Recently, I was 150 feet underwater standing at the tip of a sunken pirate ship. Everywhere I looked, the details were spectacular. The large brown ship was cracked in half and I could see the deep trench that was formed at the bottom of the dark ocean. Just as I began to notice how beautiful the ocean looked, I was surprised when I noticed a group of bass swimming right in front of me. As I continued to look up, I had a 360-degree view of the many different types of fish swimming around me! My jaw dropped when I saw a colossal whale swim right by my face. This huge creature nearly grazed my cheek as I attempted to reach out and touch it. I stopped and thought to myself, “Could this be real?” Everything I had seen in that ocean looked so real to me.

The entire time I had actually been standing inside of a video game store, nowhere remotely near an ocean. I had been viewing the breathtaking scene from the comfort of the virtual reality headset I was wearing. The associate working at the store asked me “Are you ready to try the next game?” Instantly, I was transported to space to fight off an army of robots. The object of the game was to shoot as many robots as I possibly could without being shot by them. The controllers I had in my hands transformed into laser guns on the screen in my headset. I couldn’t believe that I was in a battle with robots somewhere out in space!

I finally took my headset off and came back to the real world. I was blown away by how amazing the game play was and how detailed the graphics were. I have played video games throughout my entire life, but never have I ever experienced anything like the HTC Vive. The HTC Vive is one of the few virtual reality systems on the market right now, along with the Oculus Rift and the Samsung Gear VR. When comparing the VR to an Xbox One or PlayStation, the winner is clear. When playing systems like the Xbox One, you do not have the advantage of virtual reality. Getting to see this panoramic view of everything around you, while actually using your hands in a first-person style screen, is so amazing that I am having a hard time trying to describe it.

Virtual reality is not only involved with video games, but almost anything can be done in VR. When I think about virtual reality, I get very excited for the future because I can’t wait to see what will be developed next. The possibilities are endless, from tours of famous cities around the world, to visiting museums, or even viewing films through your VR headset. Imagine visiting the Great Wall of China or the Eiffel Tower from the comfort of your living room! All of this could become a reality, in virtual reality.

Right now, virtual reality headsets are pretty expensive to own. The HTC Vive is being sold for $799.00 and you also need a high-speed computer to run the games. Hopefully, the prices will go down soon and more people will be able to access this amazing system. Each day, additional games and simulators are being created for VR. I know that one day virtual reality will be accessed by millions of people around the world. The question is not if, but when that will happen. If you haven’t tried virtual reality before, I definitely suggest you give it a try sometime soon!