Globally, millions of workers have been adjusting to a new work-life balance either as hybrid or fully remote workers. The shift has been considered overwhelmingly positive, as spending more time working from home tends to simplify some of life’s logistics. However, one result of this shift is the availability of virtual and home-based entertainment.
Because technology has been able to push the frontiers of entertainment, there are constantly new things to achieve—all without leaving the couch. For example, the live streaming boom has led thousands to start their own streaming channels, which allows them to focus on their interests while building a community. Though once focused on gaming, platforms like Twitch and YouTube have diversified greatly over the last five years.
Shifting away from live streaming, let’s focus on five other activities that you can do from home—without spending an arm and a leg to stay entertained.
Head to the Virtual Casino
Virtual casinos have been around for over two decades. In fact, some of the first ‘multi-player’ games to go online back in the 1990s were blackjack and poker rooms. Today, casino fans have dozens of options to choose from.
For example, if you’re a fan of online slots, you can explore a list of titles on PokerStars Casino or another popular, established platform. Because slots are the world’s most popular casino game, there are dozens of options on offer from a variety of slot developers. Players will have enough content to spend an entire evening at their preferred virtual casino.
Get Up Close & Personal with Wildlife
Let’s drift back toward streaming for just a moment. As we mentioned above, streams have diversified greatly over the last five years. One of the latest categories to see a ton of attention is wildlife and zoo cams. These streams allow viewers to get up close and personal with some of our world’s wildest and most majestic creatures.
There are plenty of publications that list the top options available to watch now, from Cornell University to wildlife habitats like ‘Shark Lagoon’.
Pilot a Plane
Many are surprised to hear that learning how to pilot a plane is an option for virtual learners—and even more are stunned to learn that the top option on the market is a video game from Microsoft. Microsoft Flight Simulator has been around for decades and is realistic enough that many educators use the game to help teach their students. Keep in mind that MFS is a video game that requires gaming software and hardware. However, if you’re not a traditional gamer, you can always download MFS straight to your laptop. If that’s a bit too involved, then keep in mind that there are ‘online ground schools’ that take a more traditional approach to piloting education.
Attend a Virtual Concert
One reason why virtual casinos shifted online in the 1990s was to reach more players—many of whom couldn’t simply head to a brick-and-mortar establishment. Today, this trend is more applicable to concerts. As VR and AR technology evolve, there are more options than ever before for remote fans to attend live concerts.
Most virtual concerts are pre-recorded and available for those who may not have VR or AR technology. In other words, they can be viewed like a TV show. However, there’s a growing trend that includes live and VR-ready concerts, such as John Legend’s ‘A Night for Bigger Love’, which was presented by Wave.
Escape the Room with Friends (or Strangers…)
So far, we’ve covered a wide range of virtual activities. Most are focused on entertainment, while some include elements of education. In this case, we’re combining both—having fun and tapping into the brain’s power in order to solve a puzzle and escape the (virtual) room. With a few Google searches, you should be able to find an escape room that suits your interests.
For example, you can find rooms that allow you to invite friends, while others will pair you up with remote strangers. Similarly, you’ll find escape rooms that focus on themes like steampunk, spycraft, horror, and the Space Race, to name a few.
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