5G is the next generation of mobile internet. This means that soon, when it will be rolled out in various places, it will replace 4G. 5G has many advantages: it promises to be faster than 4G, it covers larger areas, connections will be more stable, and latency, which is the response time between your device and the network it's connected to, will decrease. This advanced connectivity will have a significant impact on the technology and its use. From the way we interact with our smartphones and connected appliances to power entire areas like autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and round-the-clock healthcare, just to name a few. However, if we were to invest in an industry that could take full advantage of 5G, and might even need it to get off the ground, it would be virtual reality (VR). Although it has been reported in recent years that VR headset sales are not meeting their targets, virtual reality is becoming more and more popular, and this is just the beginning. According to recent statistics, the RV industry as a whole is growing exponentially year after year. Currently, in 2019, the market size is estimated to be around €6.2 billion, which could reach €16.3 billion by 2022 worldwide. Virtual reality is big business and should play an important role in various sectors, from entertainment to training, education and healthcare. However, while the technology has enormous potential and is already being used in some of these settings, technical issues still prevent it from reaching its full potential. The good news is that many believe that 5G can overcome VR's biggest hurdles because it offers low latency, ultra-fast speeds, and stable connections to headsets, making VR experiences even more challenging. Accessible, more reliable and, most importantly, more immersive.
The Oculus Quest is the first all-in-one VR gaming system. No cable is required. (Image credit: Oculus) (Image: © oculus)
The current reality of virtual reality.
Virtual reality, often called virtual reality, is a type of technology that allows you to fully live in virtual spaces. But we don't want to get lost in a book: the virtual reality we're talking about here requires you to install a device, in this case a virtual reality headset, and live in a virtual environment created by computers. Most VR headsets are equipped with a screen, stereo sound, sensors, etc., to believably place you in a virtual environment. The environment depends on the use of virtual reality. Virtual reality headsets are generally considered entertainment devices and you can use them to play all kinds of games, as well as watch TV shows and movies. But virtual reality offers more than that. There are big plans to make VR as mainstream as social media, allowing you to connect with friends and family wherever they are. And, increasingly, documentary reality experiences and arts-based content are being made. There are also a range of applications for VR that go far beyond what you'd probably use at home, including training, education, logistics, and healthcare. Given the many uses of virtual reality, analysts have high hopes for the future of the sector. But while headset sales are on the rise, virtual reality has yet to reach its full potential as a must-have at every show. There are many reasons why VR isn't "built in" yet. The first is that technology has always been expensive. And while recent versions are coming to market at significantly lower prices, they're not. It's not just the price, either. It is also a risky purchase for most people. Many need to be convinced to spend their money on this type of technology, as well as attach a device to your face for fun instead of reaching for a game controller or turning on your favorite Netflix show. Another reason, however, is the lack of connectivity. The basic premise of virtual reality is that you experience a virtual world or space. For this to work, the devices need to work fast, need high levels of storage, and low latency. That's why 5G could be what VR needs for everyone, and be appreciated everywhere.What 5G can do for virtual reality.
"The impact of 5G in the immersive sector may seem minimal, but in reality, it could be one of the most important," said Sol Rogers, CEO of REWIND in TechRadar. One of the most obvious advantages of 5G in virtual reality, as well as in other industries, is that connectivity will be more stable. Today, virtual reality applications can be interrupted by network performance. 5G, however, will be able to handle many more devices at the same time, which means your connection isn't suffering.
The Batman Arkham game literally puts you in the shoes of Batman. (Image credit: Rocksteady Studios) While this is good news for better gaming and entertainment, it might also take VR to become a more valuable proposition, so it can be used in more industries. , such as health or engineering, which only require the implementation of more stable connections. . 5G will also reduce latency, which essentially means better responsiveness. In this case, it refers to the time elapsed between a request and a response. Low latency is what is needed for the correct functioning of virtual reality experiences. There is no lag, this can lead to motion sickness as well as unrealistic VR experiences. According to Qualcomm, 5G should enable latency 10 times faster than 4G, which could dramatically improve VR experiences. Existing VR applications could also transfer intensive processing to the cloud, resulting in smaller, more power-efficient, and more affordable hardware. "The basic technology (bandwidth and latency) will enable off-device computing," says Rogers. Thus, the device from it could be low-powered, and therefore low-cost, while remaining the front end of a full-size, scalable cloud or edge machine. "This means that the computing and graphics power available to create extraordinary experiences for all of us will increase exponentially," he said.
Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is one of our favorite titles for PSVR. (Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
VR becomes more mobile
The advent of 5G is timely for the VR industry for another reason: It's already becoming more mobile. Headphones have generally been connected by cable to a computer, which is their mode of power. This meant that for some it was a confusing proposition, that it required additional equipment on the job, and that the experiments designed to make you feel free and put you in another environment were very physically demanding. However, it changes slowly. New headsets like the Oculus Quest and HTC Focus, designed for business, bring high-quality VR to more mobile form factors, which can work without cables or additional equipment, plus detect Motion without external sensors. < p class="bordeaux-image-check">
The Oculus Quest has six degrees of freedom, which means it can track movements up, down, left, right, forward, and backward. (Image credit: Oculus) The potential of 5G for fast, reliable connectivity, wherever you are, seems like heaven in this new age of headsets. Imagine virtual reality in the park or don't rely on Wi-Fi, it really does seem like the future. The most important thing to remember here is that for the RV to do what it says it can do, immersion is important. For a virtual world to feel like the real world, everything must be the same. The way images are presented at the speed of the world in motion, as your head does, images that trick your senses into thinking you're really there. It must be fast and realistic. The great thing about 5G is that it can enhance these experiences and hopefully allow virtual reality to reach its full potential. 5G Uncovered, in partnership with Samsung, gives you everything you need to know about the next wave of connectivity - not just how fast it will be, but how much it will change your life. Our 5G Uncovered hub is carefully organized to showcase everything there is to know about the next generation of connection.