It’s here. The time that all tech fans and gamers have been eagerly anticipating for longer than they can remember has arrived. The year of 2016 is set to be the 12 months in which virtual reality takes the world by storm.
Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and HTC Vive Pre are the frontrunners in virtual reality headsets that will totally change the landscape of technology. There is plenty to look forward to, and many people will already have their own dreams about what they want to see in virtual reality. Here are a few worlds we can’t wait to explore when we put on those revolutionary headsets.
“Virtual Reality” (CC BY 2.0) by Phillie Casablanca
Theme Parks
Theme parks have been available in virtual reality for years. Rollercoaster simulators have allowed thrill-seekers to get strapped in and watch a video of the track as they are shaken about relentlessly. Anyone who has been in one will know how enjoyable they are, and will also be waiting to see what the virtual reality developers will provide in terms of Theme Park worlds. The hope is that once you put on the headset you will be able to walk around and explore, as if you were in a real-life theme park.
This would be ideal for people who don’t have a theme park close to where they live, or those who are apprehensive about going on rollercoasters because of safety concerns. It would be pretty amazing to slip on the headset and go on a rollercoaster for ten minutes, then return to whatever you were doing before. There would obviously be no need for queuing either. This could be a huge success.
Casinos
Casinos have flourished across online and mobile platforms over the last few years and they are constantly increasing in popularity. This is in part due to their willingness to innovate. Some players felt that stepping into casinos was a daunting experience and found playing from the computer at home more relaxing and user-friendly. Players can go on a website or mobile app and instantly find the games they are looking for with a few clicks or taps. Some casinos even have specific games for different countries. For example, there are 999 Casino, Lucky Nugget Casino, and 32Red roulette games available in Canada that aren’t playable elsewhere. These are strong factors that attract new customers, but the problem with playing at home is that you miss out on the buzz and atmosphere of the real casino.
This is where virtual reality steps in. Players who enjoy playing at casino sites at home may be scared to walk into a real casino. But enticing welcome bonuses and six variants of roulette, for example, at 32Red can help online. Hopefully soon, they will be able to put the headset on and step into that casino world, from the safety of their own home. This will surely see the online casino market sky-rocket even further.
Haunted Houses
Many people love the exhilarating feeling they get from watching horror films, but what about actually stepping into the world of the film and walking around in it? Oculus Rift already has a haunted house simulator available (see video above), and this kind of thing is definitely not for the faint hearted. Stepping into the virtual reality world will mean becoming immersed in this chilling setting, with heart-stopping frights at every turn. The virtual reality headset detects the movements of the wearer’s head, so as you move you will look around the room. This is something to bear in mind if you sense there’s something scary about to jump out at you.
Could this be a success, though? It sounds exciting, that’s for sure, but when you are watching a horror film there is still a sense of safety as you are at a distance from it. To actually enter the nightmarish world and encounter all the shocking surprises may be too much for some people to handle.
People have always enjoyed escaping reality by reading a book, or watching a film. Now they will literally be able to enter another reality in order to take a break from their own. The examples above are just a few ideas of different worlds to explore, there are bound to be hundreds created for everyone’s tastes.
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