Virtual reality (VR) gaming is an enactment of the real world with artificial three-dimensional (3D) technology in the backdrop. Virtual reality frameworks are built using VR software that provides users with a supposedly genuine and realistic experience.
From participating in conflicting scenarios to visiting historical places, game players can have a realistic experience of their world of choice. They can interact with the environment through VR headsets, hand controllers, sensor-equipped gloves, etc.
There is no denying that VR technology has emerged as one of the most innovative inventions of the 21st century. However, users are curious why this addictive journey ends so quickly? That is what we are here to discuss. So let’s dive in.
Are All VR Games Lot Shorter Than Normal Games?
It is an open-and-shut case that most VR games are shorter than conventional PC and console games. Players have said that the surreal experiences have raised sheer adrenaline, but there aren’t as many game levels as they desire.
VR games don’t even take as much space as regular games do, and even most Oculus Quest games are below 3GB of storage. Yet, almost all virtual reality games are short for a couple of reasons.
The primary reason is the lack of finances. Most VR games are developed by small companies that lack the grandiose budget required to build these games. Initially, the investors willingly threw money on game developers from left, right, and center. However, since this technology is not mainstream yet, the audience seemed to take their sweet time to buy the final product, which made investors second guess.
Additionally, virtual reality games are more costly compared to other gaming options such as PlayStation and Xbox for players, too. Therefore, it has a smaller customer base. In a nutshell, it takes strenuous efforts to design complex, expensive, and long-form games for a small-sized market.
Why Are VR Games So Short?
If you are interested in VR games, you might have wondered why VR games sometimes feel like a demo of a full-fledged PC or console game. As we briefly mentioned earlier, we discovered plenty of reasons behind these short-form games. These reasons include budget constraints, small market size, and limited profit, and we’ll discuss them all in detail.
Game Creation Is a Time-Consuming Process
Developing engaging VR games with appealing visuals is a demanding and lengthy process as any other traditional game. The whole game creation journey includes crafting an exciting storyline, artwork design, music production, 3D world creation, fixing bugs, and testing.
Various factors influence the development duration, such as team members, experience, management, type of software, and overall costs. Generally, it takes 2-5 years for a team of developers to create and publish a high-quality game. Big production studios comfortably spend years releasing a game as they have the funds, time, right team, and tools for it.
On the other hand, only small companies have been making virtual reality games lately. Needless to say, they don’t have the luxuries of a hefty budget and time to create long VR games.
Games Are Expensive to Develop
No matter what kind it is, designing and developing a high-quality game is costly. Whether it is a traditional game for PC and console or an unconventional VR game, it takes a heavy budget to build one. In addition, development expenses are not even the only spending item in the budget.
For instance, according to an LA Times reporter in 2009, the total budget for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 reached up to $200 million, including the launch, international distribution, and promotional costs.
Moreover, the total production budget for Grand Theft Auto was a whopping $265 million, and the team has made around $6 billion since its 2013 release. So, as you see, development expenses are only the tip of the iceberg. You need funds for local and global marketing as well.
Investors will only show interest if there are chances of money coming back to them in double amounts. Unfortunately, every developer does not have high-profile investors backing funds, especially those not attached to big companies.
Hence, it is more convenient for them to make a small but well-polished game than a long one with significantly higher costs.
Market Is Small
At first, investors were willing to put their money into VR games because they expected it to explode dramatically. However, the audience was not that eager to pick up on a futuristic approach. The less-than-expected interest led to a drop in investors’ attention and eventually to short-form games.
The key to progress is to generate revenue from VR projects. The VR industry is a niche market, and such a market takes time to drive sales and build a sustainable user base.
None of it is an indicator that the industry is dying. The VR market managed to make great strides in the past couple of years. Nonetheless, it still has a long way to go, and we will look into it further in this article.
VR Games Involve Physical Movement
We all know that how you interact with the game as a VR game player is different from the console and PC games. Typically, you can spend hours playing games on your PC or mobile and won’t feel fatigued.
On the other hand, many people feel exhausted after playing VR games. There is a lot of movement required, especially when playing an action VR game. Certain VR games can drain your energy like a workout. For instance, chaotic games like ‘Blade & Sorcery’ and sword fighting games like ‘Until You Fall’ are very likely to drain your muscles and give you nausea if you play too long.
Therefore, it is better to spend limited time in this realistically fake world. To ensure players’ well-being, developers tend to make short-form games. Thus, keep them away from fatigue, eye strain, and a reason not to extend their subscription. Because who would want to play a game that made them feel sick? Yes, no one.
What Is the Longest VR Game?
Skyrim is one of the most popular and longest virtual reality games, with almost 100 hours of gameplay. The VR version of Skyrim for PSVR on the PlayStation 4 was released back in November 2017. It is a role-playing game that lets players assume Dovakin’s character. In the fictional realm of Skyrim, Dovakin is a protagonist who can fight dragons.
