Fun Facts About Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is now used in many sectors, and its growth has opened up new uses, not least in gaming. You may feel you know the subject well from news coverage or from trying a headset. Yet the history and details contain surprises. Here are some of them, drawn from the original article. A few claims come from secondary sources, so they are best verified before you repeat them.
It is older than you think
Many people believe VR was invented a few years ago. In fact, a headset was patented in the 1960s, credited to Morton Heilig. The name “virtual reality” itself is usually attributed to Jaron Lanier, who is said to have popularized it in 1987. Neither fact suggests a brand-new idea.
Training the military
VR is associated with fun, but it has also been tested in business, education, health and defense. Armed forces in the United States, the article says, once used VR to prepare personnel, which shows how early serious uses appeared.
Sony and the headset market
The article described Sony as the largest vendor of VR devices worldwide, with PlayStation VR as a best seller. It added that a small group of engineers developed the headset quietly in a lab, and that the project became public only after completion. Market share changes over time, so check current data if you need it.
Cheaper than you think
VR once cost a fortune. Falling production costs and advances in technology have brought prices down, and some simple viewers sell for as little as ten dollars. Those low-end devices rely on a phone, so the experience is more basic than with a full headset.
AR is not VR
People often use the two terms as if they meant the same thing. Augmented reality adds computer-generated images to the real environment, for example through a phone camera. Virtual reality replaces the surroundings with a simulated environment. The technologies can be combined, but they are different.
A language behind it all
The Virtual Reality Modeling Language, or VRML, is a coding language used to describe 3D scenes and how users interact with them. Developers still encounter it in the history of the web.
Motion sickness is common
Some people feel queasy in VR. The article cited a report suggesting that up to forty percent of users experience some degree of motion sickness. If that happens to you, it is normal. Taking breaks, choosing comfortable experiences and keeping a fan nearby can help.
Smartphones lead the way
Mobile phones are the biggest enabler of VR access, since many people experience it through a phone placed in a viewer. That is why mobile-friendly content matters.
Still developing
The best is probably still ahead. Current headsets are early versions of what will come, and new software, sensors and displays will keep arriving.
Why the facts matter
Knowing the history helps you set realistic expectations. Virtual reality has been through hype cycles before, and each wave brought new improvements. Understanding the basics also helps you ask better questions when you shop for a headset or plan a project.
More on the topic: VR in entertainment and VR statistics.