Why the Matrix will be built if consumers demand it: Episode 2 of Inflection Points Podcast

Apologies to Keanu Reeves fans, but the virtual reality element of The Matrix might be its most compelling element. At least for us tech fans.

Could you create a completely convincing virtual world? It seems almost assured that we can. With the upcoming Metaverse age nearly upon us, it seems almost guaranteed that we will.

The question then becomes, will anyone use it?

If there’s a question lurking behind this episode of the Inflection Points podcast, that’s it. “Technology isn’t really anything unless it’s got a use case. It needs to have a reason to be there,” says Adam Price, head of sales at Gravit8, a virtual and augmented reality event company.

He spells out clearly that it’s not the tech that’s the holdup. It’s advancing rapidly. Consider this is where Adam works: “We’ve designed a floating UFO in the sky. And it’s a virtual place. We have meetings in there sometimes,” Price explains in the podcast. “We’ve got rubber ducks and tennis balls, which we can throw at each other, of course.”

Instead, the limits of virtual reality adoption are increasingly what people are willing to use. Adam now helps build stunts for events and parties, gigantic visions such as a virtual reality house showcasing all the latest gadgets for sale, all designed to overwhelm and amaze.

So, what’s the holdup? Less and less each day. Adam explains that “we’re at a point where all the drivers for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are converging.”

According to Adam, standard game engines currently power about 90 percent of the evolution of virtual reality. The development has gotten much easier. The equipment has become less bulky. And VR is a lot less dorky. As people are more accustomed to wearables, virtual reality’s “geek factor” declines. Its rise seems more certain as a result.

For Inflection Points podcast hosts Carla Guzzetti and Tim Harrison, this is a prime example of consumer centricity at work within the Infinite Enterprise – the guiding vision behind Extreme’s Office of the CTO. There’s no point in building tech that people don’t want, and Adam makes this case for VR. We’re watching is technology move increasingly towards the consumer rather than existing for its own sake. And that’s an idea whose time has come.

In the meantime, you do not need to wear any VR goggles to listen to Episode 2, Season 2 of the Inflection Points podcast. However, you might try listening with some good headphones: