EOTO: VR

In the evolving world of technology, I was introduced to VR gaming by my friend Cole. Picture this: a sleek headset with goggles, futuristic sensors, two hand joysticks. Putting on the headset and taking hold of the joysticks took me on a journey into a digital realm that felt straight out of the movie. Jackson has always been my tech guru, but this was by far the coolest thing he's ever shown me. At the beginning of the school year, he took me on a ride that transformed gaming into a truly unique experience.  As Jackson walked me through the setup, I could feel myself getting excited. Once that headset was on, I was instantly transported from Jackson's living room to beautiful virtual landscapes, and I was hooked.

Virtual Reality traces its roots to the 1960s, with Morton Heilig's Sensorama as an early concept. Ivan Sutherland and his student Jaron Lanier pioneered the first head-mounted displays in the '60s and '80s, respectively. The term "virtual reality" was coined by Lanier. In the '90s, VR faced setbacks, but Palmer Luckey came up with the Oculus Rift in 2012 and the setbacks diminished. Today, VR comes in various forms, from tethered headsets for high-end experiences to standalone devices and mobile VR for accessibility, transforming how we experience digital worlds.

Every move I made in Jackson's Oculus Rift felt tangible. Using his VR set was fun but Jackson also showed me its educational potential. He told me about VR applications where you could tour historical places or dissect biological structures. I learned that VR wasn't just a game-changer for videogames; it was a transformative technology that could be used for both entertainment and learning. As I reluctantly peeled off the headset. Jackson's enthusiasm for his Oculus Rift opened my eyes to the intellectual depth and possibilities of VR.