Living in VR 24/7
It’s believed that in the very near future, it will be possible to live completely in VR.
But what if I told you that perhaps it’s already possible. This article explores just that. It is assuming you’re staying at home, in VR 24/7, and that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home.
Work
Unfortunately, most of us, will have to work to survive. Fortunately, with today’s technology, it’s possible to do so in VR. Let’s look at some options.
Entry Level
There are lots of low-barrier, easy to obtain, and remote jobs available. You might consider positions such as data entry, translation, or customer service.
Most of these positions are part-time, and have high turnover, so are always available. They require no prior experience, and no special equipment to complete. Work from home jobs are perfect for living in VR.
Office Not Needed
For more specialized or skilled positions, COVID-19 has shown employers something that their employees have known for a long time: Not all jobs have to be done in the office.
As the world became more technologically connected, it became easier for many jobs to be completed from home. As long as you have a stable internet connection, your tasks can be distributed, and submitted remotely. Everything from programmers to engineers and even men and women working in sales can work successfully, all without ever entering an office.
VR Meetings
As the world transitions to remote work, aligning with remote coworkers becomes even more important. Corporate meetings in VR is a growing trend. Just take a look on Steam or the Oculus store at the number of apps that provide this function.
Building VR Spaces
Virtual Reality itself brings with it a new industry for a career. The VR world will need people to create it. Programmers, are always in high demand, but there is also need for designers, 3D artists, and beta testers. See VR Products below for more ideas on what to sell.
Additionally, there’s a whole economy within many VR universes. You don’t have to look too far to find an in-world job that will pay real money. You can even gamble away that hard earned coin.
School
If you’re not working yet, or even if you just want to continue your education, VR can greatly assist in the learning process.
For many of the same reasons as working in VR, school can now be attended remotely. Some schools, and many individual education programs, provide virtual classrooms where you can learn with other classmates in VR.
Visualizations
One thing that makes learning in VR particularly interesting, is the ability to conjure visualizations, which are impossible to create in real life.
Students absorb information, and learn in many different ways from each other. Sometimes teachers and professors have a difficult time conveying difficult concepts to all types of learners. With VR however, instructors can use interactive 3D graphics to convey concepts that are difficult to draw on a 2D board.
Shopping
Hey, did you know you could buy things on the internet? Shocker, I know.
E-Commerce
VR systems come equipped with a web browser, so you can still access all your favorite ecommerce sites. As VR grows, many of these companies will create dedicated apps, for a more natural viewing experience. Think of how web sites started making mobile apps for their services.
VR Products
Just like in real life, you’re going to want things for your virtual self. Some of the shopping you might do are for:
- Avatars
- Clothes
- Houses
- Entire Worlds!
Socializing
Many unfamiliar people believe that someone who stays at home all the time does not socialize. This is not the case in VR at all. Virtual worlds such as the famous VR Chat, the Facebook-backed Metaverse, and even the oldie-but-goodie Second Life, are all virtual communities centered around socialization.
Currently there are several VR ecosystems, that connect various VR worlds into a cohesive universe.
Which group will reign supreme?
- Metaverse
- Mozilla Hubs
- Nvidia Omniverse
While the competition for supreme VR environment is ongoing, the social media landscape is starting to converge. Many social media companies are merging into one, or provide some form of cross compatibility between the each other. The Fediverse in particular allows connecting to different types of social media platforms with one account.
Hopefully in the future we’ll be able to freely jump between all the connected VR platforms.
Entertainment
You’re probably looking to live in VR because you already find it entertaining. But here are some additional ideas of what to do in your new VR life.
IMAX Movies
Watching movies in VR is amazing. It’s your own personal IMAX theater, except you can choose your own seat, cheaper snacks, and you can yell at the screen, without strangers getting mad.
VR Movies
The only thing cooler than watching a movie using your VR headset, is watching a movie specifically designed for VR. One that you can walk around in, and see the characters and scenes from your own point of view. Walk around a scene as it’s happening, and be right there, part of the action.
However, most VR movies will come in the form of the interactive experience that is video games.
Video Games
Many video games are being made specifically for VR. Amazing worlds that can really pull you into a fantasy universe, or horror games that will scare the pants off you in first person. Even older games are being ported to work in VR.
Virtual Entertainers
Other’s in VR provide entertainment services. When you need somewhere to hang out, there are always clubs available. These virtual clubs are often looking for in-world entertainers to hire. This could be a comedian at a stand-up comedy club, a lounge singer, or even GoGo dancers.
Sleep
There are some who do it, but for me, VR Headsets are a bit too bulky to sleep in right now. One day however, they may be as lightweight as a sleep mask.
Then we can go to sleep in a peaceful environment, with soft sounds, and wake up to a sunrise in paradise.
Conclusion
Not everyone will be able to fully move to VR right away. We’ll still need mechanics, surgeons, and other positions to work in person, but there’s no reason that we can’t try out life in VR now.