Though not every household has a VR headset, most entertainment buffs are familiar with the concept and a few key platforms. According to TechJury, there are 171 million VR users around the world, with at least 78% of Americans claiming to understand the basics of the technology.
Clearly, VR will be making headway into more lives in the coming years. Not only will the industry transform how we watch entertainment, from sports to movies, but also how that media is created. Already, VR platforms are looking to give a fresh spin on classic games and shows.
Let’s take a look at five sectors of VR that are redefining what the future of virtual and augmented reality will look like.
Card Games
For hundreds of years, card games have been ubiquitous with recreation. Back in the 1990s, casinos were one of the first industries to jump online with great success. Even popular card games such as poker are currently undergoing major redesigns to revolutionize how table games are played in virtual settings.
Typically, poker websites use chat features and multi-user platforms to allow users to play against opponents from anywhere in the world. However, tech advances in recent years have led to a visually stunning VR experience in vibrant worlds such as recreations of exotic locales in Macau 2050 or the opportunity to play inside a yacht in the famous city of Monte Carlo. In these experiences, atmospheric settings are just as important as reading hands and bluffing.
RPGs
Aside from instructional programs that helped educate learners in high-risk industries like piloting or diving, video games were the first adaptions into VR settings. According to the same TechJury study cited above, at least 70% of VR owners had bought a game for their device.
However, projects like Land’s End are likely to see more success in the future. Historically, console and PC games have focused on gameplay features. However, visually dynamic projects like Land’s End, which indulge users in a stunning visual world, will make more headway in an immersive VR experience. In other words, the design appeal will be just as important as narrative and gameplay features.
Space Exploration
Given the proliferation of mobile apps that let users see the stars and chart the milky way, it should come as no surprise that VR groups are tackling space exploration experiences. At the moment, NASA is working on its own VR experience.
In the meantime, the BBC’s project, Home: A VR Spacewalk, draws on real-life simulations from NASA to recreate a trip to outer space. The game involves a first-person adventure that will thrill gamers who were once interested in becoming astronauts. But don’t let the BBC tag throw you off—apparently, there are a few emergencies in store for virtual cosmonauts.
Audio-Reaction
At the moment, VR platforms like Oculus Venues are able to transport users to live concerts and other exciting shows. However, VR developers are also looking to redefine how music can be experienced in an augmented setting.
Projects like Fantasynth and Horizons VR are adding visual components to music. Both groups are looking to reinvent the sound visualizer in a virtual setting. Fantasynth’s experience lasts only seven minutes to a single track. Horizons VR, on the other hand, allows users to move through surreal worlds along with a calming playlist.
For those new to VR, audio-reactive programs will be a great way to jump into virtual realities after setting them up on a home laptop. Users don’t need to worry about navigating worlds and getting turned around—they only need to enjoy the music.
Co-operative Experiences
In the past decades, popular books and movies have commonly been turned into video games—and vice versa. Popular stories tend to see literary, cinematic, and gaming adaptations with the sole purpose of enhancing how audiences relate to popular characters, settings, and other ideas.
VR is able to evolve these ‘co-operative’ experiences into more dynamic settings. For example, Star Trek: Bridge Crew allows users to step into one of four professions on a Federation vessel. In this way, Trekkies can literally step into the position of their idols from the hit franchise.
