Technologycalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Virtual Reality?
/ˌvɜːtʃʊəl rɪˈælɪti/
Virtual reality (VR) is a fully immersive digital environment experienced through a headset that replaces your entire field of view with a computer-generated world.
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Everyday Example
Putting on a VR headset to train as a surgeon, fly a fighter jet, or attend a virtual concert — none of which is happening physically — is virtual reality.
publicReal-World Application
“The US military has been using VR for pilot training since the 1990s. Today it is expanding rapidly in therapy (treating PTSD, phobias), education, and entertainment.”
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Did you know?
The first commercial VR headsets reached consumers in 2016 (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive). Despite a decade of development, the "VR revolution" has progressed more slowly than predicted.
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Key Insight
VR creates presence — the psychological feeling of actually being somewhere else. This makes it uniquely powerful for training, therapy, and empathy-building applications.
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