Gaming is now a multi-billion-dollar industry and also one of the world‘s fastest–growing. Industry leaders are constantly embracing the latest technological breakthroughs and emerging technological innovations to help take gaming to exciting new heights.

Virtual reality is one of these new areas that is currently being explored in gaming. There have been many new developments in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and the technology is now more mainstream than ever.

Let‘s dive straight in to discover exactly how virtual reality technology is being used in gaming today and how it’s helping to shape the industry’s future.

What exactly is VR in gaming?

VR gaming is a term given to a sector of the gaming industry that relies on virtual reality (programming and devices).

In other words, a VR game is a video game that can be accessed in the digital realm by the user wearing a VR device to view the action. A wearable VR hardware device is normally a VR headset/head-mounted display unit, a pair of VR goggles, or other similar wearable devices with stereoscopic displays.

The aim of VR games is to give players a thoroughly immersive experience that no other type of gaming can offer, and some of the most advanced devices today have the ability to capture head and eye movements and transmit them to the game.

These movements directly affect what happens in the virtual environment (aka simulation) displayed on the screen as the game is played. Other devices require remote controllers that control the character‘s movements in the games.

VR technology enables users to feel as though they are inside the game, and many argue that it beats watching the action from a mobile device, or from a standard monitor or television screen.

VR technology, various sensory components, and even scents enable players to experience 3D sound and haptic controller feedback to mimic reality in the most realistic way possible –as much as the technology currently allows us. Players use VR devices to supersede the physical world around them.

Can I play VR games at licensed and regulated online casinos?

Yes and no. Online casinos today still haven’t been designed specifically for the virtual reality realm. Instead, players can hook up their VR headset to a compatible smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer and then play the games as best they can.

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Although some tech industry experts predicted that 2024 would be the year that VR casinos would become mainstream, it hasn‘t yet happened.

In other words, you can view the action when playing games at online casinos using a modern VR headset, but casino websites and mobile casino apps don‘t yet have interfaces, features, or layouts that have been designed specifically for VR devices.

Aside from iGaming, what other areas of gaming is Virtual Reality technology currently impacting?

VR mainly impacts gaming by providing a more immersive experience, changing how we interact with in-play items, vehicles, scenery, and characters. This exciting new level of immersion is just the tip of the iceberg.

Although wearable VR devices and virtual reality have been around for several decades, the technology has only really taken off in the past two or three years, thanks to devices like the Meta Quest Pro and, more recently, the Apple Vision Pro (released in February 2024).

Virtual reality technology is about more than just people immersing themselves in a simulated 3D environment. It‘s also about being able to do so much more by combining several other technologies.

People can also now deposit, spend money/cryptocurrency, trade items, and send and receive funds to and from other people in certain VR applications.

VR games and applications also allow us to hook up with friends and relatives or meet new people in digital environments that users create.

It‘s also now possible to attend virtual reality concerts, get a front-row seat on the Apollo 11 spaceship to experience what the astronauts went through, and travel to 3D-rendered, high-definition worlds to explore places like the Great Wall of China or the Pyramids of Giza.

Final thoughts

Everything from the graphics and 3D-rendered animated sequences to the sound effects and accompanying background audio we find in VR games today is unmatched in terms of realism and depth, thanks to constantly evolving VR technology.

It‘s an exciting time for virtual reality technology and gaming. The possibilities are endless, and seeing how far the technology can take the gaming industry over the coming years will be interesting.