We are only a couple of months away from 2023 and the tech world is already buzzing with technological trends that are most likely to dominate the upcoming year. As usual, it’s going to be a year full of technological innovations, experiments, and upgrades.

But word is that it is virtual reality that will keep everyone guessing. This technology has been in the limelight for quite some time now. According to Statista, the video gaming section alone ruled the use of VR. Its survey forecasted that the VR gaming industry is set to grow from 0.4 billion USD in 2017 to 2.4 billion USD in 2024.

It’s both surprising and satisfying that in spite of being a relatively new technology, its use has escalated within a short span of time. In fact, the VR industry is booming and this growth is quickly surpassing the gaming sector and is expanding its wings to other industry verticals.

Additionally, it’s also going to make its way into the daily lives of people which wasn’t possible till today. Guessing aside, let’s have a look at some realistic speculations set for VR technology.

For the next couple of years, this technological innovation is going to be in trend. One of the biggest obstacles in the way of VR growth is its dependency on hardware. For a layman, accessing a VR headset remains an expensive affair.

However, web engineers are trying to accommodate VR in mobile apps by making use of the advanced hardware of smart devices. Although it will take some time before designers can come up with an exceptional UI design that makes optimum utilization of VR technology, developers will continue to amalgamate it within apps to offer a mixed-reality experience to end-users.

The hardware is currently ruling the VR market, both in terms of usage and revenue. Once again, experts in this field are in a constant attempt to install its elements in the software systems, especially in the ones that will find wide use in the entertainment and media industry.

VR and AR-based media apps can make media streaming more vibrant and intuitive, offering users a life-like experience. Can you imagine watching shows like Stranger Things and Game of Thrones with a VR-powered app? You sure can. It would be epic.

Google has already experimented with VR goggles (known as Google Daydream) that helped people find their way and get new routes. While this tech forecasted a promising future, it didn’t quite pan out because of the heavy investment, dependency on hi-tech hardware, and low ROI.

But with time, genius minds are coming up with better solutions and applications. One such VR application could be the live monitoring of properties and premises. The properties of VR can be integrated the advanced cameras and this can be used to monitor the premises of both commercial and residential properties.

What happened to be the core subject of so many sci-fi movies and shows is now on the way to being turned into reality. The metaverse is a concept where several platforms will be linked in a virtual realm powered by the combination of AR and VR technology.

It will be an open and shared space where people from all over the world will be able to become a virtually life-like part of each other’s lives. So what if you aren’t able to attend the marriage ceremony of your favorite cousin; put on your Oculus headset and you will be present right there at the moment when the bride and the groom exchange their vows.

Let’s take another scenario from the corporate metaverse. Virtual meetings are an integral part of corporate operations but the difference between the current ones and the ones on the corporate metaverse will be that of VR where the meetings will seem more like a live situation. The reports and documents will be clearer and the touch-induced changes can take place over the virtual screens.

Another VR trend of 2023 would be the content created specifically for this technology. The driving force of any technology is the content. An example would clarify things better. Let’s take the smart devices.

When smartphones and tablets were introduced, people were excited about them as they came with large screens, good cameras, and better facilities. But it was the applications that served as the content behind their popularity. The common folks had no idea that mobile apps were going to become an inseparable part of their lives.

Be it digital media, Blockchain, software, or any other budding technology, without specific content, the survival of the technology becomes tough. The same goes for the VR headset too. Currently, it is mostly the gaming industry where VR headsets find vast use, and that’s because the games offer the most fitting content for the technology right now.

But 2023 can see impactful changes in this. VR headsets can be used in renowned museums and other historical places where they can be used for giving virtual historical tours to visitors.

VR-targeted content can also come from sectors of video streaming, online magazines, and digital marketing where customers can get a first-hand experience of the anticipated products and services.

Another virtual reality trend that will dominate the market will be the growth of VR app development services as a separate domain of the development industry. AR-based apps have already entered the second phase after they passed the first phase of trial and error.

Now it’s VR’s turn. Though the dominance of hardware shall continue for another few years, the software will gain traction. Moreover, even if it is the ultimate gaming experience that people are after, VR still has lots of use for commercial purposes, which is why investors with ample capital won’t hesitate to experiment with their ideas.

Technology has always intrigued the world with its ever-changing contour for no one knows anything for sure. It wasn’t long ago when Oculus, Google, and Sony had people vouch for VR headsets for playing immersive games.

Now the word is that Virtual Reality will have a set of trends of its own. Still, in a nascent stage, this technology seems to have a promising future as more players continue to join the game. It would be interesting to see what changes VR is going to bring in the upcoming year and how it is going to impact the lives of the common man.

Virtual Reality Trends that will Dominate 2023 was originally published in AR/VR Journey: Augmented & Virtual Reality Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.