For the last fifty years or so, sci-fi and futuristic media have been predicting the same kinds of world in the future. Flying cars are everywhere, neon lights flicker everywhere, and most entertainment has become the virtual kind. Outside of sci-fi, VR technology is now well-known, but it’s safe to say that it isn’t as universal as past creators predicted. So how far away are we exactly from total virtual entertainment?
The Current Possibilities of VR
As it stands, there have been over 51 million VR headsets of all types sold in the past five years, but so far the number of big applications for them have been limited. Common examples of VR entertainment recently have included movies, concerts, art displays, and most recently the first examples in the online casino world.
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In that last case, online casino has only just started exploring the VR market, with titles like Starburst and Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt compatible with headsets. While they are small in number, these are big franchises that historically have had people looking up casino tips and tricks just to start on them, and the fact that the number is still growing does show some faith in the market.
The Current Limitations of VR
That 51 million number is certainly large but is still a far cry from that universal pickup that many thought it would have. The first reason behind the slightly slower adoption is simply price and value. While VR headsets of some form have been around for decades, the Oculus Rift was the first commercially stable option and originally retailed at almost $600 for a mostly full setup in 2012.
This initial price tag, as well as the necessity of having a large, open space in the home to make use of a lot of features, meant that it was simply unreasonable for most. At that time, there were perhaps four or five solid apps for the hardware as well, meaning that the headset was a significant investment without any guarantee of future support. Back then, it was seen as a top tech luxury more than anything.
What Can Improve Things?
The good news is that since the original model the market has expanded to include more offerings both at the more luxury end like the Apple Vision Pro but also the budget side. For example, the Meta/Oculus Quest 2 currently sells at around a third of the price of competitors and is more lightweight and practical as a bonus.
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The main thing the market is still lacking is a more substantial library of apps. Developers have been understandably hesitant to invest time and resources into a fairly niche market, which has then meant that the market never stops being niche. Opinions often are that with one good ‘killer app’ that can justify the hardware by itself, VR could explode in popularity.
Of course, the ‘killer app’ has always been elusive across all kinds of entertainment and when one does come, it’s usually from an unexpected place. At the moment it’s just a case of crossing our fingers and waiting.
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