In 2017, a bold goal was set for virtual reality (VR): to have one billion people try VR by 2027. While a few years remain, the target still seems far-fetched. Recent estimates place global VR headset sales at only 34 million.
VR gaming was initially expected to lead this charge, but it hasn’t quite hit the mark. One reason is that game developers have clung to a vision that VR games should align with “hardcore” gamer culture—advanced graphics and fully immersive gameplay. This has stifled the real potential of VR in gaming, and much of this struggle stems from both the cultural expectations and the high hardware demands, particularly on GPUs.
The Hardware Challenge: VR and GPUs
VR gaming demands significantly more from GPUs than traditional gaming due to the need to render two separate images (one for each eye) simultaneously. This requirement for dual rendering significantly increases the GPU workload. To create an immersive experience, VR gaming also requires high frame rates—typically at least 90 frames per second (fps)—to avoid motion sickness, making GPU performance critical for smooth gameplay.
Inconsistent frame rates or poor GPU performance can lead to nausea, dizziness, and motion sickness, a well-documented issue in VR. While traditional games may still be playable at lower frame rates or resolutions, VR demands much higher standards to maintain immersion and comfort for the player. This hardware challenge adds another layer of complexity to VR game development.
Modern GPU Features for VR Gaming
The evolution of GPU technology has directly impacted the performance and possibilities of VR gaming. Modern GPUs, such as NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX series, come equipped with advanced features that enhance VR experiences. For instance, these GPUs include dedicated ray-tracing cores that allow for real-time ray tracing, which produces more realistic lighting and shadows—critical components for creating truly immersive environments in VR games.
Moreover, technologies like NVIDIA’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) further optimize VR performance. DLSS uses AI to upscale lower-resolution images, enabling higher frame rates without sacrificing visual fidelity. This allows VR games to run more smoothly, even on less powerful hardware, while maintaining high visual quality. These advancements in GPU technology are vital for pushing VR gaming forward and making it more accessible to a wider audience.
CEO David Guo on VR’s Future in Gaming
In a recent interview with TechBullion, David Guo, CEO of Top Games, Inc., a leading global independent developer, shared his vision of the future of the gaming industry over the next 5-10 years. According to Guo, “The competition will increase substantially. Only the highest-quality and most user-oriented games will survive. At the same time, there will likely be a technology revolution. I expect VR could become the mainstream technology in the next decade.”
Top Games, founded in 2015, is known for its mobile-based games, with its flagship title Evony: The King’s Return gaining over 200 million downloads and attracting more than 100 million players worldwide. Set in a medieval world with real-time strategy mechanics, Evony stands out as a major success in the mobile gaming space. Guo, known for his ability to spot opportunities, maintains a highly optimistic and exploratory attitude toward emerging technologies, including VR. He believes that technological innovation will play a key role in the evolution of gaming, driving business growth and enhancing team development.
Guo’s perspective aligns with the current trajectory of the gaming industry. As VR hardware and software continue to evolve, only games that combine high-quality user experiences and cutting-edge technologies will thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
VR Gaming’s Contemporary Emergence
Attempts to launch VR gaming systems have been around since the 1990s and 2000s, but these early efforts often failed due to technical limitations, such as motion sickness and headaches. The real rise of VR gaming began in the early 2010s when VR enthusiasts started experimenting with head-mounted VR devices. Interest in these devices grew as early prototypes gained attention at major gaming expos.
However, the focus on graphically intense, fast-paced, and violent games set VR gaming on a path filled with challenges. This pursuit of photorealism and hardcore gaming values exacerbated the hardware limitations, with many VR games struggling to balance high visual fidelity with the necessary frame rates for smooth gameplay.
The Misguided Assumptions of VR Gaming
VR’s roots in hardcore gaming culture introduced three flawed assumptions about what would make VR gaming successful:
- Gamers wanted hyper-realistic graphics.
- Gamers preferred fast-paced, violent games.
- Casual play experiences were less desirable.
Over the past few decades, high-budget “AAA” games, particularly on PC, have driven advancements in computing power and graphics. These improvements have enhanced player experiences by making games more immersive. But for VR, the demand for graphical realism created a significant technical hurdle: rendering environments smoothly enough to prevent motion sickness. This pursuit of realism led to a nearly insurmountable computational burden for VR developers.
However, games like Superhot VR have shown that graphical realism isn’t necessary for a successful VR experience. Superhot VR is an action puzzle game with basic graphics, where enemies and objects move only when the player moves, giving players a sense of control over time. The game’s focus on embodiment—where players physically move to interact with the game world—demonstrates a unique strength of VR, and it remains one of the most popular VR games.
When Immersion Goes Too Far
Many of the early VR gaming experiences were modeled on traditional first-person shooters, which are fast-paced, violent, and graphically intense. However, in VR, this intensity can lead to sensory overload, making the experience overwhelming and unpleasant. For example, the rapid action and violence that work well on flat screens can be too much for players in a fully immersive VR environment.
Additionally, the physical demands of VR gaming—standing, moving, and interacting—can be exhausting, limiting how long players can engage in these experiences.
Designers of games like Half Life: Alyx have noted that VR changes how players interact with game environments. Players in VR tend to slow down, interact more with their surroundings, and notice more details, fundamentally altering game design. Environments that feel small on a flat screen can feel expansive in VR, leading to a different type of gameplay experience.
This explains why many games initially designed for flat screens struggle when ported to VR. The fast-paced, intense gameplay of traditional shooters simply doesn’t translate well to the immersive nature of VR.
The Success of Casual VR Games
Interestingly, one of the most successful VR games, Beat Saber, breaks away from the hardcore gaming mold. Beat Saber is a rhythm game where players slice through blocks in time with electronic music, using two neon swords. The game’s appeal lies in its embodiment—players physically move to the music, making it both an active and enjoyable experience.
What makes Beat Saber stand out is that it offers a casual, enjoyable experience that doesn’t rely on difficulty or competition. Each session is short, and the satisfaction comes from the physical and musical engagement, not from achieving hardcore gaming feats.
The Self-Reinforcing Cycle of Hardcore VR Games
Unfortunately, VR gaming has been stuck in a cycle where developers create hardcore games, which appeal to a niche group of hardcore gamers. These gamers, in turn, drive further development of similar games, reinforcing the focus on graphically intense, fast-paced experiences. This feedback loop has limited the scope of VR games, preventing the medium from reaching a broader audience.
As a result, VR’s potential remains untapped. To reach its full potential, VR gaming needs to expand beyond the hardcore gamer culture. Casual, accessible, and innovative games—like Beat Saber—offer a glimpse into how VR could appeal to a much larger audience.
In conclusion, while VR gaming has made strides, it still faces significant challenges. The focus on graphical realism and hardcore experiences, coupled with the high demands on hardware, has hindered its growth. However, as technology evolves, as suggested by industry leaders like David Guo, VR gaming could become more mainstream in the next decade. To truly succeed, VR gaming must break away from these constraints and embrace a broader range of experiences that appeal to all types of players.