Jul 18 2023 45 mins
With the recent release of Apple’s technologically astounding and eye-wateringly expensive Vision Pro virtual reality headset and the threatened release of its far cheaper competitor, Facebook’s Oculus Quest 3, VR may have finally reached early adulthood.
Distant progeny of the mid-20th century red plastic View-Master personal stereo viewer, through which children could stare at tiny 3-D images of the Great Pyramid or scenes from The Beverly Hillbillies, today’s VR headsets take advantage of the latest technologies to further free or tether us, depending on your point of view.
And while they could be a boon for virtual tourists, gamers, and porn aficionados, the idea of adding another ‘device’ to the household gear manifest with the attendant software updates, battery charging needs, and periodic hardware upgrades, could leave some feeling this could be a bridge too far.
What about family time together? The Brady Bunch would’ve needed nine VR headsets (if they wanted to include Alice) just to watch the latest Disney epic unfold around them as a magnificently immersive virtual experience.
Listen in as the guys strap on their brain caps for a look at what VR has become in 2023 and where it could go in the years ahead.
Music and image credits:
Cyclist with VR headset by Pexels from Pixabay
Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud
Music promoted by free-stock-music.com
Perforated steel by YuriyC from VectorStock