Virtual reality (VR) is a computer simulation. It immerses the user inside a virtual world, allowing them to interact with the environment. VR tries to stimulate as many senses as possible to make the user feel as if they are really there.
Nikolai Tenev, “What Is an Immersive Experience? (+Real-World Examples),” Learn Hub (blog), July 30, 2019, https://learn.g2.com/immersive-experience.
These virtual worlds can be real or imaginary places.
Participating in a VR experience requires specific equipment, first of which is usually a VR headset.
This 2-minute video provides an excellent explanation about virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), two immersive technologies. For ANTH 402A, our focus is on VR, but it is still helpful to know about AR too.