The online casino world is used to technological disruptions. After all, it was online casino gaming that shook up the gambling world from the late 1990s onwards, and as technology has developed, online casino gaming has continued to change. The advent of mobile gaming made possible by the wide usage of smartphones, and the development of live dealer casino gaming, both changed the gambling world and redefined what online gambling can be.
Now, there is a new technology that is threatening to have a similar impact on the industry. Virtual reality (VR) is not a new concept, but it is only in recent years that the technology has been available to make it a viable reality. Players who are signing up with NJ online casinos today will soon be able to enjoy a virtual casino experience that is almost as rich and immersive as a visit to a real casino on the Vegas strip. VR gambling is in its infancy right now, but some experts are predicting that by 2021, this new and immersive form of casino play will account for up to $520bn in wagers.
The quest for realism in NJ online casino games
Online casino gambling has been a hugely successful industry over the last 20 years, with several innovations that have delighted players. The opportunity to play high-definition or 3D slots games while sitting in your living room or taking a seat at a live dealer roulette table on your evening commute has offered casino gamers an experience that earlier generations could not have imagined. However, for all the immersive graphics and authentic sounds, modern online casino gaming such as the ones at 888 Online Casino, hasn’t fully been able to recreate the real-world casino experience – until now.
Enter VR
VR technology has developed rapidly over the last few years, and console gamers have been enjoying the VR experience as software developers get to grips with the possibilities that VR offers. For casino gamers, VR provides the chance to immerse themselves in the casino atmosphere and step onto the casino floor using a VR headset and iGambling platform, which offers an interactive, realistic casino experience, including some ground-breaking features:
- Richly detailed casino floors, which players can walk through
- Realistically designed playable slot machines
- 3D casino tables, at which players can take a seat and interact with others
- Real-world casino sounds, many with a 3D spatial aspect
VR gaming options
As mentioned above, we are right at the beginning of the online VR casino gaming industry, so there are only a handful of titles around, but they are an exciting glimpse into what is to come.
SlotsMillion, utilizing the Oculus Rift VR system, is a game produced by Lucky VR that is set on the 80th floor of a high-rise building in a futuristic city. It’s even possible for players to lean against the virtual window and look down at the city, in between playing the game’s 40 slots titles or sitting in the virtual lounge, chatting with your fellow players.
Another exciting VR title is Casino VR Poker. This was developed in Switzerland and offers an extremely detailed player interface, along with six Texas hold ’em tables and voice chatting. Unlike SlotsMillion, this is not a real-money game, but it shows the potential that this technology offers.
VR gear
At the moment, the Oculus Rift is the best-placed system for enjoying these VR casino games, and to get the most out of them, you will need to be running a high-end PC. However, that situation is sure to change as VR technology becomes cheaper and software developers find new ways to exploit the possibilities inherent in VR to produce an immersive casino experience that all can enjoy.
The future
We are in the early stages of the VR online casino revolution, and the future promises to be exciting. The initial efforts of VR software developers seem likely to be focused on recreating the real-world casino experience in as much depth and detail as possible, but the possibilities of VR technology are sure to lead to even more innovative ideas, such as recreating casinos from well-known films or incorporating the ability to play casino games in unlikely places. Perhaps in a few years, you will be able to play VR poker on the moon or spin the roulette wheel in a Roman temple!
It is also likely that established land casino operators will embrace this technology, offering VR versions of their best venues, while further into the future, it is possible that casino gamers will be able to enjoy the full VR casino experience via their mobile devices.
Conclusion
VR is one of several technologies that have the potential to revolutionize everything from the way we work to the way we play, and thanks to the efforts of ingenious gaming software developers, online casino gaming is set to be at the forefront of that revolution.
