First it was the Kindle that allowed the world to enjoy its romance novels without fear of public embarrassment. Next, Google will let everyone browse the web in the privacy of virtual reality with its Chrome browser and Daydream VR headset.

I rarely turn down the chance to try something new or strange. Reptile expo with live demos? Sounds great. Monster truck rally? Yea, why the hell not. Vape show in town? Sure, I’ll check it out. Indoor virtual reality skydiving? I AM THERE. Who cares that “indoor virtual reality skydiving” as a concept doesn’t make a…

Movies like Ready Player One and The Matrix have done it, but what about TV? Well, Netflix is about to launch a new series called Kiss Me First, and it’s also partially set in a fully functional virtual world.

I’m standing in the middle of my living room, but my view is of the deck of a ship. I can hear my actual dog as he pants on the sofa I pushed against my wall so I could spin my head to explore my virtual surroundings. He’s obscured by the Oculus Go strapped to my face. I take a step forward in my living room, and sigh…

Virtual reality headsets today use your eyes and ears to make simulated experiences seem more real, but what about your other senses? Researchers at Stanford University have come up with a way for your hands and fingers to feel virtual objects with a unique robot that looks like an animated version of those Pin Art…

Are you cool with hugs? What about the most all-encompassing hug you’ve ever had? That just about sums up how Disney Research’s new force feedback jacket works. Using inflatable airbags, it can simulate physical experiences when you’re lost in VR, like getting hit by a snowball, or turning into a muscular beefcake in…

In 2018, nearly everything is in place for a descent into a Ready Player One-style dystopia. The way things are going, we should be destitute and beaten down by climate change long before the 2040s. All we’re missing, for now, is the technology. People are already more than happy to spend huge percentages of their…

When the Vive and the Oculus Rift came out in the spring of 2016, they did something incredible: they made VR actually worth caring about. Previously, the closest thing people had come to virtual reality were weird sci-fi movies or half-baked products like the Virtual Boy. Yet even now, nearly two years later to the…

After months of teasing (including some great demos at CES), HTC’s Vive successor, the HTC Vive Pro, is finally on sale. It’ll cost $800 for the headset alone and ship beginning April 5th. While the upgraded dual-OLED displays and integrated headphones capable of 3D spatial audio are cool, the high-end Vive Pro won’t…

Ready Player One is all about people using a virtual world called the OASIS to make their dreams come true. While virtual reality has only been a thing—at least in name—since the 1980s, people have been dreaming of life in fictional worlds for thousands of years. In a new episode of “That Looks Familiar,” io9's Beth…

What Microsoft Research lacks in cinematography skills, it’s making up for with super-fun solutions to virtual reality’s biggest problem: the lack of real-world feedback. In a blog post published late last week, Microsoft detailed four different experimental methods for delivering haptic feedback, including a cane…

Somedays you’re driving around Los Angeles and suddenly find yourself on the Shattered Plains of Roshar, using stormlight to fight off Parshendi warriors.

Tonight, President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union speech to the American people at 9pm Eastern (6pm Pacific, 5am Moscow time). And if you don’t have TV, there are plenty of ways to watch on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. You can even watch in VR.

When the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive came out in 2016, we entered a new era of virtual reality. No longer would people think of half-assed fever dreams like Lawnmower Man, or ambitious but profound failures like Nintendo’s Virtual Boy anytime VR gets mentioned. Even so, modern VR still hasn’t caught on. It’s awkward,…