Virtual Reality Headsets are wearable technology that allows the user to play games, attend meetings, exercise, or explore far away lands from the comfort of your home. Depending on the brand and setup, VR can be just the headset and two hand controllers alone, or include leg-sensors, face-trackers, Haptic Vests and even a VR treadmill that allows the user to move their body to navigate worlds in-game instead of using a traditional controller. VR technology can support itself without additional software, but if the user wants to use a PC gaming platform like Steam, they will need the MetaQuest PC application and Steam downloaded to stream those games to the VR headset. VR headsets need to connect to the internet to connect to the various game servers associated with each MetaQuest game. There are multiple VR headsets available to the public, the most popular and affordable being the Oculus MetaQuest 2 and 3, and the VIVE headsets.
Ivan Sutherland and his lab assistant created the first VR headset in 1968.
Virtual Reality while mainly a gaming device, can also serve as an interactive conference device. VR can also allow users to ‘meet’ in a realistic setting while anywhere in the world.
Potential drawbacks of using a VR headset are mainly health risks associated with epilepsy as the constant bright and flashing lights can trigger seizures. User with vertigo can also easily be affected as the movement in-game can cause nausea.
As Meta continues to fund VR game development and makes the devices more affordable, we might see more offices using these devices for working from home, more games being developed by indie studios and more ways to fully immerse users in to their games with haptics catering to all five main senses.