Although Virtual Reality is becoming increasingly popular, it still hasn’t reached the heights many expected it would. Here are three of the main reasons why VR still isn’t taking off and a look at what needs to happen over the coming years to increase the popularity of VR technology.
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For example, the tech giants that produce VR devices, such as Samsung (the Samsung Gear VR), Sony (the Sony PlayStation VR), Oculus (the Oculus Rift), and HTC (the HTC Vive), need to come up with a better design that everyone will find comfortable to wear.
They also need to craft better games that will be immersive enough to keep people wanting to play for hours at a time. Additionally, the prices will need to be a little bit more affordable. They also need to combat the popularity of PC gaming, console gaming, and the modern phenomenon of gaming from a mobile phone.
Better headset designs needed
While there have been some huge improvements in the design and comfortability of VR headset designs, many people feel there is still much more room for improvement. They need to be lighter in weight, and they need to sit more comfortably on the head. They are still too clunky, which is why a lot of people prefer playing from their favorite gaming system rather than wearing a headset to play.
The big companies need to try and overcome certain issues, such as disorientation you can get from prolonged playing or eye strain that can occur from just a short period of playing. People don’t want to have fun playing in an immersive VR world only to walk away with a headache at the end of a session. If they can fix some of these issues, VR could really take off.
Competition from PC, console, and mobile gaming
VR gaming faces stiff competition from the PC gaming, video game console, and mobile gaming sectors. Not everyone is ready to attach a headset and immerse themselves in a virtual world and would rather just switch on their preferred device and play this way. Also, there are far more games available on PC, mobile, and video game consoles compared to the number of games that are currently available on today’s most popular VR headsets.
Playing from a PC or other gaming device is also still far more convenient compared to playing from a VR device. PC, console, and mobile gaming are more established, and it could take several more years until the popularity of VR gaming catches up. More titles will need to be added to each VR device’s gaming catalog, and the prices will have to come down to appeal to a broader audience of players.
You will also soon be able to enjoy new online casinos on UK Gambling Commission-licensed websites directly from your VR headset. These sites will offer a variety of classic table & card games and slots. Let’s take a quick look at some of the prices for today’s top-of-the-range VR headsets that you can buy today. Some of these models are simply headsets that you can simply hook your smartphone up to.
- For the LG 360 VR Headset, you can spend roughly $450 (or equivalent currency value)
- For the HTC Vive Virtual Reality System (platform: SteamVR, Windows), you’re looking at around $520 brand new
- For an Oculus Rift and Touch Controllers Bundle (platform: Windows, Oculus), you can expect to pay somewhere in the region of $450
- For a Sony PlayStation VR (platform: Playstation), a new headset will set you back around $450
If you’re looking for a cheaper device, then you may want to consider one of these two options:
- Samsung SM-R324NZAABTU Galaxy Gear VR 2017 with Motion Controller (platform: Android), which is currently worth around $150
- ZEISS VR ONE Plus – Virtual Reality Glasses with Multi Tray, which can be hooked up to Samsung smartphones and cost around $50
Control and movements need improving
VR games are getting better and better with each new release, but there’s still room for improvement, especially with regard to the character movements and gestures. There also needs to be a better controller to suit everyone. At the time of writing, there are so many different VR controllers out there, and there’s not one single controller that everyone can agree upon.
Some are easier to use than others, and it would be good if one of the VR tech companies could develop a standardized controller design that would work across all VR devices and please everyone. If all of these improvements could be made to VR headsets and controllers, and a better selection of games can be made available, there’s a really good chance that VR could take off in the next couple of years.
 is still in its infancy, but huge leaps in technology are currently being made. Here are three major reasons why VR still isn't taking off as it was expected to.){kind=link}