2016 will be the year virtual reality finally goes mainstream, The Economist predicts

2016 will be the year virtual reality breaks through, The Economist predicts

(Image credit: The Economist/YouTube)

last updated 29 December 2015

Virtual reality has been around for 30 years, but the technology has been too clunky and expensive to gain much favor with the public. That will finally change in 2016, The Economist boldly predicts. Virtual reality products will generate an estimated $3.8 billion in revenue in 2016, and tech companies are already clamoring for their slice of that pie. But gaming isn't the only way virtual reality will make a splash next year, The Economist says: Journalism, architecture, shopping, and medicine will also take advantage of VR technology in new and interesting ways. Most of the video, in fact, focuses on an Iraq War veteran getting help with posttraumatic stress disorder through virtual reality. Watch The Economist make its case for a very VR 2016 below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.