Mixed Reality Is the Future of VR Gaming

Person using a virtual reality headset while holding a VR controller in a simulated environment.

Mixed reality blends the digital world with the physical one, whereas virtual reality blocks the physical one out. But as game developers are finding, and Unreal Engine 4's upcoming mixed reality support conveys, these two ideas belong together.

UploadVR reports on Epic Games' announcement of the Unreal Engine 4.13 that adds support for developing mixed reality experiences. Like with Unity, a competing game development environment, a camera setup can allow video capture of you interacting with a virtual environment.

Basically, it's the difference between the first-person perspective you would see in a VR headset and a third-person perspective that renders what an onlooker would see (as depicted in the video above). This approach makes for a more compelling demonstration of what makes VR immersive. It also allows gamers to fulfill a common dream: to actually see oneself inside of a game.

With Unreal and Unity both supporting mixed reality capabilities, we're sure to see more VR games interacting directly with us and our physical environment. Mixed reality is ultimately more immerse because it offers those benefits and really functions as a natural evolution for VR.

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Cover image by Hoopermation VR

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