What Are the Challenges and Future Possibilities of Virtual Reality?
24 December 2021
Virtual reality (VR) is already becoming an important part of our world, across a wide variety of industries and organizations.
But what will VR look like in the future?
Where is this revolutionary technology headed, and what unique challenges do business leaders face as they incorporate immersive VR for their customers and stakeholders?

The Vision for VR
In the future, as VR interfaces evolve, we’re likely to see even better VR accessories and technologies. Some of the things companies are working on include:
- Smaller, lighter, more comfortable headsets that include advanced features like eye-tracking
- Automatic hand tracking, without hand controllers
- Haptic accessories that bring a realistic sense of touch to the VR experience
- Ways of bringing the sense of smell (like food aromas, or even the smell of gunpowder) into the immersive experience
- Neural VR, so that users can manipulate objects and control moments in the virtual world purely through a brain-computer interface.
As far as applications and use cases are concerned, it seems as though the sky's the limit for the ways this flexible and creative technology.
Many industries are already using VR, including training and education, real estate, retail, travel and hospitality, manufacturing, and even law enforcement.
Without question, virtual reality technology will play a huge part in building the metaverse in the next few years or decades – and as they’re making decisions for how they want to expand their brands or businesses into the metaverse, business leaders need to factor in these likely upcoming advances.
But of course, the future is not all upside. Those considering the limitless potential of virtual reality must also weigh the possibilities against the future challenges.
Upcoming Challenges of VR
As tech companies build the metaverse and VR technology continues to evolve, business leaders will need to continually educate themselves about the potential issues of virtual reality, to make sure the downsides of this groundbreaking tech don’t outweigh the benefits for our society.
Above all, organizations need to minimize the risk of harm as they continue to incorporate VR technology into their business models.
For example, there are many moral and legal “gray areas” within the world of VR. What constitutes legal or acceptable behavior in a virtual space? Who makes those rules?
How is data handled within VR? Highly personal data from VR players can be open to misuse, so careful cybersecurity planning must be part of business leaders’ plans. Data privacy will become even more important as tech companies work together to create a connected metaverse where players’ avatars can move throughout worlds and games.
Are there longer-term health implications of using VR, like issues with motion sickness, eye health, or psychological impacts? What can be done to combat cyber-addiction, especially as the metaverse becomes an increasingly enticing place to hang out?
Business leaders must be aware of these personal and societal risks, and work hard to ensure their VR applications are responsible and ethical.
To learn more about virtual reality, check out my book, Extended Reality in Practice: 100+ Amazing Ways Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Are Changing Business and Society.
Related Articles
The Rise Of AI-Enabled Virtual Pets: Why Millions Are Raising Digital Companions
Remember Tamagotchis? Those tiny digital pets that had millions of kids frantically pressing buttons to keep their virtual companions alive in the 1990s?[...]
The Dark Side Of AI: How Deepfakes And Disinformation Are Becoming A Billion-Dollar Business Risk
Every week, I talk to business leaders who believe they're prepared for AI disruption. But when I ask them about their defense strategy against AI-generated deepfakes and disinformation, I'm usually met with blank stares.[...]
Why You Should Be Polite To ChatGPT And Other AIs
In my latest conversation with ChatGPT, I caught myself saying "please" and "thank you." My wife, overhearing this, couldn't help but laugh at my politeness toward a machine.[...]
The 7 Revolutionary Cloud Computing Trends That Will Define Business Success In 2025
Picture this: A world where quantum computing is as accessible as checking your email, where AI automatically optimizes your entire cloud infrastructure, and where edge computing seamlessly melds with cloud services to deliver lightning-fast responses.[...]
AI And The Global Economy: A Double-Edged Sword That Could Trigger Market Meltdowns
The stock market's current AI euphoria, driven by companies like NVIDIA developing powerful processors for machine learning, might mask a more troubling reality.[...]
How The 2025 Presidential Election Could Transform The Future Of AI In America And Beyond
The clock is ticking toward what might be the most consequential technological crossroads in American history.[...]
Sign up to Stay in Touch!
Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity.
He is a best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and coaches many of the world’s best-known organisations.
He has a combined following of 4 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.
Bernard’s latest book is ‘Generative AI in Practice’.
Social Media