I tend to get excited about virtual reality and have wanted to see it succeed for over a decade. While VR has undoubtedly grown, it’s not mainstream due to the barrier to entry. Most notably, requiring beefy PC setups or locked down (like the original PSVR headset). Adding to my growing collection of VR headsets, I preordered the PSVR 2 headset for the PlayStation 5.
There has been work done on untethered VR headsets, failed beginnings with Samsung creating phone VR headsets before Meta struck gold with the Meta Quest. Not only does it support using it by itself, but it can also be connected to a computer. Then you have the heavy, expensive hitters like the HTC Vive Pro 2 for powerful computer VR experiences.
Recently, the BBC published an article titled Why we’ve never fallen in love with virtual reality in which they discuss virtual realities lack of mainstream consumer adoption.
The article then goes on to talk about one VR segment that is thriving: group entertainment. Specifically, virtual reality arcades, theme parks leveraging virtual reality in rides and offering an affordable means of immersing yourself without getting into debt.
Truly immersive virtual reality experiences in 2020 are amazing. In countries like Tokyo, they have numerous public places where VR is employed for fun experiences. Disneyland has been showcasing the power of virtual reality for some time now.
The VR space has been ramping up for a while now, thanks in part to Oculus Rift and the fact that Facebook bought them for a VERY large sum of money a little while ago.
Since Oculus originally debuted on Kickstarter and then were subsequently purchased, a VR arms race was started. Everyone is rushing to get their solution out there, evident by the fact Oculus have been working on their headset for years, the problem of creating a decent functional headset is harder than it appears.