At stickee, we love a bit of VR. And not just for playing cricket… We’re also pretty into our horror games. Virtual reality technology can be applied to almost anything – from gaming and entertainment to education and even medical training, and 2017 is set to be the year it finally goes HUGE!
Strap on your HTC Vive or Google Cardboard! Here are the top 5 VR games and experiences we’re excited about for the coming year.
Sky
The Sky VR app, launched at the end of last year, offers viewers a look into sports, films, theatre performances, and more – like you’re really there. (So you can feel like you’re actually doing exercise for once and don’t have to feel guilty about spending your whole weekend on the sofa. Or is that just us?)
Other experiences available on the app include a Suicide Squad and two Jungle Book 360 videos, allowing you to enter the world of these films, as well as a Formula One experience taking you into the pit lane with the racing team.
We all know the Zuck has been working on adapting VR tech to social networking. Basically, he wants us to stay inside our homes, and virtually hang out with our friends – creepy anime-style avatars included. Does that sound great? That’s because it is. Well, minus the avatars. They’re just really weird.
Of course, this can be applied to more than just playing card games with mates: work meetings, and even virtual travel are included in the plans. In 2017, we should expect Facebook to release a public app – but when exactly?
Cinema
Is 2017 the year Hollywood starts producing VR content? We sure hope so. If the super-popular virtual reality cinema in Amsterdam is anything to go by, the demand is there. And not just for 30-minute videos or experiences!
Hollywood taking on VR could lead to totally immersive films – how about a version of Gravity where YOU are the one stranded in space? If that’s too anxiety-inducing for you, we’re sure Pixar will have something more suited to your tastes.
VR Outside the Home
This may sound like an oxymoron (look at us using fancy words), but VR can and will be used outside. From theme parks (Alton Towers has a VR ride, if you’re not too worried about losing a leg) to museums and shopping centres, you might have to actually leave your house to access new VR experiences.
Take a look at the BBC’s Spacewalk video for an idea of what this trend could turn into in 2017 – the experience featured a haptic feedback chair, with vibrations to simulate impacts. You simply can’t get that in your home! (Yet.)
Arcades
Let’s take a trip back to the 80’s, where gaming arcades where the best places to play video games – before gaming consoles made their way into everyone’s homes. And no, they didn’t make children stupid: research shows that playing video games is linked to higher test scores.
Since VR is still far from being as popular and affordable as regular consoles, we can expect arcades to start popping up, providing users with all the VR fun they need for a fraction of the price. Games developers, this is your time to shine!
