Will VR Gaming Be Like, “I Played It And I’ll Never Go Back”?

Now that we know PlayStation VR will be here in the fall with a price tag of $399, this whole virtual reality endeavor is starting to feel more…real.

It's coming.

And it's not like sterescopic 3D or motion sensing. I knew neither fresh tech would revolutionize the industry the way 3D first did with the likes of Mario 64 . Fads are fads and while motion sensing certainly had plenty of merit, it was merely another interactive option, not the interactive option. It simply wasn't going to supplant traditional gaming for obvious reasons in my mind.

But now we might be facing an entirely different beast in virtual reality. We're a long way from the days of the Virtual Boy, when true VR was mostly just a pipe dream and far off down the road, barely to be glimpsed or even comprehended. Now that it's just around the corner, though, I wonder if it will indeed become the "next level" of interactive entertainment, utlimately to be embraced by all gamers. Does it have that potential? Does this tech make video games a fundamentally better experience in all respects? When considering all genres, all types of gamers, etc.?

Everyone who has sampled VR seems to love it. Some, like Twisted Metal and God of War creator David Jaffe, are just head over heels in love with it . The reactions from those who tested it out at various events are pretty incredible; their faces alone tell you they just experienced something special. Personally, I doubt I'll ever touch any form of VR for a variety of reasons I won't delve into now, but it's feasible that devices like Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR will change this industry forever. Might we eventually come to a time when any game that isn't in VR is considered "old-fashioned" or for kids, or something like that?

It won't be a matter of cost, I don't think. The devices are already relatively affordable right out of the gate and while still somewhat restrictive, you know those prices will only fall in time. I think it's really going to come down to the quality of the experiences, and how well developers can tap into this new technology. Perhaps it'll take longer than we all think. Then again, maybe in just a few year's time, we'll be wondering what gaming was like without VR, kinda like imagining gaming without online multiplayer today.