---
schema: 1
type: term
title: VR (virtual reality)
description: >-
  VR (virtual reality) is an immersive technology — in this channel's material,
  the futuristic medium Kevin Kelly first saw demonstrated by Jaron Lanier in
  1987, whose underlying form has changed little since, even as its cost fell
  from millions of dollars to about $100.
canonical: >-
  https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/vr-virtual-reality-b89f54ac2c08
markdown: >-
  https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/vr-virtual-reality-b89f54ac2c08.md
llms: null
parent: 'https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/llms.txt'
channel: everyinc
updated: '2026-10-23T22:12:35.346Z'
language: null
children: []
---


# VR (virtual reality)

Canonical: https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/vr-virtual-reality-b89f54ac2c08

Parent: [Channel index](https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/llms.txt)

## Definition

VR (virtual reality) is an immersive technology — in this channel's material, the futuristic medium Kevin Kelly first saw demonstrated by Jaron Lanier in 1987, whose underlying form has changed little since, even as its cost fell from millions of dollars to about $100.

In the channel's material, **VR (virtual reality)** appears as a case study in the slow, unpredictable diffusion of technology — a striking contrast with AI's sudden prominence. Kevin Kelly was first shown VR by **Jaron Lanier** in **1987** and was completely blown away, thinking *this is the future*. [^61690999-0d4e-55b2-8a8b-0a7efc5efe59]- Surprisingly, the VR of that era isn't that much different from today's — the core technology changed little over decades. - The real change was **cost**: what was multi-million-dollar hardware in 1987 is roughly **$100** now. - Even so, Kelly has been *very surprised* at how slow VR's arrival has been, and suggests VR is still waiting for its **LLM moment** — a breakthrough that makes it suddenly feel essential.VR serves as the counterpoint to AI's story in this material: AI is framed as a **50-year overnight success** — decades of work culminating in sudden ubiquity — while VR shows that even a convincing future technology can take decades *and* a massive price collapse without ever reaching its moment. Good predictions are rare; slow diffusion is normal.- VR = immersive technology first shown to Kelly in 1987. - The technology changed little; the **price** collapsed from millions to ~$100. - Adoption has been unexpectedly slow — VR is still waiting for its LLM moment.