Technology that has been around for a decade, recently became extremely popular and started to gain our attention. Today we are going to be talking about Virtual Reality (VR). Some see it as the future of gaming, we archer now to determine if that really is the case.
With this blog post we will dive into the topic of VR, VR gaming accessories, VR gaming etc. with as much as possible to answer the question if it is really worth all that buzz around it. Also, we will try to put some predictions in place as if this is here to stay.
Current state of VR Gaming
At the beginning VR has been pointed only for a very specific niche use. That was up until recently where with the appearance of Oculus Quest 2 made it way much more accessible and also affordable for the mass public use. The market for VR is spiking in an uptrend very rapidly having more and more players that have access to the equipment.
As of the things players can benefit from is for now the one of a kind experience that cannot be found anywhere else but here. It leaves a sense in the players as if they really have deep dived into the game’s graphics. It gives a sense of full mindful interaction between the game and the player itself. It leaves a mark as if the people have traveled to a different dimension without leaving the premises of their own home. This could be anything from open-world surroundings, having to play a variety of board games or being the front face of first person shooting scenes or why not being the driver behind the fastest and unique cars known to mankind or why not being the main character in a rock band? All of these stuff above is an unlatching experience with the traditional gaming sets available
From the other side the industry itself has reached an intense increase in the numbers of games that have been created. There is something being created for almost every taste - from action games to more well relaxed ones. Games based on exploring are also part of the big scope of available developed content. Also the industry itself is becoming significantly more accessible for the developers as well with more and more tools available for the programmers in hand to work with. This of course leads to upgrading the quality of what’s being produced.
Challenges facing VR Gaming
As a positive side VR gaming is in a massive uptrend but that doesn’t not necessary mean that it comes without any challenges. One of the biggest pushbacks we can call is unfortunately the high cost of the hardware. For sure this is a significant setback for a lot of people that want to have access to this world but simply cannot afford it as being on a tight budget.
At this moment there might be a bit for everyone as a game to choose from but unfortunately that by any sense does not mean it’s enough or even close to what traditional gaming is offering as a library of franchises. We are at this stage now with VR gaming where we play games that are available and not the games we want as a first choice. We are all now in the stage of curiosity where we are interested in the technology itself and any game we want to experience is far more than welcome, as this is something we have never seen and experienced first hand. Some picky players might find this as a big turn off as we have gaming loyal communities that stick to one specific franchise and most of them are not yet available to be experienced in VR.
Another downside might be the fact that the games themselves are leading to a self-isolated gaming world where the players are mainly focused on their own gaming environment. That leads to another barrier when it comes to socializing with other gamers and a very self-centered environment.
Predictions for the fitter of VR Gaming
The technology might be in its early stage, but that does not mean that there is no bright future ahead of it. We have listed a couple of predictions that we made for the technology itself:
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The uptrend will continue. The technology and its development are expected to grow big with more and more players getting involved with the gaming VR community. Main motivation will be that the technology will continue to develop and is going to be more advanced which will make it more accessible and of course affordable to the mass gamer.
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Hardware will improve. What is expected in the future are harwdare improvements such as: Higher resolution displays, better tracking and more advanced input options for players. This will benefit by getting a more seamless VR experience for players which will lead to making VR gaming more appealing.
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Increase in non-gaming use. Another way the technology itself will grow is when it will be used for things which are not related to the gaming market. For example the technology is slightly used in healthcare, education and military training. The opportunities are beyond imaginable. As VR technology continues to advance, we can expect to see it being used in even more industries, further expanding the VR market and driving growth in the VR gaming industry.
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Expand use in more social VR activities. As mentioned above, the VR can lead to isolating the player from the surrounding environment and having close to none social interactions. For example, the technology can be used for more social activities and experiences such as players being able to communicate directly with other players in the virtual world. This will lead to a more engaging and social gaming experience.
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Machine learning and AI (artificial intelligence). Once these two are integrated with VR gaming, this will lead to more realistic and advanced VR experiences. Also, this will increase the overall virtual dynamics and environments, making VR more appealing in general.
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Cross - platform play? Yes, why not. So far the technology is being limited to single use platforms. Oculus quest or the Playstation VR. We can make the bold prediction that we can expect cross-platform gaming use regardless of their VR hardware. Benefits from this will be that the technology will be more accessible which will help the growing it even more.
Conclusion
The future looks bright, the future looks VR. Improved hardware quality and also interactivity is on the uprise. On the other hand, the expenditure to nona-gaming niches will improve the overall adoption of the technology. With the power of AI and machine learning the technology will improve with intensive tempo, making VR a major player in gaming. Future is really exciting and we personally cannot wait how and how fast it will develop overtime.
