Where VR Gaming Took a Wrong Turn

A focus on hyper-realistic and violent immersive games misses the real potential of VR

10 September 2024 6 min read

Marcus Carter is Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Sydney. Ben Egliston is Lecturer in the School of Digital Cultures at the University of Sydney.

IEEE Spectrum; Original photo: Getty Images; eyevine/Redux Pictures; iStock This article is based on our new book, Fantasies of Virtual Reality (The MIT Press).

In 2017, Mark Zuckerberg set an audacious goal: he wanted one billion people to try virtual reality (VR) by 2027. Zuckerberg set an audacious goal: he wanted one billion people to try virtual reality (VR) by 2027. Recent forecasts put total sales of VR headsets worldwide at just 34 million. VR games were expected to lead this adoption, so why aren't they? We believe that VR games have been held back by game developers bent on fantasy. In this fantasy, VR games fit the values ​​of "hardcore" gamer culture, offering advanced graphics and fully immersive play. Ambitious attempts to reach this flawed fantasy have squashed the true potential of VR in gaming.

VR Gaming’s Contemporary Emergence

There were several ill-fated attempts to release VR gaming systems in the 1990s and 2000s, including the Sega VR system, which the company hyped but never released because it caused motion sickness and headaches in players. Palmer Luckey, then 17 years old, began posting plans to build a head-mounted VR console on a VR enthusiast forum. One of Rookie's posts was read early on by John Carmack, lead programmer of some of the most influential first-person shooters, including Doom and Wolfenstein.In 2013, 20-year-old Palmer Luckey got his hands on an early Oculus Rift head-mounted display.Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesWhile working on a remaster of Doom 3, including support for 3D displays, Carmack was experimenting with the various VR headsets available at the time. The two met through a forum post, and Luckey sent one of his prototype VR headsets to Carmack. When Carmack brought it to E3 in 2012, an avalanche of interest in the project occurred.

Carmack's involvement put Luckey's newly founded company, Oculus VR, on track to make a special kind of game: high-fidelity, ultra-violent games that hardcore gamers adore. Carmack pioneered the hardcore genre with first-person shooters before anyone else.Sega Vision's Magazine advertised Sega VR in the August 1993 issue. SegaTraditionally, "hardcore" refers to games that are difficult to learn, expensive, do not allow mistakes, and must play for a long time. Conversely, casual games can be learned immediately, are tolerant of mistakes, inexpensive or free, and can be played for a long time, depending on your schedule. In 2012, Oculus's Kickstarter campaign was "design for gamers by gamers." Immediately after that, in March 2014, Meta (then Facebook) acquired Oculus for $ 3 billion. The acquisition broke up many of the people who agreed with the game community and the original Kickstarter. Facebook was already a platform that was more unpopular from the technical enthusiast community, with a stronger image of data collection and monitoring than games. If Facebook was related to the game, it was a casual social media game like a firm building or a visuald. But as a result, Meta invested billions of dollars in VR. If Oculus remained independent, this level would not have been invested.

The Three Wrong Assumptions of VR Gaming

VR game development was supported by three wrong assumptions on the type of experience type of experience (or successful) that succeeded in VR games because VR came from the hardcore game culture. That belief was that the gamer was looking for a graphic realism and fas t-paced violence, and did not seek a casual play experience. For the past 30 years, the "AAA" game development (in the game industry is used as a word that means a high budget game distributed by major publishers) has driven a significant increase in consumer game equipment computing power. 。 In particular, in PC games, one of the factors to make games into hardcore was the computing power required to execute the most detailed and hig h-textured graphics with the "maximum setting". The dramatic progress of game graphics in the past 30 years has contributed to the great improvement of players' experiences. The realism of this graphic has become closely intertwined with the concept of immersion. For VR, which sells true immersion, this means that hardcore gamers expect a realistic VR experience of graphics. However, the VR environment needs to be smoothly rendered so as not to cause motion sickness, making it more difficult by sticking to the realism of graphics. This desire has a computing burden that is close to VR games.

