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When Will Real Time VR Gaming At Home Become a Real Thing

Virtual Reality (VR) is the latest technological innovation to make its presence felt in the online casino space. It follows some landmark developments like networked progressive slots, mobile gaming platforms and live dealer casinos. This article explains what VR casino games are and outlines their current status in the online casino space. Finally, it will be argued that a full VR online casino is still a long way off.

What Are VR Casino Games?

Virtual reality puts us in a created illusionary environment that seems real for experiential purposes. The most common form of VR today is in sports. If you are playing VR table tennis, for example, you are actually moving your arms in your present location. The headset puts you at the one end of the table where you feel that you are actually hitting the ball. The same thing is with VR casino games.

If you play VR roulette, you will be transported to a virtual casino where you will be before a roulette table, placing bets as you wish. The wheel will spin and decide the outcome of your bets. This is an immersive experience completely different from the live roulette games that are already abundant at online casinos. In live casinos there is streaming of 2D videos of real tables on to your screen. You will not be a part of the visual set up. Similarly in VR slots, you can interact with the slot machine as if it is before you in a land casino. You can change bets and spin the reels feeling that you are at the console.

You will need two components for playing VR casino games. The games are special, written in a different code from the normal games. A special headset is required. Normal games with the headset will not work. VR games will not work without the headset.

The Status of VR Casino Games

Some of the leading software providers to online casinos, like NetEnt and Microgaming, have developed and exhibited VR games at various international gaming exhibitions. Some online casinos like Slots Million and Mr Green have a small VR games section. Most of the VR casino games are slot machines. These games suppliers have not created new slots but have converted some of their most popular titles to the VR format. The must play games are listed below.

• Gonzo’s Quest VR from NetEnt: The VR slot features a Spanish conquistador in his quest for Eldorado. The highlight of Gonzo’s Quest is the Avalanche feature, which will blow your mind way in VR.
• Jack’s World VR from NetEnt: In the normal slots format the game is called Jack and the Beanstalk. The VR version has three reels instead of five, but this does not lessen the action.
• Starburst VR from NetEnt: This is arguably the most popular online slot ever and therefore an automatic must for VR casinos.
• Miss Midas VR from NextGen: Watch a beautiful princess turns objects into gold instead of the old king.
• Thunderstruck II VR from Microgaming: One of the iconic titles featuring the misadventures of the Norse gods Thor, Odin, Loki and Valkyrie.

Microgaming has released VR Roulette as well.

Microgaming VR roulette

Why A Full VR Online Casino Is Still A Pipe Dream

There are two sides to this story: the demand side and the supply side.

The Demand Side

People seem satisfied with the no deposit offerings even if they are limited in some countries like the USA. There has been a surge of new software providers bringing fresh ideas and features into their games. Live dealer casino games have broken traditional barriers with hybrid games like Dream Catcher and Lightning Roulette. Players are sated.

Wearing headsets for virtual sports is moving ahead. The demand is not driven by individual purchases, but through sports malls. You can go to such a place and pay an affordable amount for a half hour session. This model is unlikely to work for online casino gaming.

A valid question is whether players will be comfortable playing real money casino games wearing headsets. Quite a few years ago some games suppliers like Microgaming had launched real 3D slots. You needed to wear glasses of the type used for watching 3D movies. These glasses are cheaper and less cumbersome than headsets, yet the initiative flopped miserably.

The Supply Side

The supply side is more complicated. The first issue is the hardware requirement. Laptops that can support virtual reality are available across brands, though these are priced at the top end. The problem is with the headset. The Oculus Rift VR headset, or equivalent models, is extremely high priced. Widespread use will have to wait till the prices fall. As has been seen in the smartphone penetration this is a slow process till the prices fall below a threshold level.

The supply side also includes VR casino games. A handful of them have been created for demo purposes. The software providers have made a statement to the players and the hardware developers that they are ready with the technology. Today most modest sized online casinos have portfolios of about 500 games. A full VR online casino will need a portfolio of at least a couple of hundred games. No software provider will invest that much time and money in this endeavour unless quick returns are assured. They would rather create conventional games that are being lapped up by players and online casino operators.

The Way Ahead

This impasse will not be resolved in a quick leap. Each party will move ahead in small steps. The headset manufacturers will bring down the costs a bit encouraging more people to buy them. The software providers will put out a few more VR casino games. Then both will wait for players to bite. Several such cycles will have to pass before mass commercialisation takes place.