Virtual reality is becoming a reality
VR is the next big step in gaming evolution. When the prototype for Oculus Rift was made in 2010, it revolutionized the gaming market and brought us a first glance of what VR can actually be. Since then there has been a huge increase in companies investing in VR technology, from Google to Sony.
What immediately followed was fair amount of VR games that have come out as a result. VR has actually been on the scene for a while but they have mostly been used as a tool for game and movie developers in the form of ‘data suits’ that feature full body motion sensors and a VR headset.
However, VR has advanced significantly since then, bringing the devices to the consumer market and the VR industry has made over $1.8 billion in revenue in 2016.
Granted, the devices are fairly expensive but no more than an average PC. And if the trend continues, at some point, they wont even require a PC anymore to function.
In VR you can utilize your entire body to play the game.
Gaming is not VR’s only use
Games aren’t the only thing that VR is revolutionizing. VR is, among other areas, being used in cinema, offering audiences to view a 360 degree environment in every scene. Sports have also adopted VR and will try to feature sports matches in VR.
Medical treatment is also where VR is becoming a useful tool in treating PTSD and certain phobias in a form of exposure therapy. VR is also being used in theme park rides as well as training military personnel, astronauts, pilots and doctors to name a few.
Farpoint | Part 1 | PSVR PS4Pro | Blind Playthrough Gameplay No Commentary
In VR shooters, you can’t hit a creature by aiming with your mouse you actually have to aim with your hands.
The future of gaming
The most obvious use of VR is of course gaming and how it’s going to revolutionize it. VR is split into three distinct categories: VR (Virtual Reality - just a headset) AR (Augmented Reality - an augmented view of the real world through the headset) and MR (Mixed Reality - the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualisations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time).
As Steam has already jumped on the VR train, there have been a number of VR games appearing on the scene that are either paid or free content. As the VR train moves on however, we might be at one point playing CS:GO in an actual VR arena.
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