Gaming Goes To New Heights With Virtual Reality

Posted: 9/25/2013

At the push of a button, a player can purchase and instantly start playing a brand new, AAA title without having to fuss over going to the store or downloading a hefty file. Donning a special piece of headgear, they can step directly into the virtual world, where their senses of sight and sound are completely engrossed in the game. With a tablet in hand, the player can tap a location on a map and, on the television screen in front of them, they can watch as their troops attack the designated location, bullets flying and bombs exploding.

These types of advancements in gaming may seem like predictions of where the pastime will eventually head. But it may surprise some to learn this is already the world in which gamers are living. Gaming has come a long way in the past 40 or so years, limited only by the technology available and the imaginations of those making and playing the games. But at the rate gaming tech is currently evolving, it looks like the sky could truly be the limit.

Virtual reality

While virtual reality has been a part of gaming vocabulary for decades, the Oculus Rift has only been on the scene for about a year. In a very short period of time, the Rift has managed to wow journalists and tech enthusiasts at trade shows all over the world. Put simply, the Rift looks to deliver on that old promise of virtual reality gaming, dropping the gamer directly into the virtual world.

As highlighted by Mashable, the Oculus Rift has only been in the hands of developers for a few months but, even in that short period of time, the games created for the device have managed to impress. Mashable reports the Rift experience is “awesome,” and finally delivers that immersive VR experience gamers have dreamed of.

Mobile manipulation

It looks like gaming on mobile devices isn't simply limited to Angry Birds, Words With Friends and hidden object games anymore. While mobile gaming is on the rise, the touchscreen experience simply can't compete with the thumbsticks and physical buttons offered by a console controller. So, if you can't beat them, you might as well join them. Second screen gaming looks to be a big focus for certain types of upcoming console games, allowing players to interact with their games in brand-new ways. Next time you fire up your home console and get ready to dive into your favorite game, you might find yourself whipping out your phone or tablet, too, keeping it handy to serve as an off-screen menu, interactive map or even as a way to directly interact with your game in new and interesting ways.

As highlighted by Hongkiat.com, the upcoming Xbox One will utilize its new SmartGlass technology to give players a new way to get into the game, while Sony's new handheld console, the PlayStation Vita, is already offering new options with the PlayStation 3.

Head in the cloud

Like all of this new tech, cloud gaming is already a reality, featuring the ability for players to play their favorite games directly from a developer/publisher's server. That means no more downloading or putting on pants to run to the local game store and pick up the latest releases. The OnLive streaming console has already been on the market for about a year, but cloud gaming won't really take off until the next generation of consoles gets here. Sony has already announced a partnership to provide streaming game content through a service called Gaikai on the PlayStation 4, while Microsoft's own cloud-based plans for the Xbox One are already causing a buzz on sites such as Gaming Trend, which called it the “best new tech” of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

The future of consoles

For anyone who attended E3, Gamescon or PAX this year, it's clear that all of the above new tech is planned as a big part of the future of gaming. While the folks behind the Oculus Rift have expressed a desire to focus more on PC and mobile devices for the present, it's only a matter of time before the kind of virtual reality gaming that was so popular in sci-fi films of the '80s and '90s becomes a reality. There are even rumors that Sony might already be working on its own virtual reality headset for use with the PlayStation 4.

Speaking of the PS4, both Sony's new console and Microsoft's Xbox One have big plans for cloud gaming and media sharing, making it easier and cheaper than ever for gamers to get immediate access to the games, shows and other types of content they want to devote their free time to.

As for second screen gaming, it's already being used to a small extent with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with big plans for further implementation in the next console generation (which is coming in just a couple of months with the launch of the PS4 and the Xbox One.) As for the Wii U, anyone who has seen Nintendo's latest console in action knows it is basically a two-screen experience out of the box. The Wii U might not use a separate tablet or smartphone to get the job done, but it's easy to imagine those types of interactions being implemented into Sony and Microsoft's new consoles, thanks to some handy technology most folks already have sitting on the coffee table, just waiting for its chance to get into the game.

Author Bio
Murray Lunn is a freelance writer specialized in content marketing for online businesses; his work includes business blogging, product development, and brand development.