Month: October 2022

There is no doubt that VR gaming will be the future of gaming, with the technology continually improving to create even more realistic experiences. However, since it requires completely shutting off the real world to be fully immersed in the new, digital one, the beauty of VR can also be a curse as players end up with avoidable injuries. While the experience is great for the mind, it can be dangerous for the body unless you are proactive about your safety. To ensure your virtual reality gaming experience does not lead to a trip to the doctor’s office, keep these safety suggestions in mind before diving into virtual reality.

1. Clear out and be familiar with your space

VR games can be played in many different ways, with some requiring little to no movement while others need you to be more active. If you’ve opted for a room-scale VR experience, take a lap around the room first with your headset on. This allows your body muscles to be familiar with the available space and surrounding walls since being aware of the limitations of your surroundings and not just solely depending on alerts is crucial to avoid bumping into things.

If you are playing at home or in an area with uneven flooring, plants, furniture, pets and other nearby objects, put away as many of them to a safe distance as possible and always be mindful when playing around those you cannot easily move. Lastly, it is recommended to be in good health to have a safe VR experience, which you can check with your local physician. This is because certain individuals, like pregnant women and those with heart conditions, may be affected when engaging with intense VR experiences.

2. Learn about health precautions

Removing your VR headset after playing for a while may cause strain between your eyes and cause irritation and eventual soreness as you need to readjust and refocus to the real world after a VR experience. To prevent this eye strain and other issues like disorientation and simulator motion sickness, adjust the focal settings on your headset and take short breaks every 20-30 minute session.

3. Start with something less intense

Just like exercising, sudden physical activities without any warm-up may cause muscle strains that harm your health. While it is understandable to immediately jump into exciting and adrenaline-pumping games to get the most out of VR, it may be better to go for something less strenuous for the mind and body for your initial experience.

4. Pay attention to the headset’s safety warnings

Most VR headsets come with built-in safety alarm features that warn you if you are approaching walls or objects that may potentially cause injury. As mentioned previously, it is advised not to depend solely on them to keep you from colliding with objects. What keeps them from being unconditionally trustworthy is that they are not 100% accurate all the time, as software/hardware bugs and the ever-changing world itself (objects may get moved while you’re in the middle of gaming) means mistakes can happen.

5. Get a friend to watch you

Games are best enjoyed with friends and family, and when it comes to VR gaming, they can also serve as a spotter to keep you from hurting yourself. Good VR games challenge you with intense and wild experiences you wouldn’t get every day, so flinching, ducking, and fleeing are all common responses to most VR games. All in all, just like scuba diving, VR gaming is best experienced with a buddy system.

Conclusion

The increasing popularity and affordability of VR headsets have revolutionized the gaming industry and brought a new way of experiencing video games. However, given how it blocks out your key senses for immersion, it’s best not to jump into VR blindly and take the necessary precautions to ensure you can game safely.

If you’re all set to get started on your journey into VR gaming, V-Room’s doors are always open for you! Come check out our cutting-edge VR gaming facilities and a large yet carefully curated selection of popular VR games that are sure to get your blood pumping and immersed in new and fantastical worlds. Whether it’s for some casual fun with friends or family or team-building exercises with colleagues, V-Room has the best VR gaming experience you’re looking for. For details about reservations and bookings, don’t hesitate to contact us today!

Video games have come a long way from the simple, 2D experiences they used to be during their debut in the early ‘70s. Now they’re the mind-boggling and immersive augmented and virtual reality gaming experiences of today, which are only set to improve as technology advances. These two bleeding-edge technologies set to be the norm of the future, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), are heavily used in the entertainment industry but have also begun to impact other sectors such as business, commerce, design and more. But what exactly separates the two from one another?

What is VR?

VR is akin to jumping right into a video game after donning on a headset (either as a standalone device or connected to an external system like a PC) and equipping other tools to interact with the space, like a remote or controller. Once set, you are transported to a fully-digital, computer-generated world or reality that completely and purposefully conceals the real world.

The possibilities of VR are endless, with options running the gamut from basic, View-Master-esque experiences such as the Netflix Stranger Things Experience, where you can only sit back and enjoy the ride, to full-fledged video games that you can interact with. Whatever the case, the experience will only qualify as VR if it completely replaces actual reality, even if only temporarily. A pretty good analogy of what VR is like for those yet to experience it is the classic 1999 The Matrix movie.

What is AR?

In contrast to VR, which completely replaces the real world, augmented reality adds a digital layer on top of it. Essentially, augmented reality is when you view the real world through a camera-capable gadget like a smartphone that ‘augments’ it by projecting virtual objects and entities onto the surroundings.

Although not as immersive as VR, AR has probably already snuck into your daily life without you noticing, given that it’s more subtle and has plenty of real-world applications. If you have heard of or played Pokémon Go, you’ve already tried AR in gaming first-hand. Other ways where AR is used to its full potential are in applications such as medical training, interior design, retail, and more.

Differentiating between VR and AR

As we’ve established, the main difference between VR and AR is whether you are fully replacing the real world or simply morphing it to be more colourful and interesting. However, more differences stem from this distinction. Since VR is concerned with fully virtual 3D spaces, it requires a VR headset to block out the real world and a type of controller device to move your digital self and interact with the new reality.

On the other hand, augmented reality does not need such dedicated equipment since you can still see and interact with the real world. It only needs some sort of camera to use your surroundings as input and the processing power to fully map a digital reality on top of it. 

Conclusion

As VR and AR become more intertwined in our daily life, from gaming to working and more, the industry surrounding them will only continue to expand. With more and more people discovering the wonders of what both have to offer in the world of gaming, you can expect more breathtaking games to come out in the years to come.

Interested in trying out what the best VR gaming experience has in store for you? Come check out V-Room today and give it a go yourself! Our cutting-edge virtual reality gaming facility is the perfect place to get lost in the countless realities behind VR with your friends and family for some casual fun or with colleagues as a beneficial team-building exercise. With our large but carefully curated selection of VR games, there is no shortage of immersive experiences to get lost in. Sign up for membership now and book your reservations!