This was originally published in AR/VR Journey Magazine on Medium
An old teacher of mine believes that VR is a gimmick. “It’s been around since the 80s! It’s a screen on your eyes.” Though hardware has made leaps and bounds, is VR actually groundbreaking? Consider the disasters of the past. Remember the original VirtualBoy from Nintendo? (It was a colossal failure.)
A classic… said no one ever.
Anyone who has recently used VR will tell a different story. Nothing can take over the senses the same way that VR can. Other mediums try to replicate sensory experiences but come up short. Consider 4D “experiences” at theme parks. They are fun once, but they aren’t captivating. Getting sprayed by water and artificial Shrek burps is not the same as being waist-deep in a swamp.
How I Felt After My Last “4D” Experience
There are actually ways to induce sickness (sometimes unintentionally!) with VR helmets. This ambiance isn’t possible with traditional art forms.
I recently did a tour of a game company that focused on virtual reality. To me, it seemed they were capitalizing on what was trendy. Is anyone buying a $1600 computer, an $800 VR headset, and the extra peripherals to play a VR Solitaire game? I would venture unless it comes bundled with the headset- no.
Omnidirectional treadmills may take care of movement, but what about our other senses? Primarily, humans use vision and hearing. These are also the easiest to trick. For VR to take it to the next level, it needs to capture all of the senses.
This is the VR treadmill I need.
Smell is the most underrated sense. Imagine a world without the scent of your favorite food, a lover, that nostalgic whiff you can’t place.
A theory is that humans are particularly bad at remembering scents. Thus, we place lesser value in it. Though my girlfriend realized that cupcake candles smell exactly like Fruit Loops, so the research is still out on this one.
How can you transmit data to senses that are not sound or sight? Food printers and the idea of sharing scents over the internet are stuck in the same place as VR. Until we invent an RGB-style system for scent, let’s delve more into what VR can currently do.
For an architect or interior designer, this all sounds like a godsend. VR allows them to directly access a space without physically being there. Additionally, they can extrude walls, manipulate paint colors, and add furniture in real-time. The prospect of being able to walk around a space and showcase designs in real-time is exciting.
But these abilities have existed for years through 3D modeling and architectural software. The workflow of these programs is much smoother than VR.
At some level, my former teacher has a point. In the end, you are a person wearing goggles using finicky input systems to do a limited number of things. It’s a fun gag, but most people put down the headset and come back to the real world.
Virtual Reality is still in its infancy. This is exciting because getting into the field gives you a chance to make an impact. But don’t get caught up in the gimmicks. Define the experience and progress the medium. That will decide whether VR is game-changing or another trend in the dumpster.