Virtual reality, or “VR” as it is more commonly known, is about to fundamentally change the gaming industry as the possibilities of the ground-breaking technology are virtually limitless. At least that is what the advocates of VR technology claim. On the other hand, others argue that the technology has never really succeeded before and is therefore unlikely to do so in the near future.
In the coming years, the VR market is expected to grow more or less explosively. According to reports, the global VR market was worth nearly $21.83 billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow to nearly $766 billion by 2025. However, this includes other uses beyond gaming, such as healthcare and other parts of the entertainment industry.
We can already see a clear increase in demand for more realistic games, such as casino games with live dealers. Casinos with such games, which can be found at cherry red casino among others, already combine the real world with the virtual one, even if it is far from the experience that VR offers.
So will Virtual Reality change the gaming industry, or is it just a trend that will slowly blow out? And if it does take off, what will be the impact on the global gaming industry?
The start of something revolutionary… or not?
When VR technology became a thing a few years ago, many saw a world where gaming would be taken to new heights. Putting on a VR headset would transport you to an entirely different world, and that itself would create experiences never before matched. But why has the gaming industry not found more successful ways to integrate the technology yet?
Back in 2006, when Nintendo tried to become relevant in the industry again, they released the Nintendo Wii console, which was supposed to make gaming more lifelike. However, it did not become as popular as they thought. The technology was simply not ready, but people continued talking about a future of gaming where people could play games in a similar way.
In 2014 VR got a boost again as Facebook bought one of the companies behind the more popular virtual reality headsets. At the time, it was set to be the next big thing in the gaming industry. But after about a decade of VR headsets in various forms, it is not a stretch to say that it has not quite been the success that many had envisioned.
The gaming industry has not been very quick to develop games optimised for VR headsets, mainly because the usage is not as widespread as one might have thought it would be. This makes it very expensive, and ultimately unprofitable for the game developers.
VR casinos are blurring the lines between land-based and online casinos
Overall, it can be said that the global gaming industry has not quite implemented VR as one might have thought. Nevertheless, one sector within the gaming industry that is not giving up when it comes to cutting-edge technology seems to be the casino industry.
Just have a look at live casinos – online casino platforms where players can use a camera to play, for example, poker or blackjack with a live dealer at a real table. In other words, you can be transported to a casino in Las Vegas even if you are physically in your own living room. Such games have proven to be incredibly popular among players as they offer a more authentic gaming experience.
Recently, some online casino sites have started using VR technology to offer new and even more realistic gaming experiences to their players. Some operators are developing experiential concepts and focus on increasing the stimulation of players’ senses to the point that you feel like you are in a real land-based casino. VR casinos offer you the unique experience of mingling with other players and you can move freely in the casino as well as walk between the different tables. VR casinos are seriously blurring the line between the real and virtual worlds.
Metaverse is set to be the next big thing
If you have not been living under a rock for the past few years, you have probably heard of the Metaverse, which is set to be the next big thing. Metaverse is a term for a virtual reality where users can integrate in a virtual environment in 3D and communicate with each other.
Facebook, which is the owner of this (of course), has started to link several of its AR and VR projects to the Metaverse concept. According to Zuckerberg, Facebook’s owner, the Metaverse will be a place where all major future games will take place.
So, although VR is claimed to be the future of gaming for many, it is only a fraction of what the whole Metaverse is and means. Who knows, VR headsets may not even be needed in the future of Metaverse.