Despite years of covering technology and knowing just how hard the future is to predict, I still insist on living dangerously and arguing that virtual reality or VR simply isn’t going to be the “next big thing” in tech. Opinion by navalang
In 2007, then-CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer famously dismissed the iPhone — it didn’t even have a keyboard! — and we all know howturned out. History is littered with assertions that some new innovation is pointless or doomed, only for it to then take over the world.
It sounds very futuristic, but there’s increasing evidence that such technology is far less desirable than it appears. It was reported this week that electronics giant Sony recently halved production of its latest PSVR2 headset after low preorder numbers indicated weak demand. The Bloomberg article reporting the news suggested that the move “exacerbates lacklustre momentum for VR sector.”
Rather, what plagues virtual reality is its central premise: that people want to be immersed in a digital world that cuts them off from their own. It is not only inconvenient and, for social applications, far less compelling than traditional devices — it is also fundamentally escapist and niche, and misses what people actually want out of tech
For one, think of the practical use case. In order to virtually socialize with friends, one would have to put on a headset and log on to a virtual world, only to see cartoon representations of them. It’s not only awkward from a practical standard, it’s also far less appealing than a simple video call in which one can still move unimpeded.
That is not to say that there are no virtual reality applications with a bright future. To the contrary, gaming will continue to evolve and become more appealing. And corporate or professional applications will undoubtedly be useful. Imagine immersing oneself in a 3D design of a building or being able to peer into a virtual replica of an industrial machine. That part of VR is immensely promising.
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