Is Virtual Reality Ready for the Mainstream Yet?

Some of the stuff I’m seeing at CES 2015 is absolutely amazing in a way I never could have imagined!

Virtual reality may be poised for consumer breakthrough

For example, I had no interest in virtual reality at all, but my TV producer convinced me to shoot a segment wearing a headset. So I go to the Occulus Rift booth and they put these weirdo glasses on me.

Well, I didn’t want it to end! The experience really shocked and surprised me. At first I was totally enveloped in a scene with a T-Rex coming at me. Another scene looked like something from a movie of the future. In yet another one, I saw something like a weapon from the Terminator movie coming at me.

But the one that really freaked me out was standing on a ledge 80 floors up on a building in New York City. I started sweating because I really felt like I was there with the city streets below me! 

Unfortunately, there’s no release date or street price for consumers to get their hands on the Occulus Rift yet.

But virtual reality will be common in the near future, according to CNET senior editor Ashley Esqueda. There’s a cheapo version already available called Google Cardboard for around $29, but you BYOD and put your phone in a cardboard headset that you have to build. Another more robust option already available to consumers is the Samsung GEAR VR ($299).

Virtual reality is not just for gamers anymore. It could be used for meditation, according to Esqueda. Or for mental health treatment. This could be very exciting for consumers, not just for tech nerds.

MP3 players make a return

The price points for most things at CES is several hundred dollars. But Sony came out with <a href=”http://store.sony.com/128-gb-walkman-hi-res-digital-music-player-zid27-NWZZX2/cat-27-catid-ESP-Portable-Electronics”>a new version of the Walkman</a> called the ZX2 for $1,200! It’s just for people who want a high quality audio experience.

Coming down the price ladder, musician Neil Young has his own version of an MP3 player called <a href=”https://ponomusic.force.com/”>the PonoPlayer</a> for $399. This thing plays lossless audio like you would get right in the studio. And it’s back to that sweet spot price for CES!