Virtual reality is a new technology on the market, but it is already causing quite a stir. Much of our entertainment today is based on immersion . That is, in our desire to get caught up in something and forget that the world around you exists. The more immersive the book, movie, series, or game, the better it is.

What if you could be inside a game? Observe your character's surroundings simply by turning your head? Defeat monsters using your bare hands? That's what the new virtual reality technologies are trying to do: put you right in the middle of the action.

Want to know how this can change our world? Check out!

Virtual reality has brought a revolution in the gaming world

Equipment like Facebook's Oculus Rift and Valve's Valve Index have already brought this technology to the gaming world. The gaming world was the pioneer in pioneering this innovative technology and discovering what its challenges would be. For example, the computer needs to keep two screens running in sync and with high image quality, so it needs to be quite powerful depending on the game.

But with that, also came the first advances and optimizations, actions of the first products developed especially for this. Although initially limited to use on computers and by developers and power users, it wasn't long before the first mobile glasses were released, making this experience far more accessible to consumers.

Much more realistic and cheaper simulations

But virtual reality will not be limited to entertainment alone. For many courses and professions it is very important to spend a few hours using a simulator and applying the theoretical knowledge learned during the course, as in the case of airplane piloting courses and, more recently, driving school driving courses.

However, a big problem with these simulators is that they tend to be quite expensive. It is necessary to assemble a whole structure that physically simulates the interior of the vehicle, including all the necessary controls, and to have powerful hardware and software to make the simulation happen on several screens (simulating the windows) and receive different inputs from these same controls. All this in real time.

Virtual reality, on the other hand, would allow all of that physical part to become part of the software itself. The glasses can easily simulate the entire internal and external environment of the vehicle in a realistic and much more intuitive way, and can act together with a pair of gloves connected to the computer so that the person could use the controls within the software. Not to mention its other possible benefits for education !

The only disadvantage currently would be to simulate the weight and resistance of the controls, especially the steering wheel and pedals, but with the speed of advancement of these technologies, it is possible that this will be resolved in the near future.

 It is possible to have much more immersive experiences with virtual reality

Everything indicates that virtual reality will also take its revolution to the cinema. Currently there are 360° cameras, cameras specialized in recording panoramic images and videos instantly, thanks to the positioning of several lenses around its core. This is the technology used to register Google Street View images, for example.

The images from 360° cameras can now be viewed interactively using the cell phone itself, thanks to augmented reality technologies. However, this involves holding the phone and turning your face and body with it. With virtual reality glasses, just turn your head. It becomes a much more immersive and intuitive experience.

Some museums are already using this technology to increase access to the works they make available. With the creation of a virtual environment similar to the museum's interior, or even of environments with specific purposes (as in the case of the special exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci and his works made by the Louvre museum ), it is possible to have an even closer relationship with the works and artifacts present in museums, thanks to the interaction possibilities provided by technology.

A revolution for user interfaces and experiences

What if instead of spending the day looking at the computer screen and clicking the mouse, or looking at the cell phone screen and touching the screen, the internet was a big virtual world with things everywhere? That's another thing virtual reality can bring: a complete shift in the way we look at user interfaces and experiences.

This is something that is already being thought about and applied on a large scale. Steam, one of the largest virtual distributors of computer games, launched a few years ago SteamVR Home, which is basically a virtual home that serves as a virtual reality version of the Steam library. You can decorate the house, change its style, hang screenshots on the wall like paintings, chat with friends, and spread game trophies around the house and use them to join the game.

With the popularization of technology, interfaces like this can soon become the norm. Instead of the computer having only one wallpaper as a decoration, now it could have an entire house! Everyday habits like using social networks and talking to friends would be totally different. And with the speed at which this technology is developing and improving, it probably won't be long before it all becomes a reality.