Avoiding this problem, one of the most famous VR games is the basic graphic, "SUPERHOT VR", an action puzzle that moves enemy avatars and its bullets only when players move their bodies.The video game "SUPERHOT VR" is one of the to p-selling VR games, even after a few years since its release, because it gives a unique experience of operating time with the movement of the body.Super shot VRPlay begins with the attacking enemy, and when he dies, he returns to the starting point immediately. Therefore, the play will find out what kind of movements and attacks can get out of this dangerous situation. This is a learning curve reminiscent of the 2014 science fiction movie "Edge of Tomorrow", and the soldiers who have no play of Tom Cruise are turned into a superhuman elite soldier. What is attracting attention in the "Superhot" gameplay is not the visual faithful and sensory immersive feeling, but the "embodiment", that is, "embodiment". The effect of the concept is the control of superhuman time manipulation, and the player is skillfully distorted and avoided the moving bullet, and strikes the enemy strongly. SUPERHOT VR provides a valuable experience to wear headset, and as a result, it is still one of the to p-selling VR games, even eight years after its release. < SPAN> Avoids this problem and one of the most famous VR games is the basic graphic, "SUPERHOT VR", an action puzzle that moves enemy avatar and its bullet only when players move their bodies.

When Immersion Is Too Much

The video game "SUPERHOT VR" is one of the to p-selling VR games, even after a few years since its release, because it gives a unique experience of operating time with the movement of the body.

Casual Virtual Reality?

Super shot VRPlay begins with the attacking enemy, and when he dies, he returns to the starting point immediately. Therefore, the play will find out what kind of movements and attacks can get out of this dangerous situation. This is a learning curve reminiscent of the 2014 science fiction movie "Edge of Tomorrow", and the soldiers who have no play of Tom Cruise are turned into a superhuman elite soldier. What is attracting attention in the "Superhot" gameplay is not the visual faithful and sensory immersive feeling, but the purity of the VR, that is, "embodiment." The effect of the concept is the control of superhuman time manipulation, and the player is skillfully distorted and avoided the moving bullet, and strikes the enemy strongly. SUPERHOT VR provides a valuable experience to wear headset, and as a result, it is still one of the to p-selling VR games, even eight years after its release. Avoiding this problem, one of the most famous VR games is the basic graphic, "SUPERHOT VR", an action puzzle that moves enemy avatars and its bullets only when players move their bodies.The video game "SUPERHOT VR" is one of the to p-selling VR games, even after a few years since its release, because it gives a unique experience of operating time with the movement of the body.Super shot VR

Play begins with the attacking enemy, and when he dies, he returns to the starting point immediately. Therefore, the play will find out what kind of movements and attacks can get out of this dangerous situation. This is a learning curve reminiscent of the 2014 science fiction movie "Edge of Tomorrow", and the soldiers who have no play of Tom Cruise are turned into a superhuman elite soldier. What is attracting attention in the "Superhot" gameplay is not the visual faithful and sensory immersive feeling, but the purity of the VR, that is, "embodiment." The effect of the concept is the control of superhuman time manipulation, and the player is skillfully distorted and avoided the moving bullet, and strikes the enemy strongly. SUPERHOT VR provides a valuable experience to wear headset, and as a result, it is still one of the to p-selling VR games, even eight years after its release.

• John Carmack's Doom and Wolfenstein, on which VR's gaming fantasies are based, are first-person shooters that adhere to the ideals of hardcore gaming: violent, fast-paced, challenging, with limited storylines and some of the goriest moments in gaming. Just as VR games have become perniciously entangled in the pursuit of photorealism, they have also been co-opted by these hardcore values, valuing experiences that lack mainstream appeal and are less appealing in VR than they are on a flat screen. In a discussion of Half-Life's design: In a discussion of the design of Half Life: Alyx, one of the only high-budget VR-only games, designers Greg Coomer and Robin Walker explain that VR changes how people interact with virtual environments. As Coomer puts it, "People want to move through space more slowly and interact more with more things in their environments. This has an impact on how we build environments and put things together at a fundamental level." Walker added that this change was "not because of any constraints on how they move through the world, but because they pay more attention to things and poke things more." VR game environments are much denser, and feel smaller on PC than they do on VR. This is part of the reason why games originally designed for flat screens and "ported" to VR have had little success. The fast-paced hyper-violence that was Doom's most defining feature has not been ported to VR games.
• Beatsaber is a typical example that would be ridiculed as a casual game unless it was the bes t-selling VR game. Beat Saber is a rhythm of music that hybrids of Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Fruit Ninja. The playlist of the red and blue box flows towards the player according to the electronic music. Players armed with two neon swords (generally referred to as lightsavers) need to hit these boxes in the correct direction indicated by a subtle white arrow. When you hit the box, you can release the music notes, and you can experience dancing as if you are playing instruments. The wel l-pattern songs create sweep movements and rhythms reminiscent of an exaggerated gesture used by Nintendo Wii players.
• Beat saver

