The History of Virtual Reality
1930s
In 1939, at the New York World's Fair, Fred Waller and Ralph Walker debuted the Vitarama, later to be called the Cinerama. The device was essentially a widescreen film format that incorporated peripheral vision. The process used multiple cameras and an arc shaped screen to immerse viewers in the space displayed by the film. It didn't gain popularity until the 1950s when the U.S. Army Air Corps used the system for immersive anti-aircraft training under the name “Waller Flexible Gunnery Trainer.” Later, in 1960, Morton Heilig adapted his research of the Cinerama into a head-mounted “stereoscopic 3D TV display” called the Telesphere Mask. It was designed to “stimulate the senses of an individual to simulate an actual experience realistically.” He incorporated this display into his 1962 patent of the Sensorama Simulator, which involved a motion chair, audio, temperature changes, scents, and blown air.
1960s
Ivan Sutherland, an American computer scientist, alongside his students brought an early prototype of VR to life, the Sword of Damocles headset. It was an extremely primitive device equipped with basic controls and a user interface. The headset was suspended from the ceiling because it was heavy but this allowed it to track the user's head movements. The visuals that were displayed were basic wireframe animations, which corresponded to the user's head position. It was the foundation for the VR we have today, and the pivotal moment in history that allowed us to expand on this technology.
1970s
The concept of HMDS began to pique interest in military and research specifically. Thomas Furness, a researcher at US Air Force, introduced the Headsight, groundbreaking HMD that incorporated head tracking to enable pilots to view computer generated images overlaid onto their real-world surroundings. The Headsight featured a video camera on top, which delivered live video to the user through a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display, creating a stereoscopic effect that enhanced depth perception by presenting slightly different images to each eye. The Headsight was wearable which marked the first instance where form factor was considered for prolonged use of an HMD.
1980s
One of the pioneering private VR companies was VPL Research which was founded by Jaron Lanier and Thomas Zimmerman (former employees of Atari). VPL (visual programming language) explored various areas like HMDs and advanced input devices. Zimmer invented a prototype that would later become the “DataGlove”, the glove allowed users to manipulate digital objects using their own hands. Alongside the DG, VPL introduced the DataSuit, a full-body wearable equipped with sensors to track arm, leg, and rear movements. They also introduced the EyePhone, an HMD for an immersive body and hand tracking experience. The DG, a groundbreaking device, was sold for $10,000.
1990s
Home gaming consoles companies like Nintendo aimed to push the boundaries of immersion for gamers. Nintendo successfully launched the Virtual Boy in 1995, but it ended up being a stationary headset with less than 30 basic games, lacking full color presentation and head tracking making this the worst-selling Nintendo console of all time.
2000s
Entering the Modern Era
Palmer Luckey set out to create an affordable version with head tracking and a smooth user experience. He founded Oculus VR and began developing the Oculus DK1 in his own garage workshop. In August 2012, Luckey launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of raising $250,000 but the campaign far exceeded expectations, raising nearly $2.5 million with the support of 9,500 backers. The Oculus DK2 was shortly made after this.
An Acquisition to Accelerate VR
The rapid development of Oculus VR caught the attention of Mark Zuckerberg. In 2014, Oculus was acquired by Facebook, and the designs of the Oculus DK2 were further refined to create the Oculus Rift, which was launched in 2016. Tethered to a gaming-oriented PC, the Rift became one of the leading headsets for VR gaming, generating widespread developer and user interest in the field. HTC announced the Vive headset in collaboration with Valve (owners of the popular PC marketplace, Steam). One standout feature was its room-scale tracking, which relied on lighthouse sensors positioned on walls to accurately track the user's hands and head movements.
The Quest to Go Mainstream
In the late 2010s, the market for personal HMDS had grown significantly, but it still faced barriers to widespread adoption due to high prices and a lack of compelling content. Oculus launched the Quest headset in 2019 to combat these problems. This headset revolutionized the design of HMDS by eliminating the need for a gaming PC or console. The compute power was integrated into the device itself, sacrificing some fidelity and depth but greatly expanding accessibility. The Quest introduced “inside-out” tracking, which relied on on-board sensors and camera to determine user locations, making setup and mobility much simpler compared to fixed room setups. The Quest was lightweight, mobile, and relatively affordable marking a significant step forward in making VR more accessible however its successor, the Quest 2, truly defined Meta's vision for lightweight, affordable, and easy-to-access VR. Meta also adopted a strategy of deep funding for game developers and app designers through investments, grants and acquisitions. This resulted in a vibrant ecosystem with a strong content library spanning not just games but also productivity, education, fitness, health., and more. With a relatively low price point and a thriving user base, VR has gained significant momentum.