Technological innovation favors the continuous transformation of online casinos: so many innovations have been introduced over the last few decades. The gaming sector lends itself, by necessity, to this type of evolution.
It must always be in step with the times and therefore it is necessary to invest in new technologies to offer the maximum experience: we have seen it with the development of the mobile app and we also see it with Virtual Reality.
The technology linked to the virtual reality not only represents the future but is already present in the online gambling world, as demonstrated by the reality of the level of Decentraland: virtual worlds where they found fertile ground even in casinos.
What is virtual reality and how does it work?
According to Treccani, the studies on Virtual Reality (VR) are countless. It’s a computer-created technology that simulates a reality that doesn’t exist, and is capable of bringing to life the most varied emotions and adventures. The brain understands that it’s a fiction, but I’m not aware of catching the wind and believing that what I see, touch and interact with is tangible. An unusual experience that catapults us into a new dimension, transporting us to the edge of reality.
The VR technology works through a viewer that allows the user to immerse himself in a ‘digital space’ where he can perform actions thanks to one or more accessories such as a joystick, gloves, shoes or simply with his hand.
The correct interaction between hardware and software creates the virtual space, a simulated and three-dimensional reality that allows the user to move freely in the space. The concept of 3D, the one that all of us have seen in the cinema, is widely surpassed. There are no limits, there are no blind spots because the viewer is able to cover all the space based on the movements of the head and eyes.
The video is transmitted to the PC via an HDMI cable or with an LED screen. Other systems, instead, allow you to adjust the distance between the screen and the eyes and then there is the Samsung Gear VR where it is possible to use the smartphone as a screen.
Virtual reality is not synonymous with 360 video: they are two different technologies that also have different purposes and uses. In VR the 360 vision is never used because it would not be useful, the maximum field of view is 100-110 degrees and to avoid a scatty vision of the image it uses a frame rate of about 60fps.
The technology that monitors head movement is called head tracking. A gyroscope, an accelerometer and a magnetometer allow you to monitor the movements of the “six degrees of freedom” (sei gradi di libertà) and to reduce to a minimum the latency that is really imperceptible. And even the audio must be such as to give the sensation that all the rumors come from different directions.
PC Virtual Reality
If you connect the viewer to a computer and if you use one or more controllers to move around the virtual space. The user lives a virtual experience thanks to a render in real time. We recall some of these systems: Oculus Quest 2, HTC Vive Pro and HTC Vive Cosmos Series.
They are very expensive, impractical and difficult to transport viewfinders, but they offer excellent image resolution because they use high-quality lenses.
Portable Virtual Reality e for Smartphone
Among the portable viewer to be used with or without a smartphone we mention the Samsung Gear VR that can only be used with Samsung Galaxy smartphones. It has, instead, the integrated hardware of the Oculus Quest 2. Questi offer performance very similar to those for PC.
PlayStation VR
Finally, we remember the Playstation VR that is really an excellent alternative to the VR PC: the viewer integrates a low resolution screen. It is a less expensive solution than the one for PC and very suitable for gaming.
VR and online casino
The virtual reality in casino games has given life to a true and proper revolution that takes place thanks to the investment of the major software houses such as Netent, Microgaming and Playtech.
If we consider that we are at the beginning with virtual reality, the long-term prospects are really huge. This is confirmed by the fact that the online casinos that register a high number of registrations are the ones that have, in their catalog, the new games section in VR. We remember Gonzo’s Quest, Pokémon Go and Bigspin Slots.
The absolute first to introduce VR to casinos was Slots Million, while in Italy the first was SNAI with the Roulette game.
Gli apassionati possono, infacti, giocare a blackjack, alla roulette or alle slot machine in real time, interacting with croupier in flesh and blood or with avatar that can support them in various phases of the game. VR allows you to experiment with new game modes and thanks to the developments of recent years hardware and software allow an interaction that goes well beyond the simple 3D interface.
One of the most controversial aspects that reliable online casinos, legally recognized by ADM, have faced is the one relative to regulation. For example, the constant presence of a clock serves to avoid problems of alienation and loss of spatial-temporal orientation.
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
VR allows the player to immerse himself and move in a space with the possibility of confronting other people, reactivating that sociality that is typical of a physical casino. In addition, this mode allows you to create tournaments and competitions between players, giving life to new modes of play and interaction.
The disadvantages, instead, are given by the fact that they can cause annoyance due to the excessive use of the devices, if they can easily lose track of time and that in order to play it is necessary to have VR headsets that involve an investment of a few hundred euros .
Conclusion
Seeing the enormous strides made by technology, the future of this sector seems to be safe. I imagine, in fact, that he will try to find solutions that allow the user to live an increasingly realistic dimension to the point of no longer distinguishing fantasy from reality.
Artificial intelligence will favor the spread of this modality in all sectors, for example in training, in schools and universities, or even in planning and marketing. And of course, the casino will not remain to guard.
Given the speed with which these technologies progress, we can hypothesize that we will not have to wait long and that those sites that do not adapt will certainly be penalized.
