Top 5 Virtual Reality Challenges – From Pricing to Ethical Issues and Health Effects

Even though virtual reality is being used by many companies, educational institutions, and government organizations, it still needs to overcome certain problems. Some of them simply have to do with companies finding a way to implement it into their business plans, while others are more ethical in nature. While a lot of professionals are confident that all of the problems with virtual reality will be solved as time goes on and technology advances, we still have to deal with them in today’s reality. With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at the top problems with VR. 

1. The High Price Tag

Two components make up the high cost of virtual reality products: the hardware and software. This includes things like VR glasses and a computer that has enough processing power to stream VR content in terms of the hardware. The software aspect is also expensive because companies have to hire developers with specialized knowledge and expertise to create VR products. The high cost of headsets and computers will most likely be resolved as time goes on since VR is a relatively new phenomenon and new products tend to be expensive. For example, when Oculus was first released in 2016, the starting price was $599. Today you can buy an Oculus Rift S or Quest 2 for less than $400. The problem with expensive computers can also be solved by hosting all of the processing power in the cloud. 

This brings us to the high cost of virtual reality development. While the price tag is high, a lot of companies have been able to achieve various business objectives, thus justifying the costs. Therefore, it’s all about having the right business processes and goals in place and then using virtual reality as a means of reaching them. 

2. Finding the Right Business Model

This is one of the biggest virtual reality issues facing the industry. This is actually a two-sided problem. On the one hand, we have the problem we mentioned above where businesses are not sure how to use VR while the companies producing VR products don’t know how to generate revenue with the VR content they created. Such VR challenges can be solved by finding specific pain points the product can resolve. For example, if businesses are struggling with employee training, there need to be specific VR solutions to resolve this pain point. Therefore, VR products need to be more targeted and addressed to fix a specific business problem or achieve an objective. 

3. Not Enough Creativity 

Even though VR reality can simulate real-world experiences, the users want a lot more than that. For example, even though they can test drive a car in VR, it still needs to add something to the experience to make it worthwhile to the user. This is one of the most interesting challenges of virtual reality since it requires both businesses and their technology partners to get creative. Nobody wants to put on VR glasses and live through their boring real-life experience in a virtual world. The good news is that with the right technology provider, you can create virtually any product that will be customized to your needs and they will be able to bring your imagination to life. Therefore, if you take care of the business aspect, the software can always be developed to fit that vision. 

4. Health Effects of VR

One of the problems with VR headsets is that they could cause some health problems. There is an opinion that VR causes eye problems in addition to things like nausea, headache, queasiness. The problem with VR eye problems could be due to prolonged exposure, but this problem could be fixed with better quality glasses with protective glasses that block some of the light from reaching the user’s eyes. There still is not a lot of research into the health issues with VR, so it’s too early to say whether it is hurting our health somehow. 

5. Virtual Reality Ethical Issues

Ethical issues are some of the most widely discussed issues with virtual reality. One of the biggest such VR problems includes isolation. A user can enjoy the virtual world so much, they forget about the real world. This can also lead to problems with social interaction caused by isolation. This leads to another VR challenge of getting the person readjusted to the real world. They may be desensitized to certain types of violence or interactions, which could damage their social relationships. They may also overestimate their physical abilities, attempting a jump they can’t make or trying a skill they’ve only perfected in a VR environment. These are only some of the VR ethical issues being talked about and will need to be resolved as the technology develops. 

Start Developing VR Solutions for Your Business

While there are many issues VR still needs to overcome, there are many beneficial applications of this technology, and many companies are already reaping the rewards from it. If you have an idea for a VR product or believe VR can be an asset for your business, contact Skywell Software VR team to start making your vision a reality. We have extensive experience and expertise in developing VR solutions for some of the world’s leading brands and helping them reach their business objectives. Contact us today to learn about how we can help you.