The Conquest of Reality: is Virtual Reality the Future?

In the week that Oculus Rift launched its very first consumer headset, In the Balance returns with a programme exploring the many guises of ‘virtual reality’ and asks is it the next big technology of the future? With rival products from the likes of Samsung, Sony and HTC all out recently or expected this year– which company will come out on top? The BBC’s Ed Butler is joined by Jeremy Bailenson; virtual reality expert at Stanford University’ and author of ‘Infinite Reality: The Hidden Blueprint of Our Virtual Lives’, Nonny De La Peña; an Immersive Journalist known as the ‘godmother of virtual reality’ and the BBC’s technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones. Plus, we get a taste of a real-life application already in use today courtesy of architecture practice 'Ackroyd + Associates'. Image: woman with virtual reality headset, Credt: Thinkstock