There has perhaps never been anything that has gone from sci-fi fantasy to reality as quickly as virtual reality.VR technology has existed in some way, shape, or form for a fair while by this point, but the introduction of affordable VR headsets, combined with technological advancements in recent years, means that the world of virtual reality has come from our dreams, straight into our laps.After Sugar Rush by Pragmatic Play hit the market, with NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest becoming the first high profile slot to have the virtual reality treatment, VR is now very much a part of the online casino world.It isn’t just slots either, with entire VR casinos such as SlotsMillion now available, and the expectation being that many more will be added to that list, but it is with slots that the possibilities are most exciting.
Where Are We Now?
The truth is, we are probably in the early stages of discovering what virtual reality can do now it is available to anybody, and that is especially true in the world of online casinos.Sugar Rush is an incredible slot to play due to it being the first virtual reality game of its type, opening up a whole new world to the player, but it also feels like an early draft, which is very much what it is.Entering the game and walking amongst candy houses and sweet covered streets is an amazing experience, but once you’re used to it, there’s very little else that this slot has to offer.Gonzo’s Quest, on the other hand, takes a game that is already hugely popular for its gameplay, style, and bonus features, and adds VR to it.This is a more effective solution and entering this NetEnt classic for the first time is a genuinely special experience.With full 360 degree views, everything can be interacted with here, bringing the world of virtual reality slots to your fingertips, and giving a sense of what we could come to expect from this exciting advancement.
Where Are We Going?
At this point, the fact that virtual reality exists at all is so mind-blowing to many of us that we don’t really notice the quality of the games themselves.That isn’t to say they are bad, Gonzo’s Quest especially is a phenomenal effort, especially so early in the day for virtual reality in the iGaming world.However, better VR slots than those already available will undoubtedly follow, the technology will improve, game developers will get more of a sense of what is possible, and classics will be created.What we can expect remains to be soon, but we can make a few good guesses about what is on the horizon.Firstly, it’s safe to say that we are about to have visual experiences that we never thought possible thanks to virtual reality.You could be inside a slot game, interacting with the moving parts, inside a VR Casino, and get approached by a staff member to check everything is okay with your experience.The worlds of online and land-based casino play are only likely to get closer together over the coming months and years, as the online experience adds more facets, until, ultimately, we could well get to a point when the virtual casino experience feels more lifelike than visiting a brick and mortar casino.For now though, all the attention is on the big software developers, now NetEnt have lay down the challenge, we can expect the likes of Microgaming, NextGen, Playtech, Yggdrasil, and more to be hot on their heels.And as always, when the competition heats up, the quality of games improves, and that’s good news for all of us!