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Even in the current day,Virtual Realityis seen as a niche area. It is expensive, often time requiring a powerful PC or console, or other accounts to even use them in the first place. All of this paired with a limited library of games and a complicated set-up has stopped the tech from piercing the gaming market effectively.
That said, VR gaming is much older than that of which came to prominence with the early Oculus and Valve attempts in the 2010s. In fact, the earliest attempts at VR for gaming started all the way back in the 1980s. What happened for it to have disappeared for so long, and what even was the first VR game? Let’s find out.
Was VR Made For Gaming?
The majority of uses that we see VR for is in exploring digital environments, and that of course has a natural affinity to gaming. That said,VR for gaming began in the 1980s, while initial research in VR technologiesbegan in the 1960s, about 20 years before it ever became an idea in gaming.
Computers were rapidly accelerating in terms of technological advancement following World War 2, and VR was one such area that had picked up steam. While it wasn’t something feasibly achieved during this period,the basis for the technology was laid down. In parts, this included the more commonly recognized Head-Mounted Displays of modern VR headsets, as well as other controllers that could convert human motion into computer inputs.
What is typically known asthe first VR headset is the Sword of Damocles. This was only a nickname rather than its official name, though it is the one that stuck. From here, VR technology grew rapidly, but exclusively in industrial spaces such as flight simulation, medical, and military.
When Was The First VR Game Made?
So when did VR come to gaming?It was in 1989 with the Power Glove. From the earliest days of VR, it was much too complex and expensive to ever make into a commercial product.The DataGlove was designed in 1982with completely functional tech, though no product to test it with.
In hopes of this being made into a commercial product, it waslicensed by Nintendoand created by Mattel with supervision from the creators of the original DataGlove.The Power Glove was made as an accessory to the NESwith two games that took advantage of its unique VR tech. The Power Glove doesn’t fit many of our modern definitions of VR, though at the time of its release in 1989, it was one of the very first VR products that was available commercially.
The Power Glove had two compatible games,Super Glove Ball and Bad Street Brawler. These games didn’t actually require the Power Glove, it just provided extra functionality. However, neither game was bundled with the Power Glove. Paired with poor tracking in comparison to the original DataGlove and a high price relative to the console itself, the Power Glove never took off.
VR gaming became a much bigger thing in the 1990s withthe general resurgence of arcades. Having faced a massive downturn after the video game crash of 1983, they grew in popularity again with newer technologies that couldn’t be replicated on home consoles.
It was in this area that VR gaming became a much bigger field. While it was still very expensive, it became somewhatmore financially feasible when it was paired with a larger arcade. Virtuality was one of the leading companies pioneering this, and even worked with Atari to created its never-released VR headset. Virtuality’s earliest VR arcade machines featured the gamesDactyl Nightmare and Grid Busters, among others.
Why Did It Take So Long For VR To Have A Resurgence?
Following the VR games of the 1990s in arcades,VR became virtually unheard of after that until the 2010swith the release of the Oculus Rift in 2016. This marked a significant return to VR in the consumer market, but alsothe first Head-Mounted Displays that could be used exclusively at homewithout the need for an arcade.
These initial headsets, and indeed the majority, stillrequire them to be connected to an equivalent system to actually power them, such as a PC or PS5. The return is welcome, even if it remains a relatively closed-off industry. What caused this sudden resurgence though, and why did it die in the first place?
VR has always been prohibitively expensive. This was the same in the 1960s when it was first developed to the 2020s now. The only difference is that now it can be made into a more consumer-friendly form factor, softening the blow of the high price. As VR as a consumer activity in the 1990s was restricted to arcades,it died with them. As home consoles did not have the graphical prowess to power a VR headset, it remained an abandoned commercial industry for about two decades.
Even now, there is a reason that the majority of VR headsets require being attached to a PC or consoles. They are a powerful piece of tech, having to combine controls, motion, and display all into one system that can fit on the head without actively hurting you. And while it remains a small industry, the conditions exist for it to become a larger player in gaming. From asmaller size, more advanced technology, a more affordable price, and even the prospect of VR headsets that can exist fully untethered, it has all the potential in the world.
