Have a VR headset? I do, and it puts me squarely in the minority.According to some useful statistics from Zippia, only 15% of the US population uses VR. Still, he’s over 50 million, but by comparison, he’s less than half the people who own firearms and less than a third of the people who own iPhones.
Still, $50 million is a negligible amount given the entry price of the average VR device. These stats are based on a study conducted in 2020 and are projected to reach nearly $70 million by 2023. Three years ago, in 2017, he said there were only 22 million VR users in the US.
So virtual reality is on the rise. It’s almost time. VR has long been the ugly duckling of the tech space, never quite accessible or compelling enough to encourage the average consumer to open their wallets. But times are changing…
For a very long time, the VR industry was relatively siloed. The use cases varied, but gaming was the main area. Many developers have announced Incredible VR game, the application still felt limited. No need to spend hundreds of dollars on a headset when he can play a lot of games on his PC he already has. please do not Need to wear bulky VR goggles and swing around some motion controllers?
Mark Zuckerberg and Meta say VR can do a lot more. Gaming in VR is already a growing industry. Thanks to the efforts of Meta and Sony, meta quest 2and PS VR – But Big Zack believes there is more that can be done.
And although I can’t believe I’m saying this, I actually agree with him.
See, the applications of VR are wide and impressive. The VR gaming industry shouldn’t ignore games either, as he was worth $7.5 billion in 2021, but imagine the potential. Ok, don’t imagine. Here are some examples.
In the medical field, VR is being used to train surgeons and demonstrate products at trade shows. When it comes to marketing, virtual reality allows consumers to try out products (e.g. new Sport his car) without leaving the showroom. Athletes are starting to use VR for training purposes, much like tennis and baseball players practice reaction speed in virtual environments.
The list goes on and on. Some companies on the cutting edge of implementing new technologies have started using VR for team building exercises. This can be an invaluable tool in the modern age of remote work and distance learning. Realtors can use VR headsets to give potential buyers guided tours of properties from the comfort of their existing homes.There was even an experiment with “VR Therapy” (opens in new tab) Reduce pain in hospitalized patients.
Let’s stop talking about how to use virtual reality. The bottom line is that this technology has the potential to be extensively integrated into our society and improve our lives in the process.
The social aspect of this is also very important, as Zuckerberg clearly understands. Imagine hanging out with friends in another country or state without having to move far from your living room! Immersive social experiences in VR make that dream a reality There is a possibility.
Welcome VR Into Our Lives – Caution Needed
I’m not making any sort of suggestion ready player one A hellish future where our real-world society collapses because we are all connected to the Metaverse to live virtual lives instead of real ones. But virtual spaces for social interaction already exist.strange and wonderful world VR chat (opens in new tab) For anyone who owns one of the must explore. best VR headset.
However, I think we will see more and more VR in the next few years. Recent Analytics Firm Piper Sandler published the report (opens in new tab) A survey of Gen Z teenagers in the United States tells us a lot about the data.
29% of US teens surveyed own a VR device, and 14% use it weekly. This is almost double the national average. CNBC (opens in new tab)) reports Piper Sandler’s data claiming that VR is “not prevalent” among young people.
Ridiculous, CNBC. Nearly a third of US youth owns his VR device. This far exceeds our initial expectations.4% of surveyed teens use VR every dayI found it very interesting that CNBC compared owning a VR to owning an iPhone (87% of those surveyed). However, in today’s society it is practically mandatory for her teen to own a smartphone.
It’s clear from Piper Sandler’s report that VR usage is much higher in the new generation than in previous generations. This should come as no surprise. Companies like Meta have been pushing VR for some time now, making it (slowly) more accessible. In particular, Meta’s Quest series (formerly Oculus Quest) does not require a dedicated PC or console connection.
Zuckerberg’s terrifying influence
Of course, there is one small problem with this. Meta is not the company that should control the future of social VR. There are many reasons, it is impossible to list them all here. But there are two reasons I want to draw your attention to.
First, Zuckerberg is the fact that I personally don’t want to lead any kind of effort to evolve the way humans interact.I don’t mean to make this a personal attack on Zachmeister, but let’s be real here for a minute: the “controversy” section of his wikipedia page (opens in new tab) It’s pretty long, especially with a link to another full wiki article. “Criticism of Facebook” (opens in new tab)a page with 22 dedicated subheadings.
The second reason is simpler and less personal. Because Meta’s virtual world doesn’t look good. goodIn fact, it looks downright miserable.As a reminder, Sony’s 2008 effort to create a digital social space – sadly deceased playstation home – 15 years ago was better! Zuckerberg’s “Metaverse” (opens in new tab) is a desolate and spooky place full of ads and promotions for scam trash like NFTs.
Yes, I want VR to continue to expand and become part of our lives, but no, I don’t want meta to become part of it. I said earlier that I agree with Zuckerberg’s ideal of integrating into , create one of the switch sports-like avatars with dead eyes.
(And no, I don’t care they have legs now (opens in new tab).)
