Virtual reality is not a new concept, but it’s been getting a lot of attention recently. The media has discussed the potential for virtual reality games and how it might change the way we socialize. But there are many other applications for this new technology, from business to medicine and beyond. From what VR currently is to where it can go, here are six facts you may not have known about virtual reality and where it’s going in the future.
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What You Need to Know About Virtual Reality
For decades scientists have been trying to make computer screens more like windows so that people would forget they are looking at something artificial. This has been done with varying results. In the 1980’s many “heads up displays” were developed, but people tended to be sick from the lack of movement in their environment.
One of the first platforms for virtual reality was the Nintendo Virtual Boy, which was released in 1995. While it had some success and was notable because it was one of Nintendo’s few failures, it didn’t sell well at all. The technology is basically obsolete and very few people have a VR headset sitting around their house collecting dust somewhere.
For the 15 years after the release of the Virtual Boy, virtual reality technology was left largely ignored. But in 2012 Palmer Luckey created a prototype of the Oculus Rift using a modified smartphone thanks to increasing screen sizes like the 6.7 screen size on the latest Apple handset, this led to an early prototype of the VR headset. At the time, many people were concerned about motion sickness in a true VR environment. The Rift addressed their concerns by having rotational tracking: even though you would be moving your head your view would not change which meant there was no combing effect or nausea.
Virtual reality is being used by a few people in their daily lives right now, but it’s mostly a niche technology. There is an increasing number of business applications as well, such as training simulations and marketing and research tools. Some entertainment companies are also making virtual reality more interesting with experiences and immersive games.
While virtual reality is not a new concept, what is new is the rise of more advanced virtual reality technology.
The Rise of VR and What’s Next
Some people have argued that virtual reality will be a fad and won’t last long. To do this, they claim that the technology is easy to copy and doesn’t have big appealing applications. However the success of VR headsets shows that there is something people care about and want to experience.
One thing people are predicting is the end of all standalone computers. With virtual reality, there would be no need for many PCs because you would just need a Heads Up Display (HUD), which would be optional. The computer you are using as your main device could be stationary or even a smartphone if you want to keep portable computing. In this way, most PC makers could skip making laptops and just make a headset instead.
While many people are excited about the idea of virtual reality, there are some who are still skeptical. One of the biggest concerns is that people will get sick from their VR experience, which is something that happened with previous hardware like the Nintendo Virtual Boy. There have already been attempts to address this in more advanced headsets and more will be developed as time goes on.
In conclusion, it will be exciting to see where virtual reality goes from here. With the introduction of more powerful computers and better displays, the technology is only going to improve and become more widespread.
