Editing Virtual reality (section)

====2010–present====
[[File:Oculus Rift Crescent Bay Prototype (16383004719).jpg|thumb|An inside view of the [[Oculus Rift]] Crescent Bay prototype headset]]

In 2010, [[Palmer Luckey]] designed the first prototype of the [[Oculus Rift]]. This prototype, built on a shell of another virtual reality headset, was only capable of rotational tracking. However, it boasted a 90-degree field of vision that was previously unseen in the consumer market at the time. Luckey eliminated distortion issues arising from the type of lens used to create the wide field of vision using software that pre-distorted the rendered image in real-time. This initial design would later serve as a basis from which the later designs came.<ref>{{cite magazine | last1 = Rubin | first1 = Peter | year = 2014 | title = Oculus Rift | magazine = Wired | volume = 22 | issue = 6| page = 78 }}</ref> In 2012, the Rift is presented for the first time at the [[E3]] video game trade show by [[John Carmack]].<ref name="Gamereactor YouTube 2012">{{cite web |title=E3 12: John Carmack's VR Presentation |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw-DlWwlXHo  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/kw-DlWwlXHo| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|publisher=Gamereactor |access-date=20 February 2019 |date=27 July 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="BI_FB_Oculus_2018">{{cite news |last1=Gilbert |first1=Ben |title=Facebook just settled a $500 million lawsuit over virtual reality after a years-long battle — here's what's going on |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-zenimax-oculus-vr-lawsuit-explained-2017-2#august-2013-oculus-vr-a-startup-working-on-a-virtual-reality-headset-called-the-rift-hires-doom-creator-john-carmack-of-id-software-as-its-chief-technology-officer-1 |access-date=20 February 2019 |work=Business Insider |date=12 December 2018}}</ref> In 2014, [[Meta Platforms|Facebook]] (later Meta) purchased Oculus VR for what at the time was stated as $2 billion<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/facebook-to-buy-oculus-virtual-reality-firm-for-2b-1.2586318 | title=Facebook to buy Oculus virtual reality firm for $2B | agency=Associated Press |date=March 25, 2014 |access-date=March 27, 2014}}</ref> but later revealed that the more accurate figure was $3 billion.<ref name="BI_FB_Oculus_2018" /> This purchase occurred after the first development kits ordered through Oculus' 2012 [[Kickstarter]] had shipped in 2013 but before the shipping of their second development kits in 2014.<ref name="Wired Oculus Mar2014">{{cite magazine|last1=Metz|first1=Cade|title=Facebook Buys VR Startup Oculus for $2 Billion|url=https://www.wired.com/2014/03/facebook-acquires-oculus/|magazine=WIRED|access-date=13 March 2017|date=2014-03-25}}</ref> [[ZeniMax Media|ZeniMax]], Carmack's former employer, sued Oculus and Facebook for taking company secrets to Facebook;<ref name="BI_FB_Oculus_2018" /> the verdict was in favour of ZeniMax, settled out of court later.<ref name="Variety_Zenimax_FB_2018">{{cite news |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd  |title=ZeniMax Agrees to Settle Facebook VR Lawsuit |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/zenimax-facebook-settlement-vr-lawsuit-1203087910/ |access-date=20 February 2019 |work=Variety |date=12 December 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Mobile World Congress 2018 (29129096677).jpg|thumb|HTC Vive headsets worn at [[Mobile World Congress]] 2018]]
In 2013, [[Valve Corporation|Valve]] discovered and freely shared the breakthrough of low-persistence displays which make lag-free and smear-free display of VR content possible.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://techreport.com/review/25533/not-quite-live-blog-panel-discussion-with-john-carmack-tim-sweeney-johan-andersson|title=Not-quite-live bloga : panel discussion with John Carmack, Tim Sweeney, Johan Andersson|newspaper=The Tech Report|access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref> This was adopted by Oculus and was used in all their future headsets. In early 2014, Valve showed off their SteamSight prototype, the precursor to both consumer headsets released in 2016. It shared major features with the consumer headsets including separate 1K displays per eye, low persistence, positional tracking over a large area, and [[Fresnel lens]]es.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.roadtovr.com/hands-valves-virtual-reality-hmd-owlchemy-labs-share-steam-dev-days-experiences/|title=30 Minutes Inside Valve's Prototype Virtual Reality Headset: Owlchemy Labs Share Their Steam Dev Days Experience – Road to VR|last=James|first=Paul|date=2014-01-30|newspaper=Road to VR|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.roadtovr.com/vr-headset-valve-virtual-reality-steam/|title=Valve to Demonstrate Prototype VR HMD and Talk Changes to Steam to "Support and Promote VR Games" – Road to VR|last=James|first=Paul|date=2013-11-18|newspaper=Road to VR|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref> [[HTC]] and Valve announced the virtual reality headset [[HTC Vive]] and controllers in 2015. The set included tracking technology called Lighthouse, which utilized wall-mounted "base stations" for positional tracking using [[infrared]] light.<ref name="verge-gdcsteamvr">{{cite web|title=Valve showing off new virtual reality hardware and updated Steam controller next week|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/2/23/8094817/valve-virtual-reality-hardware-gdc-2015|website=The Verge|access-date=1 March 2015|date=2015-02-24}}</ref><ref name="verge-valvevr">{{cite web|title=Valve's VR headset revealed with Oculus-like features|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/6/3/5775220/valve-vr-headset-pictures-concept-features|website=The Verge|access-date=1 March 2015|date=2014-06-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wareable.com/vr/htc-vive-vr-headset-release-date-price-specs-7929|title=HTC Vive: Everything you need to know about the SteamVR headset|website=Wareable|access-date=2016-06-19|date=2016-04-05}}</ref>

