I meant to write about Virtual Reality back when Microsoft took wraps off its HoloLens back in January. I'm glad I didn't, however, as we've seen even more goings on since then that support my thinking.
VR headsets are everywhere and nowhere right now. They are being shown off as the future of tech by the likes of Facebook-owned Oculus, Sony, Samsung, Google, LG, Microsoft and now HTC & Valve with their Vive joint project. There's a lot of chatter surrounding VR, yet precious little making it into the hands (or rather, onto the heads) of consumers.
The market for VR headsets is extremely fragmented already, and it hasn't really even begun. Unlike the smartphone — which, in broad swathes of the world, almost everyone would agree was a modern-day necessity — I don't need a VR headset and don't yet know if I'll ever want one. I haven't yet seen a killer app or implementation that really piques my interest. However, even for consumers that are interested, the sheer amount of options must be disconcerting. There are so many options, with no clear leader of the pack, that investing in any of the various ecosystems at any point in the near future seems unwise.
There's a lot of hype around VR and I don't think any of the above manufacturers yet has a product to meet it (despite HTC's effort gaining a lot of praise). Besides, I'm not sure members of the general public are quite ready to strap something to their faces just yet.
VR still has a way to go.