The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is one of the biggest events in gaming and showcases some of the most exciting developments from the world’s largest game companies. Each year, fans and journalists wait to learn about what the next big thing will be and see many of the most anticipated new games in action. This year has been no exception, and one of the areas where we’ve seen the most exciting developments has been virtual reality.
VR headsets finally became available to the public in 2016, but they’ve failed to make the huge splash that many initially expected. There are a number of reasons why that happened, including a serious lack of big name, high-quality games. The hardware is often only able to appeal to the most hardcore of tech geeks, especially if there’s no software to get gamers excited. Add in an incredibly high cost of entry and it shouldn’t be surprising that VR isn’t exactly a household staple.
That could be changing soon with the release of some seriously impressive games. Sony generated a significant amount of buzz with VR offerings for Skyrim and Final Fantasy XV, but one game has us particularly excited. The biggest VR announcement might have been for the latest entry in the popular flight-sim series, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. The game will feature a special set of missions for Playstation VR that should help to showcase the power of the hardware. The nearly photo-realistic cockpits and white-knuckle aerial dogfights do a great job of showing off what virtual reality is capable of, and it could be one of the first real “must-play” titles.
Flight simulators are one of the most effective genres when it comes to making the leap to VR. Demonstrating the abilities of the technology to the casual player could be crucial in helping to encourage its widespread adoption. Improved immersion has always been a goal for game developers with the ultimate desire to further blur the lines between the real and digital worlds. And it isn’t just blockbuster console titles pushing for a more realistic experience, it’s also becoming more prevalent with casual games. Much of the appeal of online gaming comes from its accessibility, and there are a number of classic casino titles designed to play and feel just like their physical counterparts. To create an even more realistic experience, many of the most popular casino games have a live dealer version where players are able to interact with an actual dealer in real-time. This helps to make for a much more dynamic experience as these titles continue to push closer to virtual reality.
Although it isn’t in every home just yet, VR and its experiences are continuing to increase the expectation of what’s possible when it comes to video games. Whether it’s a casual card game or an intense aerial battle, the goal is to make you feel like a part of the game, and VR is well on its way to making that a reality.
