Photo of Things to Come: Using VR in Public Spaces

In the next few years when you're out and about, expect to see something like this:

Via Reddit's Oculus subreddit, with a top-rated comment that describes the strangeness (or dorkiness) as a mere transitionary reaction:

In the late 80s, rich people looked weird walking around pressing a huge brick to their ear. People would see these guys walking down the sidewalk and give them a wide berth wondering "What the fuck is this whacko doing? Talking on a phone in public?"

Now, of course, public use of smartphones is ubiquitous, almost expected. (Indeed, looking closely at VR boy's traveling companions on the left and right, it looks like both have earphones plugged into handheld devices.)

But will scenes like this become more and more common? A couple thoughts there:

Valve has already created augmented reality technology which makes it possible for a VR user to "see" nearby real world obstacles without ever having to remove one's VR goggles.

Google Glass became a laughingstock and perceived failure because its early users were openly ridiculed for wearing their Glass out in public. With VR goggles, however, it's possible to wear your headset outdoors without ever having to see the glares or giggles that may grate on you. At minimum, this suggests, we'll see the rise of a new generation of otaku hardcore gaming technophiles who never have to withdraw from the rest of the world like they do now, since they can simply take their virtual world with them everywhere they go, without ever leaving.

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Comments

[Carlos Loff]

Soon there will be no need for eyebricks, some descrere regular glasses will do the trick

[Iggy]

Nope. Scenes like that will NEVER become common. On the subway, one might as well wear a big sign saying "I am a geek with money. Rob me."

VR might become common in public, but only if others cannot tell you are wearing a rig. Phones got common as they got smaller and smarter. I doubt my undergrads would ever carry one of those 1980s Walkie-Talkies around. Before smart phones, they all had flip phones: small and relatively easy to use in public.