How 80s Movies Successfully Predicted the Future of Virtual Reality

From the first time virtual reality (VR) was introduced to the world, it has been something of a futuristic concept that was largely portrayed in movies as the future, whether dystopian or utopian. As virtual reality has evolved and progressively more advanced technology has been developed, it has become more and more apparent that some of the predictions made in the movies of the 80s have come true. At the time, these predictions might have seemed overly ambitious or far-fetched, but the fact that so many have come true could be considered an accomplishment in and of itself. In this article, we will look at how 80s movies successfully anticipated the future of virtual reality and how they have set the ground for the future of virtual reality.

The 80s was a golden age for science fiction movies that were set in the future with amazing new technologies. Among these, movies like Tron, The Running Man, Robocop, and Total Recall captured the essence of an evolving technology, virtual reality. In Tron, the protagonist was scanned into a computer and had to play video games in a digital world, while in The Running Man, there were VHS headsets that were portable military-grade virtual reality setups used for training soldiers. Robocop had a scene where a criminal was shown to be using a virtual reality headset to train himself to be a better criminal, while Total Recall showed an implant in the brain that allowed an individual to experience virtual experiences. All these movies predicted, via their portrayal of virtual reality, that VR technology was going to be a massive part of the future.

Furthermore, research and development around virtual reality were developed by film directors and special effects teams in the 80s era, and this laid the groundwork for the implementation of VR technology in various industries such as healthcare, architecture, and entertainment. In medical and healthcare, VR headsets have been used to treat mental health conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, and panic attacks by creating a virtual environment that helps patients deal with their fears. In architecture, architects use VR technology to create virtual models of buildings that can be inspected from all angles to achieve perfection. Finally, in entertainment, VR has revolutionized gaming and cinema by creating immersive experiences that enhance the user’s experience and bring their imagination to life.

In conclusion, it’s evident that the 80s movies have been successful in predicting the future of virtual reality. Although there were some far-fetched ideas and concepts that were introduced back then, many of them have been realized in the modern-day reality. As we look forward to the future of virtual reality, we should give credit where it’s due by acknowledging the contributions of these movies and their creators in setting the groundwork for today’s VR technology. The future of virtual reality is exciting and still unfolding, and we can expect it to have an even bigger impact as technologies keep advancing.