Virtual Reality (VR) is here and it is going to stay. With comfortable and affordable VR headsets turning into a reality, VR Gaming can soon become the most popular way to play your favorite games.
In fact, according to the experts, the industry will be worth $4 billion by 2018 and, while gaming will drive the bulk of headset sales, the applications for VR are almost endless.
In fact, as we’re already starting to see, there are many other industries that can harness the power of VR to create more engaging, entertaining and educational worlds.
So, with this in mind, here are 5 cool ways Virtual Reality will be used:
Virtual Reality Casinos
One medium that’s currently exploring the possibilities of virtual reality is the online casino industry. Building on the current movement towards authentic gaming options, virtual reality looks set to plunge players into a new world of possibilities in the coming years.
Evidence for this movement towards a more realistic way of gaming can be found inside 32Red’s suite of games. Known technically as live dealer casino games, options such as roulette give players the ability to interact with real dealers in a virtual setting.
Combining RFID chips and HD webcams allows the company to offer three forms of “live” roulette, including French, European and Immersive. Each one gives players the ability to watch, bet and become a part of a live game directly from their desktop or mobile.
The rise in popularity of these games is part of the reason VR looks set to become a major part of the iGaming industry. Indeed, games such as Casino Euro’s English Roulette (its own spin on European Roulette) and Double Bonus Spin Roulette at Grosvenor Casino could be enhanced with VR and prototype products such as Microgaming VR Roulette.
In Education Industry
While distance learning is nothing new, online classes are becoming more popular and that should create some interesting opportunities for the VR industry. VR can probably provide the best possible experience of remote learning.
Educational games such as Minecraft are already a hit with children, but if they were able to step into a world of hidden obstacles it would make things even more entertaining. Moreover, a heightened sense of realism would increase a child’s focus (as the sense of trepidation would feel more real) and, therefore, cause them to retain more information.
In fact, when you survey the current offerings from companies such as Oculus and Steam, the groundwork is already being prepared. Much like the mobile industry, both companies have prepared apps stores and VR marketplaces so that virtual education tools can be offered, found and distributed with ease.
For Communication
VR headsets like Rift and Vive have the potential of giving you the ability to feel like you are into another world. This is the most important concept in VR gaming, but it can also be used in situations when distant communication and remote interactions are required.
In fact, building on this idea, we can see that virtual tourism will soon become a real thing. Thanks to Google Street View, we’ve already seen how this sort of technology can help improve our remote interactions.
Indeed, it can be very useful for you if you are not able to go or can’t afford to travel to another place but want to know more about it. Essentially, VR will soon be the go-to medium when we need help reaching places that are too costly or impractical to visit under normal circumstances.
VR Shopping
Retail is another industry that will thrive thanks to VR. One of the biggest problems for online shoppers is the inability to see an item up close before they buy it.
Virtual Reality Shops can be a great new addition to the already growing e-commerce industry. With Virtual Tours and a real time shopping experience, Shopping on sites such as Amazon could become infinitely more immersive and efficient in the coming years.
Indeed, VR companies like Trillenium are already working on software that will enhance consumer’s shopping experience and one of biggest online retailers, ASOS, has shown interest in the app.
Trainings and Simulations
It may be one of the most obvious non-gaming use of VR for most people. Computer simulations have been around for a while, but, VR can add a real quality to the simulation experience.
Medical simulations or space simulations are one of the biggest benefactors of VR. For the Medical and Space exploration industry, price of Oculus Rift or HTC Vive is really attractive and with an already available work force, VR can be a big help for them in providing a real and proper simulation.
It gets even more important for Military and Defense sector. US Military has used Unity 3D engine and games like Battlespace 2 to prepare their soldiers for combat. VR will add a realism and multi-user systems can be a big help for military in preparing troops for team-work.
Have you used a VR headset? how did you feel about it? do you know about any other way VR can be used? share with others in the comments below.
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