Technology experts and research and development analysts agree on one thing: virtual reality and its "sisters," augmented reality and mixed reality (a blend of physical and digital worlds) will be the major technological trend of 2023 and the coming years. The fields in which the potential of VR and headsets is being exploited is growing rapidly and will likely continue to do so for a long time to come. It's time to take stock and discover the latest and most promising applications of virtual universes.
It's impossible not to mention the applications of virtual reality and gaming , a sector that has been closely linked to 3D environments and headsets since its inception. One of the most recent and interesting examples of this is PokerStars , a specialized portal that has just launched its suite for the metaverse. Always a point of reference for sports poker, PokerStars is also distinguishing itself in the application of new technologies, creating virtual environments where it's possible to relive the atmosphere of "real" green tables in detail using a simple headset.
Another field where "new realities" are demonstrating their potential is industry , where immersive reality solutions are being applied in as many as three different ways. The first is training , with workers using headsets to train directly in the field, effectively eliminating the risks associated with learning in physical locations such as construction sites, factories, and hospitals. VR is also having a significant impact on product design and development . Today, creatives within companies can develop and test an object or business process remotely, can interact with colleagues without leaving their home studio, and have access to a huge amount of data relating to both the object and its context. These are possibilities that were unimaginable just a few years ago.
VR headsets, metaverses, and digital environments are also having a significant impact on promotion and marketing, with large manufacturing companies beginning to promote their work through virtual showrooms, which are gradually transforming into true alternative points of sale.
Entertainment and industry, however, aren't the only sectors where VR is gaining ground. Another field where headsets are becoming increasingly important is medicine , both for clinicians and patients. For practitioners, virtual simulations are a great resource in pre-operative planning and in training interns and students, while patients can leverage their potential in remote rehabilitation programs.
One of the fields where new technologies are most likely finding fertile ground is that of culture and its various forms , as we've seen in recent years. VR headsets are used in cultural tourism and travel, a sector where 3D virtual tours are now commonplace. More and more people are enjoying the opportunity to take guided tours of landmarks , museums, and monuments, and this, contrary to what was feared, hasn't affected booking numbers or interrupted tourist flows. At the same time, VR is proving to be extremely useful in educational and scholastic processes , transforming traditional "learning by book" into the much more direct, immersive, and engaging "learning by doing."
The latest, perhaps surprisingly, field where augmented, mixed, and virtual reality are gaining ground is sports and fitness . The number of intensive training programs that leverage VR apps and related devices is growing, as are virtual postural and rehabilitation programs for the elderly. At the same time, on the entertainment front, 3D broadcasts of sporting events are growing, allowing sports enthusiasts to follow their idols as if they were actually there.
