5 Things I Wish I’d Known About VR

As part of Team VU, I pretty much live and breathe virtual reality. I promote it Research it. Play games with it. Analyse its trends. Sometimes I even dream about it.

But — while my work-life is firmly focused on the future of VR — it’s important to acknowledge the past too.

In July 2016, I tried on my very first headset. A Samsung Gear, if you’re interested. Our very own Samantha Kingston put it on my head and, instantly, I was hooked.

Looking back at my very first experience of VR got me thinking. What have I learned about VR since then? What misconceptions did I have back in 2016?

So, without further ado, here are 5 things I wish I’d known about VR when I first started out….

1. Virtual Reality isn’t just for men.

We have a long way to go in the VR industry before we reach gender equality. We’re still facing discrimination and sexist treatment. And, as is the case across the tech sector, women are sorely underrepresented in leadership roles. Indeed, according to VWVR, only 14% of UK VR companies have any women directors.

But there is a truly astounding community of female virtual reality professionals out there — many of whom are valiant champions for diversity in this sector. There’s also a variety of female-fronted events, panels, and platforms designed to promote female talent in this industry. There’s Women of Wearables & We Are Tech Women. There’s also a document called ‘Vision for Women in Virtual Reality’ which collates research about the current state of the industry and lays out a plan for a more equal future for VR.

It’s not a solution. And, as an industry, we all have a responsibility to do more to create equal opportunities. But it’s a start. There are women in VR. And we’re not going anywhere.

2. It’s not just about gaming.

I’m a massive gamer, so when I first tried VR I was most excited about its gaming capabilities. ‘You mean I can beat up robots in glorious 360 degrees??!!!!!’

I happen to still think that gaming is one of the most exciting areas of interest for a VR enthusiast. But there’s certainly more to VR than games. As a technology its potential applications are endless. It’s a powerful tool for businesses across advertising, manufacturing, retail, health & safety training, architecture, and much more. According to Capgemini, 43% of manufacturing companies say VR will become mainstream in their organisation within the next three years.

The Perkins Coie 2018 VR/AR survey remarks:

“respondents chose gaming as the sector they expected to attract the most [XR] investment for the coming year. But gaming’s position was not as strong in 2018, with retail, military and defence, and real estate among the areas making gains.”

3. The VR industry is always changing. And that’s a good thing.

There are lots of facts about VR. (I’ve even had a hand in reporting on a few of them myself). Right now, its consumers skew young. It can boost customer sentiment. It can improve audience engagement. The daily-usage rates for headset owners is surprisingly low.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt about VR over the last 4 years, it’s that the VR industry is always changing. Since I first tried out virtual reality, there have been many game-changing developments. High-end headsets have gone wireless. VR has become increasingly integrated with other emerging technologies like eye-tracking. And much more…

The world of VR is constantly reinventing itself. We’re working with a frontier technology. What’s true of it now, might not be in 5 years.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this. VR technology is developing at breakneck speeds. And that means that stuff is going to happen that none of us were expecting. Be bold! Newness is part of our DNA as VR specialists. Embrace it.

4. It’s not new.

Ok. I know I just said that VR is all about being new and bold, but it’s also pretty old. When I first tried VR I assumed it was something that had only been invented recently, but there were early prototypes as far back as the 1960s!

5. It works…

When I first heard about VR I had my doubts. I thought much the same as thousands of tech journalists — ‘yawn…another tech fad. 3D movies all over again’. The headsets looked a little gawky to me, and I wasn’t sure that this whole ‘immersion’ thing was all that promising. I’m a film buff — I like my ‘directorial frame’. Surely 360 vision was going to ruin so much of the creative control directors get from directing their audience’s attention. Right?

Wrong.

VR works. It has it’s drawbacks and it certainly has some way to go before it reaches its full potential. But it works. It’s not copying from another medium. It isn’t ‘more immersive film’ or ‘video games, expanded’, it’s something unashamedly different. I’ve quite literally walked into walls while wearing a VR headset because — no matter how much I try— I can’t quite stop myself believing that what I’m seeing is real. If we’re clever, and I believe the VR industry is — by and large — clever, we can help to pioneer new kinds of experiences. And experiences that matter. Long live VR!

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