How Virtual Reality Is Revolutionizing the Video Gaming Industry

Did you ever dream of stashing coins and dodging trains as a subway surfer?

For many of us, our childhood memories center around playing games. Our fondest memories include playing Snake Xenia or Space Impact on mobile handsets. Apart from helping us procrastinate, it made our days more fun and relaxing.

The initial idea of virtual reality gaming was proposed when video games like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or Counter-Strike gained immense popularity in the market. Looking at their success, game developers envisioned something next-level for the gaming community. 

What were they imagining? Virtual reality (VR) gaming, of course.

Virtual reality gaming combines high-end immersive technology with standard video game graphics to create the illusion of a 3D environment. Users turn their homes into personal virtual playgrounds with high-resolution images, compatible VR hardware, and a tether to VR visualization software.

The efforts to create a perfect virtual reality gaming experience are rewarding but arduous. Apart from the accurate functioning of VR hardware, compatible VR software is also required to process and execute data threads. 

Modern-day VR systems are equipped with enough graphical processing power (GPU)  and large datasets to create an uninterrupted flow of player immersion.

Virtual reality gaming allows users to submerge themselves inside the animated game scenario and socialize with other players through their preferred digital avatars. The user's action in the real world – jumping, crouching, snapping – is translated into virtual action in a flash!

What kids used to dream of decades ago has now become (virtual) reality. Let’s wind back the clock to find out how this process started.

History of virtual reality gaming

Early experiments into virtual reality gaming began in the late 1980s, when two scientists, John Lanier and Thomas G. Zimmerman, invented the data glove. John Lanier also coined the term “virtual reality”. The data glove translated a player’s finger movements into game output. However, it didn't sell well due to cost concerns and technical complexity.

Later, Nintendo acquired this technology and relaunched it as a power glove, which was much more affordable and easy to use. The relaunch became a worldwide success with a revenue of $2 billion.

After the initial hit, Nintendo came up with its first-ever VR headset, Virtual Boy, in 1995. Equipped with 3D lenses and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), Virtual Boy laid the groundwork for all present-day VR headsets. But at the time, it was a commercial failure.

Between the 1990s and 2010s, a few virtual reality games were invented. Virtuality, SEGA VR-1, CyberMaxx, Virtual IO, Bad Street Brawler, and CAVE are some of them. This era was when virtual reality gaming centers with large projector screens and simulators grabbed consumers' attention.

In 2016, Palmer Luckey launched Oculus Rift CV 1, the first-ever Oculus series VR headset. Built on the old prototype, this headset used improved graphics and a better video engine to render 3D video games with a 90° field of view (FOV).

Other inventions that followed the lead were: HTC Vive, a joint venture between HTC and Valve; Oculus Quest, owned by Meta; Google Cardboard, exclusively designed for mobile-based VR gaming; and Samsung Gear VR. 

Different types of virtual reality gaming systems

Virtual reality games can be played on different computer systems. Users play famous games like Resident Evil, Half-Life Alyx, or Skyrim VR on their smartphones or laptops, regardless of the operating system it works on.

Some new-age companies have launched online VR games that people can download from a cloud server or over a secure 5G edge connection. Fast and reliable internet is pivotal to retrieving video content from the server and refreshing game scenes more quickly.

Let’s look at different types of gadgets that you can use to experience VR gaming.

• VR games on advanced gaming laptops like DELL Alienware or Lenovo Legion provide a better graphical resolution and a high frame rate of 60 frames per second (FPS) or above. Popular PC VR headsets that go along with such laptops include Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, and the Valve Index.
• VR Games on standalone gaming consoles like PlayStation VR or Oculus Meta Quest 2 deliver sharp resolution and render smear-free graphics from the computer screen to your surroundings. With a resolution as high as 1920 x 1080 for each eye, it captures the sensory feedback of the user and processes it for a next-level gaming experience. Gamers can virtually navigate any direction to perform a task with keyboard and mouse controls or VR controllers.
• VR games on smartphones are affordable alternatives to the VR systems above. These headsets use your smartphone’s camera to register your surroundings and create a virtual appendage. Pairing your smartphone with your VR headset brings you and your friends together on a single couch.

