Underappreciated mobile VR is the future, says ustwo technical director

The words "virtual reality" have quickly become synonymous with headsets such as the Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and perhaps even the HTC Vive. 

However, while those devices might be seen by most as the standard bearers for virtual reality tech, ustwo's technical director Peter Pashley believes it's mobile VR that'll lead the charge on the mass-market. 

"I think mobile VR is the broad future of VR, and I think that’s underappreciated by a lot of people," explained Pashley, speaking to VRFocus.

"There’s a lot of excitement about the heights that VR can go to […] but in terms of the actual mass market and the future of the medium, it will be through mobile VR, because people have already got these actually fairly high-powered, complete devices in their pockets.

“If you can spend $99, or maybe in the future $50, $20 – who knows? – for a bit of plastic [that straps onto your phone], I think it’s a no brainer that that's how people would experience most of their VR."

The affordability of VR headsets has been a big talking point of late, with Oculus founder Palmer Luckey hinting that the Rift could cost in excess of $350, and Sony's Andrew House also revealing that PlayStation VR will retail for the same price as a new console when it launches next year.