FAQ | What Is ‘VR’ and Why Does It Matter? What Do I Need to Know?

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Virtual reality (VR) has become really popular lately. Whether it’s because of Meta’s new metaverse or because you just want to understand what everyone’s talking about, you should know that virtual reality is here to stay. Of course, it’s still a bit of a new term for some of us. Not everyone fully understands what virtual reality is or how we can use it in our daily lives. With that said, there’s no doubt that we’re going to hear more and more about virtual reality in the next few years, so it’s best to start by understanding what this technology is all about. Here’s everything you need to get you started in the virtual reality world.

What Is Virtual Reality?

Virtual reality, also known as VR, it’s a type of technology that uses a computer or other device to build a digital environment and create a simulated experience that can be similar to the real world or completely different

VR lets the user experience and different world from a first-person perspective. Think of it as a first-person video game, but you’re inside the game instead of watching from your TV. 

How Does Virtual Reality Work?

To get into a virtual world, you’ll need the proper equipment. Currently, you’ll need at least a VR headset, which is also referred to as a head-mounted display or HDM for short. 

The VR headset features a small display in front of the user’s eyes that helps show the simulated world the device or a computer creates.

In some instances, people can also use a special room that helps immerse the user in a digital world. But for the average person, a headset is all they need. 

The digital world is created around you, so you can use the headset to see the simulation as if it were the real world. To interact with objects inside, the user also needs to use controllers for each hand. Usually, the controller will give a haptic response to help users feel more immersed in the world. 

The combination of the display with the sounds and the haptic responses from the controllers creates an experience that lets users immerse themselves in part of the digital world. 

Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality

You’ve probably also heard the term augmented reality or AR for short. Even though AR is similar to VR, they’re also pretty different terms.

AR doesn’t try to create a new digital world. Instead, it uses your real-life environment and adds digital objects or people that you can see and interact with through a screen. 

Unlike VR, you don’t need special equipment to use augmented reality. Most of the time, you’ll only need your iPhone or iPad. With the help of the device’s camera and gyroscope to move the objects around and place them in the real world. 

Many companies use AR nowadays, including Apple, Amazon, and Google. They’re often used to let you picture how a piece of furniture or an object would like in your house. 

So, in short, augmented reality doesn’t need any special equipment and doesn’t create a simulated world around you as virtual reality does. 

How You Can Use Virtual Reality in Real Life

One of the most common uses for virtual reality is gaming. VR gaming has become so mainstream that many companies like Microsoft and Sony have already found ways to add their own VR headsets into the VR market. 

As we mentioned before, immersion is a big part of VR, and that’s why video games have become one of the more mainstream pieces of media that use virtual reality, but other platforms like YouTube and Facebook have also tried to use VR on their platforms. 

Virtual reality is also used for meditation since you can transport yourself to a nice, quiet place that’ll help you relax without ever leaving your home. 

Many places like museums started using virtual reality to help people visitors look at their art from the comfort of their own homes.

There are already many ways people and companies can use VR to their benefit, and the pandemic helped people realize that as well. Because of this, big tech companies are getting ready to implement more VR applications in the future.

The Future of Virtual Reality

You’ve probably already heard about the metaverse. This new piece of the virtual reality world is where you’d be able to take classes, go to work meetings, and even hang out with your friends. 

That’s all part of Meta’s future plans, previously known as Facebook. Meta plans to take virtual reality to the next level by giving each user a new way to create their own digital space for work and leisure time. 

Even though the metaverse is still in its early stages, Meta’s betting heavy on this plan. The company reportedly invested over $10 billion in 2021 alone.

Whether the metaverse will be a success or not still remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure, VR isn’t going anywhere, and it’s only going to become more mainstream as time passes. 

It’s worth noting that Meta isn’t the only company using VR. Besides the big companies like Meta and HTC, rumor has it Apple’s also working on a VR and AR headset that might come by the end of the year

Apple’s well known for setting trends, so expect to hear more about VR and AR in the future if Apple manages to create a popular headset.

Should You Get Into the VR World Right Now?

There’s no doubt that VR will become more popular in the future as more tech companies start to play around with the idea of having their own virtual world. With that said, there’s no real urgency to jump into VR at this very moment. But if you want to start, you’ll need the right equipment: a VR headset. There are a lot of awesome VR headsets you can try right now, but the safest bet would be Meta’s own Oculus Quest 2. This VR headset is affordable, and it’s got everything you need to get you into the VR game with little to no effort. Plus, what better way to use the metaverse than with Meta’s very own VR headset. 

Of course, if you’re more of a gamer and Sony fan, you can also try the PlayStation VR headset for your PlayStation 4. 

As we mentioned, you don’t have to get into the VR world right now, and we might have to wait a few years until the metaverse is complete, albeit it’s already started to take form. But you should be sure that VR is going to become even more mainstream in the tech world, and if you want to be ready, you might want to start gearing up.

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