Six years ago, in 2016, we were told that the age of Virtual Reality (VR) gaming was finally upon us. The Oculus Rift was set to be that year’s must-have Christmas gift, Microgaming showcased its exciting new VR roulette game at the London ICE Expo and life would never be the same again.
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Except that’s not what happened. Six years on, Oculus has been joined by a couple of other VR hardware providers. They all sell enough units to keep the wolf from the door, but VR gaming is still a niche area, and a small one at that. The global gaming industry generates about $200 billion per year, of which about five percent came from VR consumers. It’s a niche, but market commentators believe it’s one that will grow between now and 2030.
VR Casino Gaming
On the face of it, a VR casino presents the perfect proving ground for VR technology. You can see it now, walking into the virtual lobby to be meet by a host or hostess, strolling around the casino and settling on a game. Microgaming proved back in 2016 that the simple and predictable mechanics of a roulette wheel are conducive to a VR gaming environment, and Medialive developed something very similar at about the same time.
What’s more, online casino gaming is as competitive as it is huge. Casino platforms from the US and the wider world are all coming up with ideas on how to gamble money online in new and unusual ways. VR could provide a way for the best US casinos, not to mention poker rooms and sports books, to stand out from the crowd.
Yet what happened in reality? Microgaming’s roulette wheel died a death through lack of interest and while Medialive’s technology is still out there, the online casinos have not exactly been battering the developer’s doors down to get hold of it. The problem so far, both in casino and other forms of gaming, is that VR is still too much of a leap in terms of cost, software, hardware and attitude.
Casino gamers are happy with the “real reality” of live dealer games that can be accessed from mobile or desktop and don’t demand an awkward and expensive headset. As for other types of gamers – there was more excitement over the release of Elden Ring on PS5 and X-box earlier this year, or of the mobile Lemmings game when that was released.
Will VR’s Day Ever Dawn?
Ever since Star Trek introduced us to the holodeck, we have been tantalized with the idea of immersive VR games. Yet 35 years later, they are still just out of reach. Is that ever going to change?
There have been plenty of false starts, but the global success of Evolution’s VR adventure game Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt is the most promising sign yet that VR gaming is arriving, and it’s arriving in casinos. Evolution has a strong track record in running with new ideas and making them work. 2023 could be a landmark year – we can only wait and hope.
