VR History

To be fair my VR history post is a first for me. And yes, I love topics I haven’t explored yet. But out of the many video games I will mention here, I believe I’ve mentioned some of them before. Earlier in my IndieGala tenure that is. Games like Superhot and some of the cool Bethesda video games. Hey we’ve even written about some of them in our posts. Check out the Superhot review by my dear colleague The Italian Guy. You’re welcome. However, I will focus here (well for the most part) on the history of Virtual Reality. Not just in the video games industry, but in general.

The early start and early technological breakthrough. Next to the early applications in modern society and the evolution of Virtual Reality. And yes, I’ll focus on the VR’s application in modern video games as well.

VR History

VR History And Some Cool VR Games At IndieGala

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve already written about some cool VR games that we have at IndieGala. Some fun Bethesda games like Borderlands 2 VR game, and of course 3dSen VR But I simply can’t forget about Fallout 4 VR. And yes, Superhot VR. Which is one of our most popular games. We have a fantastic selection of VR games here at IndieGala and it’s up to you to find the best one for you. Whether it’s about sport, mystery, or adult theme video games. Just click here and take your pick.

But there’s also The Assembly. A fantastic VR game developed and published by nDreams. A first-person interactive story for mature audiences, The Assembly immerses you in the morally challenging world of a secret organization. Play as two individuals from contrasting perspectives. Here you will face trials, investigate the Assembly’s secret bunker and make tough decisions. Will your actions and their repercussions save lives or lead to catastrophe?

Check it out here and enjoy.

VR History: The Early Beginnings

Well, Virtual Reality as we know it is constantly evolving. However, the first technical breakthrough in the VR world came in the early 19th century. For instance, Sir Charles Wheatstone was the first to describe stereopsis in 1838. A term that refers to the perception of depth and 3-dimensional structure. And of course, he was awarded the Royal Medal of the Royal Society in 1840 for his explanation of binocular vision. Research which led him to construct the stereoscope. The modern-day stereoscope that modern doctors use today.

However, Stanley Weinbaum released Pygmalion’s Spectacles in 1935 and brought VR into the science fiction field. Furthermore, Pygmalion’s Spectacles is a science fiction story in which the main character wears a pair of goggles that transports him to a fictional world. The fictional world stimulates his senses aptly and features holographic recordings as well.

Back in the mid-50’s the Cinematographer Morton Heilig created Sensorama, the first VR machine. And Heilig also patented the Telesphere Mask. The first head-mounted display (HMD) of VR.

VR In Many Other Industries

VR technology got more progress In the ’60s and ’70s, but it was in the ’80s that VR got an application in other industries. The automobile industry, mechanical industry, engineering and even architecture. And most notably in aviation as flight simulators. Medicine is one other field of course, but in space exploration as well. For instance, NASA is one of the most the best users of VR technology. And ever since the 80’s the NASA astronauts use the Virtual Environment Workstation Project (VIEW). AVR training simulator for astronauts.

VR In The Gaming Industry

Yes, it was just a matter of time when the gaming industry would catch the bug of VR. And that happened in the early ’90s. Back in 1990, Jonathan Waldern showed the world his creation. Virtuality. A VR arcade machine, at the Computer Graphics 90 exhibition in London. The first VR arcade machine where gamers could play in a 3D gaming world, and the first mass-produced VR entertainment system.

And in the early ’90s, two of the gaming giants followed. Sega and Nintendo jumped in and integrated VR into their own games. First and foremost, Nintendo Virtual Boy launched as the first portable console that could display 3-D graphics. Next in 1994, SEGA released SEGA VR-1. A motion simulator for its SeaWorld arcades and proved to be a hit. Well, after the canceled SEGA VR headset a few years earlier anyway.

Furthermore, Nintendo launched the Virtual Boy console in 1995. The console played 3D monochrome video games and was the first portable console to display 3D graphics. However, the console was a huge commercial flop due to lack of software support, the lack of good color graphics, and the overall discomfort it gave to the uses.

The New Millennium Brought New Challenges

Sure Google introduced Street View back in 2007, and it was a huge step in the right direction for VR. But back in 2014, Sony announced that they were working on Project Morpheus. A VR headset for the PlayStation 4 (PS4). The headset was released in 2016, and by 2019 SONY sold more than 5 million units of it. Nintendo entered the VR market with the Labo: VR kit for Nintendo Switch in 2019. And just one year earlier, Oculus revealed the Half Dome. A headset with a 140-degree field of vision.

But according to PwC, more than 85 million VR headsets will be in use in China, while Cloud-based VR gaming will be increasingly prominent. Supported by 5G networks of course. Not to mention, according to GlobalData forecasts, VR will be a $28bn global market.

VR headset for the PlayStation 4

Some Cool VR Games

And just who are some of the best VR games currently on the market? Well, Bethesda does have some fantastic VR games: such as Fallout 4 VR (which you can check out here). Superhot is always a must for every VR fan, and so is the Assembly. But there’s always fun and immersive No Man’s Sky, and Skyrim VR. Not to mention the Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which is a PlayStation VR exclusive. And Elite: Dangerous which is also available for purchase here at IndieGala. Oh and you’re a fan of Star Trek, then perhaps Star Trek: Bridge Crew will do the trick for you.

VR History: Which One Is Your Favorite

Which VR game is your personal favorite? Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to know all about it. Who, why, and what makes your heart skips a beat from the VR gaming world.

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