Bruce Dias 
Someone new to the world of gaming could be forgiven for assuming that virtual sports is the same thing as esports. After all, the names are similar and seem to indicate the same thing – a digital version of sport. But the two are actually two very different things that actually don’t have much of an overlap.
While they have a few things in common, and you might hear the terms in similar contexts, there are fewer similarities than divergences. Today, we’re looking at what each is and where we find the important differences.
Esports Explained
As most people know, esports (also sometimes written eSports or e-sports) is quite simply the competitive version of gaming. Real players compete in multiplayer video games – in other words, there are real humans involved in the outcome of each result.
Esports can be divided into subcategories, determined by which video game is being played. The most common games played in competitive gaming are the following:
- Dota 2. In Dota 2, two teams of five players fight to destroy each other’s base, and the players get to choose their own heroes with unique strengths. Winning requires skill, strategy, and teamwork. One of the biggest esports tournaments, The International, features Dota 2.
- CS:GO. In Counter-Strike, two teams again compete in shooting matches. One team is terrorists, and their mission is to plant a bomb. The other is a team of counter-terrorists, whose job is to defuse said bomb. Skill and precision matter a lot in these competitions, and the game is really fast-paced.
- FIFA. FIFA lets players control soccer teams, the goal being to score more than the opponent. FIFA is quite realistic, has a global fanbase, and this esport is often interesting to watch for real soccer fans.
- Fortnite. In Fortnite, the premise is 100 players dropped onto an island, and only one winner. The fighters build creative structures and use weapons to eliminate the competition. While Fortnite isn’t built for esports in the typical sense, it’s become a hit with massive tournaments online.
- Valorant. Valorant is a game where two teams of five use guns and other powers to complete objectives. To win a Valorant tournament, players need to be precise, skillful, and good at teamwork.
The rules might vary somewhat from tournament to tournament. While some games are more naturally suited to an esports format, others are less so and need to be adjusted with additional rules. Players can compete in teams or as individuals.
Today, there are many big professional tournaments every year. The best eSports player can make a living from the sport – competitions often have huge prize pools, and sponsorships and partnerships are also common. Additionally, players can earn money from streaming on Twitch and YouTube.
No matter which game is being played, the winners are determined by player skill, strategy, and (oftentimes) teamwork – luck doesn’t have much of a role.
People can also choose to bet on esports, and in these cases, strategy and research will often be more important than chance.
In other words, it’s different from playing casino games, like slots, where luck plays a central role. Esportsinsider provides an expert analysis covering the best online casinos in Australia that allow players to play for real money.
Esports can be considered a full-fledged sport, very similar to any other sport today, in the sense that it’s played for fun, for entertainment, and to compete. The best esports stars also have coaching, training, and even nutritionists to ensure they’re in the best possible shape to play.
This is Virtual Sports
Let’s talk about virtual sports. Virtual sports differ from esports in many ways, and the most important one is that they are not made up of real matches being played out by real players. They’re simply digital simulations of real sports, and the matches are created using algorithms and chance.
Virtual sports are used for betting rather than anything else. There are no sponsorships or real tournaments, and virtual sports can even run 24/7, so bettors can play or watch the sports anytime.
The sports are based on real ones, including:
- Soccer.
- Horse racing.
- Greyhound racing.
- Tennis.
- Cycling.
- Motorsports.
The matches or races in virtual sports are short, lasting only a few minutes before the player can see the result. These sessions are visually played out in high-quality graphics, designed to look realistic, but they’re naturally less dynamic than the real sport would be. Results differ, since there is an element of chance in the game, but overall, the matches tend to follow a rather predictable format based on some algorithm.
This means that virtual sports are used for entertainment and betting rather than competition – it’s not really about the matches playing out. It’s more like spinning the roulette wheel or a slot machine.
Some people might wonder why anyone would want to bet on virtual sports rather than the real thing. There are some real benefits to virtual sports, including the fact that they can be played more frequently and aren’t disrupted by external factors, like the weather or injuries.
Virtual Sports vs Esports – Most Important Differences
Now that we’ve clarified how each works, you’ll have some idea of the differences between them. In short, these are the most important differences between virtual sports and esports:
- Esports is about the competition; virtual sports are about entertainment.
- Esports is based on skill; virtual sports are chance and pre-programmed algorithms.
- Esports is a sport like any other; virtual sports are just a simulation of real sports.
- Esports has become a massive industry with sponsorships and tournaments; virtual sports are just short matches played out regularly for the bettors.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, esports and virtual sports don’t really have all that much in common, despite their similar-sounding names. Besides the fact that you can bet on both, there are really not very many similarities.
If you’re into video games, you’ll likely find learning more about esports interesting – and you might even learn a thing or two from watching the pros at work. On the other hand, if you’re more interested in sports betting but wouldn’t mind a more convenient version with faster-paced matches, then you might want to look more into virtual sports.
