Virtual Reality Is Here to Stay. Probably.
Cade Aguda, our resident VR whiz, goes deep on new tech.
It’s easy to be skeptical about emerging technologies. We live in a time where cultural fads are prevalent. Consumers exhausted by capitalism realize it is only a matter of time before their latest purchases are deemed obsolete. There is always a new iPhone, or the latest gaming PC, or the hottest social media apps. But considering the larger context and lifespans of these technologies may encourage a wiser perspective of their inevitable fleeting nature. How many really stick around for that long, excluding the dominant well established monopolies? That can leave me with a sense of dissatisfaction for their impermanence. Virtual Reality, an industry in its relative infancy, will be here for decades to come.
After doing a remote internship for 3 months at a VR company, I decided it was time to finally see what the big deal was about. I imagined the countless hours of editing footage of VR experiences had adequately prepared me, but I was wrong. As I put on my Oculus Quest and entered virtual reality for the first time, my excitement could hardly be contained. I was plucked from my own reality and hurled through hyperspace; all I could do was hang on tight and embrace every aspect of this new world.
Courtesy of Facebook
Soon enough, I finished the tutorial and entered a multiplayer lobby of Echo VR, a science fiction zero gravity frisbee sports game whose competitive scene is just beginning to emerge. I waved to someone. And they waved back. Such a small but simple interaction struck me hard. VR is one of those rare technologies nearly impossible to judge accurately before experiencing it yourself; language will often fail to nail down your feeling of total presence in an alien world. The novelty it offers, while eventually subsiding, is hardly another form of instant gratification which so many of us are used to.
Courtesy of Facebook
While one of the most popular uses of Virtual Reality is gaming, this will not be true for long. Developers are forced to cater to that audience, but more and more companies are exploring its benefits for other more worthwhile purposes: namely, immersive learning and remote working environments. The early research is seriously encouraging.
Immersion is one word you’ll hear VR-centric tech companies toting endlessly, which is honestly justified. What constitutes being immersed in an experience? You’re not distracted and fully present, in the purest sense. You forget about your phone, about what you need to do for the day, and embrace being somewhere or someone else for a little bit. In VR, your environment is manufactured for a particular purpose. Everything in VR happens to you, and who doesn’t like to be the center of attention? To feel like everything that’s happening, is happening for you?
Glorifying the escapism VR offers to an unhealthy degree is actually detrimental. Admittedly it is a double-edged sword, especially during a time when many experiencing loneliness may be particularly vulnerable. Without Oculus including a clock in their main menu, my sense of time would be completely off kilter. This is perhaps the single Black Mirror warning which should be heeded; as enticing as VR can be, there’s nothing quite like that genuine human connection you get in real life. The global pandemic, which has increased self-isolation and forced many to find more creative ways to socialize, has placed VR under the lens of true critical public opinion for the first time, in a serious way that transcends silly science-fiction stereotypes about the technology.
Courtesy of Facebook
I encourage anyone who has the means to pick up a VR headset to do so sooner rather than later. Their price is steep at 400 - 500 USD for a new Oculus Quest, and yet, there’s a reason they are constantly sold out: Oculus can hardly make them fast enough to keep up with demand.
Additionally, download Sidequest to download Early Access games to support developers.
Best Free Experiences on the Oculus Store:
First Steps
Echo VR
Rec Room
Best Free Experiences on SideQuest:
Liminal
Ancient Dungeons
Pavlov: Shack
Pokémon VR