Besides VR, several other immersive technologies, like augmented reality or mixed reality, offer the latest extensions to video gaming. However, the experiences created by both of them are distinct. Where VR gaming supersedes the real-world,  other immersive technologies add a supplemental layer of digital information to elevate the user’s existing perception.

Virtual reality hardware for gaming

Accurate working of the VR digital interface depends on the correct alignment of VR hardware and software. Every hardware component of VR must work in sync to create undisrupted data exchange for quick user responses. 

VR hardware combines several tangible and intangible components wired to suspend a user in a 3D gamer’s world. With the help of a red, green, and blue (RGB) gaming panel, it also creates and mixes infinite colors in VR.

VR hardware can be divided into three broad categories: VR headsets, VR motion controllers, and VR bodysuits. 

Did you know? The latest invention from Nintendo, Switch VR, combines DIY fun, pass-and-play, multiplayer, and family-play games with the magic of VR. This application allows you to design and create games, 3D artwork, or whatever you can imagine!

Virtual reality headsets

VR headsets are head-mounted display (HMD) wearables that you wrap around your face. These headsets completely cover your forehead and eyes to block out your physical worldview with virtual graphics. These headsets are used in video games, military training, and healthcare.

Components of a VR headset

Each component of the VR headset is designed to perform a specific immersive action for the user. An amalgamation of all these actions give the illusion of a virtual environment.

• LED display: VR headsets have LED displays that deliver images to your eyes. Modern headsets use OLED or UHD LCDs, which are lighter and thinner.
• Stereoscopic lenses: Two stereoscopic lenses are embedded in VR headsets, which meet at a 114° arc, where the user sees in 3D.
• Spatial Audio: VR headsets can process powerful 3D audio signals to immerse you in a VR experience.
• Inside-out position trackers process head and body movements and calculate the user's relative position relative to the game.

When tethered to an external computer unit, a VR headset can project 3D content within the user’s real field of view.

Once the user puts on the headset, a theatre-sized virtual screen reads like a website’s homepage. This homepage has a dropdown list of games with a preview mode. From there, users navigate to different games. They can change illumination settings, sound, or other features. As the user shifts their eyes or head, the 3D homepage displaces itself and re-appears in the direction the user is looking.

Modern-day VR headsets like PlayStation VR or HP Reverb G2 are sophisticated enough to render graphics at 90 FPS (!) with six degrees of freedom (6DoF). Users’ rotational movements are tracked as they move up, down, right, and left within a confined space for a continuous period for a “first-person” perspective.

VR motion controllers

VR motion controllers are hardware accessories that elicit a user to take action in virtual reality. Consumers can hold, click, or type on these devices to navigate certain surroundings and move further in a game scenario. Some common motion controllers include:

• Keyboards and mouses are used as pointing devices that can accelerate a user's motion in a game. They can connect to your headset via Bluetooth, so you can play VR games while seated. VR headsets track the button or key presses to display visual imagery,
• Hand and foot controllers let you throw, shoot, fly, and swim in a VR space. The sense of movements of your hand or fingers is converted into in-game strikes. For example, if you mimic a swimming or shooting action, your on-screen virtual avatar does the same.
• Power Gloves are haptic devices that measure skin heat and pressure to fuel game interactions. Hand gestures made in a virtual environment are registered and translated into input commands, converted into gaming output using 3D modeling.
• Treadmill floors are virtual pathways for people who are performing physical activity. It holds your body in place as you walk, crouch, jump, or run on the platform while your feet slide across. Body movements controlled by treadmills are registered as input actions.

Source: YouTube

VR body suits

Many VR companies have recently launched full-body VR suits for their consumers. These suits are made of leather and act as a digital touchpoint between the wearer and the VR system.  Such apparatuses make you feel as if you’re physically within the game.

Imagine experiencing the dewiness of raindrops or the heat of a bullet lancing your skin. Sounds unreal, doesn’t it? Well, VR makes it possible.

How can virtual reality transform the gaming industry?

Now that VR has become a big name in the gaming industry, developers are pivoting toward this emerging technology to design revolutionary gaming prototypes. With VR, a person feels as if they have been physically teleported to a universe, they could only dream about years ago.