[[File:Sony Morpheus Virtual Reality Gamescom 2015 Cologne (19705605174).jpg|thumb|upright|The Project Morpheus ([[PlayStation VR]]) headset worn at [[Gamescom]] 2015|alt=|left]]

In 2014, [[Sony]] announced Project Morpheus (its code name for the [[PlayStation VR]]), a virtual reality headset for the [[PlayStation 4]] video game console.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2014/03/18/sony-announces-virtual-reality-headset-for-ps4/ |title=Sony Announces 'Project Morpheus:' Virtual Reality Headset For PS4|website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> The Chinese headset [[AntVR]] was released in late 2014; it was briefly competitive in the Chinese market but ultimately unable to compete with the larger technology companies.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Pioneers Pushing Boundaries |journal=China Pictorial |date=January 2017 |volume=823 |pages=46–55}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Agam |first1=Shah |title=Sony's PlayStation VR tops HTC Vive in headset shipment battle |journal=PC World |date=December 13, 2016}}</ref> In 2015, Google announced [[Google Cardboard|Cardboard]], a do-it-yourself stereoscopic viewer: the user places their [[smartphone]] in the cardboard holder, which they wear on their head. [[Michael Naimark]] was appointed Google's first-ever 'resident artist' in their new VR division. The Kickstarter campaign for Gloveone, a pair of gloves providing [[motion capture|motion tracking]] and haptic feedback, was successfully funded, with over $150,000 in contributions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gloveone/gloveone-feel-virtual-reality|title=Gloveone: Feel Virtual Reality|website=Kickstarter|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-15}}</ref> Also in 2015, [[Razer Inc.|Razer]] unveiled its [[open source]] project [[Open Source Virtual Reality|OSVR]].

[[File:Samsung Gear VR (15060788240).jpg|thumb|[[Smartphone]]-based budget headset [[Samsung Gear VR]] in dismantled state]]

By 2016, there were at least 230 companies developing VR-related products. [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], Apple, Facebook, Google, [[Microsoft]], Sony and [[Samsung]] all had dedicated AR and VR groups. Dynamic binaural audio was common to most headsets released that year. However, haptic interfaces were not well developed, and most hardware packages incorporated button-operated handsets for touch-based interactivity. Visually, displays were still of a low-enough resolution and [[frame rate]] that images were still identifiable as virtual.<ref name="Wired Magic Leap Apr2016">{{cite magazine|last1=Kelly|first1=Kevin|title=The Untold Story of Magic Leap, the World's Most Secretive Startup|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/04/magic-leap-vr/|magazine=WIRED|access-date=13 March 2017|date=April 2016}}</ref>

