QOTW: Was virtual reality just a fad?

by Parm Mann on 16 October 2020, 16:31

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While it's fair to say that 3D failed to live up to expectations, the jury is still out on virtual reality. Much has been made of the technology in recent years, with multiple big-name players having introduced cutting-edge headsets, but virtual reality continues to feel a long way from mainstream acceptance.

Is VR still one for the future? It could be argued that such headsets may play a more prominent role as we adjust to social distancing in a post-Covid-19 world, and some analysts are predicting the augmented, virtual and mixed reality market to be worth over $30bn by 2030.

A whole lot of promise, but do you see it coming to fruition anytime soon? We're intrigued to know whether or not you've tried VR, what you make of it, and what you think the future holds. Let's open the topic by asking: was virtual reality just a fad? Share your thoughts using the comments facility below.

HEXUS Forums :: 72 Comments

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Posted by Bagpuss - Fri 16 Oct 2020 16:47
Anything that makes me want to vomit after 5 mins, is onto loser as far as I'm concerned.
Posted by Iota - Fri 16 Oct 2020 17:10
VR not a chance, AR? Perhaps.
Posted by daddacool - Fri 16 Oct 2020 17:12
I think it has its place. I've got a Insta 360 X camera and it's let me do stuff that's been helpful for my specific situation - for example yesterday was the first anniversary of my mums passing. She's interred in a replica round barrow up near Peterborough (don't ask, it's as odd as it sounds!), and I shot a 360 degree video there a few weeks ago that I stick on Youtube via my Oculus Go headset (yes, I'm the person who bought one!) and can watch whenever I want to talk to her. Likewise, I've got a load of videos from beaches etc I shot on holiday that really helped during lockdown.

But gaming? Nah, the tech isn't there yet. It's halfway there, sort of, we can now do 4K60 but we need to be able to do that for each eye for gaming IMHO.
Posted by ilh - Fri 16 Oct 2020 17:24
daddacool
I think it has its place. I've got a Insta 360 X camera and it's let me do stuff that's been helpful for my specific situation - for example yesterday was the first anniversary of my mums passing. She's interred in a replica round barrow up near Peterborough (don't ask, it's as odd as it sounds!), and I shot a 360 degree video there a few weeks ago that I stick on Youtube via my Oculus Go headset (yes, I'm the person who bought one!) and can watch whenever I want to talk to her. Likewise, I've got a load of videos from beaches etc I shot on holiday that really helped during lockdown.

But gaming? Nah, the tech isn't there yet. It's halfway there, sort of, we can now do 4K60 but we need to be able to do that for each eye for gaming IMHO.
I also have a One X and I just use Google cardboard when I want to go full experience with my 360 photos/videos, but more often I just use the camera for overcapture or use more traditional methods for moving around the photos/videos.

Other than that I see VR as only slightly more likely to survive compared to 3D. 3D was utterly wasted on me, all I saw was theatre style scenery where they have layers of 2D at different distances and nothing looked properly 3D. And the usual gimmicks of a bird/butterfly/fire cinders flying around the screen to say “look at our fancy 3D effects” got old quickly.
Posted by Friesiansam - Fri 16 Oct 2020 17:27
I think VR is just a passing fad, just like 3D TV was. Unless it really takes off and, I don't think it will, manufacturers will lose interest and it will quietly shuffle off.

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