Tech

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What's the best use of VR or AR you've ever seen? Tell us for $3!

Posted by Ford James in Tech

Virtual reality tech has existed in some form since the 1970s, if not even longer, but it's only been commercially viable since the mid-2010s. It hasn't become the household technology some predicted it could be, but there absolutely are some incredible VR and AR implementations out there in the world, from gaming and entertainment to healthcare and education and beyond.

We want to know what's the best use of VR or AR you've ever seen. Perhaps it's the most practical, beneficial for others, or maybe just the most impressive VR/AR game you've played that has utilised the space effectively.

Write in the comments or record a short video explaining your choice and 15 of the best entries can win $3 apiece!

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Created at 4:31pm, 16th April, 2024. Page last updated at 2:44pm, 16th May, 2024.
Deadline at 11:00pm, 28th April, 2024.

TNTpenguin 4/26/2024, 8:03:39 PM

I think the best use of VR is from superhot VR. In superhot times slows down when you don't move, in the original game its great put in the VR version is feels amazing with you getting yourself in danger just to dodge and weave bullets with your body. And the orginal conclusion of the game was amazing (SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST SUPERHOT AHEAD)

FrostySomething 4/24/2024, 7:42:07 AM

When it comes to AR, I always remember the Minecraft HoloLens demo from E3 2015 (ah E3, those were the days). I loved the idea that you could turn your coffee table into an enchanting block-filled paradise with none of the clean up. Can’t believe this was almost a decade ago…

https://youtu.be/xgakdcEzVwg?si=VLo-2W-yINCfLb3t

Ford JamesMod4/24/2024, 9:28:20 AM

FrostySomething

I remember this, I was super into Minecraft at the time so I was absolutely gassed. Shame it never became a consumer-facing product like other VR headsets have, I believe the HoloLens these days is just business-focused.

Josh B 4/21/2024, 8:59:15 PM

https://youtu.be/eg8Bh5iI2WY?feature=shared

This is an oldie but goldie. I remember watching this episode of The Gadget Show and thinking how amazing this would be to play.

VR always claims to be immersive and often, when done well, it really does bring the gaming experience to life. Haptic feedback is also helping to add to that level of immersion and ups the intensity and enjoyment of the games.

But this is next level. While it's clearly not something you could just play in your house, the thought of this for a gift, cool timed combat challenges for something like stag dos, just as an experience like track sessions in race cars, this would be so cool.

The fact you are actually moving around, holding a more realistic firearm and then get real feedback from being shot in the game is amazing. This was from 2011 so imagine how high tech and realistic this could be with today's computing and graphical power!

Ford JamesMod4/24/2024, 9:26:54 AM

Josh B

I was reminiscing with a friend the other day about The Gadget Show! Always used to dream of winning their competitions with hundreds of gadgets, even though in reality most of them would probably get sold...

You're right though, even though this is quite old, it's ridiculously impressive. Can't say I'm surprised it never became commercially viable though thanks to how much effort it took to build! You could imagine a company taking one of these to various expos like WASD, EGX, Gamescom etc. though and having it available for attendees for a fee.

Josh B 4/28/2024, 7:16:41 PM

Ford James

Absolutely, it would have quite the waiting list I imagine as it's so unique. I would definitely sign up!

Asim 4/21/2024, 6:13:46 PM

I am a counsellor and I think 100% this is one of the most useful things with VR

Someone has recreated a virtual flat party with about 8 different virtual NPC's you can move around, walk up to them and speak to them as if you were speaking to a human. ChatGPT has been linked to the NPC's so they will respond back to you verbally.

The guy who has made the program has programmed a virtual wingman who can analyse your conversations, encourage you and give you some good advice about interacting with people

Esentially, you can give someone who has social anxiety (I did in the past) a VR headset and they can be in a virtual social scenario and try interact with new people and get encouraged for it without having to interact with any real people. Very effective for treating social anxiety in my opinion! Virtual Reality is so realistic that I am very confident that this will improve someones social skills

Makster 4/21/2024, 5:11:18 PM

**Google Glass (2014 - 2015)**I'm not too much of a fan of VR. It's a great novelty and I'd be lying I didn't have amazing Immersive fun with games like SuperHot, Eleven Table Tennis, or hanging out in VR spaces watching YT videos with a group of friends and throwing virtual popcorn at each other when we are basically across the glove from each other. However I'm very tentative about the sensitivity deprivation it causes having your eyes and ears locked into a virtual space.

That's why I think Google Glass was so innovative and ahead of its time. A progenitor to Apple Vision Pro but looked way more sleek and subtle. It also wins points for kinda looking like a Saiyan Scouter. Combining camera, siri/ voice command, and smart phone apps such as Google Maps, and Gmail, it's everything your phone did put attached to your head rather than your hand so you can honestly go 'hands free'. I think nowadays I'd love it just for navigation instead of having to pull out my phone and spin around like a Beyblade before it orientates itself.

