Virtual Reality is the concept of using computer technology to create a simulated, 3D world that can be manipulated and explored while feeling you’re actually a part of it.
Oculus Rift launched on Kickstarter in 2012 to a lot of fanfare, and made headlines again when Facebook acquired Oculus VR in 2014 for $2 billion. Many were in an outrage by the sale, wondering if they’d been betrayed.
The sale of Oculus to Facebook has been beautifully explained by VRLA Founder, Cosmo Scharf. Facebook has over 1.3 billion users and believes that VR is the future. The development of VR technology will make online a “place.” So, Facebook bought the future for $2 billion.
But, what will we do with VR?
This is somewhat answered while searching games on the site Indiegogo where I found the BKK Cybersex Cup: a male masturbation cup with interactive VR headset and 3D girlfriend app.
Um…what?
BKK Cybersex Cup is an adult toy for guys engineered with VR technology and a masturbation cup.
Stumbling on this was awkward and but made me curious. Is this where the technology is headed? Believe it or not, the porn industry is jumping on VR technology and embracing it for its potential. SugarDVD, known as the “Netflix of Porn,” is working with Oculus Rift to create porn that interacts with the environment and is not just a simulated experience.
With VR technology you will be able to satisfy every fantasy and fetish a person can have. VR’s motion capture capabilities make this possible. Motion tracking: the process of digitizing your movements for use in computer software, is extremely important for virtual reality. Without it you’re paralyzed, unable to move your head or move around. You’d have to use a controller instead, which detracts from the sense of immersion and presence. Putting our bodies inside virtual worlds is essential to the immersive experience.
KIIROO Founder, Toon Timmerman is developing a social platform with “an intimate touch” for relationships. Seth VK of FriXion, is using “teledildonic” (electronic sex toys that can be controlled by a computer to enable the human user to reach orgasm) software to assist those in long-distance relationships. They believe that this will also redefine safe sex.
The more I researched, the more I uncovered. Porn companies aren’t just focusing on heterosexual males either. They’re targeting everyone: males, females, homosexuals, and transgenders – singles and couples.
But, is this the image we want?
It’s bad enough that the gaming industry has had a bad rap for decades due to biased journalism and media. Those ill informed on our culture see “us” as pariahs. We have only recently gotten to the point where we’re not being blamed for recent gun violence. Aside from that, are we that desensitized from human interaction that one feels “tools” like these are necessary?
Robert Weiss MSW, from the Sexual Recovery Institute, says that digital media led to a rise in sexual addiction for those who are “emotionally vulnerable.” There are people who will fall in love with artificial beings because they struggle with the “otherness” of other people. He also adds that until VR is so immersive that you can’t tell the difference, people will still long for the real thing. I certainly can agree with that.
Technology is improving our lives every day. With the advancement of that technology, we will see the good and the bad. But, we have seen far more good come from it. We can now connect with others in real-time from across the globe. We can share data, play games, talk, and Facetime. So, isn’t it safe to assume we can share an intimate experience as well?
People already are sexting on mobile devices, using Skype, Reddit, and using their consoles for adult content. Users are finding ways to use Google Glass as well. It doesn’t stop. So, with VR technology this seems like a natural next step.
Is this what technology really boils down to?
