Introduction to Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) has been a subject of interest for a long time, with many predicting it could turn out to be as common as televisions in homes. However, despite improvements within the technology, it has yet to take off. Anna Taylor, a 32-year-old gamer, recently visited a VR arcade and was impressed by the experience. "When I put within the earpieces and goggles the primary time it was crazy – it feels so believable," she says. "The whole experience of being immersed in a compelling virtual world is incredible."
The Problem with At-Home VR
Anna has since visited the east London arcade over and over, but she won’t be buying her own virtual reality headset. "I would not put money into buying virtual reality applications for home," she explains. "It’s nice to play more of a basic game if you end up twiddling with other people, [and] since it’s brand recent there are more layers of pleasure. But once you’re [playing] on your individual, you would like the standard you might be used to." As a keen gamer, Anna must be a part of the core audience for at-home VR entertainment. But her lack of interest is pretty common, and it implies that virtual reality headsets have yet to take off.
Collective Experience
However, one space during which virtual reality is prospering is group entertainment. By its nature, VR offers a gateway to a shared world, and in a gaggle setting, everyone gets change from £20 fairly than shelling out tons of for a headset. East London VR arcade Otherworld launched last yr and already sees 1,000 visitors per week through its doors, 60% of whom are female and half aged 25-34. "Millennials are spending their income an increasing number of on shared experience over consumption," says co-founder Chris Adams. "Otherworld’s immersion rooms provide the space and technology for a hyper-real, undisturbed journey into virtual reality which can’t be achieved at home."
Beyond Entertainment
Because of its immersive nature, virtual reality can be increasingly used to encourage empathy or create unique experiences. Virtual reality is getting used to assist individuals with dementia revisit their past. Mainstream use of virtual reality in our homes and workplaces was probably one of the crucial popular technology predictions of the past half century. Unlike flying cars or teleportation, virtual reality headsets have been in development because the late Sixties. Despite these bursts of optimism, it has never quite broken through. Today, few own their very own headsets or use virtual reality of their day-to-day work.
The Future of VR
Consultancy CCS Insights estimates 10 million headsets shall be in circulation worldwide by the top of 2019, 21% growth on the previous yr. However, this "might sound disappointing considering the large hype" around VR, with still only a handful of successful devices available. A significant issue is that the value of headsets has remained very expensive. "I feel VR stays a really area of interest technology," says James Gautrey, a portfolio manager at Schroders who specialises in analysing technology stocks. "Mass adoption stays impeded by the hardware required to run it, in my view. Take videogames – you would like a really powerful PC, an excellent amount of space, sensors arrange around it, and naturally the VR helmet itself. The cost runs to hundreds and for many it is totally impractical not to say too expensive."
Conclusion
In conclusion, while virtual reality has not yet turn out to be a mainstream technology, it remains to be getting used in various ways, equivalent to in group entertainment and to encourage empathy. The high cost of headsets and the necessity for powerful hardware are major barriers to its adoption. However, because the technology continues to enhance and turn out to be cheaper, we might even see virtual reality turn out to be more widely utilized in the long run. For now, it stays a distinct segment technology with a dedicated but limited audience. Despite this, firms like Otherworld and Hammerhead VR are finding modern ways to make use of virtual reality to create unique experiences and supply value to their customers. As the technology continues to evolve, it would be interesting to see how virtual reality is utilized in the long run and whether it would eventually turn out to be a mainstream technology.
