To say that virtual reality is evolving rapidly is an understatement. Consider that the market is projected to grow from $25 billion in 2023 to nearly $166 billion in 2030. It’s also one of those technologies that has tremendous appeal across industries. It’s used for everything from military training to medical therapy and gaming. This means that there is a vast body of innovators out there developing new applications for the technology and making it more user-friendly.
Much of this thrust is on making virtual reality hardware more accessible. Traditionally, VR gear can be quite bulky to accommodate the superior processing power that’s necessary for it to operate. As headsets and controllers become more lightweight and more affordable, it improves their appeal for the average consumer and offers businesses new markets to deploy their services.
Here is a roundup of the latest trends in the VR space with a focus on VR hardware and application innovation.
1. Immersive VR Headsets
An immersive experience is key to VR’s success. The ability to transport people into another world that they can interact with and explore much like they would the real world, offers limitless potential. Companies have recognized this and are investing heavily in more advanced VR devices that can provide greater immersion.
This includes higher-resolution headsets with improved displays and field-of-view, supported by input and output VR hardware for more realistic experiences. Modern sensors allow for better tracking of eye, hand, facial, and other bodily movements, allowing the simulation to respond. Improved haptic and somatosensory systems can provide tactile feedback to create a greater sense of presence for the user.
2. Specialized Gear
As VR programs become more and more specialized, so do the associated accessories. Newer gear increasingly includes advanced multipurpose controllers with improved feedback and responsiveness, as well as customized controllers for specific simulation interactions.
The VR hardware is likely to evolve to provide better support and comfort. Seating systems and controllers are now being developed to be lighter with better form factors to enable longer simulations. They’re also being substituted by gear such as omnidirectional treadmills and tactical rigs in order to better mirror the movement involved in a specific use case.
3. Training Solutions
VR is becoming a mainstream solution for training applications. Military departments, such as the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army, and Space Force regularly use it to better train their combatants or to acclimatize personnel to various situations. In fact, VR is the preferred technology for high-risk training, such as for combat or law enforcement roles, as well as for emergency response roles, including paramedic and firefighters.
VR hardware has evolved to support these new use cases. For example, King Crow Studios has developed a fully-interactive digital twin of a B-52 airplane’s cockpit to help the U.S. Air Force train fighter pilots. Applications such as this require a combination of tactile hardware and intuitive software systems to provide a high degree of realism.
4. Fitness Applications
VR’s natural compatibility with gaming and disability to extend immersion for players by incorporating more movement into the gameplay has a number of parallel applications. Chief among them is fitness and sports training.
VR hardware is increasingly being customized to facilitate specific bodily movements, such as tennis serves, fitness exercises, and active training, including punching and blocking. This has opened up a whole new training avenue for athletes, particularly for contact sports, such as football. Players can hone their skills without fear of being injured during training as well as practice remotely and at their own pace.
5. Social VR
Another VR trend that’s fast catching on is social experiences. Gaming has again led the charge on this via multiplayer combat and interaction. VRChat, as an early adopter of simulated social interaction, is an excellent example of this, allowing people worldwide to create and roleplay in custom scenarios.
Plenty of other industries have adopted this trend, including social media, as well as events organizers and entertainment companies. By allowing people to share in the experience virtually, organizers can vastly boost the audience and reach for any event.
Consumers haven’t been passive participants either; the possibility of user-generated VR content is opening up new possibilities, social interaction, and connection. The rapid consumerization of VR hardware and technology has helped popularize this trend.
Experience State-of-the-Art VR Technology With King Crow Studios
King Crow Studios is an award-winning industry leader in the VR space. We are the preferred VR training partner for some of the nation’s leading companies and government agencies. Our technology, powered by our pioneering S.T.E.P. system, provides unrivaled immersion for users, resulting in exceptional engagement and training outcomes. Reach out to us to learn more about our company or to explore a use case for our technology. Keep up with our blog for more VR hardware trends.