We took a deep dive into virtual reality and augmented reality at an event held at Capital Factory on Wednesday, August 2. The Austin Chamber put on this event in partnership with Opportunity Austin, SXSW, Austin Technology Council, Accenture, and Capital Factory.

In the next half year, we will see some exciting new VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) products hit the market. Our speakers shared their insights on how will this evolution of headset technology will shape tomorrow's online experience.

We were joined by Patrick Curry and Carrie Witt for a panel discussion hosted by Hugh Forrest. Patrick Curry is the CEO of FarBridge, a video game studio based in Austin, TX. FarBridge creates immersive games and experiences for computers, game consoles, and virtual reality headsets. Carrie Witt is an Artist, Game Developer, and Rhode Island School of Design graduate. Carrie is the Art Director & a game developer at Owlchemy Labs.

Both of our speakers highlighted the incredible potential of these devices, but also their limitations in their current form. The speakers highlighted one of the most significant barriers to the widespread adoption of VR technology is its high cost. Premium VR headsets with advanced features can be quite expensive, making them inaccessible to a considerable portion of the population.

The panel also took questions from the audience and shared their thoughts on a variety of topics, including the opportunities that this technology presents. The speakers highlighted that virtual reality is poised to become more social and collaborative. As networking capabilities improve, people will be able to interact with friends, colleagues, and even strangers in shared virtual spaces, revolutionizing communication and virtual gatherings.

The Austin Chamber puts on events all year long and you can find out more at AustinChamber.com/events.