The Search for Virtual Reality's Killer App
An attendee tries out a Sony PlayStation VR headset at a launch event in Tokyo on Oct. 13.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Sony Corp.'s release of the PlayStation VR on Thursday brings virtual reality to the cusp of mainstream adoption. To make it a must-have home entertainment device, the gadget will need a breakaway hit like Angry Birds or Pokemon Go.
A list of the challenges faced by virtual-reality developers offers hints of what a killer VR app or game might look like. While it could borrow techniques from traditional games, virtual reality's potential becomes clearer at the point where conventional approaches start to fall short.