The absolute irony we find ourselves in is that Google Glass shut down partly due to privacy concerns, etiquette, and ethics. Almost 10 years later we have livestreamers either openly or secretly recording street life in major cities through powerfully tiny cameras.

FirestormGamingTeam 4/20/2024, 5:35:22 PM

I have always been a VR fan, but as someone who can't even go on a boat without throwing up, it was hard for me to use my VR Headset a lot.

It was one game in particular I liked on the Ps4, can't remember its name but it had 20 levels of being lowered in a cage, down into the ocean, seeing all the fish, and landscape and then of course the random great white shark that came at you, at the speed of light and scared the crap out of you.

I also liked the skateboard one, where you are lying down on a skateboard, zipping down through cities and dodging everything.

VR is great and IMO it should be a lot bigger than it is.

Makster 4/21/2024, 6:41:21 AM

FirestormGamingTeam

My biggest fear and it could be a real boomer moment for me is that VR would isolate us further.

I enjoy gaming or binge watching a show but at least I will still have awareness of outside i.e. if someone calls my name, phone goes off, knock at the door or worser case scenarios - smoke from kitchen/ outside, that VR headsets are basically sensory deprivation. I know there are times where you need some (V)R&R and want to escape the outside world for a bit but I think if it becomes the norm that you start neglecting your surrounding living area with preference to go into VR and forget about them.

If we could re-allocate resources (if they come from the same pool) would be to focus on AR instead

Ford JamesMod4/24/2024, 9:29:54 AM

FirestormGamingTeam

Yeah I recall both of those from when I first got my PSVR, used to adore the skateboard one. Those and Astro Bot were excellent introductions on the PS4.

Asim 4/27/2024, 2:28:33 PM

FirestormGamingTeam

I know the game! It's playstation VR worlds which sometimes comes with the VR headset and in that game there are multiple games and it is the fish/ocean game. Super super fun!

Great game to show people VR as well

Kane Carnifex 4/20/2024, 2:00:54 PM

Late comment after i was here finished: Honestly the stuff looks really crappy.. like if you play videogame from the 80s but just in 2024. It has pontential, sometimes a pen and paper solve it faster :P

Industrial AR Solution

This not about games, this about stuff which already happen out there.

Remote Expert via AR

You need to repair a highly complex machine which requires a specialized person. With the AR you only need a technician which can then perform the actions which are displayed through the AR from the Expert.

You Expert can sit in the home office and the companies using your machine are only required to have a basic level of technician at site.

I got this present around 5 years ago in Germany. You could highlight stuff , use paint to mark something, even upload reference pictures.

5 Years from Youtube... oki doki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMZaCVq5__g

Datacenter, visualizing data

I think Junos showed some cases where they displayed current Data Flow through their routers with Live AR data coloring the cables etc. Also here you could mark ports and cables for the technician.

Found something similar but more on a static level:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pe028PjQhs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jz6A-zjdgo

BeyondBelief 4/19/2024, 2:56:26 PM

I don't think it's quite taken off in the gaming industry as many expected, but certainly has developed more in the healthcare sector. I think it's extraordinary that we're able to incoperate technology like this to help support others with their mental health and physical health development. It's constantly being used in certain sectors of care to be able for people to move around and get back onto their feet after a injury, or for those to use certain parts of their brain in working out how to move or complete a puzzle.

Asim 4/27/2024, 2:27:14 PM

BeyondBelief

Unfortunately I agree, I don't know how this isn't more widespread!! I think because using a headset means it does limit you from food/water using the bathroom and it can be a bit fiddly making sure it adjuts right. I hoped when apple made a headset that usually it directs a lot of society into technology that's already been out there but the crazy price hasn't really helped imo

MURRRAAAAY 4/19/2024, 2:55:56 PM

The best use of AR I have ever seen is Pokemon Go!

What a phenomenon it was, back in 2016 it literally brought the whole world together, around something exciting, wholesome and fun! And was probably part of why I think 2016 was one of my fav years ever lol!

From people trying to complete there Pokedex and hunt down rare Pokemon, some flying all over the world, to the massive influx of new YouTube content on the topic, to the game bringing new people into the world of Pokemon (including me tbh if I remember correctly!)

I was working in a corporate job when the game released, and I remember the excitement to get out and about on my lunch break, trekking all over the city to try and find various Pokemon, and also seeing so many other people doing it, to the point of even pairing up with strangers to take on epic raid battles when they were introduced!

