Will VR End Holidays?

Virtual reality (VR) will replace the need to physically travel the world in the future, Intel has claimed.

17:12 09 January 2017

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said that the merging of digital and physical worlds to create amazing immersive experiences would change the world of travel. It echoes the 1990 action movie, Total Recall, in which people can buy memory implants of vacations, including those to Mars.

 

“Why do we travel? We want to explore and have adventures and have experiences we've never had; exploring world around us,” Mr Krzanich said.

 

“But VR makes it possible to have these experiences like you’re really there while being in the comfort of your living room. With VR, we're offering a variety of ways to enjoy immersive travel.”

 

To support the firm’s claims, 260 reporters at CES 2017 were given the Oculus Rift VR headset, taking them on a journey from the comfort of a hotel conference room. Krzanich then showed audience what it’s like to jump off a cliff and parachute through a desert valley. The experience allows you to walk around while a high fidelity video was playing and experience it like you are really there.

 

“Viewers get to decide their point of view,” Krzanich said.

 

“So you’re going to decide, do you want to be on the 50 yard line? Do you want to be courtside at a basketball game? Do you want to be behind the basket to watch the next slam dunk? Do you want to be in the goalie’s position? All of that is possible.”