Surprising Uses for VR

Virtual reality seems to be the buzzword on everyone’s lips this year, and for good reason. The advent and refinement of this technology has led to a tech revolution, primarily in the gaming industry. It’s been drawing up a lot of hype, and that means a lot of coverage on the internet. In addition to our own site, numerous blogs and publications have sprung up discussing the latest advancements in VR technology. VR Guy has one of the more popular blogs on the web, and it’s likely that others may well follow suit, largely due in part to WordPress blog hosting being easy to set up.

Gaming is perhaps the biggest use for VR, but you might be surprised to know that there are a number of other uses for VR that are underreported. Here are some we think are worth discussing.

Traveling

Seeing the world is something most people desire, but the logistics and high costs involved make it unattainable to most. Using a VR device, such as the recently released Merge VR, however, can transport you instantly to any place on Earth. There’s a prompt disconnection from your current environment and an immediate insertion into the other one, to the point where you will feel immersed in the sights and sounds of waterfalls, animals, or the chatter of foreign conversation as you walk up a high street.

Explore Space

Most of us will never be able to be astronauts, as much as our six-year-old selves convinced us we would be. The training, exorbitant fees, not to mention risks to personal safety mean that that particular dream is resigned to the realm of fantasy. But Oculus put the stars back in our hands when they allowed users to travel aboard the Ranger spacecraft from the sci-fi epic, Interstellar. I’m sure we will see more collaborations in the future, perhaps with NASA or any number of planetariums offering the chance to explore the stars whilst remaining firmly grounded on terra firma.

Walk through History

It’s one thing to read a history book but it’s another to experience it in its entirety. That’s the idea behind Google Cultural Institute’s walkable VR tour of the nearly perfectly preserved Pompeii. Simply strap on your Cardboard or Daydream and you can see the city that was buried beneath the molten detritus of a massive volcano eruption.