I Used To Turn My Nose up at VR — Now, I Think My Tune Is Changing

This might sound silly, but for the longest time, I hated VR because it was billed as “the thing that would replace consoles.” It’s human nature to be aggressively averse to change. Back then, VR was only a loose ambition that functioned horrifically most of the time. Big-time AAA publishers and developers wouldn’t touch the format with a 1,000-foot pole. The audience was as slight as VR technology was at that point.

So, I resisted. Years would pass, and the VR world would change substantially. Soon, the bulky, wired setup would give way to wireless play with effortless connectivity. Hand tracking, a certified nightmare and once-distant pipe dream, would become as scarily accurate as if you didn’t have a VR headset on in the first place. Still, I resisted.

Then, I met one Shaun Cichacki. Shaun has a Meta Quest 3, and he’d soon sing its praises whenever he got the chance. Through our constant conversations, I finally began to truly understand what VR was capable of. How far it had come from its shaky beginnings. How its level of immersion gave “ordinary” games extraordinary qualities.

vr may be in my near future, folks

When something is referred to as “life-changing” so many times, eventually, the idea settles within you. Hell, one of 2024’s biggest personal gaming shockers was hearing the glowing reception of Batman: Arkham Shadow. If you had told me last year that a Batman VR game would be one of the most celebrated entries in a legendary series, I’d laugh at you. But, sure enough, a thousand “BATMAN IS BACK!” articles emerged. “The definitive way to experience the Caped Crusader,” some people said.

Then, I read numerous reviews about formative VR experiences. Golf. Tennis. Roguelikes. Involved narrative adventures. All positive, all praise. So, I come to you now, internet, with a horrible yet heartfelt confession. I may be soon joining the VR Varmints. If you see any “Wow, I bought a Meta Quest 3, and it actually did change my life” articles from me, know that I lost the war. “I fought the good fight. But, in the end, the VR finally infected my mind.”