Commentary

VR Headsets: Some Headaches, But Can They Get Me Into An 'NCIS' Chase?

For many, after a couple of minutes or so, wearing the headset doesn't feel so good.

Analyst Brent Thill of Jefferies on CNBC on Thursday said: “For anyone who has tried a headset, it's fun for around 10 minutes, but you feel like you have been submerged in water and you want to get out.”

So.. maybe if you really want to ... immerse yourself in virtual content that way. At best you might be better off strapping a small 17" TV set to your head. That might be cheaper by our estimates.

Even for the younger set, Thill says it's not a must-have thing. He gives his kids headsets, but after a while they just collect dust. And that's a telltale sign that right now it is just a niche business.

Meta Platforms has now tried to rectify this with a lighter, more comfortable Quest 3 headset release this week. But is that enough?

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For all the excitement analysts had some years ago over everything “metaverse,” currently, it remains a small thing.

Thill says the bigger issue is lack of content. 

If one ever imagined consumers' excitement about feeling they are in the virtual world, they probably believe it might be like what they see on big-screen fantasy/futuristic movies. 

Right now, some of the most popular stuff involves putting oneself in “environments” -- outer space, broad scenic vistas, underneath oceans, as well as roller coasters. 

One popular video has users sitting next to Tom Cruise during a hair-raising motorcycle chase in Paris in “Mission Impossible: Fallout.”

Perhaps entertainment and TV-minded older consumers might have imagined a bigger entertainment world they could wrap themselves in -- perhaps a virtual world of, say, “NCIS,” “American Idol”, or TV comedy.

But in the near term, will I need to wear a special pair of cumbersome glasses -- or maybe a backpack? That's a lot of effort for all that special, highly valued, immersive entertainment we were promised.

When can I come up for air?

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