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The attraction of Beat Saber is a feeling of immersion in the experience, and it has also been achieved by ignoring the hardcore experience, a VR game fantasy. Because the length of one song is, one song is one song, so Beat Saber is not fun because it is difficult or competitive, but it is fun to play songs simply, so it is fun and casual in a short time. We support the mode that can be enjoyed. In the Game in VR, VR developers make a hardcore game, appeal to some kind of hardcore gamer users, and promote further development of games, not other games. It has been exposed to a malicious sel f-reinforcement cycle. The attempt to enter the feedback loop has been filled with VR online game culture with a wide range of gamer culture. As a result, the range of VR games remains narrow and does not notice the types of games that may make VR a billions of users. Perhaps the possibility of saving VR games is the possibility that VR fans were most afraid when Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014: Farm Building VR.

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To stream a game to another device, you need a PS4 or PS5 2 body, but if you use PlayStation® Portal Remote Play, you need a PS5 itself. Remote play can be used by mobile data connection or Wi-Fi. You need a at least 5Mbps broadband Internet. To enjoy more comfortable remote play, we recommend a high-speed connection of 15Mbps or more by Wi-Fi or mobile data connection.

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PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition, PS4 or PS4 Pro 2 connected to the broadband network.

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You can play your favorite games in PS5 ™ or PS4 ™, pause, switch to another device, and enjoy it without being tied to TV.

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Internet connection of at least 5 Mbps - For a better experience, we recommend an Internet connection of at least 15 Mbps. If you use a mobile data connection to access the Remote Play feature, your mobile data quota will be used. If you exceed your mobile data quota, you may be charged by your mobile carrier.

Compatible PlayStation games1.

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PS Remote Play is available on these devices connected to a broadband network or mobile data:

PlayStation Portal Remote Player is a dedicated device developed to make Remote Play more comfortable. Just turn it on, press a button, connect to the PS5® console, and enjoy games at amazing speed.

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If you have an Apple device with iOS 14 or later, you can use the DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller to play PS Remote Play games with Bluetooth or on-screen controls. Devices with iOS 14. 5 or later can play with the DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller via Bluetooth 10. Phones with iOS 15 or later are compatible with Backbone One - PlayStation Edition.

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Smartphones and tablets with Android 9 or later can play PS Remote Play games with on-screen controls. Smartphones and tablets with Android 10 or later can connect to the DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller via Bluetooth 9. The DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller is compatible with Android smartphones and tablets with Android 12 or later 10. Android phones with Android 10. 0 or later are compatible with Backbone One - PlayStation Edition. Android TV with OS 12 and later and Chromecast with Google TV can play PS Remote Play games using a DualSense 10 or DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller9.

Check with your device manufacturer to find out which Android devices support drivers for the DualSense and DUALSHOCK 4 controllers.

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A desktop or laptop with the PS Remote Play app installed can play Remote Play games using a DUALSHOCK 4, DUALSHOCK 10, or DUALSHOCK Edge wireless controller.

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You can stream PS5 games using the DualSense controller to other PS5 or PS4 game consoles via your home broadband wired network. To connect both game consoles, you need the same PlayStation®Network account. Remote play applications are on the PS5 home screen.

PlayStation Portal™ Remote Player

PlayStation® games 1 streams from game consoles to mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, Android TV devices, PS5 ™, PS4 ™, dedicated remote players PlayStation Portal ™.

You can play your favorite games in PS5 ™ or PS4 ™, pause, switch to another device, and enjoy it without being tied to TV.

