29 The Rise of the Virtual World
Anthony Surdich
29.1 Introduction
Keywords
- Metaverse: An interconnected digital realm that can be accessed by millions of users at once.
- Virtual reality: A totally artificial environment that allows users to interact as if they were in the real world.
- Augmented reality: The concept of combining the physical and virtual world through the implementation of virtual objects in the physical world.
- Mixed reality: A combination between virtual reality and augmented reality with a heavy emphasis on the virtual realm.
- Omnidirectional treadmill: A physical treadmill that revolves at your own pace, allowing you to move realistically in the virtual world.
- Depth Perception: The ability to perceive objects from a certain distance in three dimensions.
Learning Objectives
- By the end of this chapter, students should be able to
- Define virtual reality and the history behind its creation
- Visualize the impact virtual reality technology has outside the gaming realm
- List the advantages and consequences of virtual reality
- Predict how virtual reality will transcend in the future
When speaking about groups of people playing video games, the general population that comes to mind are those born in Gen Z. According to Talmon (2019), Gen Z children spend at least an hour each day playing video games. Tremendous strides have been made in the gaming realm over the past couple decades, and nobody from back then would have predicted the state of video games in our current society. Whether it’s swimming with the dolphins, batting against your favorite pitcher, or experiencing a haunted house in your living room, virtual reality (VR) has been a game changer in the gaming industry.
Despite being mainly known for its use in video games, virtual reality extends far beyond. VR technologies can be used for live events, educational purposes, and medical purposes. The far-reaching nature of virtual reality is the main reason why software developers across the globe are fascinated by it. As a result, there have been serious talks of an emerging metaverse, an interconnected digital realm that can be accessed by millions of users at once (Mystakidis, 2022). All in all, the future of virtual reality is going to be intriguing to watch unfold.
29.2 Welcome to a New World!
Key Takeaway(s)
Virtual reality is an artificial environment that allows users to interact as if they were in the real world (Mystakidis, 2022). The platform is typically used for gaming and can require headsets, omnidirectional treadmills, and other equipment that can make the experience even more realistic (Mystakidis, 2022). Furthermore, it is possible to experience all five senses within the virtual world. Along with virtual reality, other extended realities include augmented reality and mixed reality. Augmented reality acts to combine the physical and virtual world through the implementation of virtual objects in the physical world (Mystakidis, 2022). Mixed reality is