Have you ever visited an online casino? Then you’ve probably noticed one thing missing: the atmosphere.
Gambling online just doesn’t feel right. You still win or lose money, but it’s not the same. Going to a physical location and taking in the experience by interacting with real humans, tables, and machines is much better.
Technological advancements in online gambling
Leaving aside the “feel” aspect, online casinos have come a long way. About 20 years ago, you didn’t have the security of today. You could only pay by card. Transactions were sluggish at best. Your privacy would’ve been a major risk. Not to mention that hackers could easily bust a server.
Nowadays, trusted online casinos use advanced security measures. SSL protocols encrypt the connection between you and the server. Privacy concerns are no longer a big deal thanks to blockchain. You have a variety of secure payment methods. And you can dabble in international casinos without going to a specific country.
Still, with all said and done, online casinos haven’t reached their full potential. We think that virtual reality is the obvious next step in their evolution. Think of what VR in gaming has done to the medium. If you’ve played Half-Life: Alyx, you know what we’re talking about. If not, then know that all the hype was worth it. You feel as if you’re actually in her shoes.
Taking VR to the gambling scene
Currently, there is more money to be made or lost in real life casinos. Sure, the online has grown significantly. But if it weren’t for the recent coronavirus pandemic, people would’ve still preferred the real deal.
It’s obvious that direct human interaction is important. And virtual reality is the next best thing to it. Implementing VR in online casinos allows you to get the feeling of being there. You no longer press a button to play a slow machine. Instead, you’re grabbing the lever and turning it as you would in real life.
Forget chat messages. VR allows you to sit next to other players. You can talk to them, read their body language, and possibly form friendships. Oh, and we didn’t mention the spatial voice chatting. Yes, it sounds exactly as it does in real life. With full surround sound and Ambiental noises, you can close your eyes and feel as if you were there.
The fully realized 3D space gives you a ton of exploration options. Unlike real casinos, there are no restricted areas. You can pick a seat at a fully rendered table. Grab the cards using your hands and cover them from other players’ view, just like in real life. A few console commands here and there, and you can fly above the other players.
Downsides of VR
As much as we like virtual reality, there are a few things that hold it back. While iGaming software has evolved tremendously, the hardware side is questionable.
We’re not saying that the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive are bad products. Quite the opposite, actually. But the thing is… they are still expensive. And you need a beefy PC to run a VR simulation properly.
On top of that, it’s hard for developers to optimize a specific game for a particular VR headset. It can be done, but it’s costly. And it involves a lot of hard work. Plus that some assets need lower resolution textures to get rendered at a good speed.
You probably get the gist of it already. VR is here to stay. But it’s “not there” just yet. Virtual reality has a long way to go before mass adoption. As of now, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth spending all that money on it or not.
What VR holds in the future for online casinos
As of now, nothing beats brick and mortar casinos. VR will most probably be a major hit in the future. But until then, most people will stick to either the real thing or gambling on their smartphones and tablets.
Nevertheless, we can’t wait to see how things will evolve. Once this technology becomes more affordable, we’ll probably see a big spike in numbers. Even if you’re not into gambling, you’ll probably want to try its VR version just to see how it feels.