Back when I first encountered VR, I thought the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PSVR were just a passing trend. But there are plenty of smart people who disagree with my initial skepticism.
The first time I tried VR, it was a real eye-opener. I remember playing a horror game and being so scared that I couldn't breathe properly. At that moment, I realized this wasn't just a gimmick—it was something bigger, maybe even the future.
Two years ago, I got to try the Sony PSVR and played a game called "Kitchen." It was terrifying, and after that, I started to fear the term "VR experience." Not because of the tech itself, but because of what it could do to you emotionally.
PSVR has been on the market for a while now, and its price has dropped from $459 to $399. The same goes for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, which have also seen significant price cuts. Meanwhile, brands like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung have introduced several new Windows Mixed Reality headsets priced between $400 and $500.
At the time, I thought that by 2017 I’d be fully immersed in VR. But here I am today, and I still don’t own a single VR headset. Why? Because most experiences are short-lived, and there aren’t enough compelling games or useful applications to keep people coming back.
This isn’t just my personal opinion. Oculus Rift sold only 250,000 units in its first year. While HTC Vive reportedly outsold it, exact numbers are not publicly available. Sony is an exception, as they recently announced millions of PSVR units shipped—but with over 68 million PS4s in circulation, that means less than 1.5% of users have bought a VR headset. Clearly, VR hasn’t lived up to expectations yet.
At the end of October, I still believed VR was just a passing fad—until I heard industry experts talk about the future of computing. Their views were different from mine. They saw potential where I saw only hype.
Joe Olmsted, Dell’s PC development manager, compared VR to early color TV—back then, there wasn’t much content, just technical demos. That sounds exactly like where VR is right now. He said VR is currently in a flat phase, but it's about to take off. He also believes AR will grow alongside it.
Before PAX, AMD’s CTO Joe Macri spoke about the new PC chip in Sydney. He expressed optimism about VR and even hoped it would drive the next wave of computing. He predicted that in ten years, phones might be replaced by glasses or wearable devices, while VR and AR will require more powerful computers, keeping desktops and laptops relevant.
Despite VR being on the market for 18 months without revolutionizing anything, he isn’t worried. “Content takes time,†he said. “A complex game can take years to develop.â€
These people are shaping the future of computing. In recent years, PCs have been in a slow growth phase. What could change that? According to them, it’s VR and AR.
One issue is that people can still use their old MacBook Airs for years without upgrading. But gamers need better hardware for new games, driving demand for more powerful GPUs and systems. According to Nvidia’s Bryan Del Rizzo, gaming laptops are the fastest-growing segment of the PC market. People usually upgrade their video cards every two to three years.
VR and AR won’t just attract gamers. These technologies have broader applications—Hollywood, sports, social interactions (like future versions of FaceTime), medical uses, and more. They’ll give everyone a reason to upgrade their computers.
After talking to these experts, I regained some faith in VR. But when I looked for games to play now, most felt like mobile games—lacking true innovation. However, the outlook is still positive. Facebook launched the wireless Oculus Go, and HTC followed with the Vive Focus. There are also some great titles like "Skyrim VR" that give hope for the future.
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