Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have been hyped for years, decades even. As we seek to go forever more digitised, VR and AR have now become more mainstream technologies that have wider applications but are currently more utilised in the gaming world. With the metaverse hype, you can be sure that VR and AR will be a core tech in this new digital world.
Who knows what the future may hold. What we do know is this: VR and AR can certainly be incorporated into many facets of people’s lives - be it work, leisure or entertainment. In fact, it’s already making waves in the gaming scene, both video and online gambling. There are NZ online casinos that are offering players a technologically advanced gaming experience that’s of course complemented with fantastic bonuses.
Let’s catch up on the history of VR and AR to see where we have come from - and where we are going to.
The History of Virtual Reality
VR had its start in the 1800s, with the invention of the stereoscope, combining two mirrors for a single image’s projection. It wasn’t until midway through the 1900s that VR really started to get a bit more attention, though - with head-mounted devices that showed a lived experience. In the 70s and 80s, the applications of VR were often in research and military applications - where there were lots of money and a need to train people before they were put into novel situations.
With the 90s came the rise of the PC, internet, and gaming consoles. VR in gaming was in its infancy, often as an attraction at amusement centres or theme parks. 4D experiences, which combined motion, sound, video, and even smell, were unleashed on the general public.
In the 2000s, this extended, and in 2010, the first Oculus Rift, the mainstay of personal VR, was prototyped.
In the past 12 years, we have now come to a time when a VR headset is an affordable accessory for many homes, and VR is now used widely in training applications for high risk and high training industries. VR gaming centres exist around the world. While VR isn’t fully embedded in our way of living - yet - it is definitely here to stay.
What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality is a blend of VR and real life. One of the most well-known AR experiences is Pokemon Go, which overlays Pokemon and various game elements over both a real-world map, as well as over video captured by your phone.
Today, augmented reality is everywhere. The widest application is in something millions of people around the world use on a daily basis - filters for their pics. You’ll also find AR when you’re watching pretty much any professional sports game on TV, with line overlays and branding. AR also has applications in training and highly technical areas - think overlays in military aircraft.
If anything, AR has more real-world applications than VR. Augmenting a person’s visual stream to add further details and context allows us to digest more information at once.
Where to from here with VR and AR?
VR and AR are now firmly embedded (pardon the pun) in our modern lives. Perhaps the reality of how they exist alongside us hasn’t lived up to the hype - we’re not all sitting on our couch doing VR - but they are ever more prevalent.
Again, the hype cycle definitely has shades of the current metaverse hype. This might give an indication of what we’re likely to see on the other side of the crypto-coin madness that is today.
However, VR and AR have proven their worth, and they are sure to be a large component of the underlying infrastructure of the metaverse itself. It’s no accident that Facebook (News - Alert) has pivoted to Meta, and Oculus - the world’s foremost consumer VR headset - has big things cooking and has done for many years. There are many players banking on the success of the metaverse, be it the big guns like Facebook, or boutique NFT companies. To date, however, there hasn’t been much progress on what it will look like as a whole.
While the premise of Web3 and indeed the metaverse seems solid, how it will play out in real life remains to be seen. As VR and AR move from fun and niche applications to more ‘boring’ everyday uses, we can clearly see that the hype was real, and that they are now standard in our way of life. Web3 and the metaverse? Well, they’re likely to have the same outcome, with VR and AR front and centre.
