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VR Games - What's the deal?
See popular VR games that have captured the hearts of millions worldwide
Since the release of Ready Player One in 2018, people were encapsulated by the immense capacity of the Oasis to develop a simulated new world for players, catapulting VR games into the public limelight.
In reality, the VR gaming market has been a longstanding development for many gaming platforms, as everyone wants to be the first in the market to create a new ecosystem – a new reality, using immersive VR technology.
Here are some popular VR gaming providers:
- The SteamVR platform allows programmers and developers to design and upload their own content on Steam, where players can then search and access a growing library of VR games. It is compatible with several VR headsets such as Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and others, making the VR experience more accessible.
- Gaming powerhouse Sony introduced their PlayStation VR (PSVR) headset, which was designed to be fully functional with the PlayStations 4 and 5, which means that players are more willing to splurge on this “extension” to their existing console.
- HTC’s Viveport Infinity plan offers players limitless access to over 1000 VR games, apps, and videos, with a monthly subscription.
- Oculus, in addition to manufacturing various VR headsets, also launched their own VR platform which houses several VR games, many of which are exclusive to the Oculus headsets.
How many people are playing VR games?
In the beginning of 2020, Sony announced they had sold over 5 million units of PSVR globally, since they launched the headset. Valve reported that Steam has reached 90 million monthly active users in April 2019. At the rate of growth, we expect this number to reach 100 million users today. According to the hardware survey results released in June 2020, almost 1.3% of Steam users have a VR headset, with Oculus Rift S being the most popular choice for players on this platform.
(Image Source: PSVR)
According to a report by NewZoo, there are around 2.6 billion mobile gamers in 2020. Although the number of VR gamers are considerably less than mobile gamers, we need to keep in mind that the barriers of mobile gaming are relatively low, whilst VR gamers need to invest a certain amount in hardware to be able to play the games. Most VR games are pay-to-play (P2P), developed, and of a higher quality, very different from the vast majority of free-to-play (F2P) mobile phone games in the market, where players need to pay for in-app items to progress.
On the other hand, VR equipment is constantly evolving. Game manufacturers and developers are continuing their efforts in developing VR games and content. If you are keen in learning more about VR, games are a good way to start! It’s great timing to pick up VR gaming, and Steam has even compiled a yearly list of best-selling VR games for players, so you know where to start.
How many VR games are there?
Sony announced that as of last year, there are around 500 PSVR games in the market.
Tera Nguyen, producer of Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center, also highlighted in a report that as of March 2019, there were a total of 2,788 VR games available on Steam.
(Source: Data collected from Stream, Steamspy)
In addition to the VR games on the HIVEPORT and Oculus platforms, you can play a different game every day, and still be able to discover new games after 10 years! Needless to say, there are more and more exciting games being launched every day.
The most prominent VR games of 2019
Marvel has been active in the VR gaming sector, where Marvel Powers United VR was launched on the Oculus platform in July 2018, where players can embody various superheroes from the Marvel universe such as Hulk, Thor, Spiderman, Captain America, and many others!
After garnering many fans’ attention with the announcement of Marvel’s Iron Man VR, Sony finally launched the VR game on the PSVR in July 2020, where players have total control of Tony Stark’s famous Iron Man gear.
Did watching Avengers: Endgame make you want to enter the Marvel world and fight crime alongside fellow superheroes? You can do it easily with the power of VR!