Virtual reality has been around for almost a decade now, but it has only really knocked on the door of the mainstream throughout its lifetime. Many people expect it to be a major household item soon, with projections by Grand View Research suggesting the VR market could be worth $435.36 billion by 2030.
The next few years could be huge for VR, with various factors helping it break into the mainstream. Devices are getting cheaper, the influential online casino industry is upping its immersion levels, and Apple is preparing to release its own device.
Online Slots Market Highlights How Players Seek Immersion
For VR to become a household item, it’ll need support from key online industries. The booming online casino sector has made great use of technologies like the internet, mobile, and live streaming. VR is looking like their next big move. From looking at the online slots currently on the market, it’s clear that developers are seeking to provide greater levels of immersion than ever before. Titles like Blood & Shadow and Gluttony have detailed themes that suck players into the developers’ worlds.
Players seek these levels of immersion through other games as well, such as live casino offerings. Some of the biggest developers in the business are now working on VR offerings, and it’s obvious that they imagine a future in which the platform is ubiquitous. The online casino sector is just one branch of the entertainment industry that will help push VR mainstream. The interactive titles on Netflix, for instance, could be made even more engaging with VR.
VR Headsets Now Cheaper Than Ever
One of the major stumbling blocks for VR to this point has been the price, with most users viewing it as too expensive for what it currently offers. This could be set to change rapidly, though, with some of the leading VR devices now having their prices slashed. Thanks to developments in the sector, older generations of leading brands like Oculus are suddenly cheaper as well.
The biggest piece of recent news regarding VR prices concerned the Varjo Aero. The high-end headset started at $2,000 but is now available for $990. This is Varjo’s first foray into the consumer market, and the Finnish company realised that it needed to price its device right to attract customers. Perhaps they learned from Meta, who dropped the price of the Meta Quest Pro by $500 back in March. Advancements in tech and manufacturing will need to continue for price drops to continue, but hopefully, other top developers will employ a similar marketing tactic if it results in more sales.
Closer to the Release of Apple’s Headset
For some time, experts have been expecting Apple to release its long-awaited VR headset. It recently announced the Apple Vision Pro, which is set to hit the market in early 2024. Many people think that this could have the same effect on the VR market that the iPhone had on the smartphone industry. This is largely due to it being both a VR and an AR headset, bringing about new ideas and functions that other companies may not have considered before.
It feels like VR is on the cusp of the mainstream, with a few final pieces left to fall into place. Bustling industries like online casinos will help a lot, along with the pricing of devices becoming more affordable.
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