I decided to save up for a while to get an Oculus Quest. Of course, it took longer than expected with the pandemic causing unexpected expenses and many, many new causes to give to. The weird thing about Virtual Reality is that it really has been a part of pop culture for as long as I can remember. The 80s were full of weird news articles, shows, videos, and movies that explored what virtual reality could be like “some day.” Of course, in the 80s we thought we would all be using VR regularly by the 90s. When the 90s came and went, we thought it might be the 00s. Knowing what I now know about technology, none of those predictions were possible. But we sure did dream of the Holodeck being a reality within the “next few years.”

Anyways, I have been playing with various Oculus and Cardboard VR set-ups for a few years. Yes, I know the hype is overblown, and there is no way we are on the verge of a “VR Revolution.” For now – and the foreseeable future – it is still a hobby-like thing for certain people. While the older versions of VR that I played with were cool, I wasn’t that convinced with their long-term ability to hold interest. But once you could start getting devices that would turn your phone into a VR device for $10-20, I started looking around more and thinking there could be some possibilities.

So now that I can get a stand-alone VR headset for around $300, what do I think? Is it fulfilling all of my 80s VR dreams? Well, I will say that the quality and realism is a lot more impressive than any past VR set I have used. I tend to play the Beat Sabre demo over and over again without getting bored. I have taken virtual visits to Petra in Jordan, inside Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting, and surfing on huge waves. All of that is really beyond what I could have imagined in the 80s.

There are many Oculus games that hype the nostalgia aspect – from games that ask “Remember those awesome classic arcade cabinets? Imagine if those were immersive” to games that mimic classic 80s games to even games that simulate being back in the 80s. Of course, all of these games cost money, and then there is a whole eco-system of upgrades and accessories that you can get to improve your experience. Sigh. Of course. Got to keep finding more ways for people to spend money on these things.

Because of that, even with a big push in the mainstream with Star Wars games and slick commercials, I still see a hard road ahead for VR in general. Gamers are probably already locked into their favorite game system with a lot of money spent on games and accessories as it is. Asking them to re-buy all of that is a hard sale for most. Casual gamers are probably already happy with their phone/laptop/desktop games. I don’t really see any Ready Player One style social worlds starting up any time soon. All of the problems with Ready Player One not withstanding, the general idea of The Oasis probably just won’t work any time soon. Because, yes, even the fancy new Quest can give you headaches and motion sickness. I love exploring YouTubeVR videos, but can only take a few at a time. Still, I will see what fun things I can dig up as I look play around. Embedded at the top of this post is my favorite discovery so far – a very immersive run through Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting.