Virtual reality has become one of the fastest growing technology sectors in recent years. Casual players and hardcore gamers alike have been quick to adopt VR in order to experience a thrilling sense of immersion.
But the industry is still growing and there is plenty more that VR content creators can do to increase adoption and push the sector even further. This involves taking on different gaming genres, offering brilliant experiences that players just can’t get through traditional means.
In 2015, a report by The Telegraph suggested that virtual reality headsets would change our lives. And in 2018, the world of virtual reality gaming may finally make good on those predictions.
Social VR Gaming
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Virtual reality gaming is often pitched as a way to ‘get away from the real world,’ but what about the social side of VR? VR allows for virtual meetups and gatherings as friends and family get together without needing to travel. In VR, borders and distance don’t matter because all you need is a headset to spend time with those you care about.
There is already some software that embraces this, such as VRChat, which allows players to create virtual worlds and custom, cartoonish avatars (it even features a weekly VR talk show). Then there’s AltspaceVR, which boasts everything from dance parties to VR versions of Dungeons & Dragons. You can expect both of these games to grow in 2018.
Social network Facebook is hoping to drive social VR this year, too. In 2017, it launched Spaces and it hopes to expand this into a social VR destination by offering different interactive features. An art program called Quill and 360-degree video that takes players to Disneyland are just some of the things offered by the Facebook creation.
Horror Gaming
Virtual reality headsets allow players to really feel as though they are the character being depicted on-screen and horror games can be an incredibly unsettling experience.
In 2018, developers are only going to double down on this hair-raising content. There are several new games looking to leave players scrambling for the light switch, fearing things that go bump in the night.
One such game is called The Inpatient which follows the familiar horror trope of being set in an asylum. Players are an amnesiac patient at the Blackwood Sanitorium and must try and recapture their lost memories. The game has a distinctly Silent Hill vibe and so anyone familiar with that iconic horror franchise knows that The Inpatient is one to watch.
Walking Dead VR also promises to be a chilling experience based on the hit TV show and comic books of the same name. The Walking Dead superfans and horror-lovers alike should enjoy this one.
Because the VR games and technology industry is growing so fast, there’s no telling what innovations may have cropped up by the end of the year. This is just a snapshot of what 2018 could look like for VR, but who knows what the future will hold beyond that.
Casino VR Gaming
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Industry analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that over half a billion dollars will be spent on virtual reality casino games by 2021. But which games would work well in VR, and what features would a VR casino game need to have?
The best casino games are ones that keep players entertained and engaged with bright and vibrant colors and worlds filled with action. As the 32Red Wild Orient online slot video review explains, the jungle-themed title would be perfect for that.
Hearing the sounds of the wild and its glorious animals is already delightfully atmospheric. If the 32Red game was played in a VR headset, players would feel as though they have actually been whisked away to an exotic location to play slots.
Games like Jurassic World Online Slot could capture player’s imagination with the hulking great beasts looking spectacular in VR. The medieval fantasy of Avalon II, hosted by operators such as Star Spins and Wombat Casino would also be brilliantly captivating when played through a VR headset.
Creators could also offer more traditional gambling experiences that feature virtual avatars sitting at tables. Casino VR Poker is one such company that takes players to virtual recreations of casinos and other creators are expected to release similar offerings soon.
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