Behind the Numbers of Virtual Reality’s Sluggish Debut

From MIT Technology Review’s Signe Brewster: It’s been four years since a Kickstarter promised the first modern virtual-reality headset, and in 2016 we finally saw the technology’s commercial debut with high-end headsets from Oculus, Sony, and HTC hitting the market. More than two million desktop VR headsets are expected to have sold worldwide by year’s […]

Is Virtual Reality the Surprising Solution to the Fermi Paradox?

From the Singularity Hub’s Aaron Frank: Only decades into our “age of cosmology” — the moment when we earned the technological rights to peer deep into our cosmic home — we’ve learned that we live in a mega-palace of a universe. And we’ve also found something odd. We seem to be the only ones home! […]

Facebook Virtual Reality Tour Makes Immersive Stop at Denver Airport

From The Denver Post’s Tamara Chuang: Virtual reality takes viewers to a new dimension that can be hard to describe. So Facebook is offering demonstrations of special goggles at Denver International Airport through Jan. 24. The temporary exhibit, staffed by Facebook workers, is in the center of Concourse A between Denver Duty Free and Chef […]

Get Ready For Multisensory Virtual Reality That Goes Far Beyond Sight And Sound

From Forbes’ Seth Porges: In October, I had the opportunity to try out the Rez Synesthesia Suit: A Velcro-on body rig concept that uses countless pulsing motors to add the sense of touch to virtual reality experiences. The experience was rough, but somewhat amazing: As I waved my hand through HTC Vive-rendered bubbles, I could […]

Can VR Make You A Better Person?

If the world feels like a colder, meaner place these days, virtual reality may come to the rescue. Researchers across the globe are using immersive digital worlds to place users in someone else’s shoes and, at least temporarily, help them become kinder, more compassionate people. Virtual reality is better known for its potential in gaming, […]