Last Updated: October 1, 2024
IMMERSE Insights:
- VR was first invented in the 1950s
- VR has evolved from 3DOF to wireless 6DOF devices
- The Quest 2 was the first mainstream VR headset, making immersion language learning more accessible than ever before
Tech revolutions in our (recent) history
The history of modern technology has had more than its fair share of watershed moments; from the invention of the light bulb and the World Wide Web, through to the development of the sharing economy.
These innovations and systems have changed the way we live and even how societies operate.
While immersive virtual reality (VR) is an important development and part of the technology timeline, it has always been on the fringes of popularity. And, as a result, it has never quite realized its potential from an educational perspective.
But that is set to change - and fast.
Just as Google’s Android operating system democratized access to smartphone technology, Meta Quest VR headsets will do the same with VR.
The 1950s and the early evolution of virtual reality (VR)
While the term “virtual reality” was only coined in the late 80s by Jaron Lanier, the concept has actually been around for decades.
In fact, the Sensorama - an immersive motorcycle experience in which you could ride around a city - was first invented by Morton Heilig in the 1950s and produced in 1962.
It boasted a color display, odor emitters for city smells, a fan to simulate wind, stereo‐sound, and a seat that moved.
It was ahead of its time in so many ways!
Heilig also patented the Telesphere Mask, the first head-mounted display, in 1957.
It’s reminiscent of some of the more modern VR tech we are familiar with today.
While these inventions were not commercially successful at the time, we’ve long been curious about experiencing new, digital worlds and spaces.
We’ve also used VR-like technology and simulators in training and educational contexts for something close to 100 years. Here are a few examples:
- 1929: the first electromechanical flight simulator was invented as a safe way to train pilots.
- 1991: NASA opened its VR training lab to support astronauts on the ground.
- 2016: The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland developed “the world’s first fully interactive virtual reality training simulator” to help medical students train for emergency room management scenarios.
VR innovations begins to speed up
But looking back at the history of VR, it’s only in the last few years that the tech has really taken off. In doing so, it has made the benefits of VR education apps more accessible to schools and educators.
So let’s take a look at some of the biggest recent development in VR hardware technology:
2014: Google Cardboard democratizes VR
Google Cardboard was launched in 2014 and really brought 360 image VR to the masses.
While consumer VR had been available for some time, accessing the technology had required deep commitments of money, time and space.
This limited access to only the most dedicated companies and VR enthusiasts.
The Google VR viewer is made of a folded cardboard headset, into which users simply slide a smartphone.
Most official headsets cost less than $15 - or people can build their own - making it the first truly affordable, easy-to-use, and expansive VR product on the market.
On putting on the device, users step into a 360 degree image environment and experience a light form of virtual reality.
The accompanying Expeditions App (which has since been replaced by the Google Arts & Culture App) let teachers take students on immersive VR field trips to more than 900 destinations, such as the Brazilian Amazon and outer space.
Google Cardboard was discontinued in March 2021.
Overall, while Google VR democratized the technology for educators everywhere - and sparked a lot of enthusiasm for the medium - it had a very limited capacity.
Users couldn’t interact within the space, and never quite felt like they were fully immersed.
2016: VR innovation speeds up
After Google Cardboard, VR development really began to skyrocket. A number of powerful VR products were launched within a short period of time, and consumers took notice.
We saw virtual reality headsets and programs like:
Microsoft HoloLens
These mixed reality smart glasses were first released in 2016 - and HoloLens 2 was launched a few years later in 2019.
In the classroom, the headsets let students engage with VR learning using a range of different apps, like VR frog dissection, for example.
Microsoft also offers Windows Mixed Reality, which lets students experience and interact with virtual worlds using just a tablet or PC.
Outside the classroom, Microsoft HoloLens is used for training in manufacturing, architecture, medicine - and a whole range of other industries.
It comes with a hefty price tag, though: one HoloLens 2 headset today costs $3,500.
PlayStation VR
PlayStation VR headsets are exclusively for gaming.
The PlayStation VR was launched in 2016, and it featured 360 vision and 3D audio to really immerse players in a game. The significantly upgraded PSVR2 followed in February 2023.
PS VR2 is also enabled for PlayStation Dreams game universe, which lets people make and share their own games.
HTC VIVE
HTC VIVE is another headset released in 2016, and the brand’s put out a number of headsets since then - including VIVE Pro, VIVE Cosmos, and VIVE Focus.
The products are compatible with a huge range of VR education apps for teachers to explore in the Viveport store, and costs between $449-$1399 per headset.
2020-Present: The world's first mainstream 6DOF VR headset
The Quest 2 was launched by Meta in October 2020, followed by the Quest 3 three years later.
Meta Quests are now easily the most powerful and accessible wireless VR headsets in the industry.
According to MIXED Reality news, there have been approximately 20 million Quest VR headsets sold worldwide. That’s more than any other VR headset in history.
And the arrival of the $300 Quest 3S on the market in October 2024 means virtual reality is comparably priced to other forms of technology.
How IMMERSE leverages the power of the Quest 2 and 3
For decades, language education has been limited to the four white walls of a classroom or the flashcards on a mobile app.
But it is widely recognized that language immersion is the best way to develop fluency in a new language.
The Quest 2 and 3 VR headsets make social immersive experiences possible, allowing our team of expert educators, researchers and 3D engineers to build the leading education metaverse platform in the world. IMMERSE gives you unlimited access to live virtual reality language classes, conversation events, AI practice, and more in over 40 interactive scenes.
The best days of language immersion learning are still ahead of us!
Onward and upward for immersive language learning - with a large thanks to Meta and their foresight in making the Quest VR headset the first mainstream device in history.
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