# Why VR? Immersive technology is rapidly becoming the most conspicuous trend in the technological world. Most of the major tech companies in the world are making massive VR and AR plays. Facebook, Google, Apple, Snap, Microsoft … Take your pick. All of them are pouring resources into the field. Not only are virtual reality, augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) set to completely change the way you spend your leisure time, but they are _absolutely_ going to change the way you work as well. > _No matter what industry you are in, virtual reality will disrupt it._ Retail, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, advertising … All of these industries are set to undergo transformations thanks to the evolution of human-computer interactions. Not only in the way that companies interact with their customers (through advertising/social media and in person), but in the way work gets done behind the scenes. Let’s take a look at some of the ways immersive tech is currently being applied. ## Gaming This might be the first thing you think of when VR is mentioned, and for good reason. VR gaming has exploded over the last few years. The Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and the tandem of Google VR headsets (the Daydream and the Cardboard) have all brought VR gaming and experiences to consumers at varying price points. PlayStation entering the market with their PSVR and Windows’ suite of Mixed Reality headsets further saturated the market, and we can only expect more innovation and competition going forward. If you’re looking to dip your toe into VR waters, gaming is a great way to get a feel for it. ## Social Media _Via Facebook Spaces_ Snapchat (now, just Snap) has led the way on social so far. Their take on augmented reality allows users to integrate interactive graphics into their surroundings. You’re probably familiar with the Dog Filter, but that’s only the beginning. If you haven’t tried it yet, download the app (iTunes, Android). Facebook and Instagram have also developed face filters, and since most of us use these apps regularly, it’s a great way to get acclimated to AR. Snap, Facebook, and others are currently squaring off in a multi-billion dollar sortie for social media supremacy. VR and AR have been one of the most competitive battlefields. For example, Snap has released glasses (called Spectacles) with a built-in camera that allows users to shoot ten-second video Snaps from their perspective — kind of like a GoPro, but in sunglasses form. Facebook has begun to integrate 180 and 360-degree video into their site for some time, and you can expect Facebook to step up their Spaces project after acquiring Oculus for $2 billion in 2014. And, of course, they’re working on their own AR glasses as well. The patents have already been filed. It’s only a matter of time before their new hardware hits the market. In many ways, the future of social media goes through augmented and virtual reality. ## TV, Movies, and Art Entertainment outlets like Hulu and Netflix have already begun to integrate immersive tech into their platforms. Hulu has an option for viewers to watch shows in 360º environments, which effectively [give their audience the experience](https://www.hulu.com/labs/huluvr) of watching their content in a private theater on a big screen or on a relaxing beach. VR filmmaking has also come a long way recently. Oscar-winning director [Kathryn Bigelow](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000941/) (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, Point Break) released a [short film in 360 video](http://www.walkinginrangersshoes.com/) on the Garamba National Park rangers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Sundance Film Festival has introduced a [New Frontier](http://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival/program/NFF-guide) program designed to highlight the work being done by VR filmmakers. It may take some time before full-length films are available in VR, but for now, you can catch some amazing experiences in shorter formats. Filmmakers like Darren Aronofsky, Wes Anderson, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu have all made immersive films recently as well. And creatives, like New York-based artist [Jess Johnson](http://www.jessjohnson.org/) have already begun to craft incredible immersive art installations. ## Sports Highlights from the NBA Finals are available to fans in VR for the first time ever this year [thanks to NextVR](https://www.nextvr.com/nba). Next season, the NBA will offer select games in VR … live. Basically, you’ll be Jack Nicholson. Or Drake. Or whoever. You’ll be sitting on the sideline is what we’re trying to say, and you won’t have to worry about catching a face full of chalk when LeBron goes through his pregame ritual a few (virtual) feet away. Look for all the major sports to offer VR experiences over the next two years or so. StriVR is currently training NFL quarterbacks in VR. With the ability to go over game tape from any angle, QB decision-making can evolve in ways that were previously impossible. The next time Alex Smith throws a pick-six, he can watch the play from the perspective of a defender and assess how he might have telegraphed his pass. There are really a countless number of ways VR, AR, and MR can and will change your weekends and evenings. The stuff listed above is just the beginning. Once the hardware is out there and developers start digging in, the sky is the limit. Speaking of limitlessness, think about the possibilities VR has in your workplace. ## Classroom Students have always been faced with distractions — maybe more now than ever, thanks to the ubiquity of devices and social media. However, the solution to those distractions might be contained within them. Students can pop a phone into a [Google Cardboard](https://store.google.com/us/product/google_cardboard?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsMHY9N6o1gIVSGB-Ch1T6wAYEAQYASABEgI3uPD_BwE&dclid=CPvGg_feqNYCFUO_Twod3FoBmQ) ($15 on Amazon) or strap on a headset and immerse themselves in a distraction-free learning environment. Students can also perform traditionally costly and messy experiments like dissections without having to actually slice open a frog or fire up the bunsen burner. Who needs a plastic skeleton model when you can build your own virtual human being? With VR, students can be transported anywhere from the classroom. Basically, every teacher with access to VR becomes Mrs. Frizzle. They can take their students inside a human body or to outer space to explore the Solar System. ## Medical Further anatomical applications have presented themselves in the medical field. Surgeons can have realistic, hands-on training sessions without the risk of operating on a human being. They can also create detailed maps of a patient’s personal anatomy and practice operations in a virtual space before having to anesthetize. Emergency medical records will soon be available to doctors as an AR overlay; meaning they will be able to evaluate a specific patient’s medical information in real time, in their field of view as they assess the patient visually. Chronic patients can relax by swimming with dolphins or going on a hot air balloon ride instead of being tethered to their hospital bed all day. Physical and mental therapy sessions can mix virtual reality with traditional methods to speed recovery. There are so many potential uses in the medical field, and they could save your life someday. ### Customer Service and Marketing Can’t find an item in a store? No need to ask. Just take a look at the item through your AR glasses, the barcode will automatically scan, and you can choose the information you’d like to see. Simple as that. Companies can streamline, customize, and optimize their customers’ shopping experience through VR. Businesses can interact with clients and one another more efficiently thanks to VR/AR. Architects and contractors can show their clients three-dimensional representations of projects before the work begins, real estate agents can allow homebuyers to literally walk through an entire house remotely, retail customers can experience products in their own homes before purchasing them. Interactive marketing is also beginning to proliferate. As this technology becomes mainstream, marketers will view virtual and augmented reality content as a necessity rather than a novelty. Marketers are already seeing eye-popping numbers as far as engagement with immersive content goes. 360 video drives viewers to share, subscribe, and view other videos, according to Google. Their [research shows](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/advertising-channels/video/360-video-advertising/) that 360 ads earned 41 percent more actions than a standard ad. Also, the average engagement rate on mobile ads is around 2.5 percent and between 10 and 15 seconds. With a [360° ad](https://advrtas.com/360-video-ads-perform-better/), engagement rates average around 85 percent and 16 seconds. And VR content does even better. According to a [joint study by YuMe and Nielsen](http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161109005274/en/Groundbreaking-Virtual-Reality-Research-Showcases-Strong-Emotional), VR receives a 17% higher emotional reaction than 360-degree video, and a 27% higher reaction than 2D (or traditional ads). VR content was also engaged for 34% longer than 2D, and 16% longer than 360-degree video. > Marketers are unlikely to ignore engagement numbers like that. * * * ## So, why VR? Because it’s awesome. THE END. Ha. Seriously though, if you’re wondering what the big deal is about VR, the best way to find out is to slap one on your face and dive in.