In 2016, HTC shipped its first units of the HTC Vive SteamVR headset.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.htcvive.com/us/2016/04/vive-shipment-updates/|title=Vive Shipment Updates – VIVE Blog|date=2016-04-07|website=VIVE Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-19|archive-date=30 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630031246/http://blog.htcvive.com/us/2016/04/vive-shipment-updates/|url-status=dead}}</ref> This marked the first major commercial release of sensor-based tracking, allowing for free movement of users within a defined space.<ref name="Wareable Vive Aug2016">{{cite web|last1=Prasuethsut|first1=Lily|title=HTC Vive: Everything you need to know about the SteamVR headset|url=https://www.wareable.com/vr/htc-vive-vr-headset-release-date-price-specs-7929|website=Wareable|access-date=13 March 2017|date=August 2, 2016}}</ref> A patent filed by Sony in 2017 showed they were developing a similar location tracking technology to the Vive for PlayStation VR, with the potential for the development of a wireless headset.<ref name="DT SonyVR Feb2017">{{cite web|last1=Martindale|first1=Jon|title=Vive-like sensor spotted in new Sony patent could make its way to PlayStation VR|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/virtual-reality/sony-psvr-patent-sensor/|website=Digital Trends|access-date=13 March 2017|date=15 February 2017}}</ref>

In 2019, Oculus released the [[Oculus Rift S]] and a standalone headset, the [[Oculus Quest]]. These headsets utilized inside-out tracking compared to external outside-in tracking seen in previous generations of headsets.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-22|title=From the lab to the living room: The story behind Facebook's Oculus Insight technology and a new era of consumer VR|url=https://tech.fb.com/the-story-behind-oculus-insight-technology/|access-date=2020-09-01|website=tech.fb.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

Later in 2019, Valve released the [[Valve Index]]. Notable features include a 130° field of view, off-ear headphones for immersion and comfort, open-handed controllers which allow for individual finger tracking, front facing cameras, and a front expansion slot meant for extensibility.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-05-09|title=Headset - Valve Index® - Upgrade your experience - Valve Corporation|url=https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/headset/|access-date=2021-02-28|website=www.valvesoftware.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2020, Oculus released the [[Oculus Quest 2]], later renamed the Meta Quest 2. Some new features include a sharper screen, reduced price, and increased performance. Facebook (which became Meta a year later) initially required users to log in with a Facebook account in order to use the new headset.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-16|title=Oculus Quest 2 Review: Better, Cheaper VR|url=https://www.theverge.com/21437674/oculus-quest-2-review-features-photos|access-date=2020-12-16|website=theverge.com|language=en-US|first=Adi|last=Robertson}}</ref> In 2021 the Oculus Quest 2 accounted for 80% of all VR headsets sold.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ochanji |first=Sam |date=2022-03-27 |title=Survey: Quest 2 Accounted for 80% of Headset Sales in 2021 |url=https://virtualrealitytimes.com/2022/03/27/survey-quest-2-accounted-for-80-of-headset-sales-in-2021/ |access-date=2022-03-29 |website=Virtual Reality Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:R22 VRM Helicopter Training Solution.jpg|thumb|Robinson R22 Virtual Reality Training Device developed by [[Loft Dynamics]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=VRM Switzerland – Professional Flight Training Solutions|url=https://vrm-switzerland.ch/|access-date=2021-05-10|language=en-US}}</ref>]]
In 2021, [[European Aviation Safety Agency|EASA]] approved the first Virtual Reality-based Flight Simulation Training Device. The device, made by [[Loft Dynamics]] for rotorcraft pilots, enhances safety by opening up the possibility of practicing risky maneuvers in a virtual environment. This addresses a key risk area in rotorcraft operations,<ref>{{Cite web|title=EASA approves the first Virtual Reality (VR) based Flight Simulation Training Device|url=https://www.easa.europa.eu/newsroom-and-events/press-releases/easa-approves-first-virtual-reality-vr-based-flight-simulation|access-date=2021-05-10|website=EASA|date=26 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref> where statistics show that around 20% of accidents occur during training flights.

