One minute you’re in the comfort of your bedroom, the next you’re transported to a deserted wasteland once known as Earth that is currently being overrun by a colony of alien robots. All in a blink of an eye!
Well, that’s virtual reality (VR) in a nutshell for you.
While not a new concept, the popularity of VR has only been on the rise for the past couple of years with VR technology constantly improving. Take the new Oculus Quest 2 set for release on October 13th, it is equipped with the latest Snapdragon XR2 chipset, to ensure the running of much better quality games. Furthermore, unlike its predecessor the Oculus Quest, the Quest 2 claims to have more pixels per eye, which would translate into improved sharpness and an all in all more seamless and immersive experience.
Some popular VR games today include Beat Saber, Half-Life: Alyx, and even Minecraft. Having had some experience playing VR myself, I would say that though the experience was really immersive and thoroughly enjoyable, a majority of VR games today haven’t fully utilized the potential of VR. Personally, the game that comes the closest to imitating real-life would be Half-Life: Alyx, where shooting and reloading guns operate the same way as a gun would in the real world.
That being said, the possibilities with VR are seemingly endless, giving game developers a ton to work with and I feel that this could be a very promising gateway into spreading environmental awareness. It was found that the immersion of VR could actually enhance one’s understanding of various concepts. Couple this with the interactive aspect of video games and I think we have a new platform for education in the future.
While most VR games available today are rather short in gameplay and simplistic, one such game that hinges on this concept is Trash Rage, where it is the year 2049 on Earth but instead, it is now a rubbish-filled wasteland governed by robots. Essentially uninhabitable, your job as one of the few remaining survivors who relocated to Mars is to return to Earth and restore it, making it habitable for humanity once again. During a demo of the game, it was noted that other than engaging the player, bystanders were equally engaged by the game as well, as they were actively throwing hints to the player on how to play the game. Personally, I think that the positive response is largely attributed to how the message of the importance of recycling is delivered through the form of a game. This way, the message would be relayed to the player in a fun and lighthearted manner, rather than making them feel like they need to “learn” something.
Despite there being simulations of climate change and its resultant consequences available through VR, which are still a good method of raising environmental awareness, I feel that incorporating them into games would greatly enhance receptiveness. Being able to experience it is one thing, but creating a lasting impression is another, which to me, being the main protagonist in a post-apocalyptic world would definitely do the trick.
Till next time!
Cheers,
Tricia
Hi Tricia,
Interesting post. I’ve never tried VR, but it occurs to me to wonder whether this could be used in schools and in educational programmes to engage mobility-limited individuals. For instance, could VR allow someone who can’t travel to be transported to the Arctic and see the incredible wildlife in 3D but also see the dwindling habitat ? Or could it be used to get kids to engage in a simulation of how their decisions to buy or not buy something have knock-down effects on people in another place ?
Just some things that came to mind reading this.
jc
Hi Dr Coleman,
Yes indeed VR can be used for educational purposes as well! Although the more commonly known purpose of purchasing VR headsets is to play VR games, there have already been instances where VR was used to educate/raise environmental awareness. For example, there was a study done by Stanford and the University of Oregon called the “Stanford Ocean Acidification Experience” which allows the user to take on the persona of a coral on a coral reef and experience the effects of acidification first hand. The VR program was tested in high schools, colleges and with some adults as well! Overall, the response was positive e.g. users retained the information they learned about ocean acidification, so I do believe VR could be used more in education but perhaps the limiting factor would be the cost of obtaining the headsets. I think it would be a good investment to make nonetheless!
Cheers,
Tricia
Hi Tricia! Gaming does sound like a really good intervention tool to promote learning relating to environmental issues. I agree that in VR games, gamers would be much more receptive to the environmental issues.
Wondering if you know any VR games suitable for primary school students that can help raise environmental awareness. It’s hard to let my young cousins to understand the consequences of food wastage, importance of recycling etc.
Thanks!
-rachel
Hi Rachel!
Thank you for checking out my blog and I’m glad to see that you’re interested in VR gaming! Off the top of my head some games that I can recommend are Minecraft and No Man’s Sky. They’re not specifically environmentally-themed per see (in the sense that they don’t have a clear environmental message) but the games are very survival-focused, with gameplay revolving around the player’s decision on resource use in the world that they are placed in. I think for younger kids such games could be a good way to introduce them to our environmental issues because besides being engaging (the games allows for a lot of freedom of choice & creativity e.g. building homes or structures in Minecraft), they also teach one about the importance & consequences of having limited resources, which I think is a good stepping stone to understanding our environmental issues faced today!
Regards,
Tricia