Introduction

When introduced to a new volume, it's natural to ask, ‘Why?’ In this case, why focus on virtual reality (VR) gaming? There are two answers to this. The first is prosaic – it's not been done before, in this form. The second is important. The promise of VR has always been that the medium will improve immersion, embodiment and presence on the part of the user. Video games have always been differentiated from other media in terms of these qualities though, so there is a major question as to whether VR can bring anything new with regards to this. This book therefore investigates what, if anything, VR can bring to immersion, embodiment and presence in line with this historic promise. While VR isn't new – its roots trace back to the 1980s and 1990s with early devices like the DataGlove and Audiosphere – it hasn't always lived up to its hype, particularly in terms of immersion, embodiment and presence (Evans, 2018; Shields, 2005). Early VR couldn't create a truly convincing sense of being in a digital world. That has now changed. Today's VR landscape, with advanced systems like Sony's PSVR2 and Meta Quest 3, offers affordable, sophisticated technology that provides genuinely new gaming experiences. Successful VR games like SuperHot VR, Beat Saber, Boneworks, Half-Life: Alyx and Job Simulator demonstrate the medium's potential and have shown that there is a market for gaming in the medium. This volume explores how contemporary VR is transforming immersion, embodiment and presence in gaming. The emergence of VR in gaming poses challenges to researchers around rethink the relationship between system, player and gameplay, much like the techno-utopian visions of the 1990s envisioned but did not realise.