Virtual reality in 2021

How close to a different reality can virtual reality really take us? Sam Lewis

Over the course of the past seven decades, the term “virtual reality” has been thrown around quite a bit within the tech world. However, during that time, it has actually become a rather divisive and subjective form of entertainment. Tedious and awkward are just two ways it has been described. The term itself most certainly encompasses far more now than when the modern take on the technology first debuted in 2016. Heck, today you can get VR headsets for your phone that cost just 20 bucks, while on the flipside you could easily spend over $12,000 getting all the right gear for the ultimate virtualreality rig.

What VR has been missing since its conception, however, is simplicity and efficiency, and that is seemingly finally starting to change, with bettersupported tech and easier-to-use setups.

The bottom line is that there have been many attempts at VR, which have just not taken off and hit the mainstream market in the same way as gaming PCs and consoles have. They aren’t as accessible and affordable, and with many setups, you need a powerful PC to run them properly. Space is a massive factor, too, as you need a comfortable area to use it, and this can be a problem for many.

This month, we’re taking a look at VR as a whole – where it has come from, some of the latest advances, and the trajectory that this sector of technology is heading in. Will VR headsets finally replace the trusty old monitor? Or is there room for both in the future world we’re building?