Beat Saber is another long-form game that deserves an honorable mention. This VR game is available on Playstation VR and Oculus Quest. Moreover, it is compatible with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, and Valve Index.
Well, you might get a little sweaty due to the nature of the game. It is a rhythm game where players use their VR controllers as swords to slice blocks in sync with the music. You can spend a solid 4-6 hours playing this game in one sitting. A few online reviews suggest that a Beat Saber session can burn equal calories as a tennis game. That information is not actually factual but, it’s clear that besides having a good time, you could burn some calories.
However, if you want to merge VR fun with a healthy workout, BoxVR is the way to go. This game turns a boxing workout into an adrenaline-infused game. It allows you to play the music of your choice. On top of that, you can see the calories count.
If you are into a more relaxed gaming experience, Fantastic Contraption is an appealing option to keep you busy. It comes with fifty levels to complete, and you can take your time or beat levels in the quickest way possible.
Tips for a Better VR Gaming Experience
Virtual reality games take you on a journey in imaginary worlds never seen before. Vivid visuals are essential no matter if you are playing travel, workout, action, sci-fi, or any other VR game. You deserve to observe this dreamland in the highest quality.
Despite that, several users have mentioned that the graphic qualities of VR games are not as good as other modern games. Some have complained about slow loading time and lagging audio as well.
The reasons for those issues could be different for every player. The most likely reason for distorted visuals is the low-quality VR headsets, and you might need to replace them. However, there are other things to do for a better VR experience.
- Clean the Hardware: Dust and debris are known to ruin the quality of hardware and electronic devices. Similarly, hair and dust in your case can slow the functionality by increasing temperature. Take out and clean the cover of your device every once in a while.
- Keep Up with the Updates: Sometimes, all you need to do is update your operating system for optimal performance. So, stop delaying and do it right away. It is helpful to update the graphic card drivers as well.
- Get Rid of Unnecessary Items: Delete all the apps you don’t use or those that don’t add any value to the usage. Generally, those unnecessary apps and useless files make your PC slower. It ends up ruining your VR experience. So, give your PC a favor and uninstall them. Also, kindly get rid of needless window animations as they can affect the working of PCs.
- Upgrade Your Headset: Consider upgrading your VR headset if you’ve done everything but still observe blurry imagery. Also, make sure that you use the correct technique to attach the VR device to your face.
Future of the VR Gaming
As we mentioned, VR gaming still has quite a few challenges to overcome. However, we can expect virtual reality gaming to gain more popularity and attention in no time.
One of the biggest challenges is to develop games and hardware for more affordable prices. In addition to being affordable, the VR headsets should be more lightweight and easy to wear.
The physical side effects caused by VR gaming are the next big challenge. Due to higher physical movement, several people feel motion sickness, nausea, and fatigue after playing VR games. If companies provide a comfortable experience, VR can gain a dominant status in the gaming market.
Another thing the VR industry needs to work on is versatility. Many users have said that there are only a few options for playing VR games. To keep the users hooked and excited, they need to bring novelty and diversity.
Yet, even if the game gains more popularity in the future, we cannot say it’ll necessarily surpass traditional games. After all, teleporting in a virtual world may not be everyone’s preference. Although VR enthusiasts would love to see this technology reach new heights, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Future of the Market
Living in a simulated world is a dream of every tech enthusiast and sci-fi lover. Fortunately, now all can live such experiences in real-time with VR gaming.
Fast forward to 2021, VR has gained massive global popularity. The sleek transitions, appealing modules, and 3D objects offered today have accelerated the expansion of the VR gaming business. That was not a smooth overnight success but a journey that took quite a few years.
Research suggests the international VR gaming market is forecasted to expand with a value of $90.7 billion by 2026. These stats are commendable compared to the initial response VR got. We can suggest that VR is here to stay by looking at the data. Nevertheless, we still have to wait a little longer to witness its ultimate flourishing.
Let’s take an example for comparison. A Statista report says the number of active PC gamers was 1.75 billion in 2020. Another report shows that the number of console gamers worldwide between 2014 and 2018 was approximately 645 million and expected the number to reach 677 million by 2021. The total number of active VR gamers is 171 million, which is commendable but still lower than traditional games.
While we can agree the game is here to say, it still needs time to become a household name.
Wrap Up
Despite gaining widespread media attention, VR gaming is still a new phenomenon. This technology lacks some of the best practices console and PC games evolved throughout the years. Investors second guess before putting their money in this niche market with slower sales.
In the end, small companies with limited funds, tools, and hardware are the ones to develop VR games. Hence, it’d be unfair to expect VR games to be a certain length before the market grows and becomes more profitable. Yet, this new technology is increasingly gaining attention. We will keep our fingers crossed for a better VR gaming experience soon.