Circus acrobatics, flying, horse-riding, or climbing a mountain – VR is ready to conquer this with you. The immersive nature of this technology has made it applicable to more than just the gaming industry domains.

Over 230 gaming companies have leapfrogged into virtual reality since the worldwide success of Oculus Rift CV 1. Many new brands have launched affordable, consumer-driven versions of VR headsets that users can easily purchase online or at their retail outlets. With these headsets, companies are tapping into a wider gaming market beyond XBOX or PS5.

The very experience of stepping inside a computer-generated, artificial world is unreal. VR uses computer vision to make people feel like they can see, hear, or touch virtual objects, just like real-life ones.  This level of gaming is an escape from the monotony of the real world in a way that positively impacts mental and physical health. Let’s talk about how that happens.

Benefits of virtual reality gaming

Compared to traditional video games, VR gaming adds a human touch to the experience. The constant work your body has to do to fight or defend yourself in a game manifests a positive attitude in you as a human being. For people that work 24/7 and rarely get any time to themselves, VR is a viable way to rejuvenate and refresh their senses. 

Through VR gaming, you can also practice your skills and become a professional gamer to earn startup funding. Some other benefits include:

• Cross-border interactions. Playing VR games in multiplayer mode makes interacting with fellow gamers easier. Gaming consoles allow you to voice chat or video call your friends and interact with them in real-time.

• Calorie burning. High-intensity VR games require you to engage in physical activities as you play. VR games have been conceptualized on the idea that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” For this reason, you need to exercise your limbs, head, and even eyes to complete specific tasks in the game.

• Improved mental health. VR has proven to be a breakthrough technology in assisting mental health disorders. Playing games in a high-fidelity environment increases your serotonin and dopamine levels, which does away with a lot of self-induced stress.

• Surmounting fears. Through VR gaming, we can safely practice overcoming our worst phobias related to heights, darkness, water, or social interactions. Even in a VR environment, our subconscious mind is aware that it’s just a game. VR preps us to take on future challenges.

• Pain relief. VR can be a great diverter for people who undergo painful medical procedures. By improving your heart health and overall mood, VR creates a “placebo” effect and reduces the impact of pain.

• Better cognitive intelligence. With VR gaming, you can visually analyze and tackle specific problems by taking virtual actions. For example, if you’re playing Jenga in VR, you’ll be able to look at it from multiple angles to comprehend which blocks can be removed from the structure.
  
• Employee training. Some companies prefer VR training methods to onboard their workforce about sensitive tasks. From retail to defense to logistics to supply chain management, companies are implementing VR training to optimize performance efficiency and output. 

Challenges of virtual reality gaming

Even with all the advances, it’s going to take the tech industry a while before VR gaming becomes a disruptive invention. Researchers are still exploring various facets of game engines, noting key drawbacks and prototyping different designs to get to the finish line.

A few noticeable bottlenecks that VR game developers are facing include :

• Expensive hardware. Price and affordability have been the biggest challenges to overcome ever since VR headsets came on the market. Today, the most affordable VR gaming headset costs approximately $200-$300. Gaming configuration and expensive VR parts are also pricey, which limits VR’s adaptability to rich people.
  
• 5G technology. VR gaming and 5G technology are cheeks to jowl. Without a high-speed internet connection that aids in the quick rendering and retrieval of 3D visual graphics, VR won’t work seamlessly. Hence, the global adoption of 5G is essential to standardize VR gaming.
  
• Lack of content. Not enough content for VR games is out there yet. Big names like Xbox, GTA, Microsoft, Mortal Kombat, and Tencent haven’t tapped into VR markets. These products will take a lot of time to study and analyze for VR applications.
  
• Standards. Many gaming companies have expanded their audience reach by creating YouTube channels or signing up for entertainment sponsorships. This shows that VR companies, along with their product, also need to pay attention to brand marketing to create a value proposition.
  
• Timed sessions. You can play your PC-based video games for many hours at a time. But in VR gaming, you have to complete one round of a game in a fixed time interval without breaking the immersion. After a while, the graphics get choppy, load time increases, and the user feels disoriented. This again ties back to the high-speed internet issue discussed above.