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You can start remote play from the mobile terminal PlayStation®app. With a smoother operation, you can enjoy PS5 ™ remote play simply by pressing the button from PlayStation®app.

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PS Remote Play on Android TV 3 allows you to enjoy PS5 ™ and PS4 ™ games in more ways. You can stream PS5 ™ or PS4 ™ games on TV connected to PlayStation®Network. You can also stream the game on a remote TV 3, such as your friend's house. You can download the PS Remote Play application on a BRAVIA XR A95L model TV or Chromecast with Google TV device, and use DualShock 4 or DualShock 4 Wireless Controller 5.

Using PlayStation® Portal ™ Remote Player, play PS5® with the same quality as a home game console from a Wi-Fi environment at home 1.

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1 Use the title that requires VR headset (PlayStation VR or PlayStation VR2) or an additional peripheral device (wireless controller other than DualSense edge). It is necessary to distribute streaming One game does not support PS remote play.

2 The latest system software is required.

3 PS Remote Play on Android TV can be downloaded on devices equipped with Android TV OS 12 or later. Currently, it can be used with Chromecast with Google TV (4K model, HD model) and Bravia XR A95L model.

4. If the distance between the PS5 or PS4 console and the remote TV is far away, the delay may increase.

5 DualSense is an Android smartphone and tablet (Android 12 or later), an iPhone and iPad (iOS 14. 5 or later), Mac via Bluetooth (11. 3) On Windows PC via SB connection Can be used. DualSense Edge can be used by Windows PC on a Windows PC via Mac (13. 3 or later) via Bluetooth. DUALSHOCK 4 is Window's on Android smartphones (Android 10 or later), Android TV devices (Android TV OS 12 or later), iPhone and iPad (iOS 14 or later) S-PC via USB connection Can be used in.

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6 PlayStation® Portal ™ Remote Player allows you to stream and play compatible games installed on the PS5 ™. To use PlayStation® Portal ™ Remote Player, you need a broadband Internet Wi-Fi environment of 5Mbps or more. To enjoy more comfortably, we recommend a hig h-speed connection of 15Mbps or more. Depending on the network environment, the quality and connection properties of the play may differ. You need a PS5 body and a PlayStation®Network account. The PS5® itself is connected to the broadband Internet connection, the power supply is turned on or rest mode, and it must be paired with the PlayStation® Portal ™ remote controller.

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10 When using remote play on Android, PC, Mac, iPhone or iPad, the use of DualSense functions such as voice output and tactile effects will be different. DualSense Haptic Feedback, Adaptive Trigger, controller audio output, and buil t-in microphone is not supported by PS remote play on Android TV. For how to pair the DualSense controller with other devices, see PlayStation. com/Support/Hardware/Pair-DualSense-Controller-Bluetooth.

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Image gallery

Please look forward to the largest interactive exhibition "GAME ON" that introduces the history and culture of video games.

GAME ON, planned and supervised by Barbikan Immersive, examines the progress of creativity and technology that has established new media and art.

Let's explore the rich history of the game while playing a number of major games produced in the past 50 years, from Sonic the Hedgehog to Mario. As the exhibition evolves and changes, more than 5 million people of all ages are visiting this interactive exhibition held in 24 cities around the world.

Scotland is the home of the most innovative and influential game maker, including Rockstar North, the creator of the Grand Seep Auto. Gam e-on reveals the backstory of this success, from the invention of the 1980s ZX Spectrum computer to the important roles played by the Edinburgh studio 4J, which made Minecraft a global phenomenon.

Exhibition accessibility

Indie games related to Scotland are also introduced. Dand y-based SAD OWL STUDIOS "ViewFinder" and "A Highland Song" set in Scottish landscapes.

The exhibition will be held in Barbikan, London in October 2002, and will be held more than 20 years since the Scottish National Museum became the first patrol venue.

