It seems like a long time ago where virtual reality was constantly being touted as the next big thing in gaming, efforts from different major manufacturers were bringing a fresh slew of VR headsets to consumers at different price brackets and the improvements to the hardware and the software was looking more and more impressive with each iteration.
At the time, Oculus, who are now branded as Meta, really did change the game with the wireless headsets that offered on-board storage managed to reduce much of the clunkiness with wires running all over and sensors placed strategically around the room, offering a lighter weight device that could still play big games without the need for a powerful rig.
These devices meant that certain niches and gaming markets were able to thrive, big platforms like those Goldenbet casino games that have become popular and were touted to be the next big thing bringing the online casino to the home with VR bridging the gap, smaller indie games continued to grow in the VR market too by offering something unique, and some AAA games continued to offer VR support as something of a gimmick to appease the players that were interested in this tech specifically.
(Image from Forbes)
This same release may also be a reason why VR can be considered to be slowing by some, however, whilst the newest Meta Quest device sold more than the latest Xbox, as a VR device the hardware is limited making some games less accessible without connecting to a powerful system the operates as the middleman to run the game. With the audience of these Meta Quest devices often being more casual users, it’s less likely that they’ll have these powerful systems to run the more intensive games.
It’s also difficult to say there haven’t been any good releases for VR recently too as there have been some exciting releases that have also become extremely popular, but for the same reasons it is a bit of a catch-22 as developers will flock to the popular device, and in this case being the Meta Quest is more likely that games will be developed to match that spec rather than something more powerful.
For now, it’s still very much on the cusp of what it could become, as both developers of the hardware and developers of the game find out where the middle ground is, it’s not quite found it’s place as a mainstream interest and still remains in the niche despite the marketing that often surrounds some of the devices, but there does seem to be a clear path forward at least.
Lighter weight devices as evolutions from the Quest could be huge, some have suggested more in the way of glasses like an XR platform similar to what Google Glass once promised to be, others have hoped for more complex games with deeper requirements for a more immersive and more impressive experience, with both being opposite sides of the coin it’s difficult to determine which could be the next logical step forward.
For now, VR doesn’t seem to hold the esteem it once did, and whilst it’s still a popular medium, labelling it as the next big step for gaming may be more of a reach than it once was, but there are still some extremely exciting possibilities that VR could bring, and as hardware continues to improve with time the future of what VR could offer both the casual user and the power user could be something worthy of calling the true next step in not only gaming, but the next step in an extended reality experience
Want more news from the Tech world for Gaming Peripherals to Hardware Click Here
