As we reported earlier in the year, VR gaming has the potential to make our lives better, especially during the ongoing pandemic. But the technology still has some barriers to entry, most notably the price of hardware and a lack of standout games that can sell the said hardware.
TechRadar has reported that the Oculus Quest 2 has managed to sell impressively well since launch, but this still isn’t enough to truly bring VR to the masses. Instead, what’s needed is a killer app — a game that can appeal to gamers in a way that traditional games cannot.
Leveraging on Pokémon’s user base
Nintendo has had some mild forays into VR-style tech with the Virtual Boy and Labo, but we want something more substantial. The company’s next console will likely be much more powerful than the Switch, leaving the floor open for VR support.
And what would be the best showcase of VR for Nintendo than Pokémon, its largest franchise — and one of the largest franchises in the world. There’s a massive user base for Pokémon already, and it’s clamoring for something more original than the last few titles released. VR would shake things up, bringing a more immersive experience to traditional monster catching.
Possibly disrupting online casinos
VR allows players to meet up with each other digitally that other traditional games can’t. You only have to look at the popularity of VR Chat to see that people are more than fine with hanging out in VR.
Meanwhile, the live games on Gala Casino have quietly been presenting players with a sort of pseudo-virtual reality option for some time now. While they’re not fully immersive, these offerings give players live video feeds to casino tables, where human dealers and game coordinators control the action. So something expanding on this concept, mixing the atmosphere of a real casino with VR immersion, would indeed manage to be a hit.
Riding on AAA FPS titles
There are several FPS titles for VR devices, though nothing with the reach of Call of Duty or Battlefield. A VR game with the budget of either franchise (even if it didn’t use those IPs) would be able to deliver realistic graphics and explosive set pieces, making it the perfect showcase for console gamers not already convinced by VR.
Something of this type will probably come about with the launch of next-gen VR systems, as they’d allow for better performance — something needed for competitive online FPS games.
Using VR in open-world RPGs
Skyrim is still a great game, of course, but VR requires a completely original open-world RPG that can captivate audiences. As reported by NME, Skyrim VR is one of the most played PSVR titles, so there’s a market for another RPG using the hardware.
An RPG similar to Skyrim, but with its theme and setting, would likely be enough to convince fans that VR is worth investing in, even if only for that title. From there, developers could take advantage of the increased player base to offer even larger RPGs that dwarf what has been seen on consoles in the past.
Big-budget movie game
Movie games are a common occurrence on consoles, with some spin-off titles even appearing on VR. However, there hasn’t been a notable release with a good amount of money put into it yet. Imagine getting to play through adaptions of various big-budget movies, relieving each moment in first person from your own home.
2021 releases like No Time To Die would allow for many different gameplay styles while also giving a different take on the movie. You could even make a VR game based on the upcoming Resident Evil movie adaption. It might sound odd, but a game based on a film based on a game would undoubtedly turn heads, doubly so if it turned out to be good.