Some of us are old enough to remember when Pong was considered to represent a revolution in the gaming industry. Many of us can likely recall how amazing the Nintendo Entertainment System was during the latter half of the 1980s. From 16-bit processors to the Sega CD and beyond, we have witnessed what can only be called a digital revolution. Although some of us will always remain die-hard fans of platforms such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, we need to keep in mind that developers are now catering to a more demanding generation. This is one of the many reasons why virtual reality (VR) could very well represent the next revolution. How might this impact the entire sector?
A True First-Person Perspective
The notion of first-person games has existed since the first programs were developed. Although these were rather rudimentary at the beginning (due in no small part to a lack of processing power), franchises such as DOOM transformed the ways in which we were able to interact with the digital world around us. The only issue was that even three-dimensional games were presented by a two-dimensional display screen.
This all began to change with the introduction of VR goggles such as the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. Players are now able to fully immerse themselves within action-packed environments and the associated sense of realism is bordering on the supernatural. Indeed, these headsets are not limited to RPG games along. Even more traditional forms of entertainment such as slots and bingo can be enhanced through this very same technology. It is therefore clear to see why players of all ages and backgrounds are quite interested in what virtual reality has to offer.
New Hardware to Support Innovative Software Packages
Another interesting observation to highlight involves the gaming hardware itself. One of the hindrances which served to plague the VR sector from the start arose from the rather expensive accessories that were required at the time. As many users could not afford such devices, sales tended to struggle. The good news is that many firms are now able to offer these very same items at a reasonable price.
The second evolutionary step which has already been witnessed to an extent is the use of extremely fast processors and chipsets. These are absolutely necessary, as some VR games will require a significant amount of memory to function properly. As some systems can now store terabytes of data at any given time, virtual reality is now becoming available to the average consumer as opposed to solely the professional gaming community.
It would have been nearly inconceivable to imagine such chances only a handful of years ago and yet, we are really only at the beginning such an amazing revolution. This is why it has always been difficult to predict what the future may have in store. Still, virtual reality is here to stay. Whether you are a programmer or an avid fan, these are very exciting times.
