Ah, the virtual reality! We've been talking about it for years, but the times of maturity for this technology never seem to arrive. Indeed, sometimes they seem to never arrive again: a decade after the start of the hype, VR headsets continue to show obvious limitations.
Do we have bulky cables? Yes, Playstation VR 2. And heavy objects on the face? Of course, Meta Quest 2. Not to mention the prices. Each device has its strength, but none fully meets our needs.
Functional VR headsets, a mirage
The average consumer would like VR headsets that offer console graphics, are wireless, are lightweight, comfortable and don't overheat. And they wouldn't want to pay more than 300 euros. At the moment it is a utopia.
Engineers must contend with optics, performance, weight, shape, efficiency and price. Factors that often conflict: you improve one aspect and compromise another. Examples “Pancake” lenses, which reduce the size of viewers but require brighter screens and more efficient batteries.
Yet, even if the blanket is short, there is still great interest around this technology.
The future? Perfect. Almost.
Despite its current limitations, virtual reality has great potential. VR headsets present more complex technological challenges than any other electronic device, but that doesn't stop us from dreaming of a future in which these imperfections will be overcome.
Considering the current pace of technological development in the field of virtual reality headsets, we could see major advances in the next 5-10 years. However, achieving absolute perfection in all necessary areas (resolution, battery life, light weight, etc.) may take longer, maybe 15-20 years or more. In January a small essay was published which I consider very interesting on the subject, I link it here.
However, following this path of growth and progress is extremely fascinating. After all, this is one of the reasons why, despite its imperfections, VR continues to excite us after all this time.
