While VR is often seen by many as the future of technology, realistically, that future is likely still a number of years away, despite analysts often overenthusiastic predictions that we’ll all be wearing high-end VR headsets in a few months.
With the launch of Daydream, Google’s unified virtual reality certification program, the tech giant is diving in full tilt on all things VR. This week at Cannes advertising festival in France, Google showed off how its 360-VR technology can be use in a variety of forms of media, including 360-degree YouTube ads.
Clay Bavor, the head of Google’s dedicated VR division, however, made an uncharacteristic yet refreshing statement about the future of VR during during an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
“The people who have used or even know about VR at this point is a rounding error. It’s approximately zero percent of the world,” said Bavor.
“We predict that as much energy and talk and hype there is around VR right now, it’s going to be a slower ramp than people appreciate. Riding the wave of smartphones is how we’ll get mass adoption.’
So while Daydream may still be the future of Google’s lofty popular culture, mass consumption virtual reality ambitions, even the project’s head is aware that convincing the average person to care about virtual reality is a challenging battle.
Related reading: Google reveals new Daydream VR headset and high-performance Android N virtual reality platform
[source]Wall Street Journal[/source]
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