Credit: Illustration by
Tim Lahan
A lot happened in virtual reality this year; here are the
key things to remember.
(December 21, 2015)
Though virtual reality is still far from mainstream, 2015 was a big year
for the industry as new headsets were introduced—some full-featured and
powerful, some simple and portable—and companies announced new ways to control
and capture VR imagery, too. Throughout the year, investors poured money into
companies developing the technology, content creators figured out how to make
everything from films to advertisements in VR, and millions of Americans
experienced virtual-reality technology for the very first time.
With all that happened, it can be hard to sift out what’s
most important. We cut through the virtual noise to bring you the six most
significant events in virtual reality this year.
1. HTC and Valve show
off the Vive VR headset
In March, smartphone maker HTC and video-game company Valve
Software pulled back the curtains on their collaborative virtual-reality
effort, the Vive headset. Vive has a tracking system that uses lasers to keep
an eye on your location within a space as large as 15 by 15 feet, making it
possible to roam around while using the headset. The Vive is slated for
commercial release in April.
2. Oculus unveils its
first consumer headset, Rift, and Oculus Touch hand controllers
In June, Facebook-owned Oculus trotted out its first
consumer headset, Rift, and a pair of half-moon, button-bedecked controllers,
both of which it plans to release next year (see “Oculus Shows Its First
Consumer Headset, Circular Hand Controls”).