5 Big Questions For the Game Industry in 2019

Introduction

The year 2018 has been a busy year for VR from the launch of Vive Pro, Oculus Go, and other new titles, nevertheless, 2019 without a doubt is going to see the start of exciting developments. Currently, PC VR headsets are beginning to get stale hence necessitating the need for a refresh, and the arrival of headsets which are position-tracked and standalone could open the doors to an entirely new audience. So, below are the top 5 big questions for the game industry in 2019 that VR industry faces.

Is Oculus Quest CR’s Mainstream Moment?

There is plenty of buzz around Oculus Quest, Facebook’s second standalone VR headset. Nevertheless, it betters Go with a complete six degrees FREEDOM (6DOF), something like what you find on PC VR, minus the necessity of hooking it up to a costly rig. Furthermore, the presence of high-profile ports ideal for games such as The Climb and Superhot, as well as a price tag of $399, and maybe the kick-start which the industry of VR headsets needs.

However, despite Quest being powerful, it still does not match up to competitors like PSVR, VIve as well as Rift. Because of the restrictions, developers are going to come across, the overall impact of the platform might not be realized. Additionally, there are still doubts about the extent that the inside-out tracking holds up plus we still are skeptical of this gadget’s battery; therefore, Facebook has plenty to prove before entirely placing our hopes in Oculus Quest.

Will Valve Revolutionize PC VR?

Much excitement on the PC side surrounds the next step Valve takes. Furthermore, this firm has brought us the precise and large-scale StreamVR Tracking system is looking to be moving toward the next generation of StreamVR finally. The latest base stations are now released together with Vive Pro, whereas the much-awaited Knuckles controllers are currently being shipped out to potential VR developers.

Recent leaks have revealed that Valve has plans to manufacture its very own VR headset with a massive 135-degree field of view (FOV) which comes packaged with Knuckles. Additionally, news that Half-Life based VR game is on their way from the firm, something that will undoubtedly turn heads, something no other VR game has recently done. Despite Valve having a relatively quiet 2048, the year 2019 will most likely be a different case, basing this on the news the company releases in the coming months

What Oculus Rift S Means for Facebook

According to fresh rumors, Oculus Quest possibly is not the only new VR headset Facebook intends to unveil in 2019, with the upgraded version nicknamed Rift S expected to be launched by the company. Moreover, integrated into the Rift S will be Oculus Quest’s inside-out tracking and Oculus Go’s advanced screen. Whereas the idea of an upgraded Rift which has marker-free tracking and a better screen seaming attractive, not everyone is completely loving this idea.

The decision to launch Rift S rather than a full follow-up with better innovations such as integrated eye-tracking and a 4K display is supposedly among the reasons why, Brendan Iribe, a former Oculus CEO opted to leave the company earlier this year. If the release of Rift S would possibly cause delays in the launch of a more innovative successor for a couple of years to come, consequently making Facebook lose this battle to Valve. Therefore, we never will be able to realize how tracking holds up to the Rift’s current outside-in approach, despite us being doubtful that active game with plenty of movement such as Lone Echo will reach the same standards. Thus, Facebook needs to watch its steps with the Rift S carefully.

What Moves Google, HTC, and Microsoft Have Planned

Whereas the spotlight in 2019 remains on Valve and Facebook, there are other VR firms which could make waves. Despite HTC’s Vive Pro not entirely living up to expectations of being the true successor to Vive as expected, the tease of a Vive Cosmos trademark, as well as the new reveal of 6DOF for the Vive focus, proves HTC still has the necessary expertise. Furthermore, Google which is also in the same position with Daydream being VR’s most vague platform, however, the Mirage Solo has 6DOF controllers which possibly would bring Google to the lead.

Nevertheless, Microsoft is the company we most are interested in, especially so since its Windows Mixed Reality-based PC VR headsets provide users with the most affordable route into PC VR. Now, it is still unclear the direction the company intends to take in the console department. According to reports, Microsoft has canned any plans for VR on the Xbox One; however, the last E3 tease of the next-generation Xbox consoles has reignited hopes it may be unveiled in the new gadget. So the next real question is whether 2019 is the year we will finally meet the PlayStation 5 and the next Xbox, only then can we guess what this means for the console VR.

What Is Sony’s Wave 3?

Sony has without a doubt had an excellent 2018, starting with the Wipeout VR, then the Firewall Zero Hour and lastly Astro Bot giving this company the possibly the best library of titles in VR. Shuhei Yoshida of Sony stated the company’s goal in 2018 was to bring ‘full’ gaming experience, and the company certainly did achieve that.

So, what should we expect in 2019? We honestly have no idea of what to expect in PSVR in 2019. Whereas Sony’s London Blood & Truth almost being released, the jury is still skeptical if it will live up to the best games of 2018, and besides this game, we only know of a few third-party games. Therefore, it about time Sony’s new UK-based VR studio shows us what it is currently working on plus we still are eager to know how Media Molecule’s Dreams will perform in VR. Additionally, Sony has bigger games on the way which will keep the momentum going since PSVR is the best reason to get into VR.

The game industry has always been very keen in updating the consumers of the latest news and these 5 Big Questions For the Game Industry in 2019 are just the tip of the iceberg. Expect more revelations to come in the following days ahead.