Why Virtual Reality Might Not Be the Future of Gaming

Virtual reality was once seen as the big new frontier in gaming, with many industry experts predicting it could redefine how we play. The 2021 period was a good year for VR headset market growth, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous notable VR headsets, such as the HTC Vive Pro 2, Apple Vision Pro, and Meta Quest series, have offered players uniquely immersive virtual reality gaming experiences that consoles cannot match. However, the future of virtual reality doesn’t seem so bright as the VR gaming market is currently in a state of decline.

A 2025 Counterpoint market report revealed that VR headset shipments fell by 12% in 2024. An alternative Omdia industry research report also reveals declining VR headset sales for a third consecutive year. Thus, the virtual reality gaming market has been in decline since the more promising 2021 period.

Many expected that the new Apple Vision Pro VR headset would revitalize the virtual gaming market in 2024. However, Apple’s entry into the world of virtual reality did little to stop the rot in VR gaming. These are some of the biggest reasons why virtual reality might not be the future of gaming after all.

Motion Sickness

Motion sickness caused by moving virtual environments has been a persistent virtual reality issue for years that has not been fully resolved. Although this doesn’t affect all VR games, the most action-intensive titles can make players feel nauseous when playing them. I didn’t think much of so-called motion sickness until I had to take off my Meta Quest 2 headset to lie down for about 15 minutes when playing a more action-intensive VR game. Some players (myself included) prefer not to purchase VR games with higher motion sickness ratings.

Lack of Big-Name Game Franchises

There is a notable lack of games from the big-name series available for virtual reality headsets. For example, there aren’t any Witcher, Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, Halo, Mortal Kombat, or EA Sports FC games to play on the virtual reality headsets. Such franchises have many millions of players who aren’t going to abandon their consoles when they can’t play their favorite game series on virtual reality headsets.

Half-Life: Alyx and Tetris Effect are two of the best VR games from big-name franchises you can play on virtual reality headsets. Half-Life: Alyx is widely rated to be the best VR game of all, the much-needed killer app for virtual reality headsets. However, exciting games from the big-name franchises are still too few and far between on virtual reality headsets.

Limited Battery Life

The generally limited battery life of virtual reality headsets is another VR shortcoming. For example, the most popular Meta VR headsets have a battery life of about two to three hours. That wouldn’t be so much of an issue if players could plug in the VR headsets to play games for longer, like they do for laptops, mobiles, and handhelds. However, VR headsets don’t have long enough charger cables for players to do that. Thus, the limited battery life of virtual reality headsets genuinely restricts playing time, which is an annoyance.

The best solution for extending the VR headset battery is to purchase a battery extender pack. For example, the Meta Quest Elite strap extends battery life for its VR headset by a couple of hours. However, purchasing such packs increases the cost of VR gaming.

Overpriced VR Headsets

The price of VR headsets compared to consoles has also put many players off virtual reality gaming, and will continue to do so if companies don’t release more economical headsets. The Apple Vision Pro, retailing at $3,499, is a case in point. PC-tethered alternatives such as the Valve Index VR Kit and HTC Vive Pro 2 are relative bargains in comparison with their $999 and $699 prices. Yet, they’re still somewhat more pricey than the Switch 2. Why stump up thousands for an Apple Vision Pro when you can play plenty of great games on somewhat cheaper consoles?

Virtual reality can’t be the future of gaming with significantly more expensive VR headsets. It’s no coincidence that the most popular VR headsets are the cheaper ones. The Meta Quest 3 is by far the most popular virtual reality device, retailing at a price point more comparable to the Switch 2. It’s also one of the most accessible headsets, for which you don’t need a VR-ready PC.

Lack of Freemium Games

One reason mobile gaming is so popular is that most Android and iOS games are freely available. Windows PC and console players can also indulge themselves in plenty of exciting freemium games like Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Hearthstone, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Apex Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, and PUBG. In comparison, there is a notable shortage of free-to-play virtual reality games, limited to games like Bait (a fishing title), Rec Room (a social platform), Gorilla Tag, and Gun Raiders. This lack of free-to-play VR titles further undermines the value of virtual reality gaming.

VR Doesn’t Work So Well For Some Gaming Genres

Another issue for virtual reality is that some popular gaming genres don’t work that well on VR headsets. Sport, beat ’em ups, third-person shooters, and 4X strategy are four gaming genres that aren’t well represented on virtual reality headsets. Effectively converting games of those genres, traditionally with third-person perspectives, onto VR headsets better suited for first-person is challenging for developers.

The Firaxis Civilization VII game for Meta Quest 3 is a good example of the challenges faced in effectively porting 4X strategy games to VR headsets. Firaxis had to considerably redesign Civilization VII’s menu system and interface by turning it into a tabletop game for virtual reality. That Civilization VII VR game has had negative reviews for its significant technical issues, bugs, and flawed menu system.

Although virtual reality headsets have improved in recent years, the VR issues discussed above continue to hold them back. VR headsets will not become more popular alternatives to consoles unless more is done to remedy those virtual reality issues. The Meta Quest partly addressed the overpriced headset issue to drive virtual reality forward, but that’s not enough to make it the future of gaming. Virtual reality headsets need more exciting games from big-name franchises, more free-to-play titles, longer-lasting batteries, better game genre diversity, and reduced motion sickness to become more serious alternatives to consoles.