The reality of going virtual

Mat Gallagher wonders whether virtual reality headsets are already going out of fashion – or if they could replace your mobile phone

Talk of virtual reality headsets remains a hot topic in tech. Already this year we’ve seen the launch of Sony’s PSVR2 headset, Meta’s Quest Pro, HTC’s Vive XR Elite and Xiaomi’s AR prototypes. And there’s still a rumour that we may see Apple’s AR/VR offering, the Reality Pro before 2023 is over.

Despite this huge push for headsets, the virtual experience hasn’t taken over in the way some would have hoped yet. We’re even seeing some signs of VR fatigue – what’s wrong with using a physical screen anyway? So are we still teetering on the edge of an augmented or virtual reality revolution or is it just another passing fad that companies continue to push?