What a time to be alive, it may be one of those once in a life time things as I am not sure we will ever see a game with such huge mainstream appeal again!

PS who still plays it? I need to fire my account back up now after chatting about this lol

Here is my dude back in the day rocking a Magikarp hat lol

PS also this game spawned (no pun intended) so many good memes!

Makster 4/20/2024, 7:38:54 AM

MURRRAAAAY

It was honestly a cultural phenomenon. A true leader in the sense that once it was released there were a few 'mock-ups' of other franchises like Harry Potter that also used the suffix - Go to indicate the type of gameplay you'd expect. That's how you know you've made an impact when you have to use the same vernacular to get across the same feeling and design.

I think Asim still plays and attends the community days whenever they occur

MargotCandy 4/21/2024, 7:31:57 AM

MURRRAAAAY

I keep thinking of restarting this and just having it on my phone. I didn't realise that many of my friends still play it. :D

Asim 4/21/2024, 6:15:20 PM

MURRRAAAAY

Dude, I absolutely NEVER STOPPED playing this since July 7th 2016, I downloaded it early haha, This game has helped me explore so many areas of where I live which I never usually would

This is the closest we will get to pokemon being real! I love this game

Ford JamesMod4/24/2024, 9:31:44 AM

MURRRAAAAY

I only stopped playing Pokemon Go within the last year or so, after playing non-stop since that 2016 launch. It eventually got a little stale for me and I've replaced it with Marvel Snap for my mobile gaming fix, but it still has such a big community. Keep your eyes peeled for a Pokemon Go bounty coming at some point within the next month or two, as we have one in the calendar on Just About Video Games!

MURRRAAAAY 4/24/2024, 11:14:16 AM

Ford James

ohhh can’t wait for this bounty!

Laser-Bicep 4/19/2024, 2:48:12 PM

definitely gaming for me . i have watched videos on really impressive use of VR but it doesn't compare to experiencing it for the first time yourself

My first experience was Batman Vr and i was blown away by just looking over Gotham city and the scale of everything. Then later the genuine fear and being in the insane asylum when being sprayed by the gas.

The ultimate experience was playing resident evil 7. I had never experienced fear like it being so immersed in a great horror game. The only way i was able to play it was that i had played through it previously without VR and was taking it in turns with a friend. but it made it completely a new experience and i had never felt any thing like it when play a horror game. It made other horror games pale in comparison such as alien isolation which is pretty scary.

Asim 4/21/2024, 6:19:27 PM

Laser-Bicep

Sometimes it's kind of scary how realistic it can be. As a gamer obviously we want things to have better graphics, better stories and feel realistic but we are at a point where too realistic is different now, horror games are soo scary and immersive and there's a massive difference between playing a shooting game and being skilled at it using a controller compared too being in VR and probably needing a good fitness level to outplay other players haha

Sturmer 4/18/2024, 5:36:06 PM

It's been almost 30 years since scientists and doctors first started using VR for mental health therapies. I came across a paper from 1995 that explores these techniques.

Since then, there has been significant progress, especially around 2019, when modern headsets like the Oculus Go and Quest became affordable and compact all-in-one devices. This advancement meant that clinics only needed a simple room, a device, and software to conduct therapy sessions.

VR therapy now extends beyond treating various phobias to addressing PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Here are a few more links for those curious about this application of VR technology.

I believe it's an extremely meaningful use of VR.

MURRRAAAAY 4/19/2024, 2:17:04 PM

Sturmer

very interesting, What do you think is the future of VR? and have you ever used it? it makes me feel sick unfortunately after a while

Sturmer 4/19/2024, 2:29:09 PM

MURRRAAAAY

I have Oculus Quest 2 and PC VR, but no one in my family truly enjoyed it. It collects dust. Sickness is a matter of training and over time you can overcome that.

Short play sessions 5min, then 10min etc.
Static games (when you stand/sit)
Using the teleport feature rather than walking with a joystick.

These are common strats to build resistance to motion sickness.

As for the future... I'm not ready to discuss it right now, that question is complicated and I do not have a final opinion.

