I hope someone is hard at work making an ubiquitous snow-crash-esq VR experience that compels everyone to rush to the stores to buy VR rigs, but 2016 was not the year where VR became the big thing. It might be the next big thing, but not this year.
I’ve tested a bunch of VR kits this year and I’m with Danny. There is a lot of people working really hard to bring some great VR experiences but there has not been a breakout title that is compelling enough for the masses to start purchasing them.
After playing with Oculus at the Microsoft Store I can see how this holiday season may give a boost in sales but we’re still a little progress away from people feeling like they need one. I don’t know what the breakout title will be. But for me it won’t be a game. And the industry shouldn’t be focusing on that. That is too narrow. For me it will be something akin to what Zuckerberg showed in this demo from early October. A way for me to have a “virtual office” anywhere in the world.
2016 isn’t the year of VR or AR. But it won’t be long.