Is VR the future of remote working?
Imagine being able to type up your emails at work via hand tracking, browsing the web, and collaborating all in one virtual world. You might even call it your new ‘Infinite Office’. Facebook’s vision for the future involves developing software that is ready to meet these standards and innovate on the hardware over time.
Think of it as typing up all your work via hand tracking, browsing the web, and collaborating all in one virtual world – all in one ‘Infinite Office.’ The key goal is to get the software up to scratch and innovate on the hardware over time, so the experience gets better and better.
Facebook has so far led the VR headset market that has grown by over 50%. The global shipment of VR headsets has grown 52.4% year over year in the first quarter of 2021.
The most popular standalone headset is the Oculus Quest 2, or the HTC Vive Focus which has accounted for a huge majority of shipments capturing 82% of the share during this quarter which is up from 50.5% in the first quarter of 2020. This comes after the announcement of the v28 software update for Oculus Quest 2 which will be rolling out soon. This involved the introduction of Infinite office which is a feature that Oculus includes as part of Oculus Home which lets users work in a virtual environment. The v28 update allows users to add a virtual desk where their real-life desk, creating a truly immersive experience at work!
Tom Mainelli, group vice president, Device and Consumer Research at IDC comments:
“As companies continue to plan for a future that encompasses a combination of both in-person and remote work, we see VR playing an increasingly important role in driving next-generation collaboration, training, and digital events,” said Tom Mainelli, group vice president, Device and Consumer Research at IDC.
The wider introduction of 5G and cloud processing allows the VR/AR device to require less cost, weight, and size. In a few years, we predict that a VR headset will be a fraction of the price it is today making it far more accessible to more business’ meeting their budgets.
