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Comment by bredren | Hacker News Reader

Yes, a quick survey of posts in /r/virtualreality revealed this thread [1] asking about a "missing" media blitz on the Quest.

The reaction was that the demand for the device so outpaces supply Facebook shouldn't advertise it.

But the OP points out something I hadn't though of, which is that VR represents a potential opportunity in the times of social distancing.

If Coronavirus becomes like the normal flu, where seasonal vaccines offer only partial coverage[2]--social distancing will become something people get very good at and want to maximize the bounds of experience in.

Thus, if anything Facebook would want to increase its investment and accelerate roadmaps for the technology.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/fqk3dd/face...

[2] This hypothesis is based on this report from late yesterday and is currently not yet getting media attention:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22941012

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> VR represents a potential opportunity in the times of social distancing.

I always assumed that Facebook is playing the long game with VR, with the end goal being a re-imagined Second Life.

They need to wait until the technology is cheap/mature enough though, which is probably 5-10 years out.

5-10 years? They are selling the standalone Oculus quest for $400 right now. At least, they would be if they could keep it in stock.

Seems cheap enough for mainstream. Considering the game console price point.

I think it is a mix of things that make 5-10 years sound reasonable to me. Part of it is the equipment setup and hardware requirements make it almost a gaming hobbiest attraction still. (although I have not set up a quest or reviewed the recommend specs)

The comparison consumer-ready technology would be an iPhone or a Nintendo Switch which are sort of out-of-the-box experiences mainstream consumers are quickly getting used to.

The Oculus Quest is an out-of-the-box experience. Oculus is aiming for mainsteam market with this. Maybe you're confusing the Quest (standalone) with the Rift S (wired).

As soon as you unbox the Quest you're ready for the onboarding process (which is quite enjoyable btw). No PC or additional hardware required.

There is no equipment setup or hardware requirements. The Quest is a VR console that works out of the box. Everything works on the headset itself, so there's no need to set up the IR beacons that the other headsets require.

> If Coronavirus becomes like the normal flu, where seasonal vaccines offer only partial coverage[2]--social distancing will become something people get very good at and want to maximize the bounds of experience in.

There's no way that social distancing or shelter in place becomes a seasonal norm of any kind. Maybe some people will wear masks more often and we'll shake hands less. That's about it.

Would you please share what makes you confident to say this? The reason I ask is that the director of the CDC just said the fall will be worse than it is now. [1]

What specific medical changes will occur such that this will be "fixed" by next season?

[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/22/coro...

My point was that we're not going to be social distancing and sheltering in place year after year if the coronavirus becomes a normal seasonal thing like the flu. Maybe we'll do it in the fall, we will not be doing it every year after that. It's not going to happen.

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