Virtual reality, an invisible revolution

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has ceased to be a futuristic technology and has become an increasingly present reality in our daily lives. With the arrival of new, more powerful and accessible devices, along with the development of increasingly mature applications, VR is beginning to transform the way we work, play and communicate. This revolution, unlike others such as artificial intelligence, is happening in an invisible way for the general public, since the immersive experience can only be appreciated in first person through a virtual reality device and not everyone has a viewer at your fingertips. At least at the time of writing this article.

The rise of virtual reality devices

Sales of virtual reality devices are growing at a rapid pace. In 2023, 15 million VR headsets were sold worldwide, and this figure is expected to reach 30 million in 2024. This growth is being driven by several factors:

Price reduction: VR devices have become more affordable in recent years, making them accessible to a wider audience. More and more companies are beginning to develop devices, which increases competition and reduces prices overall. Meta has gone one step further and has opened its operating system to other manufacturers, with the aim of making it a standard, reducing costs and minimizing fragmentation when developing.

Greater power: New VR devices offer greater processing power and more advanced graphics, allowing for more immersive and realistic experiences. Chips dedicated to specific functions such as the use of the headset's own sensors allow the available experiences to have greater possibilities by having greater power to build virtual worlds.

Greater comfort: VR headset designs have become more comfortable and lighter, allowing them to be worn for longer without discomfort. There are even risky proposals, such as the case of the Apple Vision Pro viewer, which chooses to present an external battery to minimize the overall weight of the device. It is true that in that case the device itself is already very heavy even without a battery, but if we apply it to other devices such as Quest 3 we could enjoy extremely light and comfortable devices.

Meta Quest: A new benchmark in user retention

Meta Quest 3 has been a great success for Meta. The device has sold hundreds of thousands of units in just a few months since its launch, and has a 35% user retention rate, the highest in Meta's history . This means that users are using the device regularly and are satisfied with the experience.

What makes the Meta Quest 3 device so attractive? The reasons are several:

Affordable price: With an introductory price of €549, Meta Quest 3 is within the price range that many users are willing to pay for a VR headset.

Constantly growing game library: Meta Quest 3 has a large library of high-quality games, which is constantly expanding with new releases.

Wireless experience: The Meta Quest 3 headset does not require a PC to operate, making it more convenient and portable. However, if the user wants to take advantage of the power of a desktop computer, they can connect to it and enjoy more complete and complex experiences.

Apple Vision Pro: Apple's commitment to high-end virtual reality

The Apple Vision Pro, despite their high price of $3,500, have been a bestseller. Apple has sold over 200,000 units in the first 10 days of pre-orders , and is expected to sell over 1,500,000 units between 2024 and 2025.

The Apple Vision Pro differs from Meta Quest 3 by its focus on the high-end:

Advanced technology: Apple Vision Pro features high-resolution displays, eye tracking, increased processor power, and other cutting-edge technologies that deliver a more realistic and immersive VR experience. 

Premium design: The visor has an elegant and lightweight design, made with high quality materials. However, the weight of the device is noticeably higher than its competition, which may limit its use time.

Professional applications: Apple is positioning the Vision Pro as a tool for professionals, with applications in fields such as design, engineering and medicine.

An increasingly mature application ecosystem

The quality of applications available for VR is constantly improving. There are more and more high-quality games, work apps, training tools, and entertainment experiences available for VR. This is making VR more attractive to a wide range of users.

Virtual reality games

VR has become an ideal platform for video games, offering immersive and exciting experiences that are not possible on traditional screens. Among the most popular games for VR are:

Asgard's Wrath 2 : An action-adventure game set in Norse mythology.

Half-Life: Alyx : A science fiction shooter from the acclaimed Half-Life saga.

Beat Saber : A rhythm game in which the player must cut blocks to the rhythm of music.

Teleworking in immersive environments

VR is transforming the way we work, allowing people to collaborate and communicate remotely as if they were in the same physical space. 

Some of the most popular teleworking platforms in VR are:

Horizon Workrooms : A Meta platform that allows users to create virtual workspaces and collaborate with colleagues.

Apple Vision Pro: The Vision Pro can also be used for teleworking, thanks to its high resolution and eye tracking, which allow more natural and effective communication.

Immersed : A platform that allows companies to create simulations and immersive training experiences for their employees.

Training using virtual environments

VR is increasingly being used for training in various sectors, such as medicine, engineering and aviation. VR training experiences allow students to learn more safely and effectively as they can practice in simulated environments without risk of harm. For example, at Binarybox Studios we have successfully developed educational projects in the industrial field for polytechnic schools in Spain. 

Entertainment apps

VR is also offering new forms of entertainment, such as live concerts, museum visits and virtual trips. Some of the most popular VR entertainment applications are:

Netflix VR : An application that allows you to watch movies and series in VR.

National Geographic Explore VR : An application that allows you to take virtual trips to different parts of the world.

VRChat: A social platform where users can interact with each other in virtual environments.

MUVA : A virtual art museum where you can enjoy classic works of painting and sculpture.

A technology with great potential

Despite its rapid growth, virtual reality is still not a technology that is seen on the street. Mainly, most immersive experiences are not designed to be used in public.

However, VR has the potential to transform the way we live our lives. In the future, we could use virtual reality to:

Conduct virtual meetings: VR would allow people to meet and collaborate remotely as if they were in the same physical space. At the moment, proposals such as Horizon Workrooms or Immersed offer very complete and attractive experiences.

Attend live concerts: VR allows us to attend live concerts from the comfort of your home. A current success story can be found in Singulive , a Spanish platform that allows users to enjoy concert halls with their own programming of artists and events.

Visit exotic places: Virtual reality would allow people to travel anywhere in the world without having to leave home.

Learning new skills: VR will allow people to learn new skills more safely and effectively across the board. Not only industrial aspects, since currently we can find applications for learning languages, cooking, painting in the main content stores of the different platforms.

Conclusion

Virtual reality (VR) is no longer a futuristic technology and is becoming an increasingly present reality in our daily lives. With the arrival of new, more powerful and accessible devices, along with the development of increasingly mature applications, VR is beginning to transform the way we work, play and communicate.

VR has the potential to transform the way we live our lives. In the future, we could use VR to hold virtual meetings, attend live concerts, visit exotic locations, learn new skills, and even explore new virtual worlds.

The key to virtual reality reaching its full potential is creating immersive and engaging experiences that are accessible to everyone. Application developers play a fundamental role in this regard, as they are responsible for creating content that makes VR a worthwhile experience.

Unlike other technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality is a silent revolution. This is because the immersive experience can only be appreciated in first person through specialized devices. You have to experience it to understand its potential.

However, the impact of VR on our lives will become increasingly evident in the coming years. As technology develops and becomes more accessible, this technology will become an increasingly important part of our daily lives.

Virtual reality is not just a technology, it is a new way of experiencing the world.