I’ve seen the future of work, and it’s in VR
Your office is now a luxury penthouse. Or a tropical island.
Recently, I got the chance to spend a couple of days with the HTC Vive. Just like the internet makes you believe, it’s an amazing device that does a great job at showing the enormous potential of virtual reality.
The most impressive VR experiences are games like Superhot VR and Robo Recall, both of which transport you to incredibly realistic virtual worlds. But while their stunning graphics and immersive controls are hard to ignore, they might not be the most innovative use of VR.
Interestingly enough, the app that impressed me most doesn’t do anything crazy — it just puts you in a room with a TV and computer. And yet, it feels like the future.
Welcome to your perfect office
Thanks to VR, you can be anywhere you want. So when you go to work, why settle for a noisy open plan office, or a creativity-killing cubicle?
Instead, why not try a luxurious penthouse? The moment you launch BigscreenVR, you’re transported to a beautiful apartment with stunning views. This is your office now.
With a few clicks you open a couple of floating desktop windows, find the apps you need, and get to work. Here, there is nothing to distract you from what you’re trying to get done.
One of the best things about working in VR is that it’s easy to create the perfect working space. Need a bigger screen? Simply resize it until it’s just right. Want a darker environment? Just turn off some lights. No more sunlight reflecting on your screen, no more noisy colleagues — just you and your work.
Next level collaboration
You’ve probably collaborated on a Google Doc before, and it’s still one of the best ways to work together online.
But thanks to VR, online collaboration is taken to the next level. It’s easy to invite anyone into your Bigscreen room, open up some screens and get to work. Whether you’re working on some code or doing a full presentation, VR makes it feel like you’re in the same room with people who could be on the other side of the world.
Every user is represented by an avatar — a floating head and two disembodied hands that accurately depict his or her body movements. This doesn’t only add a sense of realism, it also makes body language an integral part of online collaboration. For example, you’re now able to see where the other person is looking, and point out something on their screen — two things that used to only be possible in real life.
While Bigscreen focuses on creating the perfect collaborative environment, Virtual Desktop is a totally different way to get work done. Instead of offering a multi-user experience, it’s aimed at creating the best replacement of a traditional office space.
Instead of dropping you into a virtual apartment, Virtual Desktop consists of a floating space office that’s pretty bare-bones. There’s a huge screen in front of you that wraps around your field of vision, displaying your desktop just like it would on a normal Windows PC. Thanks to a ton of customization options, it’s easy to create the perfect workspace — that includes being able to switch the environment to a sunny island or have an infinite number of windows floating around you.
It feels like a hyper-productive way to get things done, and if there’s no need to collaborate with others, it’s an incredibly powerful replacement for a traditional IRL workspace.
So… why are offices still a thing?
All of this sounds nice, but VR isn’t exactly a cheap hobby. First, you need to get the HTC Vive kit including controllers and tracking devices for $899. Then you need a powerful enough computer to run VR software, which could set you back anywhere between $1,300 and $2,000, depending on your needs.
The high cost of entry isn’t making it easy for VR to break into the mainstream. But like all technology, prices will eventually drop to be affordable for most people. And with standalone VR headsets on the horizon, having to buy additional hardware will soon be a thing of the past.
VR has a pretty troubled history, and it’s still looking for a way to break through to the mainstream. But while it was long thought games were going to be a main selling point, I wouldn’t be surprised to first see it totally transforming the way we work.
