Predictions and opportunities for the future of virtual reality in 5 years
Sean Gibson

Virtual reality has been significantly developing fast over the past few years. Starting from all the way back to Sega VR, to today with fully-featured home VR headsets like the HTC vive. With computers upgrading in specifications, and even mobile devices having VR applications, it makes sense that the hardware and software of VR for gaming would have a proportional development, especially in the near future. 

One of the most notable differences in any type of technology as it develops is size. Think about something as simple as computers, the first one was the size of a large room, and now the average computer is a person’s cell phone, which literally fits in your hand. Similarly, according to Jon Fingas at Engadget.com, the company Oculus has predicted the same type of development with VR headsets. After an interview with a representative from Oculus mentions, “You could see VR headsets that are scarcely thicker than glasses, with images that are as wide as you need.” [1] This would no doubt have a huge impact on the convenience of VR. The Oculus rift headset that’s currently available and used widely for gaming has been known as a top product in the market for a while, and no doubt have enough experience to make valid predictions.[2] The article states, “[Abrash] was also confident that a slew of other technologies would be ready within four years.”[1] 

Just like the comparison with phones and computers mentioned previously, with an increase in popularity of a certain type of tech, it can produce a social effect in the way that people want to use it together and be connected. In the example with computers it’s simply the evolution of the internet, however with gaming in VR it’s a bit different. In a YouTube production by The Gadget show, a representative from Sandbox VR mentions “We believe that VR entertainment is experienced better with your friends.”[3] In the video the begin to showcase their development for VR gaming where a group can schedule events and play games in virtual reality as a multiplayer experience, not unlike conventional gaming with multiple controllers. However there is much more technology involved than just standard VR headsets, Sandbox VR showcases their haptic feedback vests, real time motion sensing, headsets, and portable backpack computers. This definitely shows that the future of VR gaming could look like, and I could picture instead of setting up home theatres, a popular futuristic leisure room could be dedicated to VR gaming. PCgamer also mentions in it’s interview with HTC Vive’s GM, under “VR state of union”, that “We see VR continuing to evolve as new technologies and use cases push the industry forward.”[4]

Building on the last topic of how popularity in tech can produce a social effect, it’s worth noting that many articles and media regarding the future of VR are bringing this up. For example in the first article regarding the interview with Oculus, “You would also see augmented reality glasses that are “socially acceptable,” Abrash said.”[1] as well as in PCgamer’s article “the pioneers in the field I spoke with had high hopes (and a lot to say) about the social possibilities both in and beyond games.“[4] And with further research this still holds true, from Techradar; “immersing ourselves in VR will soon be a valid lifestyle choice.”[5] With so many predictions about VR’s popularity being very social, what comes to mind is the outbreak of cellphone usage in comparison, or maybe more accurately the use of something like earbuds. The fact that these companies and writers are predicting the same type of sociological effect must mean something – perhaps as VR develops it could become a part of everyday leisure and gaming will be increasingly popular. 

VR has had it’s placement in gaming consoles as well, even motion tracking as been seen back in Xbox 360 with their Kinect device. Released in 2016, Playstation VR has also made itself prominent as one of the most mainstream ways for console based virtual reality gaming. According to Metacritic, this platform has received plenty of positive reviews[6] however what stood out as the worst part was the available games for the platform. This can be a temporary roadblock, and with new technology comes new opportunities, which takes time to develop. In an article from Alphr, their interview with Playstation Japan reveals that after talking about the “Bitesize experiences”, “Based on such expectations, I came up with the strategy of making full-scale games of larger scale in the 2nd and 3rd years”[7]. It’s shown throughout history that developing technology is impossible without advancements over time and I think this will be the case for VR games in the future.

In conclusion, it can be expected to see VR gaming advance in more than one aspect, from more convenient wearables to being involved in daily/social activities. Virtual reality is a relatively new technology which like any technological concepts has broad horizons and potential to grow among our society, possibly in the same way that commonplace technology like phones and the internet has.

Bilbiography

[1] Fingas, J. (2018, September 28). Oculus predicts a VR future that includes ultra-thin headsets. Retrieved August 4, 2019, from https://www.engadget.com/2018/09/26/oculus-predicts-ultra-thin-vr-headsets/

[2] Oculus. (2019). Oculus Home. Retrieved August 4, 2019, from https://www.oculus.com/?locale=en_US

[3] The Gadget Show (2019, June 08). The Future of VR Games. Retrieved August 04, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PxI7LHU_mA

[4] Bradley, A. (2019, March 20). Does VR have a future, and what does it hold? Retrieved August 4, 2019, from https://www.pcgamer.com/the-future-of-VR/

[5] Ellis, C. (2018, June 14). Forget Ready Player One – the future of VR is a physical experience. Retrieved August 4, 2019, from https://www.techradar.com/news/forget-ready-player-one-the-future-of-vr-is-a-physical-experience

[6] Hardware Review: PlayStation VR. (2016, October 5). Retrieved August 4, 2019, from https://www.metacritic.com/feature/playstation-vr-headset-reviews

[7] Vaughn Highfield (2018, September 26). PlayStation VR: Sony doubles down on PSVR’s future. Retrieved August 4, 2019, from https://www.alphr.com/playstation-vr/1000343/playstation-vr-buying-guide