In 2024, the entrance to the "Gam e-on" exhibition at the Scottish National Museum. Credit: © Andy Catlin

In 2024, a visitor to play Bomberman at the Gam e-on Exhibition of the Scottish National Museum. Credit: © Andy Catlin

In 2024, the "Game On" exhibition at the Scottish National Museum. Credit: © Andy Catlin

In 2024, a guitar hero at the "Gam e-on" exhibition at the Scottish National Museum. Credit: © Andy Catlin

How to get to the exhibition gallery

There is an elevator on all floors in the hall. Look at the map in the building or ask the staff about the nearest elevator.

Relaxed Viewings

Level 1 collecting story gallery has an escalator that leads to a level 3 exhibition gallery.

Information on the dimensions of the elevator and escalator can be viewed on the Accessable website.

Relaxed Evening event

toilet

There are toilets on all floors in the hall. Most floors have barrie r-free toilets and dressing rooms for babies. The entrance hall on the 0th floor has a changing room (U) toilet.

Accessible Games Night with RNIB and TripleTapTech: Visual Impairment

Please see the map in the hall or ask the visitor experience team for the nearest toilet.

Barrie r-free tour

At the monthly "Relax Morning", you can see the gam e-on exhibition calmly. This event reduces the number of visitors and lowers the volume of some games.

Borrow a wheelchair

For more information, please see the relaxing event page.

Mobility scooters

Please participate in a relaxing game on the outside of hours. In this special session, you can limit the number of visitors, reduce the sound of loud games, and spend more relaxed time.

Seating

For more information, see the Relaxing Event page.

Games in the exhibition

Please participate in the evening of a social game for those who are noticeable. In partnership with RNIB and TripletAptech, we will hold special events that can be played in various accessible games provided by Game Innovator TripletAptech.

For more information, see the Accessible Game Knight event page.

Games in the exhibition

Those who use wheelchairs and moving scooters

Large print labels

We will rent a wheelchair for free. You cannot make a reservation in the wheelchair in advance. When you arrive, ask for a vacant status at the entrance hall or tower entrance information desk.

A small scooter can be used in the hall and in the exhibition room.

Hearing induction loops

There is a seat in the exhibition room.

Games in the exhibition

Most games can be played in wheelchairs. However, some arcade game consoles are not suitable for wheelchair users due to their historical nature. There are also driving games that sit in a racing car and play.

Eye inconvenience

This exhibition is mainly composed of video games, which can be difficult for customers with visual disabilities. The setting of the audio guide does not turn on as standard.

In this exhibition, you can use a large type label.

• Inconveniences of ears
• The information desk outside the exhibition gallery has a hearing guide loop.
• Most games are highly visual in nature. Some games have subtitles that users can turn on.
• For Epilepsy/Photosensitivity

A small percentage of people may experience epileptic seizures when exposed to certain light patterns or flashing lights. There are no flashing lights in the exhibition, but many games have rapid changes in light intensity and saturation. The exhibition screens operate at 50/60 Hertz, similar to a home television.

We cannot provide a list of "safe" games, as the range of triggers is so diverse, but the following suggestions will help reduce your risk:

In the exhibition

Wear glasses with blue light filters to minimize your risk of triggers.

Sensory resources

When playing games, stand more than 90cm away from the screen, so that the screen does not fill your field of vision.

Only play games that are slow-paced or intense, and avoid high-action games such as those found in the arcade section of the exhibition.

If you are not feeling well, come to the exhibition with someone who knows how you are and can support you.

If you experience any of the following symptoms while playing video or computer games: dizziness, changes in vision, eye or muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, disorientation, involuntary movements or convulsions, discontinue use immediately and consult a doctor before resuming play.

Autistic or Sensory Sensitive Guests

Game On is a highly interactive, sensory exhibit that includes games with light, colour changes and sounds.

Membership

Ear Defenders are available to borrow free of charge from the ticket desk on the third floor. A limited number of sensory backpacks are available at the information desks in the Main Entrance Hall and Tower Entrance. They cannot be pre-booked.

Download a sensory map of the exhibition.

Admission information

Download a visual guide to the exhibition.

