Virtual Reality (VR) has been a buzzword in the gaming industry for a while now. With the increasing affordability of VR headsets, more and more gamers are getting to experience the immersive world of VR gaming. While the technology has come a long way since its inception, and it’s only going to get better from here on out, what kind of future does VR hold?
What is Virtual reality?
VR is a technology that uses computer-generated 3D environments to create a simulated experience that feels real to the user. It usually involves wearing a headset with two screens in front of the user’s eyes and can be accompanied by hand controllers and other peripherals that allow them to interact with the virtual environment.
One of the main benefits of this technology is the level of immersion it provides. The player feels like they are actually inside the virtual environment, which can be anything from a remake of a relaxing beach in Hawaii to the middle of a battlefield in Germany in 1942. This level of immersion makes the experience more engaging and memorable for the user.
VR can also be used for training and education purposes. For example, medical professionals can use VR to simulate surgeries and procedures, allowing them to practice and improve their skills in a safe and controlled environment. Similarly, firefighters and other first responders can use VR to train for emergency situations.
It’s not for everyone
While yes, that technology is amazing and has been evolving more and more, with greater field of view, higher refresh rate, higher resolution, better tracking, more tracking points, etc it doesn’t work for everyone, nor for everything. For instance, majority of the VR users experience dizziness during their first sessions and some never adapt. On top of that, it’s not every game that can be adapted to play well with it. Things like 2D games, point and click adventures, 3rd person shooters, etc probably wouldn’t work well in virtual reality.
And the price for getting better, newer tech is always the same: VR can be expensive. While the cost of VR equipment has gone down in recent years, it still requires a significant investment. A high-quality VR headset can cost several hundred to over a thousand dollars, and that’s not including the cost of a powerful computer or gaming console that’s required to run it and sometime importing taxes and shipping, as people from many countries still can’t buy them directly from vendors. This can make VR inaccessible to some people who can’t afford to make the investment.
Massive investment
Despite the challenges though, VR has seen MASSIVE investments from all sides as of recently. Companies have been buying massive amount of headsets for their employees to work from home, leading companies like Spatial, who has produced basically a VR version of Zoom, see a growth of 1000% in 2020. Tech giants like facebook have been losing dumping billions of dollars in VR technologies and content, and from the user side, there’s also a massive amount of people, mainly young, buying Virtual Reality headsets(steam alone says 2% of their player base, which should mean over 4 million people, have a VR headset as of february 2023 hardware survey).The market size value according to grandviewresearch was about $28 billion dollars in 2022, expected to be triple that by 2030, and it’s a market with very little competition software and hardware wise.
What to expect
Virtual reality undoubtedly has an bright future ahead. Though not everyone may jump at the opportunity to experience it, with the price dropping and technology evolving, more and more people will join the bandwagon. While some may feel queasy at the mere thought of it, and others may remain indifferent, there’s no denying that the VR market is expanding with each passing day.
As the technology progresses, virtual reality will become more immersive and realistic than ever before, with exciting new extensions and games that will leave you in awe. It’s the perfect time to invest in this cutting-edge technology and embrace the endless possibilities it offers, there won’t be any other point in time which competition will be this low.
