Virtual Reality (VR)

Learn about everything from the basics to the future of VR

What Is VR? What Is Virtual Reality?

Are you interested in knowing more about what VR technology is and how it has led to innovation in today’s era? If so, then you’ll be glad to know that you’re in the right place because that is the topic for today’s discussion. 

Virtual Reality has taken the world by storm because of the amazing ideas and concepts that it has brought to the technology sector. This technology allows users to gain a similar reality experience to make their digital lives much more enjoyable and entertaining for them. 

woman wearing a virtual reality headset with hands in air

What is Extended Reality (XR)?

Extended Reality or XR is a form of technology that is used to simulate reality and produce new and exciting digital environments for the user to experience. Extended Reality combines all immersive technologies that we’re currently aware of, including Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality. All immersive technologies that are a part of XR make use of advanced and innovative techniques to extend the reality that we’re aware of.

Some technologies might do so by allowing the users to become a part of a fully immersive experience a completely stimulated environment produced digitally. Other technologies extend reality by blending the real and virtual worlds to produce an environment that is a suitable mix of the two.

What is VR?

Since the title of this article persuaded you to click on the respected link, it’s safe to assume that you have very little knowledge about VR and its practicality in today’s world. For this reason, we’ll start the discussion by clarifying what VR technology is and how it is used throughout the globe.

For starters, VR is basically the use of computer technology for the purpose of creating a simulated environment that is similar to reality. Unlike most other user interfaces that you’re probably aware of, VR puts the user inside the environment and allows them to experience it first-hand. When talking about digitally produced environments, we typically imagine a screen in front of the user that depicts the environment that needs to be produced. On the other hand, VR completely immerses the user in the desired environment and allows them to interact with 3D worlds.

The extent of VR can be further broadened by stimulating as many senses as possible, such as vision, touch, smell, sound, and more. Such measures can be taken to further allow the user to experience the desired scenario or environment in the best way possible. With the right computing power and ample availability of content, VR technology can certainly prove to be the next best thing in today’s digital era.

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How is VR Different from Augmented Reality (AR)?

Now that you have ample knowledge about what is VR, let’s get to the depths of the topic and compare VR with another pretty similar and common digital technology, Augmented Reality (AR). While VR produces a virtual environment for the user to experience, AR is an appropriate mix of both virtualities as well as actual reality. Augmented Reality does so by stimulating artificial objects in the real environment.

Augmented Reality consists of computers making use of sensors and corresponding algorithms to determine the orientation of your camera. The AR technology then renders the 3D graphics as they are expected to appear from the point-of-view of the camera. These 3D generated objects are superimposed over a user’s view of the real world to produce the image of the object actually existing in real life.

When comparing VR with AR, it’s essential to note that instead of using a real camera within a physical environment, VRpositions the user’s eyes inside the simulated environment. How the graphics act is directly dependent on the movement of your head while using VR technology. Rather than producing virtual images in a real environment, VR creates an entirely virtual environment for the user to experience and interact with.

Top Virtual Reality Technologies

By now, you must have an in-depth understanding of what is VR and how it is implemented in today’s world. So, let’s move on to the most popular VR technologies that are widely used throughout the globe. The idea of VR was presented to the world as early as 2010; however, it was only defined as a series of impressive tech demos back then. It was until the fall of 2015 that VR was considered to be a big deal with the launch of the three most popular VR technologies that are still at the top in terms of the VR industry.

These top Virtual Reality Technologies are listed below:

The HTC corporation has always been on top when it comes to the best VR technologies. Coming out with the HTC Vive back in 2016, HTC has made its name in the sector by making the highest quality of VR entertainment accessible to large audiences of VR. Vive was the first-ever VR technology that supported SteamVR. HTC has produced various technologies with similar concepts, including HTC Vive Pro Eye, HTC Cosmos, HTC Focus, and HTC Plus.

Another big name in the industry is Oculus. It was originally founded as a Kickstarter project back in 2012 and engineered with the help of John Carmack, it has proved to be the early leader in VR hardware for video games. Oculus was bought by Facebook in 2014, which made various improvements to the technology in the form of new and improved devices, including Oculus Rift, Oculus Rift S, Oculus Go, and Oculus Quest.

Last, but not least, Sony’s entry into the market is the lowest power of the three best-selling Virtual Reality HMDs. Since Sony’s PSVR had tethered with the PlayStation 4, millions of pre-existing gamers were eager to get their hands on the new VR technology and try Virtual Reality gaming for the first time.

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