Virtual reality gaming, also known as immersive multimedia or computer-simulated life, has taken the lead as the latest most powerful and challenging concept in gaming technology. It has become increasingly popular over recent years, with teenagers and young people in particular loving the intense graphics and real-life reconstructions it provides. But what impact does this newcomer have that more traditional formats don’t? Will it strive ahead of its competitors and take the leading role as the future of gaming? Let’s find out.
What is virtual reality gaming?
This mode of gaming involves the interaction and experience between a player and a three-dimensional environment that provides an artificially manufactured alternative reality that can stimulate sensory experiences such as sight, hearing, touch and even smell and taste in some cases. Online gaming allows you to bring the sort of thrills and spills you’d have to travel far and wide for right into your living room and virtual reality is about building on this develop an ever-more realistic experience.
How does it work?
There are a few different types of equipment available that allows players to access this 3D gaming phenomenon. Players can wear a required headset such as the Oculus VR headset or the StarVR which offers an amazing 210° view with special features to heighten the experience for gamers. There are other examples of VR equipment, some even allow full interaction with the 3D environment but these are incredibly expensive or still to be released – such as the Hololens from Microsoft. Other versions of VR include the Wii Remote and the PlayStation Eye which are both less advanced versions of virtual reality gaming. None of this would be possible without bio-sensing.
Bio-Sensing
A bio-sensor is a technical device that is able to detect a person’s presence in the game. According to VRS these are ‘small sensors which are attached to a data glove, suit or even the body and record movements made by that person in a 3D space’, all of these movements are then fed back to a computer which ‘analyses the data and uses this to transform your actions into the appropriate responses on the screen’. This is what enables players to have an immersive experience with the game, allowing them to experience the game in a deeper, more realistic level.
What does the future hold?
The future looks bright for virtual gaming, with interest peeking from around the globe. People seem to be very excited about this relatively new gaming experience and the headsets are flying off the shelves. There are plenty of games on offer and they are available on a range of gaming consoles such as Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Mac and PC. This large variety means that virtual gaming is likely to take hold and appeal to a great audience.
However, according to The Guardian, Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot said that there is uncertainty surrounding VR. “We don’t know yet whether it will be an enormous consumer success,” he says. “What I like about it is that it’s accessible, you can control it just by moving your head; that’s an interesting step…we’re at the beginning, but our demos have been convincing.” The interest is there, the challenge now is to get bigger and better.
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