Does VR have a future in gaming?

[CyberJ]

I'll adopt VR when they invent the Holodeck. Until that point, I'm not that interested.

[Chris Simon]

I'll adopt VR when they invent the Holodeck. Until that point, I'm not that interested.

Yeah, the movement and interaction are the major hurdles to overcome.

[nmlss]

My opinion on VR is that it's the most expensive right stick ever. In most games, what it does is basically substitute the function of the right stick (usually moving the camera) to do it with your own head. Not interested.

[fenrif]

You are thinking of PSVR games. PC VR games use the tech to do far far far more than just be a rightstick. It's like complaining about 3d rendering in gaming because platformers don't really need to be run in 3d engines.

[therepublica]

Need gameplay reasons to be invested in VR. As of now, it's more of a novelty than necessity.

[ryvrdrgn14]

There are quite a few issues with VR that I see.

• People can tire out quickly if the mechanics are too active, but it can seem dull if the mechanics are too simple.
• Games that capture your body motion don't seem all that accurate or responsive. Flailing around tends to be just as effective as any precise action.
• Space requirements. VR games should probably warn players that they are going 'out of bounds' of their pre-designated play space so the don't hit walls. Some way to allow players to get back to the middle of their play space would be great too. Also cables and wires.

Once VR is a little more than just plastering monitors directly on top of your eyes then maybe it might become more popular.

[fenrif]

VR will take off once they solve the price issue for real VR rigs. PSVR is a half measure and is a pretty piss poor example of what the technology can be used for.

There are plenty of big, involved VR games. But there are also many VR "experimental" games where some dude in a basement just tries something to see if it will work. Which is far and away a much more exciting scene than AAA crapfests. Things like Borderlands 2 coming to VR is a sign of gaming companies taking the tech in exactly the wrong direction. Snoozefest AAA titles with lazy ports are bad. Regardles of how much of a "full game" the experience is.

VR has a lot of drawbacks at the moment, obviously. But so did PC gaming all those many years ago when I got into the hobby. Both are for enthusiasts only. Both require a bit of technical knowledge. Both are expensive. Both require you to invest some time into finding the good games. Both have thriving hobby industries centered around producing games for them.

VR porn has been a thing since before the PC headsets were released. And yes it is way better than normal porn. And the technology advances all the time.

VR games can be truely next level experiences. Little things like having to actually reload and cock your gun can make firefights incredibly intense. The difference between someone who can cycle the bolt on a sniper rifle versus someone who can't will win the skilled person more games. Chosing between an assault rifle or a LMG matters so much more when you realise how much more complicated reloading a LMG is. The social aspects are also amazing. Just being able to emote with your body and gestures makes games a whole lot more sociable and fun, plus has some obvious gameplay uses. One of my favorite memories in Pavlov was when I realised you could throw magazines at people and shout "GRENADE" as a real tactic to get an edge in a firefight.

For some VR games that are good examples of what the tech can bring to the medium look at things like:

Hot Dogs Horseshoes and Handgrenades. A brilliand firearm simulator that is updated weekly, and has (after a fairly long time) started to get some really fun gamemodes. If you like gun porn this is next level.

Pavlov VR: It's basically CS:GO VR. The game itself is great fun, but when you start throwing in user-made maps (all the COD maps, halo maps, etc) and modded game modes (jail break, TTT, zombie panic) it can eat away hundreds of hours of your life. Onward VR is very similar but doesn't have modding last I checked, so it unfortunaly loses out to Pavlov. Though it's still a great game in it's own right.

Elite Dangerous VR: I've bounced off the surface of this due to time constraints, but sitting in the cockpit of your spaceship and flying around / getting into a few dogfights is great fun. This is a game that basically just uses VR as a substitute right stick but it doesn't feel lazy or worthless. Simulations work brilliantly in Vr for obvious reasons, but the main one is that simulators are complicated. Freeing up a thumb by tying your viewpoint to.. your viewpoint feels great.

QuiVR: Bow and arrows became a big thing in VR games for a while, and I feel that QuiVR is why. Great fun shooting the shit while shooting shit in VR. Also a brilliant workout. You will sweat buckets if you are, like me, a doughy shut in from years of gaming.

RecRoom: Free to play, but absolutely no microtransactions or anything of the sort. Basically it's a bunch of minigames with a social hub, but all the minigames use VR well. And the social aspect is really well done. You can create your own rooms/game modes, costumes, etc. User creation in VR works really well because it's a whole lot more user friendly, but other games do it better I think. Still this game has eaten many many hours of my life playing laser tag, football and the like.

Arizona Sunshine: Great zombie game. There's not a lot too it really, but it's got some decent production values and is really fun. I think since I played it they've added in multiplayer too.

