Virtual reality (VR) was once thought to be something of a technological holy grail -- the type of tech that science-fiction plots revolved around and a subject that futurists and gadget enthusiasts opined about to great end. There's still excitement surrounding the immersive worlds made possible by head-mounted displays, but that "holy grail" status has lessened to a degree as the dream has moved closer to reality.
Highly immersive consumer VR headsets hit the market in 2016, but high prices and a lack of must-have exclusive content meant that adoption for the new display medium has lagged behind the levels that many analysts anticipated. Head-mounted display development initiatives have also splintered somewhat, with augmented reality (AR) emerging as an alternative that's less immersive, but more connected to the real world -- and one that many market watchers and technology leaders view as having greater potential than virtual reality.
Still, the VR market has huge potential, and virtual-reality headsets continue to offer better price-to-performance dynamics and an expanding range of compatible apps and content. High-profile, exclusive video games are heading to VR, people are using panoramic cameras to create videos and photos for the format, and movie companies and platforms are providing ways to watch their content with headsets. And it's not just video games and other forms of entertainment where the new display medium has big potential. VR could eventually bring about world-changing applications in fields like healthcare, manufacturing, and education.