What Virtual Reality Is Actually Good For

Virtual reality has had several waves of hype, from bulky headsets in 1990s arcades to the promise of a "metaverse" that would host much of daily life. The reality is more modest and more interesting. Consumer headsets have become lighter, cheaper and standalone, and VR has found real footholds in training, healthcare and design, while some of the bigger predictions have faded. Looking at where VR is proving useful, and where it still struggles, gives a clearer picture than the marketing.

Today's headsets

Most consumer VR now runs on standalone headsets that don't need a computer, such as Meta's Quest line, with cameras that track movement without external sensors. Sony's PlayStation VR2 connects to the PlayStation 5. Apple's Vision Pro, released in the US in February 2024, is a high-end "spatial computer" that blends virtual and real environments. Many headsets now offer mixed reality, which shows the real room through cameras and places virtual objects in it, blurring the line between virtual and augmented reality.

Where VR is proving useful

Training for dangerous or expensive situations. VR lets people practice tasks that would be risky, rare or costly to rehearse in real life. Airlines and militaries have long used simulators. Energy companies train workers for hazardous sites, firefighters and police practice emergency scenarios, and retailers have used VR to train staff: Walmart, for example, rolled out VR headsets to its US stores for employee training in 2018. Studies of VR training in various fields suggest it can improve recall and confidence compared with videos or reading, though results depend on the quality of the program.

Surgery and medical education. Medical students and surgeons use VR to practice procedures and study three-dimensional anatomy. Several randomized studies have found that surgical trainees who practiced in VR simulators performed some procedures faster and with fewer errors than those trained conventionally. Surgeons also use VR models built from scans to plan complex operations.

Pain and therapy. VR can distract patients during painful procedures such as wound care and some injections, and is used in children's hospitals for this purpose. In 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized a VR-based program, RelieVRx, for home use in treating chronic lower back pain alongside other treatments. Psychologists use VR exposure therapy to help people with phobias, such as fear of heights or flying, and it is being studied for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Rehabilitation. Physical therapists use VR games to encourage repetitive movements after strokes and injuries, making exercises more engaging.

Design and architecture. Architects, engineers and car designers walk clients and teams through buildings and products before they are built. Seeing a space at full scale often reveals problems that drawings miss.

Fitness. VR workouts, from rhythm games to boxing and dance classes, have become one of the more popular consumer uses, motivating people who find traditional exercise boring.

Education and culture. Students can take virtual field trips, explore historical sites, the human body or the solar system. Museums and documentary makers use VR to place viewers inside places and events.

Where it struggles

• Comfort. Headsets are still heavy for long sessions, and some people experience motion sickness, especially when moving through virtual spaces while standing still.
• Social isolation. Wearing a headset cuts people off from those around them, which limits its use in homes and offices.
• The metaverse. Large investments in virtual worlds for work and socializing have struggled to attract lasting mainstream use, and several companies have scaled back their ambitions.
• Cost and content. High-end headsets are expensive, and the library of compelling apps outside gaming is still growing.
• Accessibility. People who wear glasses, have certain visual or vestibular conditions, or limited mobility may find VR difficult to use.

A short history of the hype cycles

The term "virtual reality" was popularized in the 1980s by Jaron Lanier, whose company sold early headsets and data gloves. In the 1990s, arcade VR machines and Nintendo's Virtual Boy console generated excitement but disappointed with low-resolution graphics and discomfort. The modern revival began in 2012, when the Oculus Rift raised money on Kickstarter, and Facebook bought Oculus in 2014. Since then, headsets have moved from expensive computer accessories tethered by cables to standalone devices. In 2021, Facebook renamed itself Meta to signal its commitment to virtual worlds, and its Reality Labs division has since reported very large operating losses, a sign of how expensive the bet has been.

VR and augmented reality

Virtual reality replaces what you see with a computer-generated environment. Augmented reality overlays digital information on the real world, as in smartphone games such as Pokemon Go or apps that show furniture in your room. Many industry observers expect augmented reality glasses, light enough to wear all day, to eventually be more widely used than fully immersive headsets, but making them small, affordable and power-efficient remains a major engineering challenge.

Trying VR before buying

Because comfort and motion sickness vary so much between people, it is worth trying a headset before buying one, for example at an electronics store, a VR arcade or a friend's home. Start with stationary experiences and short sessions, take regular breaks, and clear the play area of furniture and pets. Check the return policy, and look at the specific apps you want to use rather than buying a headset for its general promise.

Children and VR

Headset makers set minimum ages, typically around 10 to 13 depending on the device and its terms, and recommend regular breaks. Experts advise supervising young users, limiting session length, and paying attention to privacy settings and contact with strangers in social apps.

Privacy

Headsets collect detailed data, including movement, room layouts and, on some devices, eye tracking. Movement patterns alone can be distinctive enough to identify individuals, so it's worth reviewing privacy settings and the data policies of the platform and apps you use.

What's next

The likely path is gradual: lighter headsets that look more like glasses, better mixed reality, and continued growth in training, healthcare and design. For most people, VR is likely to become a useful tool for specific tasks and entertainment rather than a replacement for the physical world.