Virtual reality trend has been a hot topic for 2024, with companies across industries embracing the technology for product design, remote collaboration and testing. VR also offers a unique opportunity to transform customer engagement and experience.
In the education industry, VR breaks traditional learning barriers, transporting students to historical epochs, distant planets or complex scientific phenomena. Students learn while having fun, making lessons more engaging and enhancing comprehension. VR is also transforming medical training, allowing medical students to practice complicated surgical procedures in risk-free environments.
VR has become more accessible than ever, thanks to lighter and more comfortable headsets and faster networks. Standalone devices like the Meta Qest 3 and Pico 5 eliminate the need for external PCs or consoles, while streaming technologies such as Vagon Streams allow users to access virtual experiences even without a dedicated headset.
Another key VR trend is hyper-realism, which is reshaping immersive experiences. For example, VR gamers can now feel raindrops and smell flowers in their virtual worlds, bringing the gaming experience closer to real life than ever before. The same technology is also enabling more realistic non-player characters and avatars, as well as adding a new dimension to visual effects.
Gamification is another key VR trend, bringing fun and functionality to everyday tasks. For instance, AR and VR can make fitness and work more exciting by incorporating game-like elements to keep users engaged. Similarly, AR and VR are giving the traditional try-before-you-buy experience a digital makeover by enabling shoppers to test out furniture in their own home before making a purchase.