When Will Literature get the Proverbial VR Treatment?

One would not necessarily expect virtual reality to make an impact in the literature world. At the same time, there are some interesting opportunities waiting to be explored. It seems the Prague Austrian Grammar School is experimenting with this new technology in a rather interesting manner as of right now.

Transforming Literature with VR Tech

Every book we read has its very own story to tell. Readers often try to picture the environment characters find themselves in. We even attribute some features to these paper-based characters, creating vivid images of what they must look like in our mind. With virtual reality technology, this can be taken a step further in the future. At the Prague Austrian Grammar School, a new exhibition is on view as we speak.

Known as VRwandlung, it showcases how literature can be enriched by VR technology as a whole. Moreover, it also shows what makes reading so appealing, as people can transport themselves into this fantasy world without too much effort Being able to actually “see’ this world with our own eyes is a whole new level of immersion and one that will elevate literature as a whole.

Combining literature and VR is about so much more than just the visual aspect, though.Users will also gain deeper insights into a character’s emotions at that specific moment and the stress they may endure during hectic times. With the objective of triggering real emotional responses, VRwandlung is certainly a different approach altogether. The concept of immersing oneself in a fantasy world has changed for the better, even though the correlation between both industries is still in the very early stages right now.

It seems to be a matter of time until the literature industry gets the “VR treatment”. A lot of people are genuinely excited about the possibilities, although it will not necessarily be groundbreaking anytime soon. VRwandlung is just a tech demo first and foremost, as it also shows the downsides of this approach. Right now, it is simply too costly to make users properly immerse themselves in these virtual worlds. Additionally, users won’t be able to decide the outcome, which is the opposite of what VR stands for, in theory.

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