TL;DR VR is great, adds a LOT to video games (way beyond just being a thumb stick replacement) and will take off eventually. However as it stands now it's only for enthusiasts due to the expense and techincial limitations. VR does not need more AAA "real games" it needs more indie one man studio experiments. Think of it like PC gaming 25 years ago. It's basically a new frontier, a wild west, no one knows what really works so people are trying everything to see what is fun. Not everyone can afford it, but not everyone can afford a ferrari either.

[isturbo1984]

Yes and no. The answer you are looking for from me would have to I guess be "I don't think so, no." First, I believe VR is a gimmick like the Kinetic and Wii. It's really, really fun and different at first, but after you get over it, all you have is that gimmick and a huge void left behind by modern gaming real gamers yearn for.

The two main problems with all of these technologies is:

1. By design, it is made to be an exclusive experience. You have to buy a specialized peripheral. You have to buy special games that only work with the peripheral. It doesn't work with existing technologies... it puts the device, the technology and the creators in a corner. The technology has to be all inclusive for it to have long-term success.
2. Creators aren't utalizing the technology for truly great experiences. There have been some truly great Wii and Kinect games. But not many. Just like those, creators aren't making great VR titles that utilize VR technology well AND make for a fantastic gaming experience.

In the end, I think VR will persist and live on. But it will be in the form of the Wii motion/gyro controls and Kinect-like cameras ever present in all of our games on a minimal level included in all of our games as optional content. But I do not think there will be dedicated VR headsets and games after a couple of generations, no. I think things like the medical and science fields will utilize VR more efficiently.

[fenrif]

PC gaming, by design, is an exclusive experience. You need a PC capable of playing the games.

Creators really really ARE making fantastic VR titles that use the technology. Have you played any of the games I listed above?

[isturbo1984]

@fenrif
So you disagree because of a couple of great games. Okay, well I already said there were a couple of great Kinect and Wii waggle games. And where is that tech now? Watered down into modern controllers and mobile phones as an after thought at minimal cost now that the technology is a couple of gens old. And false, PC gaming isn't an exclusive expereince, you can easily pick up and play PC games on consoles, handhelds and smartphones, lol. ??

[Justince]

It gives me a massive headache. So future in gaming or not, it's not for me.

[fenrif]

It gives me a massive headache. So future in gaming or not, it's not for me.

What games have you played? And on what systems?

[Verhoven 69]

To make this fully interactive, you'd have to develop a monkey suit that stimulates all 5 senses (smell especially).

[Aidy]

Motion control - fad
3D - fad
VR - fad

Next?

[fenrif]

Motion control has been a part of gaming now for 12 years.

How long do you think fads last?

[Aidy]

Longer than that, the Powerglove came out 30 years ago and there was probably something before even that.

Doesn't stop them being a fad though. Anything that is touted as the next big thing, the thing that is going to revolutionise gaming, is pushed heavily but simply doesn't catch on because people don't want it is still a fad. The Wii is probably the biggest proponent of motion control but how many people do you think actually use it? It might be fun for parties and stuff, but it's not good enough to be used properly.

[AAneko]

Tried only a few VR games and only on the PSVR. I'd say it has a good promise if done right. Games like RIGS and Far Point are by far the ones I find good on that platform. Overall though, I still think VR needs a lot more work.

[Saskia]

Doubtful. VR technology has been around for decades and tried multiple times to become more widely accepted but always failed to gain traction. Great idea but the clunky hardware puts most people off.

There was a virtual reality cafe in my home town which opened in 1995, they had VR arcade games, internet cafe and really good pizza. It was really popular when it first opened, but three years later it closed.

[fenrif]

Saying VR has been around for decades is like saying mobile phones have been around for 200 years beacuse that's when Babbage invented the difference engine. Modern VR has been around for less than a decade.

The VR from the 90s was nothing at all like the VR now. It's only comparible in the vaguest of ways technologically.

[Griffin2002]

TBH, I'm holding out on VR mostly due to the associated cost. I think that's what preventing adoption in the mass market. I think Oculus Go may be the best price point for future devices; however, when it comes to VR, I'm not going to be an early adopter. The technology greatly excites me but, having the requisite hardware as well as the prices of the accessories is preventing me from diving into VR

[Chris Simon]

It is really interesting to read all the different points of view, but I see that we're all basically agreeing on major points, which is great.

One thing that kind of struck me while reading through the posts was - it's actually a good thing that VR is a "niche", I think. I mean, if it became mandatory for gaming, it would hurt and divide the community, apparently.
It does mean that it will probably never (in near future at least) receive a full attention of big AAA devs, but when you look at it as a toy, it's great.