5 Ways Virtual Reality Will Change Online Slots

Virtual Reality is coming soon to online casinos around the world, we look at 5 ways VR will change online slots and look forward to the future of VR online gambling.

Just when it didn't seem like slots could get any better – thanks to 3D graphics, mobile apps and detailed bonus rounds – some operators are considering the possibilities that virtual reality will bring. This is especially the case since the Oculus Rift headset will soon be available, letting people experience virtual reality through this wearable device. So how will this change the slots world? Let's take a look at five very realistic possibilities below.

1. Land-based Casinos will be Closer than ever before

When online slots launched in the mid-2000s, it was often said that the casino was being brought to your living room. Of course, even today, we all know that online casinos can't totally replicate the brick-and-mortar casino experience. But with VR technology, we'll be closer than ever before. For evidence, consider SlotsMillion, which has developed a virtual casino on the 80th floor of a skyscraper that you can walk around in. The way this sounds, it feels like the only thing that's missing are the free cocktails.

2. Games will become more Realistic

When you look at the advent of online slots, versus what they've become today, it's really incredible to see the transition. Most new games today come complete with 3D graphics, character animations and even storylines. But while this is great, it seems like VR casinos can take slots to an even higher level of realism. One possibility of this might include the animations appearing like they are truly happening in front of your face.

3. Bonus Rounds will become Incredible

Expanding on the last point, bonus rounds will become even better than before as well. Freefly VR went to the London's ICE Totally Gaming and got to experience first-hand what the future of bonus rounds looks like. "We experienced a bonus feature that saw us break out of the casino and end up on a rollercoaster – something very different to picking a box feature on a 2D screen," they wrote.

Check out what NetEnt have been working on somewhere far away in the heart of Sweden with a 360 tour of Jacks World VR Slot:

4. You'll be put in Different Scenarios

Another good point that Freefly VR made is that online gaming companies would do well to go beyond just creating virtual casinos. Instead, they could put players in different scenarios like a "dimly lit room against the mafia in the 1920s." Other examples could include an underground casino in Thailand, a posh Las Vegas VIP room or even gambling on a mountaintop.

5. The Experience will be More Expensive

Of course, if you want to experience online casino games in VR, you're going to have to shell out the cash. You can currently pre-order the headset from Best Buy for $350. But it's advised that you have a strong gaming PC to go along with it, which, in Best Buy's "Oculus Rift Virtual-Reality Headset & ASUS G11CD-B11 Desktop Package," would be $1,499.00. So there'll definitely be a price on this great slots experience.

Whats next for VR Online Gambling?

We were at ICE 2016 and there were a number of cutting edge developments being showcased including the future of Online Roulette in a Virtual Reality world, check out a sneak peak video of what Microgaming has in store for us in the next few years: