Is Fishing VR’s Next Breakout Opportunity?

As the industry balloons, it will open a vast number of opportunities for development studios that identify trends early.

One expectation of VR is that it will be used to offer replications of real-world experiences, and fishing could be something that gains a lot of interest. Some VR fishing options have already been released, and there could be many more as the technology advances.

Fishing’s Digital Presence

The fact that fishing already has a lot of virtual representation suggests that it could be a prime candidate to be a successful VR genre. There are digital fishing options across a range of verticals, ranging from console gaming to the online casino market. For instance, the Big Bass Bonanza slot game from Pragmatic Play offers a cartoony way to experience fishing themes. The game is part of a wider Big Bass series that includes multiple titles, suggesting there’s a market for this type of content.

On console, players can choose from numerous fishing titles, some offering realism and others focusing on storylines. Fishing Planet and Russian Fishing 4 are among the most realistic, while titles like Dredge transform deep-sea fishing into an eerie Lovecraftian adventure. Plenty of mobile fishing games exist as well, including arcade-style titles like Fishing Clash and AC Fishing: Wild Catch.

Why Could Fishing Work So Well in VR?

Fishing has already been adapted for VR with Real VR Fishing on the Meta Quest. The game has been around for more than seven years and is currently regarded as the best fishing option available in VR. It aims to offer realistic environments that represent real-world locations. However, due to the limitations of the technology, the background scenery is static outside of the localised water and animal animations.

The current leading VR fishing game provides a blueprint for what could be to come as VR technology progresses. In the future, the environments may be photorealistic and fully explorable, allowing players to go way beyond the current experience of mainly being in a static position in each location.

Fishing could prove a popular choice for people who want to feel like they have escaped to nature without having to travel anywhere. If the games are realistic enough, they could represent the next best thing to sitting out in the great outdoors. In a world in which people are spending an increasing amount of time online, it’s important to have this type of escapism that can help them relax and reset.

VR is still a speculative industry, and there’s no indication right now that it will become an essential piece of technology. Big tech firms are working hard to advance it, though, and it could have a greater impact in the 2030s. If this happens, software that simulates real-world experiences such as fishing could be popular.

Read the full article →