5 Gaming Genres That Could Boost Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality has made a lot of promises over the years, but it finally seems like the genre is growing into its potential. With popular VR rigs like the Oculus Rift coming down in price over the past few years, the trend needs just a little push to help it over that edge. Here are a few gaming genres that could help give VR the boost it needs to fulfil the promises it has made in the past.
Survival Arena Games
For years VR developers have steered away from the survival arena genre of games. After all, they can be a bit on the gory side for what people want from their gaming experience. However, the runaway success of Squid Game has shown that maybe there is an interest in this sort of experience. Giving the game more of a focus on the escape room genre, which is already popular on VR platforms, rather than the outright brutality that we see in the show could be a recipe for success. Pitting players against each other to solve the puzzles before each other, with the option to sabotage their opponent, would be a fun way to emulate the experience without leaning into outright violence.
Video Bingo
There has been a huge increase in interest for online bingo since before the pandemic, but lockdowns have certainly brought more people into the scene. This interest has been fuelled by more options for games to play as well as a general improvement in the quality of those games. Foxy Bingo has been the leading pioneer in the revival of this game and has established itself as such basically by reinventing the bingo room for modern audiences. The bingo games at Foxy feature bright colors and lots of sound, making them exciting games to play on a VR console. Pairing these two emerging technologies together could be a solid boost to both of them.
Online Poker
Another area that has gotten a massive boost in the past few years is online poker. It is a game that is growing steadily at the moment and is likely to continue to expand in the coming years. This is certainly a fun one to imagine marrying up with VR. Though there have been VR poker games in the past, none of them have been able to match the tension and drama of the real table experience. However, as VR technology advances and the genre grows in popularity, it will undoubtedly get better and better. Poker is a game that many people know how to play, so the leap will be easier than most games.
Party Games
For many people, it has been a long time since we were able to play games with our friends in person, so the prospect of getting everyone together for an online VR game has become more attractive. Games like Jackbox have boomed over lockdown as they spark conversations and always lead to a good laugh. Playing them in VR could add a level of realism and fun to the game, increasing the social aspect of it for players who have been separated by the pandemic.
Sandbox Games
There are plenty of sandbox games out there. The most popular of them, Minecraft, recently announced another new update, so the genre is still going strong and continually adding new content. With the focus on exploration and building, it isn’t a surprise that there are already lots of mods out there to play Minecraft in VR. However, it would be really interesting to see a sandbox exploration game that was built with VR in mind rather than as an afterthought to be added later. With the continual growth of VR over the last few years, it is only a matter of time before these two genres match up finally.
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