In 2022, Meta released the [[Meta Quest Pro]]. This device utilised a thinner, visor-like design that was not fully enclosed, and was the first headset by Meta to target mixed reality applications using high-resolution colour video passthrough. It also included integrated [[Facial motion capture|face]] and [[eye tracking]], [[Pancake lens|pancake lenses]], and updated [[Oculus Touch#Touch Pro (Quest Pro)|Touch Pro]] controllers with on-board motion tracking.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=2022-10-28 |title=Meta Quest Pro review: For those with more money than sense |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/10/meta-quest-pro-review-for-those-with-more-money-than-sense/ |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=2022-11-11 |title=Meta Quest Pro review: get me out of here |url=https://www.theverge.com/23451629/meta-quest-pro-vr-headset-horizon-review |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref>

In 2023, Sony released the [[PlayStation VR2]], a follow-up to their 2016 headset. The device includes inside-out tracking, eye-tracked [[foveated rendering]], higher-resolution OLED displays, controllers with adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, [[3D audio effect|3D audio]], and a wider field of view.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PS VR2 Tech Specs {{!}} PlayStation VR2 display, setup and compatibility |url=https://www.playstation.com/en-se/ps-vr2/ps-vr2-tech-specs/ |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=PlayStation |language=en-SE}}</ref> While initially exclusive for use with the [[PlayStation 5]] console, a PC adapter was released in August 2024.<ref name="Adapter">{{cite web |last=Monbleau |first=Timothy |date=January 29, 2025 |title=Everything You Need to Use PlayStation VR2 on PC |website=[[Kotaku]] |url=https://kotaku.com/psvr2-pc-adapter-bluetooth-connection-displayport-1851750509 |access-date=April 14, 2025 }}</ref>

Later in 2023, Meta released the [[Meta Quest 3]], the successor to the Quest 2. It features the pancake lenses and mixed reality features of the Quest Pro, as well as an increased field of view and resolution compared to Quest 2.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=David |date=2023-10-09 |title=Meta Quest 3 review: almost the one we've been waiting for |url=https://www.theverge.com/23906313/meta-quest-3-review-vr-mixed-reality-headset |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref>  In October 2024 Meta released a lower cost entry headset the [[Meta Quest 3S]] with the same fresnel lenses as the [[Meta Quest 2|Quest 2]] and a lower resolution of 1832x1920 as compared to 2064x2208 on the [[Meta Quest 3|Quest 3]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polanco |first=Tony |date=October 14, 2024 |title=Meta Quest 3S review: The best VR headset for the money |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/vr-ar/meta-quest-3s-review |access-date=Jan 10, 2025 |website=tom's guide |language=en}}</ref>

In 2024, Apple released the [[Apple Vision Pro]]. The device is a fully enclosed mixed reality headset that strongly utilises video passthrough. While some VR experiences are available on the device, it lacks standard VR headset features such as external controllers or support for [[OpenXR]] and is instead branded as a "[[Spatial computing|spatial computer]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Nilay |date=2024-01-30 |title=Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not |url=https://www.theverge.com/24054862/apple-vision-pro-review-vr-ar-headset-features-price |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Axon |first=Samuel |date=2023-06-06 |title=Hands-on with Apple Vision Pro: This is not a VR headset |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/06/hands-on-with-apple-vision-pro-this-is-not-a-vr-headset/ |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref>

In 2024, the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] approved its first virtual reality flight simulation training device: Loft Dynamics' virtual reality [[Airbus Helicopters H125]] [[FSTD]]—the same device EASA qualified. As of September 2024, Loft Dynamics remains the only VR FSTD qualified by EASA and the FAA.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pilots Are Learning To Fly Helicopters In VR, Thanks To This Swiss Startup|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2024/07/31/a-swiss-vr-startup-wants-to-transform-pilot-trainingand-it-just-won-a-boost-from-faa/|access-date=2024-09-25|website=Forbes|date=2 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref>