VR is currently limited in areas such as accessibility, realism, and social interaction.
VR is currently limited in areas such as accessibility, realism, and social interaction.
It's a vicious cycle between lack of compelling content (not otherwise available to people) and the lack of users, meaning companies won't make more content, exclusive to VR. If there was a large userbase, companies would make a lot of content for it. If there was a lot of (exclusive) content, there would be more users. Just take these two examples. Mobile gaming: "Everyone" has a smartphone or tablet, so a lot of games are made. Nintendo Switch: There is a lot of good exclusive content, so people bought the device. The other thing I would say is accessibility, in terms of people being able to comfortably use it. A lot of people get nauseous from VR, or can't use it because of glasses incompatibility, so that deters a lot of users.
I believe it's gaining more attention in the public sphere, mainly due to the Oculus Quest. Before this, VR faced challenges like requiring a separate computer and special setup, plus the need for base stations. Most people lacked both space and budget, which made developers reluctant to create content for it. Additionally, VR games often needed more time and effort to maintain smooth performance, usually below 90 FPS on common hardware. When VR initially launched, it struggled despite excitement, as developers feared targeting a tiny audience with limited returns. Since few titles emerged, consumers had little reason to invest in expensive gear for just a few games or demos. Thanks to the Quest, costs have dropped, helping the market expand. It's possible VR could become a major force within the next few years, similar to what was predicted after the Vive and Rift C1 releases.
I have mixed thoughts about VR. I tried it in DCS and found it interesting, though hard to read the gauges. In HL Alyx I felt the controls were poor and the pacing forced me to move slowly. It didn’t live up to what I expected from a "killer app." Alyx should have felt like a standard FPS. Overall, it was frustrating—like playing with a Wii while wearing a scuba mask. The concept is cool, especially for sims like DCS, F1, FS2020, but it has major technical hurdles. It demands a powerful machine, constant 90fps, and expensive gear. Plus, most headsets struggle with clarity, and the interface often feels clunky. It’s a decent idea but not practical for most users.