Each era has brought forth some groundbreaking technological advancements that have revolutionized and become integral across a large range of industries. While you may think otherwise, in my opinion, the gaming industry is one of the best examples of how the power of technology can transform experiences.
The video game industry has seen numerous important milestones with the help of technology. The first boom in the gaming industry came in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to the launch of timeless classic video games like Pong and the launch of gaming arcades, gaming consoles, and personal computer (PC) games for the general public.
All these critical milestones propelled the popularity of video gaming and established the activity as one of the most preferred forms of entertainment and a part of modern culture in most parts of the world.
As time marched on, the rapid progress into technological advancements like the Internet continued, and with it brought a new era for the gaming industry, adding the elements of convenience, accessibility, and even socialization for gamers across the globe by enabling online and multiplayer gaming.
However, in recent years, the world has witnessed the power of two groundbreaking technologies that have marked the beginning of a new era in gaming, one filled with highly immersive gaming experiences. You guessed it: I’m talking about virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in gaming!
To enjoy the power of VR and AR in gaming, all you need to do is choose a provider offering high-speed internet near you and the right hardware. The use of VR and AR in gaming paves the way for gamers around the world to experience the next wave of entertainment, one that blurs the boundaries between the physical and digital realms.
But what exactly are these technologies, and how have they changed the way we game? In addition to these questions, this article will explore all you should know about how the use of VR and AR in gaming has changed the way we game. Together, we will explore:
Augmented Reality in Video Games
Notable Examples of VR and AR in Gaming
Notable Examples of Virtual Reality Gaming
Notable Examples of Augmented Reality in Video Games
How VR and AR in Gaming Revolutionized the Industry?
Enhanced Reality and Immersion
The Future of VR and AR in Gaming
Let the games begin!
What Exactly are VR and AR in Gaming?
Implementing VR and AR in gaming opens the door to numerous options to improve experiences and foster high levels of digital fan engagement. Let’s take a look at what both technologies are and what they bring to the table when their power is applied to the gaming industry.
– Virtual Reality Gaming
Virtual reality gaming is all about delivering highly immersive gaming experiences that match real life by placing gamers in a virtual world where they can move, interact, and experience from a first-person point of view.
VR in gaming works by relying on a range of software and hardware that perform a range of tasks in harmony. These hardware and software allow the implementation of technologies like 3D visuals, spatial audio, motion tracking, and haptic feedback in VR.
The hardware generally includes a dedicated virtual reality headset, motion controllers, and sensors that track the player’s physical movement and inputs in real time. The software ensures the creation of a highly detailed, responsive, and immersive virtual environment through computer-generated graphics. Algorithms also translate sensor data into on-screen responses.
Together, these systems allow gamers to experience their favorite games in an accurate and highly personalized virtual environment based on their chosen settings from the comfort of their homes.
Key Features of Virtual Reality Gaming
- Detailed Virtual Worlds: VR in gaming offers detailed virtual environments that make players feel like they’re in the game.
- 360-degree View: Players can analyze the entire virtual environment by being able to turn around 360 degrees. This can also improve the gameplay.
- Interactivity: Motion sensors track player movements and allow them to physically interact with the game in real time, such as reaching for in-game weapons or using virtual tools.
- Improved Audio and Graphics: High-definition graphics and 3D spatial audio further add to the realistic and immersive nature of virtual reality gaming by increasing the accuracy of the environment.
- Sense of Touch: Some games also use haptic feedback in VR, allowing gamers the ability to accurately feel textures and sensations in the virtual world, further enhancing immersion.
Now, let’s take a look at the other contender in the ring.
– Augmented Reality in Video Games
Using augmented reality in video games allows the overlaying of digital elements into the real world. This can include projecting holograms or displaying other visual animations and effects in the real-world environment or the player’s field of view to engage gamers.
Unlike virtual reality, where gamer interactions are limited to a virtual environment, augmented reality takes it a step further by allowing them to game while interacting with real-world physical environments. Let’s take a more detailed look at how using augmented reality in video games works.
In similarity to virtual reality, augmented reality, too depends on certain hardware and software working together.
The hardware primarily includes a smartphone or a dedicated headset. While headsets can provide more immersive gaming experiences since they display the games in three dimensions from the player’s point of view, they are short in supply and quite expensive. Due to the cost-effectiveness and the hardware-free nature of smartphone-based AR gaming, it is more preferred compared to using headsets.
The software primarily includes gaming engines like Unreal and Unity providing secure tools to enable the simulation of AR-related physics and real-time graphical display. Additionally, software development kits are needed for picture recognition and spatial tracking.
How it works is that your smartphone captures your surroundings, wherever you may be. It then tracks your motion and orientation accurately to overlay the digital effects onto your real-world surroundings.
Key Features of Augmented Reality in Video Games
- Integrating Physical and Digital Elements: Augmented reality in video games allows the overlaying of digital elements onto an actual environment where users can interact with them.
- Real-time Interaction: Gamers can interact in real time with digitally overlaid effects in their environment. Based on their actions, the game responds efficiently and accurately.
