Virtual reality for gaming

On April 21, 2021, the Oculus Gaming Showcasetook place, an online event dedicated to virtual reality games and devices. This conference will be an opportunity to discuss the novelties in the world of virtual reality but also the new releases of the brand. Indeed, it must be said that Oculus is positioned as a main player in virtual reality.

Virtual reality or VR (Virtual reality) is about immersion in an interactive virtual space. This immersion is created from any place using digital technology. Enter the virtual world of video games, a myth that has become reality. Thus, with the help of virtual reality and headsets that are its instruments it is possible to access a kind of new virtual world. The winning trio is the HTC VIVE, the Oculus Rift and the Playstation VR. The latter, released in 2016, benefits from the notoriety of the playstation 4. In particular, it follows its success. This new innovation places Sony as a leader in the virtual reality market.

Virtual reality and gaming, an open market that makes the eye of the biggest

Virtual reality games revisit the limits of gaming and player experience. These new games allow immersion and interaction in a 360° world. In addition, they offer a 3D vision, something that classic video games do not allow. Some types of games are perfectly suited for virtual reality. Fans of horror and thrill games are widely served. Indeed, these games become much more frightening when you are totally immersed in them. Realism is also felt in first-person shooters (FPS). The dimension is even more reinforced when it comes to cooperating with friends.

VR has not spared mobile. Indeed in 2016 the success of Niantic’s Pokémon Go was clearly due to the VR concept. The principle is simple it is to find creatures by filming our environment. Although the success of the phenomenon has largely subsided, it remains one of the most played mobile games. In addition, regular updates take place. They allow you to give access to events and new pokémons. Niantic plans to exploit a very promising license soon. This is the one from Harry Potter. Thus it plans a new mobile game with a game mode similar to that of Pokémon Go. Lately it is Nintendo that has started to put its foot in the stirrup. She embarks on the adventure thanks to her Nintendo Labo and the various accessories that compose it. The latter allowing access to virtual reality games.

Indeed, the kit allows to assemble 6 sets giving access to 70 VR mini-games. Virtual reality in addition to providing a new game mode to the many video game consumers will revolutionize other sectors. It should eventually be able to revolutionize e-sports. It is already possible to attend competitions via a virtual reality headset. It is then possible to place yourself alongside the avatar of the professional player.

On the sports side, e-sports could be revolutionized by virtual reality. We would switch from the controller or keyboard-mouse to motion detection controllers. The sector could thus welcome new, more athletic players. This new vision could also help attract a wider audience. In this sense, it would be a question of attracting an audience that does not yet understand the current competitions.

Virtual reality game public gaming
Virtual reality offers new opportunities for the gaming industry

The limits of VR in a world in the midst of technological change

Virtual reality seduces more than one. However, it has some significant limitations. Indeed, we are still at the beginning of the new experiences it offers.

The first aspect is price. Indeed, it will cost at least 400 € to touch the entry-level which concerns the playstation VR compatible with the console costing the same price. And that’s nothing compared to the PC experience. VR requires significant graphics components to provide the best gaming experience that obviously goes hand in hand with price.

These awards also reflect a powerful new technology, embodied by helmets that are quite bulky and unsightly. The many threads can restrict the user’s gestures and impact their gaming experience. The weight, size and numerous connections of these devices do not promote their transport.

Virtual reality also faces a problem called “motion sickness”. Indeed, wearing a helmet can trigger nausea, dizziness and headaches in some users, these symptoms are mainly due to the imbalance between the virtual movements perceived by the gaze and the absence or difference of movement in the real.

VR offers great perspectives on the evolution of gaming and esports, in addition to revolutionizing the way of playing and will revolutionize the way we watch competitions. Nevertheless it is still a young field that is still in its “beginnings”, the components are large, often resulting in large and not very aesthetic helmets. Just take a look at the past, to see the evolutions, to remember the computers originally and compare them to those that exist now. Miniaturization of components by retaining or increasing power is a challenge that has already been met many times, the most concrete example is simply our smartphones. For example, these headsets could give way later to much more powerful VR glasses, which make the user experience even more immersive and concrete.

The price barrier is also still a problem especially for pc players, cloud gaming could however be a good content alternative to access to high-performance machines provided that the internet connection follows to avoid one of the gamer’s worst enemies: latency. In addition to the purely playful aspect of this technology, it can also be of unprecedented use for certain trades for very specific skills, such as surgery, an accompaniment in movements to avoid errors. Virtual reality is therefore used by all, in more or less close projections.

Patrick BONTE – Audrey KOZACZKA – BORDEAUX Business

Sources:

Nintendo unveils virtual reality experiences developed for Nintendo Labo” digital factory, article of March 23, 2019

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