We’ve seen some amazing developments in VR technology recently. While the potential was always there, experiencing VR gaming has often been too expensive or impractical for most of us. Even with enough money to spend on a headset to play at home, cables or physical space limitations have prevented us from truly enjoying VR to its full potential.
Today though, we live in a world where you can simply visit a VR gaming park and get a real taste of what life without wires truly feels like. Image sharpness, tracking technology and complete synchronization with game narratives is now possible for anyone who wants to visit an arena scale VR centre.
Wireless headsets and free-roaming, multiplayer systems now allow groups of up to 8 people to experience the full immersion of VR gaming — all without getting tangled up in those damn wires. In this post, we explore why now is the best it’s ever been for those wanting to enjoy VR gaming. But be warned, after you’ve tried it once, there’s a strong chance you’ll find yourself coming back to see us time and time again (not that we’re complaining!).
The Benefits of Wireless VR Gaming
If you’re playing a VR game that involves little to no movement, such as standing or sitting VR games, then you can probably get away with using a wired system without much issue. You’ll still be able to move around within the game by using your controllers too, just not by using your own feet.
However, if you’re looking to play the very best games the industry has to offer in the way they were truly meant to be enjoyed, wireless is really the only way you can do this.
Greater Immersion
The term immersion is often used to describe the extent to which the virtual reality gear recreates a rich and credible virtual experience. In short, better immersion allows you to feel more part of the game rather than conscious of the fact that you are actually sitting in your living room or walking around a big empty warehouse.
As such, cables are pretty much your worst enemy when trying to immerse. They’ll distract you, wrap you up, tangle up your controls and generally remind you that you’re playing a game. As VR is all about jumping into a whole new world and feeling like you’re fully integrated with a completely different world, this is obviously a bad thing.
By going wireless, you are raising the immersion of the system and reducing your conscious awareness of being in a VR game. It increases the possibility for users to develop an intense sense of presence and therefore makes your actions and behaviours more realistic and in-sync with the virtual environments you now face.
Closer Integration with Gameplay and In-game Tasks
Interference of cables or limiting a user to a specific space can break their immersion and remind them that they’re acting in a virtual environment. This, in turn, can cause users to detach from the gameplay and feel “outside” of what is happening.
So, if you’re being shot at, for example, it won’t feel as real and the pressure to solve that all-important puzzle won’t feel so heavy if you’re always aware it’s not real life.
For a perfect VR game experience and ultimate concentration, wireless lets you untether yourself from reality and commit to the task at hand, helping you to maintain focus and enjoy what you’re doing.
Eliminate Cyber Sickness
Cybersickness is one side effect of working with cable-reliant virtual reality gear. Even if you have a decent space to move around in, the act of turning in different directions, again and again, can lead your cables to get wrapped around you, requiring you to spin in the other direction to free yourself once again. When this happens too many times, it’s normal to feel sick or nauseous.
Similarly, if a headset’s tracking is not accurate enough, you could end up confusing your mind about where your position and orientation is, leading to symptoms of ocular discomfort, disorientation, and nausea. Wireless free-roaming with state-of-the-art game systems eliminate these issues.
Combining Wireless with Arena Scale VR Parks
Room-scale VR systems like Zero Latency and HTC Vive break down worldly barriers by giving you free rein to roam through a huge indoor space.
Consumer-level VR headsets like the Vive offer room-scale experiences, but there’s nothing like letting loose in warehouse-scale VR venues and completely forgetting about the risk of running into a wall or tripping over a piece of furniture.
What If I Just Want to Shoot?
Some people really want a high impact, explosive shooter experience where they can finally put their weapon skills to the test. However, others are enamoured with the opportunity to explore and want as much space as possible to do so.
In this sense, VR games can be broadly split into two genres: games that require a weapon and games that don’t. However, it’s a misconception that all games that allow you to shoot are all about shooting. And even the best exploratory problem-solving games can intelligently integrate the use of weapons without it becoming a classic shooter.
Many location-based VR titles simply use the custom-made weapons from Zero Latency to complete various in-game interactions, like interacting with specific objects to solve puzzles.
If you’re keen to really understand what we’re talking about, just come down to Arena Games for a session and we’ll show you how amazing wireless VR gaming really is. And while it’s not all about having the best virtual reality gear, this can certainly help.
