Just as we see online casinos and iGaming platforms flourish in localities throughout the globe, players are benefiting from the technological advancements in this space. Modern computing technology has seen the standard of games improve considerably in recent years and Virtual Reality (VR) is going to take them to another level.
A look at the games that were being played decades ago will reveal basic but still enjoyable game play. At that time there simply wasn’t the technology available to create complicated games. There weren’t any second-screen bonus games, astonishing graphics and often thousands of ways to get a win. That’s possible now – with classic favourites like online blackjack being played endlessly – but in a decade or so, it’s likely that players will look back at what was available in 2024 and consider it to be markedly different to future gaming styles and behaviours. The iGaming industry hates standing still; it is continually on the search to be even more innovative than they already are. The likes of Punt casino reviews undoubtedly paint an overwhelmingly positive picture about UX straight from players’ mouths. But there are always ways to further enhance UX and players engaged and on their virtual toes on online casinos like this. Virtual Reality tech still seems futuristic and not that commonplace if you really consider it – but it is undoubtedly on the near horizon for sites like this to integrate into their player experience.
A more immersive experience is already being seen in some games. VR headsets may make you look a bit silly but the benefits of wearing them are worth it. Wearing a VR headset can take you into another world. Whether it’s a video game, online slot or a game of blackjack in a Live Casino, a virtual world is entered, and it can be so entertaining. You could find yourself playing at a world-famous casino even though you’re actually sitting in your living room in, say, South Africa. It’s not just a case of playing a game, you are almost part of it, transported through your vision.
That’s particularly the case when playing a Live Casino game in a VR environment. Not only can you appear to be in a casino that you’ve always dreamt of going to, but there’s also a high level of interaction. You can chat with players from all over the world, but you do need to retain your concentration levels. Not doing so can easily see costly errors being made.
There’s the ability to interact with items in the game and once you’ve experienced that, you will want to keep on playing. Imagine being transported to an alien world or back in time, all is possible when playing games and it’s all going to get so much better in the future. Playing games is often seen as pure escapism. With VR, that’s going to go through the roof with amazing experiences to be had that make you forget your everyday life for a while.
The upcoming ‘Batman: Arkham Shadow’ will see players being able to take on some of his archenemies. You become Batman (the dark version not Adam West’s campy version) in this game and an exciting immersive experience lies ahead. Game developers are only too aware of what an exciting future VR can give to the iGaming industry. Millions are being spent on research and it’s so important that the money is used successfully.
The iGaming industry is a very competitive one. Companies need to keep one step ahead of the opposition. The way in which they use VR to improve their product will be the difference between keeping or improving their market share or seeing it fall due to their rivals using it better. VR brings a more interactive experience for players. Body movements or hand-held controllers allow them to control what they do in the game that they are playing.
Just as online casinos have seen huge growth in recent years, so has esports. The pandemic helped in some way especially in terms of gambling. With physical sporting events canceled, online betting sites turned their attention to esports events.
That helped gambling sites out, but it also gave the public more awareness of esports. VR is helping to take them to another level. There are VR tournaments that are held and are greatly appreciated by those who play and view them.
Sony and Oculus are at the forefront of the VR gaming industry. All the hours of work spent on creating innovative VR hardware is certainly paying off. When it comes to game developers, Epic Games and Unity are among those who are working hard to ensure that VR revolutionizes the iGaming industry.
As is often the case when a new product comes onto the market, cost is a problem. Then again, so were mobile phones in the past and what they had to offer their purchasers was nowhere near what’s available now.
VR hardware, headsets and other accessories are still expensive. An Oculus-Rift can cost you £400 and that’s just for a basic pair with more extras needing to be purchased. The hope is that VR related costs will fall and that will be of great help to their progress. There is already huge growth being seen in the VR gambling industry. In 2017 the global figure was $0.4 billion but by the end of this year, it’s expected to reach $2.4 billion (£1.9 billion).
You can see therefore that there is a lot at stake here. VR is the next step forward for the iGaming industry. Huge amounts can be earned by those in the industry and the level of enjoyment for players has massive potential. It’s going to be fascinating watching how VR continues to change the iGaming landscape.
