Virtual reality technology has come on in leaps and bounds over the past decade, elevating it from a niche concern to a mainstream phenomenon.
Gaming is particularly well suited to VR, and we have already seen some groundbreaking experiences arrive, from indie success stories like Beat Saber to triple-A behemoths like Half-Life: Alyx.
Of course innovations like this rarely stand still, so here is a look at what the future might hold for VR, what types of immersive games players can expect to see arriving on popular headsets, and how this will impact the industry more broadly.
Virtual reality online casinos are on the way
One of the great things about VR is that it can replicate real-world experiences with almost photorealistic graphics, while surrounding the player in believable environments without requiring them to leave the comfort of their home.
This has proven particularly appealing in the time of the pandemic, which also brought about the rapid rise in the number of people signing up to web-based gambling sites.
A quick look at the best online casinos for US players reviewed by industry experts here will demonstrate how many major brands have carved out a slice of the market so far. And with vast budgets at their disposal, casino game developers are pushing the boundaries all the time.
Of course there are already VR casino games out there, but the crucial flaw with all of these is that they usually rely on using an in-game, non-transferrable currency. This means that even if you ‘win’ a jackpot, this only persists in the world of the game.
The next big step, then, is for the aforementioned gambling site operators to build their own virtual reality games where players can wager with actual cash, and have a chance of taking home real prizes.
Aside from this enticing opportunity, another advantage of VR casinos in comparison with standard digital casino experiences is that they can make better use of in-game physics to determine the outcome of games. And of course being able to feel like you are actually sitting at a poker table or playing a hand of blackjack in Vegas will be unbeatable for casino fans who can’t afford the airfare or can’t stand the desert heat.
Next-gen console VR will bring higher fidelity to the masses
While companies like Valve and Oculus may have pushed the boundaries of VR on PC, the reality is that in addition to being very costly, these solutions also require additional expenditure on a high-end computer to power the headsets and peripherals.
Sony, on the other hand, saw an opportunity to allow more people to enjoy VR at a lower price point, and the original PlayStation VR headset was a hit.
Critics were right to point out that the resolution and refresh rate of PSVR 1.0 left it looking a little archaic compared with PC equivalents, and these issues will be addressed when the second edition arrives in the near future.
PSVR 2 will not only have updated hardware in its own right, but will also be able to benefit from the major power boost provided by the PlayStation 5, compared with the PS4’s mediocre graphical grunt that was another limiting factor of the earlier iteration.
While details about the exact specs of PSVR 2 are thin on the ground, insiders expect that it will have a 4000×2040 resolution display catering to each eye, while a new set of controllers will allow for even more impressive and engaging games in your living room.
So long as the PSVR 2 does not suffer from the same supply issues that have played the PS5, it should show that consoles can do virtual reality just as well as PCs.
Wireless VR devices will become the norm
There are two problems preventing wireless virtual reality from taking center stage; battery life and bandwidth.
All-in-one solutions like the Oculus Quest, which can also be tethered to a dedicated machine for more in-depth VR gaming, have addressed this to an extent, but in the coming years there should be more parity between wired and wireless headsets.
This does pose the question about the sustainability of VR gaming, because of course this is yet another device which consumers are expected to upgrade relatively regularly to avoid falling behind.
Even so, giving people more freedom to move and play, perhaps with the endgame of making a VR headset standard which will last for decades without the need to upgrade, is a promising prospect.
