Virtual reality will be a thing in 2022

Virtual reality, the new technology that involves wearing goofy-looking headgear that covers the eyes and immerses you in another world and lets you swing controllers to play 3D games is growing steadily.

Currently marketed by the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and other techies as “The metaverse”, virtual reality is expected to grow the interaction of friends and colleagues in a virtual space.

“Here you will be able to go into an environment and express yourself as an avatar. The gaming world has promised this growth since the onset of the pandemic which reduced the number of interactions and unique physical experiences,” Martin Muchiri, a digital expert told the Star.

In Kenya, Minecraft is very popular and people are happy to try new virtual experiences within the games, like concerts and events, because they’re already familiar with this landscape.

“Gaming is actually the foundation of the metaverse, and through it, many incredible opportunities like online learning and workplace training will advance,” he said.

“Many events will also be held virtually through the metaverse together with the growing currency of Non-Fungible Tokens which will enable creative professionals to monetize their creations.”

There’s more to come this year. Apple plans to unveil its version of a virtual reality headset, which will look like a pair of ski goggles and, for computing power, rely on a separate computing device that is worn elsewhere on the body. 

Google has also developed virtual reality products for years, and Microsoft has offered a virtual reality headset for businesses and government agencies.

When used correctly, the metaverse could bring human beings together like never before, giving us new opportunities to connect regardless of language differences or location.

“Tech can be good or bad, depending on how we use it, there may be struggle in tracking and preventing crime in the decentralized world but let’s see how it goes,” Muchiri said.