VR Brings GTA V Violence To A Whole New Level

We’re getting closer to new experiences, and VR brings GTA V violence to a whole new level that might disturb some while others will widen their eyes in excitement. It’s likely safe to say that such extreme violence in games will be walking a fine line. It will be up to the players themselves to see on which side they fall on.

• The VR mod for GTA V was created by Joseph Delgado
• He used the Razer Hydra peripheral, full with hand-tracking motions and controllers
• Delgado stated that a very interesting aspect of VR will be guilt in violent games

Modder Joseph Delgado made use of the Razer Hydra peripheral for the purpose of creating a virtual reality mod for Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V). That means that the first-person mode might just be taking a backseat. While it’s a new addition to the GTA franchise, virtual reality could take it up a notch and move the series in a whole new direction. But is it a good one? Shooting down people might never feel the same in games.

Delgado stated that he created just a short part of the mod before he started testing it, and he found a very interesting side of it. His mouth dropped the first time he shot someone. Delgado said that he actually felt guilty for lifting the gun and killing off a random NPC walking around the streets of Los Santos. It’s a fascinating aspect of virtual reality that it can immerse you into a world, but you have to take the good and the bad.

GTA V is an already violent game with a first-person shooter view available. However, it’s quite different when you not only see through the eyes of the character, but you’re actually placed in their shoes. It’s one thing to use your mouse to aim the gun, and another to physically bring up the controller, aim the weapon, and pull the trigger. The sounds, the visuals, the impact, it’s all happening as if it’s truly around you. And that could be highly disturbing.

We’re trained as human beings to have such a reaction in real life, according to Delgado. Virtual reality is getting better and better, and with it, the experience will look more realistic. But getting close to the reality of killing someone might just be horrifying. He suggested that any “average, good person” will have this sort of reaction at least the first few times. However, the guilt will pass as soon as you get used to the fact that it’s only a game.

The matter will be long debated though, especially by those who already believe violence in video games is related to violence in real life. Some believe that the impact is desensitizing the population to horrific acts against other human beings. One can only assume what will happen to those debates when virtual reality is added into the mix. It will bring the possibility of actually committing such gestures much closer to the player. If it gets too real, we might just become used to it.

However, it should be considered that there are two sides to this coin. While it could arrive with truly disturbing experiences, there is an exciting potential that could be explored. If it can truly result in powerful emotions, there is such a wide range of positive ones that could expressed in a way we have not seen before in games. Happiness, enthusiasm, thrill, adrenaline, or even a relaxing, therapeutic sensation could also see a genuine application. Don’t imagine just shooting and stabbing. Picture driving a car at speeds you would never otherwise dare or flying planes.

Playing games like GTA V in virtual reality will not be just horrifying, but thrilling as well.

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