This year, Sony, Meta, and other big names are confirmed or rumoured to be releasing a new piece of virtual reality hardware. While some companies have multiple uses in mind for their VR kit, the biggest consumer market for these headsets is in the gaming space.
But sales of headsets continue to lag behind other devices. So can 2023 be the year VR has a big impact on gaming?
Biggest Technological Advancement of Recent Years
One factor to consider is what competition VR has as this will give us more insight as to whether it can have a big impact on gaming this year.
Overall, there are no other major technological advancements that have promised anything radical in recent years. Sure, new consoles like the PlayStation 5 offer more power and better graphics, but it’s only an iterative improvement on the PS4. VR, on the other hand, is an entirely new way to play.
VR has also been one of the biggest technological advances within the online gambling industry over the last few years too. It remains in its infancy, but the few examples we have of VR betting services show that it can deliver a much more immersive experience to punters.
What Improvements Can Be Made?
Virtual reality initially seemed like a bit of a gimmick, but developers have been very creative in the types of VR gaming content that they’ve produced. It’s not just a different way to play existing titles, we’re also seeing a lot of new genres.
This is why some of the most popular games include Job Simulator, Beat Saber, and I Expect You to Die 2.
There are also many successful virtual reality versions of existing games too, such as Skyrim VR, No Man’s Sky VR, and Superhot VR that all bring new and exciting elements for players to enjoy.
On top of that, VR makes games more physical which can be beneficial to anyone wanting to move more while still enjoying their gaming hobby.
What’s Holding VR Back?
VR has been criticised in the past for a few issues. One of these is the bulky headset and web of wires that trailed from them, but these technical issues have been overcome with smaller and lighter devices that can operate entirely wirelessly now on the market.
However, VR also has a biological problem to overcome. Many players have reported issues of feeling motion sick when playing certain titles. The recent Meta Quest Pro attempts to overcome this but it’s unclear how effective that is yet.
Overall, VR could make a big impact this year but human biology could be just one of many reasons that hold it back. That said, it doesn’t face much competition from other technologies, so it may have a clear run.
Read Next: GTA Online: Have You Tried the Treasure Hunt in GTA Online?
