Virtual Reality games are popular because it gives you the chance to step into a completely different world from reality. Fight monsters that seem lifelike or take a ride on the most exciting roller coaster ever without standing in line. The feeling of really being there is called immersion.

This is not only the case with entertainment games with monsters or roller coasters. There are also educational VR experiences that give the same degree of immersion. One example is Reducept: a serious game in which patients learn to cope with chronic pain. Immersion helps to make rehabilitation exercises more fun. As a result, the patient does the exercises more often and for longer, making the treatment more effective. And while the patient enjoys the Virtual Reality experience, the therapist can see progression in the rehabilitation process.

Studies have shown that students who use Virtual Reality to learn, experience more positive emotions. This leads to an improved learning experience when compared to traditional and video learning methods. 

A serious game without VR can often suffice to teach skills. However, there may be particular challenges where it is important to see enough depth. Think of surgeons who have to learn how to operate, in which depth plays a crucial role. By using VR, it is possible to make practice sessions so realistic that the exercise of a surgical procedure can be accurately imitated.

VR gives a better perception of depth than 2D or even 3D games. The experience is closer to the real world in terms of movement and spaciousness and is therefore more realistic, even if the game world is not necessarily realistic. Because of the better perception of depth and closeness to the real world, the actions in VR also feel more natural and intuitive.

Training medical staff can often only be done on-site. Consider using a simulator or practising on a cadaver. These devices or materials are often scarce and cannot be used at home. Virtual Reality can be used at work, but also from the living room. A Virtual Reality environment only needs to be developed once.

Virtual Reality is also easy to use. Of course, the user must be instructed and familiarize themselves with the product. Fortunately, these processes are completed in no time. It is important that the VR glasses are on your head properly and that they are set correctly. Furthermore, people often do not realize the 3D-view you can have with VR. A short instruction such as “look 360 degrees around you” helps someone to become comfortable with the technology. After that, the user can get started on their own.

Low-cost VR headsets that produce really immersive experiences with good-enough graphics and sound, open up brilliant new opportunities for training and education.

It’s long been the Grendel Games view that people train more, not only when it’s fun, but when those training opportunities are available to them any time and any place. That was the rationale behind the award winning, very well researched and validated laparoscopic training game Underground, that used the Nintendo Wii, the most suitable console of the time. We’ve now got a long term view that low-cost VR headsets are the hardware solution, to enable better access to training in a realistic and fun way. How could you use this technology to train your customers remotely, at a fraction of the cost of employing dedicated high cost simulator hardware?