The Growth of Poker in the Virtual Reality Industry

Virtual reality gaming might have found an unlikely pioneer to take it firmly into the mainstream, with the rise of virtual reality poker potentially initiating a reappraisal of both the classic card game and the future of VR devices. VR gaming has not ushered in the revolution that it originally promised, but the success of virtual poker could be the shot in the arm that the industry needs.

The game of poker has already undergone seismic shifts in recent decades, with the classic table game becoming a staple at online casinos in many variations. This is no small part due to the poker boom in the early years of the 21st century, with Chris Moneymaker’s journey in 2003 from online poker satellite tournament to the grand prize at the World Series of Poker event encouraging a multitude of casual players to take the game more seriously.

The subsequent years have seen players continue to flock to poker with a regularity that has made the game one of the most popular at online casinos. That popularity has translated to the world of VR poker. While VR was generally considered to be a means to immerse individuals in magical lands to complete otherwise impossible tasks, in reality, the most effective VR offerings are those that augment more simple games. Besides VR, many players of online poker enjoy playing on this poker software with a ton of tables as well.

Virtual equivalents of these poker chips could soon become the norm. Source: Pixabay.

While poker’s strategic possibilities are incredibly complex, the core concept of the game remains straightforward and therefore easy to recreate using VR. Rather than having to revolutionize the gameplay, VR developers were instead tasked with using poker as a basis to transport players to classy or surreal surroundings.

In 2016, renowned slot developer Microgaming became the first major provider to offer a VR version of a casino game, in this case, roulette. Yet the comparative isolation of roulette made its scope more limited, whereas the concept of VR poker suggested that it would be feasible for people in different continents to do battle in a flashy environment.

The rise of VR poker

The novelty of VR poker would soon wear off if it was merely offering the chance to play poker in a standard fashion, as it would be delivering the traditional online poker experience through the awkwardness of a headset. Instead, the onus is on VR poker developers to mix classic gameplay with social elements to create a more distinctive experience. Being able to see players from other continents at the same poker table is solely possible thanks to VR, so it makes sense to maximize the social side of the game.

The scope of VR poker not only covers the individualization of the players but the locations can be altered to create extravagant surroundings for the game. Relatively few poker players might get the chance to physically travel to legendary venues such as Las Vegas and Monte Carlo, but VR poker can give players that experience. While many online poker sites adopt characteristics of Las Vegas, VR poker inevitably has the capacity to be more immersive. In Sweden, they also love the game Poker, experienced players prefer the https://utlandskacasino.net/ portal because you can have fun playing this game on it.

Playing online poker on a laptop is convenient, but a VR headset can merge that convenience with the glamour of a classic casino. Players could even see different surroundings from their opponents, such is the vast potential of VR. While the environments might be fantastical, VR poker will have a responsibility to be realistic. Cards and poker chips should look and behave as they would in physical casinos, while faithfully following the rules of all variations from Texas Hold ‘Em to stud poker. Failure to do so would otherwise shatter the illusion of being in a prestigious poker location.

Oculus vs HTC

Any VR poker games that will be released in the coming years will almost certainly be compatible with the Oculus Rift or HTC VIVE devices, two of the leading VR headsets. Oculus may boast the biggest name when it comes to VR devices, a result of the company’s pioneering work attracting a $2.3 billion buyout by Facebook in 2014, but many tech experts rated the HTC VIVE as the best VR headset in the market immediately after its release.

The HTC VIVE is one of the leading VR headsets. Source: Facebook

Ultimately, there is little difference in terms of quality or functionality between the two, but if VR does take off then the Rift and the VIVE could become heavyweight rivals in the same manner that PlayStation and Xbox have gone toe-to-toe. There is a strong chance that those who are already attached to Oculus or HTC will remain loyal throughout the lifetime of VR gaming. The big question is what sort of longevity VR gaming will have as an affordable and attractive alternative to standard platforms. VR is still something of a misunderstood concept, similar to robotics and cryptocurrency, which has hindered its mass adoption.

On the up again

The global VR market was valued at $3.13 billion in 2017, with forecasts suggesting that the figure could swell dramatically to $49.7 billion by 2023. That prediction operated on the basis that the mass acceptance of VR gaming was an inevitability rather than a possibility, but stagnating adoption of VR gaming has given cause for those predictions to be adjusted.

Things were looking bleak for the prospects of VR, with the VR and AR markets declining for four consecutive quarters across 2017 and 2018. Yet the third quarter of 2018 saw an upturn in fortunes, with unit volumes increasing by 9.4% in comparison to the previous year and total global VR unit volumes coming in at 1.9 million in that quarter alone.

It would be unwise to forecast that VR poker can truly thrive if the concept of VR fails to catch on, but it could be VR poker that gives the industry the boost that it needs. Few games have translated so seamlessly from traditional forms to VR, while the potential for other classic casino games to be converted for VR headsets will have industry executives pondering the creation of an entire VR casino to host players from across the world as they meet and compete.

These possibilities will encourage VR companies to start considering a new type of clientele. While VR previously seemed like the preserve of hardcore gamers, the rise of VR poker could prompt a marketing shift towards the disparate groups of people who choose to play online casino games.

That casino games attract an eclectic audience only serves to work further in the favor of VR; by emphasizing the social side of VR casino games, those who might have previously shunned the notion of VR gaming could be tempted to purchase products in order to access a unique casino experience.