Best virtual reality game system for 2022

Virtual reality game systems are dedicated software suites that use a video engine and a VR SDK platform to encode design prototypes and build interactive VR games. Major names in VR, like Oculus and Samsung, use the Unity gaming engine to build responsive VR games. 

To qualify for inclusion in the Virtual Reality (VR) game system category, a product must:

• Offer the functionality to create custom VR video game experiences
• Support the creation and editing of immersive 3D experiences
• Integrate with hardware that supports VR, such as mobile phones or VR headsets

*Below are the top five leading VR game engines from G2’s Fall 2022 Grid® Report. Some reviews may be edited for clarity.

1. Unity

Unity is the world’s leading VR video gaming engine. Creative professionals, from the gaming industry to filmmaking, use Unity to amp up their VR games and render top-notch graphics.

What users like:

"I like Unity because it is the best software for gaming animation. Unity is a cross-platform development tool. I have been using Unity for the last 4 years. I have developed both 3D and 2D games. Unity has many features like video games, animation, 3D modeling, 3D rendering, AR game, VR games, and architecture. Unity is a very user-friendly and easy-to-use software. Unity has features like Sculpting, Rendering Quality, VFX quality, and Topology."

- Unity Review, Anubhav S., Aug 24, 2022

What users dislike:

“The software is big and has a more significant load that sometimes lags on the core system. Rendering also creates issues, and modules are a little big."

- Unity Review, Himanshu S., Aug 15, 2022

2. Unreal engine

Unreal engine, one of the world’s most advanced and accurate 3D creations, makes free photorealistic visuals and immersive experiences.

What users like:

“Being free-to-use software, UE is both beginner-friendly and the most versatile platform for game design and architectural visualization!”

- Unreal Engine Review,  Ravi S K., Nov 01, 2022

What users dislike:

“Its user interface is a little bit difficult to understand as compared to that of Unity, a beginner in gaming engine.”

- Unreal Engine Review, Nikunj S., Jul 29, 2022

3. 3ds Max Design

3ds Max Design is a comprehensive modeling, photo editing, and animation software that can bring life to any boring video. Architects, designers, and engineers use it to render 3D graphics at a decent speed without any lags.

What users like:

“3ds Max software has excellent capabilities in developing the modelers, renders, and designs to create flawless 3D images. It provides good 3D animation services and vector map support, one of the best features. 2D pan zoom snap is a super feature.”

- 3ds Max Design Review, Vaibhav S., Aug 24, 2022

What users dislike:

“It is a complicated software with vast tools and takes a long time to master for anyone trying to earn a living from this tool.”

- 3ds Max Design Review, Swapnil M., Jul 21, 2022

4. Maya

Maya’s extensive 3D modeling and design platform empowers you to creatively tell your story. It blends the elements of imagination with robust programming to create animated magic.

What users like:

“Best for animation and character creation. Excellent application programming interface support for custom tool development; hence, it's the first to get support for any new innovative tool released.”

- Maya Review, Harshit P., Aug 09, 2022

What users dislike:

“Maya is an expensive software starting at $215 per month. It requires a powerful computer and graphics card.”

- Maya Review, Nabin P., Nov 16, 2021

5. Amazon Lumberyard

Amazon Lumberyard provides a multi-gaming program network to scale your game production across geographical locations.

What users like:

“Lumberyard is perfect for developers who want to integrate with Amazon Web Services (AWS) easily and integrate Twitch – which is becoming more and more key to successful games – into their projects."

- Amazon Lumberyard Review, Stephan R., June 22, 2019

What users dislike:
“Some cons of Amazon Lumberyard are that the gaming engine crashes, new users require training in using the engine if they have never been exposed to coding or such gaming engines, and the cost can be substantial for some to get AWS to receive Lumberyard for free, and some there are some difficulties with integration.”

- Amazon Lumberyard Review, Malika V., June 16, 2019

Step in and step up

Perfecting the canvas for virtual reality gaming still requires a lot of research on the creative front. As much as VR is taking the trend charts, creativity and content creation are two major areas that need improvement. Sentimental analysis of VR users and studying key challenges is the roadmap to a sustainable future for VR gaming. 

Immersive tech is storming in today’s marketplace. Step into its magical world and design your first 3D business app with VR SDK software.