# Current Perceptions of Virtual Reality Technology
## 1 Introduction  
### Virtual Presence and Immersion updates  
Virtual reality (VR) provides many potential advantages over other display technologies through its ability to create immersive experiences for users. A key goal of VR is the creation of _presence_, defined as the phenomenological sense that one really is in the virtual environment [1]. This sense of 'being there' includes not only spatial presence (the experience of being physically present in the virtual environment), but also the dimensions of social presence, realism, and engagement [2]. Social presence is the feeling of being present with real people [3]; realism refers to the extent to which the virtual experience corresponds to that of the equivalent physical environment [4, 5]; while engagement requires a strong experiential connection with the elements of the virtual environment [4]. Presence generally is a concept that has been used to explain the effectiveness of VR [6].  
From a technical perspective, a number of considerations determine the degree of presence and immersion that can be achieved in VR [7, 8, 9]. A limited field of view [10, 11], tracking lag [12, 13], limitations in the resolution, dynamic range, and rendering accuracy of the graphics [14], as well as limited interaction with the environment [15, 16] can all impact the ability of users to become immersed in the virtual environment or can limit their sense of presence. In addition, these factors can also influence the perception of the 3D layout of the environment, including the perception of distance [17, 18] and depth [19, 20].  
As these properties are important contributing factors to successful immersion and presence within virtual environments, VR devices strive to achieve perceptual realism and accuracy. Ensuring there is a wide field of view, providing a substantial binocular overlap; an enclosed headset to ensure immersion in the virtual environment; making sure the user cannot engage visually with the physical world; having close to real-time tracking of theuser's position; and interaction with the virtual environment. These and other technological advances are all ways that manufacturers of headsets have continuously improved the perceptual experience of VR, towards the ultimate goal of a perceptual experience that cannot be distinguished from reality [21; 22; 23].  
Beyond these technical considerations, the importance of focussing on user experience when defining and evaluating a VR experience has been emphasised [24]. Here, central roles are played by _vividness_ and _interactivity_ in creating an immersive experience. Overall, the properties of perceptual immersion in a virtual environment and the reactivity of this perceptual experience to the user's movement and behaviour are critical in creating the sense of presence that sets the experience of VR apart from the experience of viewing other types of displays.  
This ability of VR devices to create an experience that is both immersive for the user and responsive to their interactions with the virtual environment presents many potential applications for the technology across multiple domains. However, to date, the advertising of VR has tended to be targeted primarily at the gaming market [25; 26; 27]. In fact, the ambition for this technology is that, like smartphones, it will become ubiquitous in all our personal and professional social interactions [28].  
Indeed, applications of VR are widespread, encompassing education [29; 30; 31; 32], training [33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38], healthcare and rehabilitation [39; 40; 34], well-being [41; 42; 43; 44], heritage and museums [45; 46; 47; 48; 49], theatre [50; 51; 52], cinema [53; 54], journalism [55; 56; 57], non-fiction documentaries [58; 59], teleoperation [60; 61], product design [35; 62; 63], architecture [64; 65], and social and business meetings [66].  
If this breadth of applications is to be realised, it is important to understand how VR technology is designed for and perceived by current consumers as well as potential future users.