When most of us think of Virtual Reality we tend to think of modern headsets and the fantastical worlds that VR can transport us to. In reality, VR has been around for decades and enjoys an extensive history which dates right back to the 1030’s.
How this early concept evolved into the amazing simulation experience we can now enjoy is an interesting one and began in Pygmalions Spectacles where Stanley G.Weinbaum described a goggle based game where players can watch a holographic recording of virtual stories which included touch and smell.
So, all those years ago there were already visions of creating a simulation experience using technology, and although it is very difficult to introduce touch and smell into the VR experience these are things that creators are looking at for the near future.
That would be a pretty amazing experience to be able to touch and smell your VR experiences. Just imagine going into a bingo hall for instance, somewhere like Swag Bingo where you could meet with your friends and not only have a full 360-degree visual but also be able to touch and smell your virtual environment.
Virtual reality headsets began development in the 1960’s and the very first headset was created for use with military applications, in training exercises. VR training tools are now the standard in the military for combat situations and flight exercises.
It wasn’t until the 1990’s that VR headsets made their way into arcade games, with Nintendo being the first company to announce the first VR system call, Virtual Boy. Sega then introduced a VR headset for the Sega Genesis console in 1993.
It was Oculus that started the surge of consumer interest in virtual reality giving them the hope that VR was going to be both accessible and affordable, and after the initial surge after Oculus Rift, companies all over the world began to build their own VR headsets and producing some huge developments in apps, affordable headsets, 360-degree cameras and more.
As well as many affordable headsets there are also generic products that are being developed for use with smartphone technology, something that would interest a great many smartphone users.
What is for sure, is the future looks decidedly bright and totally virtual.
