One of the biggest innovations in casino technology in recent times is the development of VR casinos and the games that you can now play within these impressive virtual reality worlds using a wide range of VR headsets. The question being asked here is, could VR casinos replicate the traditional experience, or are they just a passing fad?
What are VR Casinos?
A VR Casino (or Virtual Reality Casino) is basically a digital version of a casino that people can enter from a VR console & headset or from a VR headset that you can attach to your smartphone. These digitally-generated worlds are meant to give the user the feeling that they are actually in a casino. You can play a variety of traditional games at VR casinos, and you can often interact with the dealers and with other players that have also immersed themselves in the same VR casino as you.
At some VR casinos, you can even mimic the feel of the cards thanks to wearable items that have been specifically designed to enhance the user’s experience and make it seem more real. This innovative piece of wearable technology is otherwise known as data gloves, but the top-of-the-range VR gloves don’t come cheap. One of the only things that you can’t really use to enhance your experience at a VR casino is your sense of smell.
What type of games can I play at VR casinos?
At many of today’s best VR casinos, which are still in their relative infancy, there are still just a handful of games for you to explore. However, the main types of VR games you are likely to come across are the following:
- VR Slots (e.g., different types of slot machines, such as 3-reel slots and 5-reel video slots)
- VR Table Games (e.g., craps and roulette)
- VR Card Games (e.g., blackjack, baccarat, and several poker varieties, such as casino hold ’em, three card poker, and Omaha)
Some VR casinos also have several other games like Sic Bo and Lotto-style games, such as Keno, Bingo, and Scratchcards. The types of games that may be available will depend on which VR casino you play at. You can play to win real money at licensed VR casinos (must be at least 18 years old in most countries), plus some of the games are also accessible in the free-play demo mode.
If you’re looking for a video game that comes with mini casino games that you can play when you want a break from trying to complete the game, then you may like to try hit titles, such as Grand Theft Auto V, The Sims 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Fallout: New Vegas, and The Yakuza series, to name just a few great games. In these hit titles, you can generally only win in-game currency and NOT real money.
What are the best VR headsets in 2022:
If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the world of virtual reality and fancy getting your hands on a VR device, and if you have anywhere in the region of $400 to $1,000 (or equivalent currency value) to spend on one of these devices, some of the best VR headsets that are worth purchasing in 2022 include the following top-of-the-range models:
- Oculus Quest 2
- HTC Vive Pro 2
- HTC Vive Cosmos Elite
- HP Reverb G2
- Valve Index
Don’t forget that you can also get a headset that attaches to your smartphone, which allows you to enjoy VR worlds in much the same way. They are a great alternative to the more expensive headsets, and instead of forking out hundreds of dollars that you may not have for a cutting-edge VR headset, the devices that you can attach to your smartphone tend to range from around $60 to $200 or more.
There’s still a long way to go before virtual reality worlds truly mimic the real world, whereby it’s hard to tell the difference between the two. However, VR technology is rapidly evolving, and so too are the games that are being developed for these devices, which means that we shouldn’t have too long to wait long before we can’t tell the difference.
What’s the future of VR casinos?
Not many people are able to visit a land-based casino and may not like playing their favourite casino games from a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, so the VR casino is the next best thing.
You will also soon be able to use a VR headset to visit some of the world’s biggest and most iconic casinos, such as the MGM Grand, the Venetian Macao, the Bellagio, and the City of Dreams casino, to name just a few, but until that day comes, most people will stick to visiting casinos either in person or settling for playing from their preferred computing device at one of the world’s best fully licensed online casinos.
It looks as though virtual reality technology is here to stay for the time being, and it will gradually begin to shape the online casino industry (and various other areas of the online gambling industry, such as online poker rooms, online sports betting sites, and online bingo & lottery sites). It may not be perfect yet, and for some people, it’s just a matter of time before VR technology really takes off and changes the world in ways that we can’t yet imagine.