How VR is changing online gaming

With the gaming world evolving at such an exponential rate to create life-like graphics, interactive storylines and hyper-responsive technology, it’s clear that the next generation of gaming is going to push the boundaries between real and simulated worlds. Whilst classic consoles and good old-fashioned controllers still maintain their popularity, the biggest breakthrough in our step towards immersive gameplay is, of course, virtual reality. Though it may not have hit the mainstream – largely due to the price, the space it requires and the high-spec computers needed to run the hardware  – VR is slowly but surely shaping the future of the gaming industry.

Increased mobility

With the release of the Oculus Quest, 2019 is set to be the year of standalone headsets. The product is available from around £400, making it slightly more affordable for the standard customer, and it offers an experience to rivial the high-end Oculus Rift without the user needing IR sensors or a connection to a smartphone or extortionately priced gaming PC. Indeed, Marc Zuckerberg announced this week that demand for the wireless headset is exceeding the company’s supply. In other words, improved accessibility and portability means that this new model is selling out faster than it can be stocked, to the point that even Facebook may have underestimated the changing tide. With this kind of hardware entering living rooms, we can perhaps glimpse a future beyond the days of bulky tech and overheating fans.

Intuitive features

The biggest difference between traditional gaming and VR play is how the tech responds to our bodies. Indeed, eye-tracking technology is constantly being developed to react in seamless synchronisation with our optical movements. Foveal transport support enables players to keep images in their direct line of sight and is being expanded to menus to allow gamers to select options and target objects with their eyes alone. VR is becoming more and more powerful, and this means an increasing FOV (field of view), which ups the percentage of the virtual world that is observable to the gamer during first-person play.

Inventive accessories

To accompany the ever-improving tech are a series of increasingly complex add-ons, accessories that take gaming to the next level. From The HoloSuit, a full-body VR suit to VR shoes and treadmills, the world of VR is expanding. With this tech, the possibilities are seemingly endless, and gaming is able to become increasingly inventive, allowing you to enjoy all manner of experiences and sensations from the comfort of your living room.

Overall, then, VR is taking gaming into a new realm. Rather than sitting in their living rooms wired up to their sets, gamers are able to take a more active part in their games, and there are tons of new sites which mean the possibilities for virtual travel are endless. The mean of RPG takes on a new meaning when you consider that the next generation of gamers might be stepping, quite literally, into the shoes of their characters.

The editorial unit