As home VR goes mainstream, can it survive a plunge into the trough of disillusionment?
Virtual reality has been the "next big thing" for a while but this year it's finally going mainstream as the long-awaited Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR headsets hit the retail shelves. Sure Google Cardboard-style VR has been around for a while, letting you hold a smartphone up to your face, but these full-fledged consumer-grade VR headsets take things to the next level.
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Loungeroom virtual reality with PlayStation VR
Games reviewer Tim Biggs puts Sony's latest toy through its paces. Please note that the in-game footage has been cropped and reformated for a 2D screen. Images look much nicer when seen through the headset.
According to Gartner's hype cycle, every new technology builds up to a crescendo of hype, with expectations so unrealistically high that our enthusiasm comes crashing down into the trough of disillusionment once we actually get our hands on it. After our initial disappointment, the technology heads back up the slope of enlightenment as we come to grips with it. Eventually it reaches the plateau of productivity as we actually find a good use for it.
Of course not every technology emerges from the trough of disillusionment – 3D television is the perfect example. The technology went through another revival a few years ago, driven by the return of 3D to the cinemas, but after all the hype we eventually decided that 3D at home is more trouble than it's worth.
In terms of the hardware you could argue that virtual reality is already climbing out of the trough of disillusionment – I've tested all the major headsets and they're certainly delivering on VR's promises. Of course there's a big difference between impressing tech-savvy early adopters with a few cool VR demos and actually convincing the general public to spend their cash on a high-end headset for their home.
The big question now is whether consumer-grade virtual reality can live up to expectations and deliver an overall user experience which is compelling enough to keep your average punter coming back for more.
The fact that consumer-based VR has a focus on gaming should work to its advantage. Looking back to 3D television, it soon became clear that the content needs to be engaging enough for you to forget about the hassles of the technology.
Once the novelty of 3D wore off, it simply didn't add enough to the movie or sport-watching experience to make it worth the effort of tolerating the glasses. It was only 3D games on the PlayStation 3 which gave the technology any staying power, although it seems this still wasn't enough to save the technology in the long-term.
![Virtual Reality is ready to come out and play, but does it have staying power?](/web/20161014171935im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/q/n/p/h/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gs21qk.png/1476394931694.jpg)
Looking to VR in the home, I'd say the console-based PlayStation VR has the advantage over the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive which require a high-end PC. Just like the eternal PC versus Console gaming war, you can argue the technical pros and cons of each platform as much as you like but at the end of the day many people will favour the PlayStation VR because it "just works" and it's cheaper to set up in your lounge room.
The PC versus console debate aside the big question is, like 3D television, will your average punter decide that VR in the home is more trouble than it's worth? The answer will become clearer over the next 12 months, as we see whether the first VR headsets which make it into homes start to gather dust and whether they're starved of decent content.
Which VR platform has caught your eye? Once the hype settles, what will it take for VR to earn an ongoing place in your home?
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