By Maya Belle
When we think of a video game, we usually think of an electronic, interactive game that uses buttons and controllers to navigate its fictional world. A watered down version of this could be a mobile game, which has the same components, but only relies on a single screen. However, since early video games were created, they have never been considered truly immersive. While you see a screen and can navigate the world inside of it, it is never the focal point of your entire experience. Virtual reality is changing that.
Virtual reality can be defined as the simulation of an environment that you can interact with physically with the use of special electronic equipment. This is a basic definition of today’s virtual reality hardware, with a headset, controllers and sensors equipped. Essentially, virtual reality places you in a simulated environment which you can interact and immerse yourself in. While the gaming portion may be similar to early games, it allows you to be inside of the world you’re playing in, not just staring at a screen.
The genres of VR include first person shooters, racing games, and even horror. Another important factor in VR is the graphics; in a horror or adventure game, graphics are key, and especially when you are immersed in a computer generated environment, the world around you must look realistic in order to gain the full experience.
Though VR is a promising new genre of video games, it still has many technological hurdles it must cross to truly embed itself into the mainstream. Mobility is a main issue, as while the simulated world in the headset may be endless, real life isn’t. People playing from the comfort of their own homes usually don’t have the amount of space needed to truly be part of an immersive game. Another issue is simply internet speed; 5G speed internet is needed to easily play in VR.
The breakthrough of virtual reality into the mainstream is inevitable, and in the coming years, we will see it become more and more popular with the average person. However, it is still unknown if VR will ever be able to become a fully immersive experience, and whether it can truly overcome its technological challenges.
References:
https://www.oculus.com/rift/accessories/?locale=en_US
https://thinkmobiles.com/blog/virtual-reality-gaming/
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