VR (Virtual Reality) on the Rise: How Virtual Reality is Transforming Esports Engagement

| Updated on December 13, 2024

People might think that virtual reality devices are modern-day technologies, but they are wrong. The first ever VR headset was created in 1968 by Ivan Sutherland and his student Bob Sproull.

Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR, sold his company to Meta for $2 billion. He became a billionaire by selling his VR headset, which is now one of the best and most demanding headsets in the market. 

Michio Kaku once said “Virtual reality and augmented reality will change the way we shop” but it is changing a lot of things and that also includes Esports. Nowadays esports is a global trend and unlike any other profession, it is also considered a fully-fledged source of income. 

In this article, we’ll learn how Virtual Reality is growing in the field of Esports and changing it for the good. This is going to be an interesting article, so make sure you stick by till the end. Also, learn about VIPRow.us.com For Free Sports Streaming by reading this article.

The Growth of Virtual Reality in Esports

Growth of Virtual Reality

Traditional esports games like Counter-Strike, Fortnite, League of Legends, Valorant, etc. made the esports world popular. These games are now played globally, and every region holds its esports tournament for these games.

These are PC games, but virtual reality games are different. They require more physical activities, and your moments will be used to access features in the game. The player has to put on their headgear and other accessories to play the game.

VR gives a different approach because the player will be living in it and even the viewers will be able to see how the player is operating the game. But, is playing VR difficult?

The answer is yes, playing virtual reality games is harder in comparison to console games. But is it extra fun? Yes, it is exceedingly fun.

Many regions have already started incorporating VR in esports, for example, VR Master League, one of the best VR tournaments where players play games like Echo Arena and Onward. 

Back in 2016 Dota 2 championship was held in Washington, USA. The championship started on August 8 and lasted till August 16, and it became the first-ever televised virtual reality esports event. It is even featured in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Viewers had to install Steam and Dota 2 for VR experience. They also needed AMD Radeon R9 290 or something better like NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 which is considered to be a fast computer processor. But to have the full experience, they also needed a headset that could support StreamVR and additional tracked controllers. 

Impact on Esports Gameplay

Engagement With Virtual Reality by Age 

VR has impacted esports gameplay in different ways. It gives players a more realistic experience, which is also enjoyed by the audience and helps in gathering a larger crowd. 

According to a survey conducted by Newzoo revealed that most of the VR users, almost 63% engage with esports content. VR is a multi-billion dollar industry and now that it is making its way to the esports industry it will only help in its growth.

As the industry is expanding, game-developing companies are creating games specially made for VR. One of the games Beat Saber which is a VR game sold over 4 million copies. 

Companies like Google, Sony, Microsoft, and Facebook (META) among various others have been major investors of VR technology. In 2021 Sony announced a $450 million project to incorporate VR in PlayStation. 

These are some big names and if they are investing millions and billions of dollars in virtual reality then they know that this is going to start a new age of gaming. 

VR Esports and the Role of Sports Betting

Batting was not a part of esports, but now fans can bet on their favorite team or player and make live predictions. This way they can earn or lose money. Sports betting sites are beginning to include VR esports on their platform. 

Not only VR esports, but fans can also bet on traditional games and watch their favorite team play them live. Fans get a better experience this way and if they have pleased their bet right along with their team they can also win. 

FUN FACT
Virtual Reality is used as a way to cure depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Conclusion

Virtual reality is the future of modern-day entertainment. It is bringing new changes in several fields, and esports will reach new heights because of VR. New VR-based tournaments have already started across the world and it has been receiving positive feedback.

VR is reshaping how esports used to work and even though there are people who are still stuck to traditional esports, soon enough they too will realize that VR is only helping this field.




Kimmi Dhiman

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