A million years ago -in 1994 actually- a tiny company located in the Isle of Man that no one had ever heard of showed just how serious it was about revolutionising the casino room by launching an Internet virtual casino. Online casinos were then very few and far between and had just been introduced to the market. A few short decades later, that same company was duly recognised as one of the most innovative software providers ever, with its name being known to a global audience. The company was of course Microgaming.
There is little doubting the fact that had Microgaming not been a deeply innovative company that was not afraid to push boundaries and question old dogma, the casino industry would be different from what it is today. And that is why Microgaming gets all the accolades due to it.
The success of Microgaming and other similar software providers helps illustrate the fact that technology never stands still. Instead, it is constantly evolving, with new tech being ceaselessly invented and old ones being hastily discarded when they prove unable to keep up with changing needs and preferences.
One such new tech is the smartphone and this more than anything else has revolutionised life in the last decade or so. Yet another tech is virtual reality. This could be potentially a life-changing tech in the casino room that forcefully disrupts old ways of doing things.
For some reason, VR has never been able to hit it big but perpetually seems to be just about to do so. So, is VR the future and what impact might this novel tech have on the online gaming industry? Read on and get some solid answers.
The Casino Room Looks More Lovely With VR
Now, just about all online casinos want to offer the most engaging, exciting and thrilling games to their clientele. VR makes such games fully possible in the casino room, with players playing in a virtual world of peerless immersive.
Now, at present, the biggest cons of online casinos are that their games are not as engaging as those found in physical casinos. In physical casinos, players can get spoiled with lots of lights and sounds, while playing casino games in the casino room with other players from all over the globe. This experience is what online casinos are yet to offer to the fullest extent.
The magic of VR for online casinos is that it makes the con detailed above irrelevant. VR players can thus play any casino game of their choice, with their VR equipment making it look like they are right in an actual casino having the time of their life.
It gets even better. VR online casino players can even play casino games right in space or on a deserted tropical island that is as immersive and realistic as sin. Online slots can be played right in the age they are set in and with the most diverting animations and graphics possible. For example, with VR, a slot like the Gonzo’s Quest slot could be rendered in a manner that the player gets convinced that he/she is right next to Gonzo himself, getting caught up in one adventure after another.
Yes, VR promises endless opportunities and could easily make casino games the leading means of entertainment on the planet. As such, should VR work out, online casinos might experience a boom the likes of which has never been seen before.
But When Will The Promise Of VR Be Realised?
VR promises a lot but has yet to deliver on most of these. It is by any measure a disruptive technology that could change the world as we know it. The trouble is that it is yet to live up to its potential and there is no knowing when it ever will.
At present, lots of tech companies and online casinos are hard at work integrating VR into online casino operations. Whether their efforts will be successful is not currently known, but there are grounds for optimism.
VR Adoption Barriers
The barriers to widespread VR adoption in the casino room are due to both hardware and software limitations. For the present, VR hardware is expensive and offers limited content in the casino room. This limited content, in turn, limits the number of users willing to invest in the technology by buying a VR headset and other related equipment.
As of now, VR is a niche product, rather than a mass-market one. Till the hardware is made more affordable and the content improves this situation will most likely remain the same.
Still, there is no harm in dreaming about the future world. One where VR is in widespread use in the casino room and with the most wickedly immersive casino games in operation.