Do We Even Need Screens Anymore?

Since the invention of the flat screen monitor, our addiction for bigger and bigger screens has been the goal as this technology has advanced.

Whether its T.V. or computer screens, we somehow feel pulled towards the idea of getting closer to the action. Recently, due to the demand in the gaming industry, gaming laptops are becoming ever more popular.

The idea of portable gaming, as opposed to being stationed at a desk only, somehow chained to your CPU. These extremely powerful laptops are not only packing major hardware but are beginning to feature rounded screens for better panoramic viewing of your line of vision.

There is yet another much more immersive way to experience our gaming world. VR is now about to become affordable to the average consumer.

As of March 28th of this year, virtual reality gaming has become available with the release of the Oculus Rift home system. Although the PC required in powering the Rift demands a high level of hardware for best gaming experiences.

You say you don’t have a $5000 PC gaming desktop? No problem. Sony is about to release its version with the PlayStation VR on October 13th of this year.

So it seems that there may be a major paradigm shift about to take place. The real question might be, will virtual reality eventually replace our need for screens?

Virtual Reality versus LCD

It may be that a certain percentage of people will not feel comfortable with the idea of covering their face to experience greater immersion.

For the rest of us, the possibility of a full panoramic view putting you inside the game is what we’re after. Sensors within VR glasses scan eye movement to allow real-time perspective. How do you beat that? Not to mention a handheld device for greater game interaction.

Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey predicted that in about 20 years or so today’s flat panels are a thing of the past by stating, “I think there’s almost no way traditional displays will be around in a couple decades, Why in the world would you buy a 60-inch TV that, even if it were dirt cheap for that, it’s still going to cost a lot to ship it and make it from raw materials? A VR headset is going to be much better and much cheaper, and you can take it anywhere.”

We know from the history of virtual reality that our ability to choose any experience or ultimate sense of environment is an exciting prospect as this technology advances.

One downfall to VR gaming is that it forces you to eliminate all your surroundings. This can distract from important life cues from a crying baby to an overflowing pot on the stove to a burglar sneaking through your back door.

With that being said, those who still prefer screens, companies like LG are producing curved computer screens. For what they like to term as “immersive” as a kind of nod to the recent explosion in VR headsets. And the best news is, it won’t mess up your hair.

What about hanging out with your sweetie? Time to strap on the goggles and forget that you’re actually sitting next to each other. Yet it could be the perfect place to duke it out in a fight.

Imagine having a large family sitting down to watch a movie together. Can you hear the ring of the cash register? At $400 to $500 a pop? Not to mention the high-quality family time together.

Not only the issue of social disconnection, there is another unanswered question regarding the effects of virtual reality gaming.

The Unknowns Of VR Gaming

Although many companies are gearing up to market their latest and greatest in the dawn VR. As cool as it sounds to plug into another world that is completely computer generated. There may be consequences that come with this new form of entertainment.

How virtual reality gaming will affect our psychology is something that will need close examination. Being able to “trick our minds” into accepting these new worlds could lead to a whole new list of issues, or not.

Bottom Line

So will VR headsets soon replace our addiction to the big screen? It’s not likely to happen anytime soon. Simply due to the social repercussions.

With that being said, how many times have you sat down to watch a movie with someone and most of the time you are distracted on your phone?

Maybe in some weird way humans will begin to interact with each other more in the digital world? The future can only tell.