Today’s virtual reality (VR) headsets are undeniably cool, but the experience they offer is still more virtual than real. However, the tech is improving rapidly: This June, Mark Zuckerberg gave the world a sneak preview of prototypes for four virtual reality headsets, a teaser that left gamers salivating. Of course there’s far more to VR than games, but what can we expect the future of VR to look like? What will non-gamers actually use it for?
Last year, in an article in Wired, academic David Karpf pondered the question, and didn’t come up with many examples beyond souped-up Zoom meetings. The problem is not the tech, but the lack of imagination in a tech industry led by billionaires raised on stories of space travel, he writes. “I’m sure the rigs and goggles of 2026 will be better and more affordable than the ones we have today. I’m just not sure ...
