The arrival of virtual reality is a true revolution for future generations. This process immerses a person in a parallel, artificially created digital world. For the sheer pleasure of viewing, it replicates the real world or a completely imaginary universe, providing a visual, auditory, and haptic experience with feedback effects. By the end of 2030, the VR market will have expanded into numerous sectors, including medicine, culture, and even finance… and is expected to reach $51 billion!
Virtual reality at the heart of video games
Increasingly present in the gaming world, virtual reality, or VR, offers a completely futuristic vision of gaming. Whether on PC, phone, or game consoles, this process marks a new era for the video game industry, as well as for gamers. Many companies, such as Samsung, Sony, and Google, are at the forefront of the VR industry and were pioneers in the field. Equipped with motion sensors, they are designed to adapt directly to video games and recreational applications. The VR experience has opened up a whole new horizon for the video game sector thanks to much more immersive gameplay. Virtual reality has revitalized the creative spirit of “geeks,” thanks to its endless gaming possibilities. In fact, more and more gamers are filming their VR sessions and sharing them online. A prime example of this kind of ultra-realistic technology is Pokémon Go, which has opened up new avenues for development. We remember the app’s success in 26, with streets teeming with players searching for their favorite Pokémon. Six years after its release, the number of players remains just as impressive! It boasts 65 million monthly active users worldwide, across both Apple and Android platforms. For gamers, virtual reality is a real boon for fully immersing themselves in their favorite games. In fact, more and more players prefer total immersion in their favorite games. By 2026, no fewer than 46 million headsets will be in use!
Video games paved the way
Without a doubt, the video game industry has evolved alongside virtual reality and given rise to a futuristic concept: the metaverse. The metaverse is defined as a collective virtual space shared among participants. Many video game giants have already invested in this cutting-edge technology, such as World of Warcraft and League of Legends . Fully immersed in a virtual world, also known as play-to-earn, the goal is to play to win, and win to keep playing. Indeed, each player has the opportunity to make their game interactive and collect money in the form of cryptocurrency if they win. This is sure to make enthusiasts even more addicted.
The limits of virtual reality
While entertaining and somewhat athletic, virtual reality is apparently not for everyone. Indeed (sensitive viewers beware), it can cause nausea in a significant number of people. Also known as cyber-motion sickness, this condition is characterized by paleness, a feeling of unease, visual disturbances, headaches, and vomiting. In short, the dream turns into a nightmare! Of course, this risk affects only a tiny fraction of the population. Virtual reality doesn’t pose an immediate danger; however, it can have its share of unpleasant surprises! During a gaming session with a headset, the audio and video partially block out the surrounding environment, thus increasing the risk of injury or falls. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings and have reference points to avoid ending up in your neighbor’s living room! Finally, some effects can cause eye strain and, in the long term, impact the connections between the eye and the brain. Beyond physical limitations, accessibility must be considered. And yes, VR is expensive! Indeed, you should expect to pay at least €250 for a so-called “quality” headset. Some brands, such as PlayStation, offer their own virtual reality headset for €499. As for Meta, its price is €349. This remains a significant expense and is not within everyone’s budget.
Despite some shortcomings, virtual reality is a promising market offering numerous deployment possibilities. This is particularly true thanks to the metaverse, a veritable ecosystem in its own right that hints at a new world. An interesting digital world to explore, which the EthFreiei engineering school offers to help students become familiar with through its programs for engineers and digital experts.
The major in virtual reality offers an unprecedented educational and professional experience. At the heart of this exciting discipline, students explore virtual worlds and acquire essential skills in the design, development, and use of immersive technologies. Thanks to innovative courses on 3D modeling, programming, the psychology of immersion, and much more, learners are prepared to shape the future,” explains Faten Chakchouk, Head of the Imaging and Virtual Reality major at Efrei.
He continues: The strengths of this major are numerous: it allows students to master cutting-edge tools used in diverse fields such as video games, medical training, industrial simulation, and artistic creation. Furthermore, it fosters creative thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving, with an emphasis on technological innovation and the transformative potential of virtual reality in our society. More specifically, the major addresses the new challenges that arise in the creation of digital models and interactive renderings, with applications in fields such as industrial design, cultural heritage, medicine, urban design, and animation.”
It should be noted that an engineer specializing in IRV (Remote Infrastructure) is first and foremost a Computer Engineer who is also:
- Creative: demonstrates great imagination in finding a technical solution;
- Specialized in: extended reality technologies.
Thanks to a recognized teaching team, made up of highly committed expert teachers in the field, this training helps students become experts in interactive 3D technologies and extended reality in connection with the professional and academic world,” concludes Faten Chakchouk, Head of the Imaging and Virtual Reality major at Efrei.