- Customization and Personalization: Using augmented reality in video games allows gamers to customize based on their preferences and enjoy a more personalized gaming experience.
The use of VR and AR in gaming has produced some timeless games, some of which will be shared next.
Notable Examples of VR and AR in Gaming
Starting with VR, this section explores some well-known examples of virtual reality gaming and the appearance of augmented reality in video games.
– Examples of Virtual Reality Gaming
Half-Life: Alyx: This virtual reality game is widely considered the first true embodiment of how virtual reality gaming levels up from traditional gaming. The VR system in the game allows players to use gravity gloves in their role as Alyx Vance. That way, players can grab in-game objects from a distance, adding to the immersive factor in the 3D world of the game.
The game was a huge hit among both other gamers and fans of Half-Life; it even went on to win the Best VR/AR game at the 2020 Game Awards.
Beat Saber: One of the best virtual reality gaming choices for anyone who loves the adrenaline rush of pairing physical activity with killer music and a neon environment. Gamers have blocks flying towards them, which they then have to slice through using a pair of colored sabers, digital representations of the virtual reality controllers.
Phasmophobia: One of the best examples of multiplayer virtual reality games, with a spooky twist. The game allows playing solo or in groups of 4. Gamers have to navigate a haunted location with a first-person point of view and discover the type of ghost in the location.
The game has secured some highly positive reviews, with CBR being impressed by the game’s atmosphere and calling it “the perfect game for the Halloween season.”
– Examples of Augmented Reality in Video Games
Pokémon Go: As one of the first mainstream examples of the power of augmented reality in video games, Pokémon Go took the world by storm. The game allowed players to hunt Pokémon all around real-world environments using an app and became a hit among adults and children alike.
Players catch Pokémon using a device’s GPS to find the location where they may be hiding. Upon arriving, players could see AR-supported digital images of Pokémon characters in a real-life environment using the app.
Jurassic World Alive: As one of the biggest Jurassic Park and Jurassic World fans out there, this game is one of my favorites. The game allows players to create a collection of dinosaurs for battling other players.
Moreover, players can showcase their unique touch to create never-seen-before dinosaurs made using hybrid DNA. To top everything, gamers can also overlay dinosaurs in real-world areas.
These notable examples of the adoption of VR and AR in gaming are a testament to the numerous potential these groundbreaking technologies provide for gamers around the world. The next section explores the ways both these technologies have forever revolutionized gaming.
How Have VR and AR in Gaming Revolutionized the Industry?
The use of VR and AR in gaming has brought forth a new standard of expectations among gamers worldwide. This is because of reasons like the ones shared below.
– Enhanced Reality and Immersion
Virtual reality and augmented reality are known for their emphasis on delivering highly realistic experiences.
Virtual reality creates worlds that feature multiple realistic aspects of a lifelike interaction, such as sounds and a sense of touch. These factors level up the immersion and accuracy of the virtual worlds by making gamers feel as though they’ve been teleported to an actual alternate universe.
Augmented reality, too, offers a highly realistic and immersive blended experience featuring the best of the digital and real-world elements. The technology does so using special algorithms that enable the digital characters or effects to react realistically to user inputs in the form of touch or voice.
– Mixed Reality Experiences
Mixed reality is a hybrid between VR and AR that uses the best of both technologies to level up the gaming experience. This blend of both technologies is known for bringing an even higher level of interactivity to gaming screens everywhere.
This is one where gamers do not need special equipment to interact with elements and can instead use natural physical movements such as their fingers.
– Increased Social Elements
The use of VR and AR in gaming has also paved the way for further social experiences. For example, Phasmophobia allows you to play with up to 4 players. Additionally, the VR game Rec Room enables players to meet in a virtual environment and enjoy games like dodgeball.
AR games also blend in the social element. For example, the now-discontinued game Minecraft Earth used to bring players together to improve their neighborhoods by creating buildings. This helped players interact with other players and their community by sharing creative efforts.
The Future of VR and AR in Gaming
The implementation of VR and AR in gaming has been widely well received, and as time progresses, so will the level of interactivity, realism, and immersion these technologies bring to the table.
The power and growing demand of these technologies, paired with other technologies, can give birth to aspects like:
Enhanced Experiences: The promise of lower latency and higher speeds of the upcoming 6G connectivity and the processing power of cloud servers will allow viewers to enjoy highly immersive, real-time experiences, possibly uninterrupted. Additionally, satellite internet may make gaming more accessible in areas where this was previously difficult.
Increased Accessibility: Did you know that the market share of VR and AR in gaming is expected to reach a staggering $11.0 billion by 2026? This growing demand might encourage innovation, resulting in even more ways to blend digital and physical experiences. Additionally, we may also see the creation of even more lightweight and affordable equipment, making gaming possible for a higher chunk of the global population.
While these two technologies have already made major improvements to the gaming world, it is no surprise that the next era of gaming is an exciting one, and I, for one, can’t wait to enjoy what comes next.