The Oculus Quest is shaping up nicely, with Beat Saber being announced today for the standalone virtual reality headset. After the announcement, the GameRevolution editorial team got to thinking about the promises made by VR headset manufacturers, and if those promises have been kept.
So, is VR still looking like the “future” of gaming in 2019? Or will these headsets forever remain high-priced peripherals that struggle to break into the mainstream? We’ve left our thoughts below, and as always you can share your own opinions in the comments section. We’ll feature our favorite in tomorrow’s Tell GR.
Paul Tamburro, executive editor: “When the price is right, I think virtual reality headsets will become much more prominent. While it’s highly unlikely that VR will be popular to the point where it replaces “traditional” gaming, I do think there’s a strong chance it will make its way to a lot of households, and that it will be more readily incorporated into future video games. The VR tech we have now is incredibly impressive, but it’s still too unwieldy. If VR headsets continue to tone down the number of wires and the high barrier for entry, we’ll start seeing them pop up in more homes soon enough.”
Mack Ashworth, lead editor: “I feel like the most “premium” gaming experiences are had in virtual reality. Upcoming games like Boneworks, and current successes like Beat Saber, boast features that I’d consider the “next level” of video games. However, for it to be the future, accessibility issues are something that need tackling. Price is one thing, but dealing with motion sickness is another. The latter has affected many more people than I would have expected.”
Bradley Russell, news editor: “It’ll always remain the quote-unquote “future” in terms of being a piece of tech that promises much in the next few years but always being just-out-of-reach from the mainstream. I don’t see VR ever being in a state where it’s both affordable and practical, so I can’t see it making waves across this console generation or the next. It feels like a fad and a gimmick that’ll fade away, much like motion control and whatever the fuck Project Spark was supposed to be.”
Michael Leri, features editor: “VR will only grow bigger but it’ll never eclipse flat games. There are just some experiences that won’t be able to replicated with our collective out of shape asses. It would create so much extra work even if you were just sitting in the game world. Games are good at hiding things from you and being able to look around would break that. It’s like the difference between fixed cameras and moveable ones.”
Yesterday’s best comment
Question: What is the best Halo game ever?
Alex Santa Maria: “Halo: Combat Evolved is the first and still the best to me. Halo 5’s multiplayer is probably better in the long run, but the amazing open campaign and the endless three shot duals on Hang ‘Em High will never leave my memory.”
