Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Extended Reality (XR) were just a vision little more than a decade ago. Today, they are, pardon the pun, a reality.
AR actually dates back to 1965 when Ivan Sutherland was able to demonstrate it as part of his PhD thesis on human interaction with computers titled The Ultimate Display. But prior to recent years it wasn’t been huge a great deal in everyday life.
Computer-aided design (CAD) was introduced in the following decade and continues to grow to the day. Perhaps the most famous example of Augmented reality is the Pokemon GO game which infiltrated our streets and public places with monsters on the app.
So, what can we expect when it comes to Virtual Reality, Extended Reality and casinos in the iGaming industry?
Well, you can already play VR poker in the Metaverse, interacting with the live dealers at real casinos using a combination of AR and VR technology.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality is similar to AR, with the difference of adding 3D graphics, sounds etc. into the environment. Whilst it is a much newer technology, it is already being implemented in films, TV shows and immersive gaming.
It’s being used in casinos by allowing players to make bets and play against other similar users in the Augmented casino. For example, your environment could include avatars of fellow players, enabling you to chat with them and the dealer whilst playing a game or poker or roulette for example.
Whilst we can currently play a broader array of games, including slots, roulette and various card games, players are still unable to cash in or withdraw any chips. Instead, these are only available on the casino’s website itself.
Technology evolves quickly. The gambling industry is following and triggering this process. Virtual Reality is also being developed so that these online casinos can offer their players to play their favourite games whilst recreating a real-life environment in the process. On top of that, it’s just a matter of time before AR technologies improves the games further, such as potentially allowing players to see into what’s underneath their cards as if they were on the table in front of them.
The future of slot machines?
Another future example could be a slot machine. Currently, when playing on your computer you just sit there with a screen in front of you. With the potential that AR has to offer, in the future we could see a fully three-dimensional slot machine to interact with. This could be as detailed as being able to look around at other players and interact with them.
Increasing the available activities within the virtual casino is another possibility. After all, online casinos with the best offers will want to keep their players feeling comfortable and entertained as long as possible. So, allowing gamblers to roam around the casino, get bonus perks and interact with other players will be important moving forward.
Numerous PlayStation games already allow players to customise their own avatar and make personalised changes to settings and backgrounds. It’s just a matter of time before players at VR casinos will be able to personalise their avatar too.
It’s not to say that someone playing in a VR casino in Las Vegas couldn’t be taken on a virtual tour of sin city in the process.
Extended Reality
The latest emerging technology in this space is Extended Reality. This refers to real and virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computers and wearables.
More and more people are gaining access to Virtual Reality through the reduction in costs of headsets. Once most online casino players discover the greater experience of virtual casinos then it’s only a matter of time before the VR casino will become the new norm.