MURRRAAAAY 4/19/2024, 2:57:27 PM

Sturmer

Cool, whats your favourite games to play on your OC2 and PCVR? How do you think they compare to console VR tech like PSVR2

Asim 4/27/2024, 2:25:32 PM

Sturmer

30 Years is actually amazing, never knew that

As a therapist myself I think it is very very exciting! One of the craziest uses I've also seen is that you can basically go to VR therapy and the AI VR therapist gives some pretty decent responses. Obviously it could never replace therapy but it would basically be free if you had a headset and you can access it to 24/7 which is brilliant

Sturmer 4/27/2024, 2:36:38 PM

Asim

AI therapy is dangerous zone, as it might unintentionally make even more problems. IMO people can use it to chitchat or talk about how went their day, similar like talking with a barman. In fact, i even tested AI called Replica like 8 tears ago, but not as a therapist/professional

Asim 4/27/2024, 5:24:02 PM

Sturmer

Ah I disagree, the simulators and chatgpt4 responses I have come across are pretty solid in terms of their responses. I've been a fully qualified therapist for many years so I think I've got a good judge on what I've seen, but yes it's open source there can be risks of less intellectual and appropriate responses but it's pretty hard on the fundamental basis of couselling to create more issues, more issues usually stem from judgement, i.e negative judgement towards someone especially if they open up but the fundamental basis of person centred therapy is non judgemental and AI is generally non judgemental too, whats was your experience with replica like 8 years ago?

Sturmer 4/27/2024, 6:46:23 PM

Asim

Replika was smarter then todays' ChatGPT =) Mainly because her model was based on a reflection of users' behavior and style, effectively making a clone of yourself.

Paul 4/17/2024, 11:06:35 AM

I think the video games industry has been, for me, the best use of VR.

I personally have not had the chance to use it however the things developers are doing it outstanding. Some games are an on rails experience like an interactive ride where as some have been adapeted from regular games to enhance the gameplay like Super hot. Then there are the developers that want to make the game feel truly alive. Games like Halflife Alex put you in an immersive playground where you can use anything at your disposal, not limiting you to the typical weapon or tool options seen in most games. For a great example of such a game just watch eurogamers "the walk-ian dead" series by Platform32

The way VR can immerse you in a game it increadable and its going from strength to strength.

https://youtu.be/ULJPTzjXcss?si=qpV_dP3PKcWXmRWh

MargotCandy 4/16/2024, 6:10:28 PM

I saw a news report recently which changed my mind on VR and its uses. Personally I don’t enjoy it for gaming as I get motion sickness.

But I saw that they were using it for training carers to prepare them for all kinds of difficult scenarios that they will come across in their job. The young students started to build confidence in their abilities and could practice manoeuvres and other processes to then be able to do their job more effectively.

It reminded me of how astronauts train every single scenario over and over again to make them normal and never out of the ordinary. While VR won’t replace actual training with humans the initial stress of a potential emergency could be trained out and the carer will have potentially an easier way to resolve the situation. This I find fascinating.

I can’t find the actual video report I saw but below is a short written one.

https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/about-us/news-and-publications/news/2023/12/virtual-reality-taking-carers-closer-to-the-action-27004/

Asim 4/27/2024, 2:23:35 PM

MargotCandy

I Agree, the practicual uses of this where people can train for their careers without causing harm to real people is amazing. Dentists going tooth extractions, Doctors doing surgery, Even Public speakers practicing in front of a crowd! Only limit is your imagination

Horror and Cats 4/16/2024, 5:18:44 PM

Definitely gaming for me. Half Life Alyx is good enough to finally forgive Valve for never making Half Life 3. Also, the VR modding community is INCREDIBLE. Even when a game is still controlled using a pad, just being IN the world with six degrees of freedom makes such a huge difference.

MargotCandy 4/16/2024, 6:11:43 PM

Horror and Cats

my other half was playing this game and he loved it while it was also really immersive and making him jump a lot. He also loves it for his flight sim as you can look around like you might in a light aircraft.

Horror and Cats 4/21/2024, 5:14:30 AM

MargotCandy

I have been meaning to finally try Star Wars Squadrons in VR and you just reminded me! But oh yeah, HL Alyx is basically a horror game 70% of the time lol.

Makster 4/20/2024, 7:35:41 AM

Horror and Cats

Hard Agree. Valve are like Apple in which they release seldom products but when they do, it's often new bench marks in the industry.

Alyx (like the Source engine) really pushed hardware but it was a necessary step in design and innovation

Horror and Cats 4/21/2024, 5:16:39 AM

Makster

It's genuinely mind blowing, even with only using a linked Quest 2 which doesn't have the highest resolution on the market. I also tried the ground-up mod Gunman Contracts. It's basically a John Wick simulator and I LOVE it.

Asim 4/27/2024, 2:21:11 PM

Horror and Cats

I agree, honestly the fact that we can game in VR is still MINDBLOWING, like I can play tabletennis without a tabletennis table or racket and I can play a real life game with ANYONE across the whole world, honestly I wish it gets more traction. I showed VR tabletennis to my dad and he put the physical real life control on the VR tabletennis table which was just mid air in real life lmao. He dropped my controller pretty hard

BigFuzzyYak 4/28/2024, 8:57:42 PM

I think thr best use of VR I have seen is surgeons doing surgery!

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