Why Is Virtual Reality Still Not as Popular as It Should Be?

Back in the 2010s, virtual reality was hailed as one of the most promising pieces of tech, especially with the advent of VR goggles such as the Oculus Rift in the mainstream consumer scene. Now here we are, nearly a decade later and virtual reality is still not popular– some even go as far as saying it failed.

That isn’t to say virtual reality didn’t take off or didn’t gain traction. In fact, it spawned a bit of a cult following, and a lot of games shifted under its wing as a gaming platform. It was supposed to be the next big thing that should have drawn everyone away from the traditional TV or monitor, straight into sci-fi future-scapes where everyone is wearing VR goggles.

RELATED: 8 Best Cloud Gaming Services if You Don’t Have the Hardware

We even have contenders such as the HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, and even Meta Quest 2. Now, even Apple wants a slice of the cake with its new Apple VR Headset. Still, even Apple’s appeal might not be enough to make VR as popular as say, something like the traditional computer monitor or screen as a viewing apparatus. Let’s dissect why.

VR Is Still Too Expensive

While we did mention that Apple joined the fray in the push for virtual reality and VR goggles, it really didn’t help alleviate the most glaring issue with virtual reality. It’s too expensive for the common man.

Apple’s Vision Pro costs a whopping $3,500 or more (since it’s Apple we’re talking about here). It’s set to have an official release around 2024 and they want it to be the ultimate all-in-one computing device complete with the functionality of a monitor, a phone, and a desktop computer. So you don’t need a separate Apple computer.

Still, that’s a lot more expensive compared to non-Apple VR devices and setups. 

If you want an Oculus Rift or VR-ready setup, for example, you’d need to shell out a minimum of $1,000 for a good, mid-range gaming PC or gaming laptop plus the added cost of the VR goggles which is around $300. 

There are cheaper alternatives such as the Meta Quest 2 which is Mark Zuckerberg’s pet project. It’s an all-in-one VR headset but the longevity is not guaranteed and Meta can pull the plug anytime, as they have done ‌with the first Meta Quest. And even with the Meta Quest 2, the games are simply too basic compared to what the Oculus Rift and its gaming competitors are capable of.

Perhaps after five more years or even a decade, we might see an Apple Vision Pro with a retail cost of only $1,000 or less, or maybe an Oculus VR headset with the same AIO capability. But right now, we’re not quite there yet, even after a decade of ‘mainstream’ VR.

Devices Are Not the Only Cost

Anyone who has seen a person play video games on a VR headset will surely have guessed one of its other requirements. That would be the need for a large space for movement. 

In order to control your characters in a virtual reality space, you’ll need the VR Headset controllers, and naturally, you’d need to move those controllers around. For that to happen, you also need a lot of open space in your house unless you’re fine with knocking vases or punching holes through drywall or windows. 

This other necessity for virtual reality especially for gaming has inadvertently limited the demographics of people who will want to buy VR headsets. Because as we all know, the only people with big houses that are spacious enough for VR headset movement and controls are wealthy ones. 

And it just so happens that wealthy people have more options or perhaps more fun hobbies than spending time in a virtual space instead of looking at a screen. For a lot of people, VR headsets– at the moment, are just glorified monitors for gaming or watching other forms of entertainment.

VR Has Nothing New or Necessary To Offer, Really

One of the big reasons why VR headsets and virtual reality, in general, have nothing groundbreaking that can’t be achieved or translated to other visual technologies, mainly TVs and monitors– traditional screens. Whether it’s gaming, movies, social spaces (like Metaverse), or *ahem* adult stuff, a VR headset merely promises better immersion.

Spending extra for that kind of primary selling point is just not a wise idea for the average consumer and they know it. 

Even Valve, one of the most acclaimed video game developers in history, tried to push for a shift to VR headsets with their video game, Half-Life: Alyx but pirates and modders proved that you don’t really need VR headsets to play it– they easily modified the game to be able to accommodate mouse and keyboard controls.

So at the moment, there’s nothing VR headsets can do that traditional entertainment can’t. Meta Quest 2 and its gradual expansion to other sectors of usefulness, such as health or fitness, virtual workspaces, or other fields than entertainment might just get virtual reality the push it needs to be in the current market. But for now, it’s not really more appealing compared to screens.

There’s Not Enough VR Content

One of the reasons why VR headsets are not really a good purchase for a lot of people looking for entertainment is that there’s not enough to play with in the virtual reality space. Aside from social media games, a few select titles have been converted to VR.

There are exclusive games like the aforementioned Half-Life: Alyx but after that, there was never really another breakthrough VR innovator in the gaming scene. Most of them remain casual stuff like Beat Saber or horror games which were already available on screens.

In fact, the number of developers who promised work on VR projects declined from 24 percent in 2017 to just 12 percent in 2023– though the pandemic could have been a big factor. Regardless, virtual reality’s main strength as immersion doesn’t really have much merit when it lacks original and innovative content that could push people ‌to shift to VR headsets.

Still, there’s no such thing as a precise prediction for technology in the future. And while virtual reality is still not popular and remains in a declining state (perhaps until the Apple Vision Pro releases), things can change easily for the platform. It can take as little as a single innovation to catalyze that change and let’s hope we’re all still alive to witness that event on our screens.

MORE: Why the Framework Laptop Needs To Be the Future of Gaming Laptops