Do you think VR gaming might make some people more healthy?

[ChocoBat]

My reasoning is that I think most of the people that would play VR already enjoy video games, and VR is more active especially with things like full body tracking becoming more prominent, a lot of VR games require actual movement, it reminds me of a time where I was depressed, and I'd just sleep, and whenever I was awake I would play games as an escape, I know a lot of people play games as an escape and I do think just sitting behind your screen all day is quite unhealthy, but with VR becoming more prominent I think a lot of these people may get out of their chairs more, and move around, even if they stay indoors, being less static would mean less body degradation, as well as that there are a lot of VR social games that let people with bad social skills train them in a more controlled environment, I don't like VR chat and it's community much, but I am a mute in real life and that game has helped me train my non verbal communication a lot because it has a number of people that choose not to speak and still hang out with people, overall I think virtual reality is a very good development in the gaming sphere, I think it might encourage more people to go inside and play games lots though! What do you think?

[SueShe]

There is definitely some truth about your statement. However, my feeling is that there are more drawbacks to VR gaming than positive aspects.

1. A great number of people get nauseated when wearing VR glasses.

2. Quality VR glasses are expensive and those that spend a lot of time behind their computer are not really those people that can afford to spend $300 or more for real immersive VR glasses.

3. In order to be able to play games with high frame rates, you need a higher end rig that costs also much more money.

4. If people play even more games using VR glasses because of the immersive action, the result could be even less face-to-face social contact of real life.

[ChocoBat]

Yeah, it's still a relatively new technology though, and as with almost everything I think the first 3 points will be fixed as it becomes more widespread

For the last point, I do agree for the most part, and this is just me being idealistic but the fact real action is required might mean people can't just stay in VR all day, especially because of the required brainpower in a lot of currently existant VR games, but I'm also quite scared that VR will eventually move to the whole brain controlled/eye movement control thing... And we'll get that thing people are always afraid of, where someone gets to just sit around and go into a fake world without performing any significant activity

[SueShe]

One of the issues with gaming VR is that is it designed to be used for such games as racing, flight simulation and point and shoot games. Those are best played when seated and thus, the positive effect of moving around is gone with those games.

[ChocoBat]

Yeah but recent games in the VR sphere are pretty cool, like Half-Life: Alyx, it has you thinking about stuff a lot and crouching and using your hands to physically get stuff, I guess there's ways to make it simpler but it's still a pretty active game, VR is kinda coming out of it's test phase and more complicated games are being made

[SueShe]

That is true and like with every new product, the initial high costs will progressively be reduced when the masses buy them. My fear is that VR is just the beginning and with time, the danger is that new developments will attempt to take control or influence your mind and behavior.

The porn industry is very innovative as they have long realized that there is a real potential with VR.

[ChocoBat]

Yeah I honestly feel like it'll go the direction of dystopian horror and in some time we'll have peoply dying because they got too disconnected from reality to care for themselves... I hope that'll take a while... And I hope action will be taken before that can happen, but space laws weren't made in time so I don't know.

[dudeinohio]

i don't think the movements constitute a proper exercise regimen

[ChocoBat]

I know that of course, I'm just saying it'll get all those basement boys to at least get up and do some activity you know?

[dudeinohio]

Understood

[In_Trance]

lol no