What does VR gaming look like in 2024?

SB22 CTO Marko Savkovic investigates the current state of VR both in and outside gaming, and how it can be utilised to enhance the player experience.

Since its inception, Virtual Reality (VR) has continued to be disruptive across every industry. In entertainment, it was seen as the next natural evolution in viewership – whilst video games’ biggest players (like Sony and Microsoft) put huge investment behind it. However, what started out as the next big thing quickly became an expensive experiment that seems to be struggling to take off. Even recently, Sony has shut a whole studio in London that was dedicated to creating VR games. Outside of video games, the Apple Vision Pro has gone live to much interest. Apple does not put billions of dollars into something they think won’t work; and when Apple goes to market with new technology, others follow suit.

Some have found it immersive and an upgrade to using a phone, while others have thought of it as a dystopian extravagance. So what lessons are there to take from the use of VR in other industries – and does it make any sense to apply it to ours?

I think two questions should be examined when you bring any new technology or innovation to an industry.

Firstly, would you use it? Secondly, why is this better than what already exists? These are simple questions that are often forgotten as a product’s development begins to gain traction. If you don’t want to use your own product, why would others? There is a human urge to constantly improve and innovate, but that often translates into change for the sake of it. If we examine VR in the sports betting world, does it have a place in all of it? Or would it follow the same path as the videogame sector?

We have seen brilliant innovators use technology to varying degrees of success. It’s the perfect time to take all that has been learnt and apply it correctly to our space

I believe there is room to be optimistic around its use. I think many people would struggle to initially figure out how VR could be associated with betting and gambling. Off the top of my head, I’d picture playing a game of poker in VR as its limit. However, while that can certainly be fun, I don’t see that being enough to replace traditional games with VR equivalents. Does it improve the experience of online poker that much more than if you did it on an iPad or laptop? I’m not so sure. For it to be a game-changer, content and ease of use must be a priority. There are not enough VR video games created to warrant the purchase of the headset – so it lacked content. Like online poker, you wouldn’t buy a headset for one use. To that end, use of VR in casino settings looks to be heavily limited in scope. It’s a “cool gimmick” that everyone would use once or twice but it wouldn’t last long.

This is where live sport and betting come into play. The beauty of sport, which is why everyone keeps watching week after week, is that it is unpredictable and never the same. That gives you infinite content. Every time you watch a match, something different will happen. No two games are ever the same. From an in-betting perspective, this creates limitless opportunities. Video games through VR were not better than video games through a TV – but imagine, instead of watching a football match on TV, you’re in the stadium with 360-degree views in the perfect seat. Millions of people support overseas teams but can never see them play in person. VR can enhance the experience of live sport by placing you in the stadium.

Pair that with seamless betting and you’ve created an experience that’s different and arguably enhanced. Ensuring live betting is easy and not complicated to use in VR must be considered, but the technology on offer should allow the simple use of your finger, making in-play bets seamless. Instead of tapping through multiple links to reach the bet you want and missing part of a match – imagine a prompt popping up in the game asking if a player will make a free throw? It’s just an example but does offer plenty of opportunities for a user.

Our industry is in the privileged position of not being the first to market for VR. We have seen brilliant innovators use technology to varying degrees of success. It’s the perfect time to take all that has been learnt and apply it correctly to our space. With these lessons and the timely launch of the Apple Vision Pro, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about its implementation. I believe we haven’t even touched the surface of what can be created within the space, with the social aspects of live sport can revolutionise how we engage with technology and help create a leading example to other industries on how VR can be applied correctly.

“There is a human urge to constantly improve and innovate, but that often translates into change for the sake of it”