As we mentioned in our post “Kinds of Games for Gaming Fun”, there are many genres in the massively successful gaming market. From Massively Multi-player Online Role Doing Offers (Mmog) and casino games to simulation titles, each one is designed to be as immersive as possible. In this way, audiences from all walks of life can enjoy gaming through different formats.
Recently, poker has dipped into many of these gaming genres as the classic and beloved card game transitions online. Among the most exciting new variations, though, is poker in virtual reality (VR). Over the past several years, VR has been used to improve online communication, marketing, and even video and audio conferences. Its capacity to expand reality has made the technology a great addition to video games. That includes one of the most beloved games known to man, poker.
Indeed, since the early days of the modern era of VR, many recognized that poker made for an ideal concept. It’s a game in which little movement or action is required, but for which immersion, engagement, and environmental design can go a long way. With developers now capitalizing more and more on these factors, here’s our look at some exciting VR poker games on the market:
- Texas Hold’em Poker VR
As the name suggests, this game revolves around Texas Hold’em, which is the most popular variety of the game. This variety involves each player receiving two “hole cards” of their own, which they must match with any three of five “community cards” that are laid out by the dealer following successive betting rounds. It is the same type of poker played at the WSOP Main Event, as well as at the WPT TV final tables –– which speaks in part to why it’s so widely beloved. Multiple developers and game companies have made the move to adapt this ever-popular form of poker to VR, with Texas Hold’em Poker VR having emerged as one of the primary options. It’s fairly simple in execution –– you set up a player avatar and start playing against other live opponents. But it’s suitably immersive, and the game mechanics are strong.
- Gangsta Underground: The Poker
In this downloadable PC version of poker in VR, players choose an avatar and then become a part of a “gangsta” poker league. From there, they enter an underground scene and sit at tables with other “gangsta” characters –– who are continually smoking cigarettes, and generally look intimidating. This fun role-playing setup provides players with a themed experience that differs from what most poker games offer –– a little bit like Prominence Poker in VR, for those familiar with the popular PC and console title. Oh, and there’s one more wrinkle: If things go wrong at the tables, you can actually pull a gun on your virtual opponents. A bit dramatic perhaps, but certainly different!
- PokerStars VR
PokerStars VR boasts a wonderful social Texas Hold’em experience, with a large base of virtual players constantly sitting down at tables and tournaments together. While playing, participants can interact essentially as much as they want to, whether that means socializing with friends or meeting new people. The game also offers a variety of table environments to choose from, meaning that each game can feel as if it’s happening in a new place. Similarly, players can change up their avatars’ appearances as they like, even choosing custom props (ranging from cigarettes to rubber ducks to hold onto). Finally, PokerStars VR is also ideal for players who want to play quicker games; sit-and-go options and the new spin-and-go tournaments both make it easy for people to move on quickly to new games after losing hands.
- Poker VR
Finally, there’s Poker VR, which seeks to set itself apart through a particularly realistic approach. Character avatars are a little less cartoonish than in most virtual poker games (despite over 1 billion customization options, per a review at VR Truths, and the technology behind the game enables those avatars to mimic body and lip movements. This, for serious poker players, adds a whole new element to the game –– making it possible, to some extent, to “read” opponents and take a more psychological approach to competition. The only downside to this one is a relatively inflexible competition format: Once you log in, you’re assigned to a table and cannot pick and choose where else you might want to play.
Already, these four examples make for some exciting material in the virtual reality gaming space. And we know that that space is only going to keep on growing. Projections from Fortune Business Insights just last year indicated that the VR gaming market is poised to expand from some $7.92 billion in 2021 to $53.44 billion by 2028 –– a massive projection that indicates expected growth across genres. Undoubtedly, this means more poker and casino experiences to come in VR. For now, though, the selections above offer huge opportunities for poker players who wish to explore VR.
Image: Freepik
