Is VR the next big jump in gaming?

[bingbongbangbung]

And I mean VR as how it's depicted in science fiction, not how it currently is. The last time there was a major technological leap that changed the entire gaming industry, was back in the mid 90s going from 2D to 3D. It wasn't just graphics and controls that was different, how games were programmed and developed had to be changed too. Sure, one could argue going from 3D to HD was a big jump, but that wasn't a night and day diffetence, and ”high definition" is still 3D.

Online matches, motion controls, and touchscreens long existed and were implemented for gaming before HD was a thing anyways. With every successive console generation, seems like they're changing less and less. Hell, the last true consoles that aren't essentially watered down gaming PCs were the Sega DreamCast, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DSi/XL, and PlayStation Portable. Starting with Xbox, PlayStation 3, Nintendo WiiU, Nintendo 3DS, and PlayStation Vita is when it occured.

VR has always been a gimmick and mostly used for educational and training purposes rather than for gaming. Despite the leaps in tech, VR headsets still resemble the awkward giant "goggles" from the 80s. However, the way VR games are programmed are fundamentally different from conventional 3D games. Not only do the images need to be rendered twice (once for each eye), but the graphics are rendered completely in a 360 degree environment.

Motion controls in VR are also a bit different since you can do stuff that normally isn't possible or hard to execute with the Wii Remote or PlayStation Move. Assuming VR advances past what we currently have, then it's going to only become more unique and resembling closer to what is envisioned as true VR. Arcades used to be the dominant platform until consoles caught up and surpassed them. Gaming PCs have done the same although consoles still hold an edge for being a hybrid of the two now. Maybe one day VR will catch up and surpass them both?

[NamerOfStars]

If it's nothing but enhanced visuals, not much is going to change. You get mere immersion from a 25-year-old Force Feedback joystick than all the TrackIR-inspired visual tricks is the world.

Of course, logically you'd try to combine them, and get best of both worlds. Novint tried that- what's the last you heard about the Falcon? More importantly, WHEN?

[bingbongbangbung]

What are the Novint and Falcon?

[NamerOfStars]

Rather illustrates my point, no? Novint was a company that decided it was time for haptic feedback he go beyond a novelty into something that brought real aspects of touch into computer use. They needed a device that was detailed enough for surgical simulations. but robust enougm for gamers- and could handle feedback in three dimensions.

This was during the dot-com bubble bursting, and it took them years to make the product, which they reduced to 1/100th of its cost, and by all firsthand accounts I've heard, succeeded wildly- until it came time to gain game support. A few companies leapt on board, but it wasn't enough. Blue-sky projects are hard sells to new adopters, and the Falcon was blue indeed. It was a commercial failure, and hook the company with it.

[BCA6010]

I don't think so. It'll always be a sort of niche genre playing second fiddle to games played on a regular screen.

[OddBeMe]

We thought that for 3d and that didn’t happen.

[bingbongbangbung]

What do you mean? 3D was a big jump from 2D. Even 2.5D a throwback to 2D still uses 3D graphics and occasionally 3D movement. Indie games with 2D pixel graphics mostly don't sell well anyways.

[OddBeMe]

Not really. Are 3d films even screened anymore? You have some 3d TVs but it’s fizzled. I imagine VR or augmented will go the same way. IPhone games, VR TVs, and that really it.

[bingbongbangbung]

Oh you mean 3D in that way? Lol 🤣

[OddBeMe]

Yeah as a gimmick. I mean outside of entertainment, VR could make surgeries more safe as most patients die from infections. It’s great tech.