The most exciting things in VR are 'The Matrix'-like experiences we can't even imagine
The Matrix
I suspect that when most people hear the words virtual reality, they think of games.
And sure, games are a big part of the experience, but once VR goes mainstream as Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and other headsets are released later this year, the most exciting prospect is how it will in many ways be better than real life.
You can think of it as "The Matrix" with its mind-blowing superhuman movements and realistic worlds, minus the human-killing robots.
"The idea of VR in a lot of people's minds is to replicate either reality or create things that could exist in reality. Even fantasy environments, they could exist in reality," said Oculus founder Palmer Luckey at the 2016 Vision Summit, the inaugural conference for VR enthusiasts held last week.
That's VR right now. Replicating the real, for the most part.
As I saw firsthand at the conference, so much is possible right now in VR. You can play tennis, become a spy, or explore real places that are hard for humans to reach. But it is not even close to its full potential, as Luckey understands.
People are going to "start building things that work in some cases better than they actually work in reality," Luckey said.
The Matrix
Luckey didn't offer specifics on what those things are, but we can venture a few guesses: How about exploring a fictional world like James Cameron's "Avatar" on its flying horse-like creatures? Or perhaps piloting a spacecraft to some far-off planet that doesn't exist?
The Matrix is real Neo, or at least, it'll seem that way when you strap on a VR headset. Because the possibilities are endless.
"The thing that's hard to predict is what will end up being not the human interaction," Luckey said, "but the superhuman interaction."
He added: "The mouse and keyboard are the dominant interface on PCs and they're certainly not a natural human interface."
The Matrix
Put simply, Luckey believes a similar thing will happen in VR, where developers will figure out new ways to move, interact, and experience the virtual world. He even referenced a previous talk by NASA's Jeff Norris about how his team uses the technology to explore Mars.
"In a lot of ways, using VR to visit a planet can be better than actually being there," Luckey said.
So start dreaming up crazy ideas. They may not be able to exist in reality, but a software developer certainly will be able to build it in virtual reality.
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