You know exactly the image I’m talking about. Someone gawping, mouth agape as wide as the Cave of Wonders, with a silicon headcrab stuck to their head. They’re looking at something I assume would be incredible and lovely, but we as viewers can’t see it unless there is this blended reality-esque background that showcases the colours, lighting, and visuals they are observing. It looks… off.
I’ve never been a fan of these marketing VR images. In fact, I feel like they have been a detriment to the way headsets have been sold. In 2024, most Brits thought that VR headsets were not cool. I wonder why.
Credit: YouGov.
When people wear VR headsets, the irony is that they are not looking at the metal clasp around their eyes. No, they are inside a virtual world, learning, training, or playing video games. The way it has been positioned makes it look like a much dorkier device. Yes, I know it’s quite dorky, but marketing sometimes needs to showcase its qualities better.
Granted, some VR marketing has evolved. I’ve seen the Deadpool game, for example, using Deadpool as a character rather than showing someone wearing a headset. But again, it doesn’t actually show much about the game itself, which is tricky because marketing can’t really convey the experience.
Granted, some VR marketing has evolved. I’ve seen the Deadpool game, for example, using Deadpool as a character rather than showing someone wearing a headset. But again, it doesn’t actually show much about the game itself, which is tricky because marketing can’t really convey the experience.
Credit: Marvel
If you look back to the beginning, dorkiness and immersive technologies have been there since the start. Take the famous Sensorama from the 1960s. The way it was presented gives off a very tech-focused vibe, but it was difficult to portray what the Sensorama could actually do without showing the device itself.
Credit: Academia.edu
A few options are available to us. You might outline a VR headset around someone’s eyes, and next to that person, show the actual game or experience. This indicates immersive technology without necessarily showing the headset itself, which is the core problem.
None of what I have said is new. It is all quite obvious, and I think we are all on the same page. But it is still worth saying every once in a while because I don’t want to look like someone who misses the point in the long term.
