VR really is worth your time
We’ve followed the hype around virtual reality technology for quite a while, so the question, “Is a VR headset going to be practical?” resonates strongly with us.
Spoiler alert: Yeah, it probably is.
Looks can be deceiving
After a survey of around 14,000 internet users worldwide, gaming company Gamer Network determined that the majority of internet users—59.5 percent, to be exact—aren’t all that hyped about buying a VR headset; in fact, only 14.9 percent gave a definitive “yes.”
Additionally, 47.3 percent of participants in the survey cited visual quality as a make-or-break factor. “Compatibility, anti-motion sickness, and controllers” were also listed as incentives to stay within the medium of actual reality.
Well, okay. Just like you guys didn’t want a next-generation console when they were announced, right? Good thing nobody bought an Xbox One or a PS4 after they debuted.
OH WAIT
We’ve seen this process before: every time a new brand of technological advancement comes barging into the room, criticism and dissent arise and, a fair amount of the time, this is a product of our unwillingness to divorce ourselves from that which has become familiar in favor of that which will further our progress.
Rift in consumer base
Invariably, however, the technology is released—perhaps with compromises, such as a lowered starting price or fewer commerce-related caveats (looking at you, Microsoft)—and a consumer base develops. Then, especially in the case of VR technology, a game or project gets announced—a flagship product that is so alluring, the begrudging majority can’t help but admit how friggin’ cool it is—demand is sown, and now the 25.6 percent of hesitant buyers are on the hook.
Once people realize that a fair amount of their friends are actively using and socializing with VR tech, they consider buying a headset themselves and, all of a sudden, that strange, alien technology looks remarkably like next year’s Christmas list topper.
Virtually unstoppable
This process will likely continue repeating itself for as long as we make advances in technology. Hopefully, the debut of VR tech can serve as a reminder that technology is marching on—and perhaps we should be following it.
