Last month, a ripple traversed the internet when the White House posted an Instagram picture of our commander in chief just outside the Oval Office wearing a pair of virtual reality glasses. In the photo, President Barack Obama is trying out a virtual reality experience captured during his trip to Yosemite National Park and created by National Geographic, Felix & Paul Studios and Oculus, while an aide continues to work at her desk oblivious to the strange scene.
This striking image of the Leader of the Free World transporting himself to another corner of the country brought nearly 600,000 views of the 360-degree video tour, and captivated many more people with this amazing technology — but that virtual experience is just the tip of the iceberg for VR.
Putting on a virtual reality helmet or visor unlocks new impactful ways to tell stories, play games, and educate children and adults. While the equipment is costly and clunky today, in a few years, a pair of glasses and headphones will more than suffice for a VR experience. Virtual reality has the power to transform every form of video media consumption, as long as policymakers enable high-speed broadband networks to keep pace; a sensible regulatory environment that helps investment and innovation flourish is crucial.
The appeal of virtual reality is obvious to anyone who experiments with the technology. The world of gaming, for example, is hungry for VR. Video gamers crave the ability to set foot in a new realm.
In a different arena, VR sports company StriVR Labs is changing how people prepare for competition. Stanford Football, the NBA’s Washington Wizards and many other college and pro teams are using StriVR’s immersive technology to train their players. Today, whether you’re an Olympian or an NFL quarterback, you can learn to think through tough situations by training in a virtual setting — but without physical contact or wear and tear on your body. And soon, StriVR Labs and their competitors will turn VR technology from a training tool to an entertainment powerhouse. Sports fans won’t just watch a game, they will be thrust into the middle of it. What fan wouldn’t love that?