Technology does not stand still. Even if we think we don’t need a new technology, companies and media launch all-out offensives to convince us we do. Bluray, HD, 4K, 3D – a few of the most recent visual technologies to flood the market in an attempt to part us with our hard earned dollars. In some instances, like Bluray and High-Definition televisions, the technology made sense to us and it’s now quite difficult to find a home that doesn’t have an 18:9 television and some form of Bluray disc player. 4K has been a bit slower off the mark and 3D never really caught on despite some aggressive marketing. If you’ve been paying attention then you now know that Virtual Reality (VR) is the next big push.
VR isn’t a new technology overall – it’s just the hardware and software required to make it work well-enough is finally available on a large scale. Is this the future? Online debates are pretty evenly split. Many consumers and, of course, the companies pushing this tech are saying it’s a must have. The rest aren’t convinced yet, citing inferior graphics, cost and somewhat ridiculously clunky gear. After all, if people don’t want to sit at home and wear hipster-like glasses to see 3D, are they really going to want to strap on a massive headset for VR?
Nonetheless, VR is pushing ahead and more and more companies are offering hardware and apps. It turns out the whole VR thing is more than just gaming related too. In order to get in on the potential market everyone seems to be trying to sell a related VR app which has led to some rather ‘interesting’ and bizarre uses for this growing trend.