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Comment by tkk23 | Hacker News Reader

There are billions of people who are going to live in cities with minimal space. There is not enough sand in the world to build huge living spaces for everybody. How can VR not become a success?

Quest is only expensive because it comes with all the processing infrastructure. Meta, as well as Apple and others, can split it up and offer a phone that can be connected to a VR headset. With subsidies, VR could be as cheap as $100. Why would somebody buy a big monitor or TV for gaming if they can have 3D for less?

Facebook has to spend now because there is no way to participate in the Metaverse if Apple was able to establish their platform. People shun green messages, they will never meet somebody who doesn't own Apple iGlasses or whatever they will be called.

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> There is not enough sand in the world to build huge living spaces for everybody.

This is an absurd statement. There is beyond enough sand, dirt, and land in the world for way more than all of the humans that have ever existed to have plenty of living space. The real (and in this context, irrelevant) question is - should we use it? There is enough.

> Why would somebody buy a big monitor or TV for gaming if they can have 3D for less?

Because the 3D experience as it stands is frankly pretty cumbersome and nauseating. VR is tolerable in short and focused stints. Humans currently need actual reality and the aforementioned living space for health and sanity.

>The real (and in this context, irrelevant) question is - should we use it? There is enough.

You are technical correct but my point still stands. If the answer is no because we don't mine enough rivers and beaches, and we don't relocate enough of humanity, how will there be enough living space that people don't seek a distraction?

Fertility rates have been declining across the developed and developing world for decades [0]. We haven't relied upon VR to maintain a reasonable standard of living thus far — why would such a change be inevitable in the future?

[0] https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN

Reasonable for whom?

> The UN-Habitat reports that 43% of urban population in developing countries and 78% of those in the least developed countries are slum dwellers. [1]

People can live without VR but will they keep living without it once VR is available? People can also live without mobile phones or cars but whoever can, owns one.

It's cheaper to build a VR headset than to build a house. Whoever is poor will buy a VR headset way before they buy a house.

Facebook is already handing out free internet in poor countries. They can double down and hand out free VR headsets. If they play it right, they will own the platform for remote work. Let children in slums grow up in the Metaverse and they will be native English speakers, but they will work for $1 per day.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slum

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