One of the first major categories that will firmly root the VR industry into the mainstream will be gaming. It makes sense that, at least initially, massive traction will begin where the priority is on fun and social content. As I covered back in January, we already see VR piggybacking off of the burgeoning esports space with success, which is transforming the spectator experience and promises much more.
Spotting intersections like the one with esports is a sweet spot for the VR industry.
Another key intersection is the one between VR and the web, which I’ve been pushing hard for the past several months. Indeed, WebVR — the JavaScript API that allows you to experience VR content on your web browser simply by grabbing the URL — is probably the biggest intersection there is. And gaming that is powered by WebVR is the biggest sweet spot of them all.
To date there’s been a lot of focus on high fidelity, which is fine. After all, who doesn’t want to be “blown away” by an immersive gaming experience? The problem is that even with high fidelity, most content isn’t tempting users to replay the experience over and over again. They’re often underwhelming and part of the trouble isn’t the content itself, in my opinion, but the platforms and hardware that they run on.
The medium is the message and right now the industry is trying to force itself to bloom in isolation, when it doesn’t have to. There are intersections that are very welcoming.
High fidelity shouldn’t be the priority. Engagement should be, along with easy access and discoverability, which is why WebVR has been raking in increasing support in recent months by the likes of Google, Oculus, Samsung, Microsoft, along with the pioneer itself, Mozilla. Web browsers like Firefox Nightly, Chromium, Samsung Internet’s browser, and Microsoft’s Edge browser are all actively enabling web-based immersion because they see the big picture.
First off, let’s talk about the magic window: the fact that you can play a WebVR game without a VR headset. All you need is your screen. You can use just wag your smartphone in the air or drag your desktop screen around and the content will be responsive. That means the market for WebVR games and content is literally anyone who has either, which is billions of users.
It’s a huge advantage that the industry refers to as Progressive Enhancement strategy, which allows immersive content to be responsive to a range of devices and platforms as the below illustration by Creative Technologist, Arturo Paracuellos, makes plain. The magic window creates an organic conversion tunnel that reaches the…