Weekdays

Accessible Controllers/Games	Two games can be played with the Adaptive Controller: Minecraft and Pinehearts. These controllers are designed to be playable by a wide range of users with motor impairments, but cannot be customised to suit the needs of any particular guest.
For information about access to the National Museum of Scotland buildings, see our Accessibility page.	Enjoy free admission, unlimited access to special exhibitions, discounts on events and many other benefits.	Enjoy free admission, unlimited access to special exhibitions, discounts on events and many other benefits.
Ticket prices	Advance	On the day
Member	Free	Free
Adult	£9	Free
£14	£8	Over 65s
£11	Enjoy free admission, unlimited access to special exhibitions, discounts on events and many other benefits.	Enjoy free admission, unlimited access to special exhibitions, discounts on events and many other benefits.

Weekends

Accessible Controllers/Games	Two games can be played with the Adaptive Controller: Minecraft and Pinehearts. These controllers are designed to be playable by a wide range of users with motor impairments, but cannot be customised to suit the needs of any particular guest.
For information about access to the National Museum of Scotland buildings, see our Accessibility page.	Enjoy free admission, unlimited access to special exhibitions, discounts on events and many other benefits.	Enjoy free admission, unlimited access to special exhibitions, discounts on events and many other benefits.
Ticket prices	Free	On the day
Member	Advance	On the day
Adult	Over 65s	Advance
£14	£9	Free
£11	Enjoy free admission, unlimited access to special exhibitions, discounts on events and many other benefits.	Enjoy free admission, unlimited access to special exhibitions, discounts on events and many other benefits.

£ 12

Children (5-15 years old) † (English)

£ 11

Under 5 years old

free

free

If you make a reservation with your family, you will get a 10 % discount ‡.

*Advance fee is applied until 23:59:59 the day before.

** A valid ID is required. Free caregivers for disabled people are free.

Under the age of 16, adult accompaniment is required.

If you purchase three children 5 to 15 years old at the same time, you will get a 10%discount on adults, 65 years old, student, young scott, disabled persons, two unemployed. It cannot be used with the Scottish National Museum membership ticket or other discounts or other promotion offers.

There are more than 10 group discounts.

Ticket use conditions

The Scottish National Museum cannot refund or transfer tickets.

Planning a visit for your class?

Time limit

You can play your favorite games in PS5 ™ or PS4 ™, pause, switch to another device, and enjoy it without being tied to TV.

Memories of Nobles Amusements

Child guidance

Game of is an exhibition for visitors of all ages. However, there are games that parents are not suitable for children. Surveen the games played by younger groups in the group and play only games that seem appropriate for your child's age, experience and abilities. All recent video games included in this exhibition are rated by European PEGI authentication system. These ratings are listed on the attached panel, including the 12, 16, and 18+rating games. The museum offers group tickets for school groups where you can see the exhibition. Please contact us for arrangements for class tours.

Click here for details

Locals talk about the story and memories of Edinburgh and Port Bello's landmark Nobubles Amuse Mens.

Related events

look

Museum Late: Game On

Venue special exhibition gallery 1, Level 3 Preliminary reservations are advantageous

Preliminary reservation from 9 pounds

From 11 pounds on the day Free for members and under 5 years old. There is a concession option. You can play your favorite games in PS5 ™ or PS4 ™, pause, switch to another device, and enjoy it without being tied to TV. look

Relaxed Viewings: Game On

October 5, 2024 19:30-22:30

Enjoy adult play and games in the magnificent atmosphere of the Scottish National Museum at night.

Free for members and under 5 years old. There is a concession option. You can play your favorite games in PS5 ™ or PS4 ™, pause, switch to another device, and enjoy it without being tied to TV. look

Accessible Games Night with RNIB and TripleTapTech: Visual Impairment

event

Sunday, September 1st, October 6th (Sun) 10:0 0-12:00

From 11 pounds on the day Free for members and under 5 years old. There is a concession option. You can play your favorite games in PS5 ™ or PS4 ™, pause, switch to another device, and enjoy it without being tied to TV. look

Game On: Night Mode

October 15, 2024 17:30-20:00

Accessible gaming night for eyes inconvenience by TripteCH and RNIB.

From 11 pounds on the day Free for members and under 5 years old. There is a concession option. You can play your favorite games in PS5 ™ or PS4 ™, pause, switch to another device, and enjoy it without being tied to TV.

Further content for Game On

event

Game On shop

Friday, November 1, 2024 17:30-22:00