From simulators like Farmville to the current trend in online casinos, gaming is a sector that has seen significant growth over the past decade. Ten or so years ago, if you had asked someone to describe a “gamer” the profile would have probably gone something like this: male, under 25 years old, into sports or fantasy, limited social skills. Or to put it less diplomatically, a bit of a geek.
Today, the picture is entirely different. For one thing, research shows that 52 percent of gamers are female, and for another, gaming is enjoyed by people of all ages and social classes.
The platforms have changed, too. PC gaming and consoles are still hugely popular, but the smartphone phenomenon has made this the biggest area of growth, a trend that will only increase with the advent of Virtual Reality (VR).
Online casino apps seeing the biggest growth
Of all the diverse aspects of gaming that are out there, the online casino and sports betting sector is the one that has really exploded in popularity over recent years, and is one that is likely to make particular use of VR. The list of new sites on https://www.thecasinodb.com/new-casino-sites is truly mind-boggling, and continues to get longer practically every day.
In such a crowded space, the online casinos are already looking to make use of any competitive advantage they can find, whether it is by offering a lower house edge, more convenient payment methods or bigger and better bonuses.
But VR could be a real game changer when it comes to giving visitors a more exciting, engaging and realistic experience. Sites are already in a race to offer the best virtual casino experience to their customer base, and there can be little doubt that as the technology advances, virtual casinos will be right there at the forefront.
Virtual Reality hardware
VR was a long time coming, but now that it is finally affordable, it will soon become the standard in not just casino games, but across the industry. Game developers are working hard to get products on the shelves in time for Christmas, and there is a choice of options when it comes to hardware.
The Oculus Rift is probably the best-known headset, and was the first to hit the mass market in 2012. The project famously started as a kickstarter in 2012 before being bought by Facebook for $2 billion. It works with your PC, but bear in mind the performance requirements. You need something with a modern processor and at least 8GB of RAM in order to get the most out of it.
The other famous headset is the HTC Vive. This is very much the Rolls Royce of VR, and if you want the best, look no further. The downside? It has the same performance requirements as the Oculus Rift, and at around twice the price of its rival, the jury is still out over whether it is worth paying quite so much.
For many, the best option is to invest in a VR headset for their latest Samsung or Apple smartphone. Performance is impressive, and once you’ve bought the phone, the financial outlay is minimal.
