifact hunt has a ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' poster on her bedroom wall.

* ''Film/RoboCop1987'' - The titular cyborg makes a brief cameo during the introduction to the OASIS

* The story's conclusion, with [[spoiler:Wade receiving full ownership and control of the OASIS from Halliday, its creator, in the form of a Golden Egg]], is reminiscent of ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' by Roald Dahl. Similarly to the book version [=RP1=], the film was inspired by the Golden Ticket hunt from the book. Even one of the film's trailers utilizes an orchestral version of the song "Pure Imagination" from the film adaptation of Dahl's book, ''Film/WillyWonkaandTheChocolateFactory''.

* Right after the Arkham Knight appearance, ''Videogame/{{Injustice 2}}'''s version of ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} can be seen and heard gasping in surprise upon spotting Parzival.

* ''Film/DrStrangelove'' (1964) - The sound effect for the CRN-114 is used at one point in the film.