Virtuality in Business: How to Use VR in Your Company

Virtual reality in business

Interest in virtual reality is exploding as manufacturers lower the cost of VR headsets and people explore the business relevance and potential revenue-generating power of this emerging technology. Augmented reality (AR) and VR overlap with many other tech categories, including biotech, video and gaming. This category list is expected to grow in the coming years as businesses of all types and sectors explore how VR can spark innovation. 

“[VR] has immense potential to impact many aspects of our lives, particularly in day-to-day activities,” noted Raghavendra Deekonda, a Unity Developer at Con Edison focusing on VR. 

Currently, VR is best used to explore a variety of simulated worlds and interact with digital content, typically through a headset. And while VR headsets are very cool, industry insiders say hardware isn’t the only area of innovation. Most envision rapid advancements in the underlying technologies that drive VR experiences, along with increased demand for new applications, content and accessories. 

For businesses, figuring out how to use VR to drive revenue and improve operations — now and in the future — is a pressing task.

“Historically, VR has been viewed largely as a niche technology, primarily associated with gaming and entertainment,” Deekonda explained. “For a business to adopt any new technology, it has to be commercially viable, and VR hasn’t fully broken out of that ‘fad’ realm for many mainstream businesses yet.” 

However, Deekonda says a distinct shift is occurring in sectors like healthcare, industrial applications and areas that require virtual collaboration. “This suggests a much broader intersection with business than just entertainment,” Deekonda added.

How businesses can use VR

As virtual reality becomes more accessible and affordable, businesses are finding innovative ways to put it to work. Here are five smart ways companies are using VR to enhance operations and drive growth.

1. Let customers “try before they buy.”

If your company manufactures and sells products, VR might be able to transform your world dramatically, helping you better market and promote products and designs. For example, in select U.S. markets, home improvement retailer Lowe’s allows customers to design their perfect bathroom or kitchen and then, using VR, “walk into” the finished space and experience it as a kind of test drive. The company also offers Lowe’s Infinite Kitchen, a special VR app with haptic feedback that allows users to interact with everyday kitchen objects like faucets and ovens.

2. Introduce established products to new audiences.

As VR becomes more mainstream, gaming companies have a chance to reach new audiences, especially people who were once put off by complicated game controllers and steep learning curves. Today’s VR motion-capture gloves make playing a VR-enabled game as easy as turning your head or reaching out with a foot or hand to touch something in the environment. 

For example, international motion-capture technology innovator Noitom’s Hi5 VR Glove tracks users’ hand motions, allowing players to interact with virtual objects by grabbing, throwing, stacking and drawing in a virtual environment with no need for handheld controllers.

While these gloves enhance immersion for gamers, their value goes far beyond entertainment. In manufacturing and other industries, VR gloves allow for precise hand and gesture tracking, and that movement data can offer valuable insights. Similar products from Manus and SenseGlove are already being used in everything from research and robotics to gaming and industrial training.

VR’s potential in industrial collaboration is especially promising, according to Deekonda.

“Imagine engineers from different locations being able to work together on a 3D model of a complex machine in a shared virtual space, making real-time adjustments and identifying potential issues,” Deekonda said. “Beyond that, its potential in medical training, remote maintenance, and product design and visualization is incredibly strong.”

3. Promote tourism as a virtual experience.

Sure, you could watch a film about a destination or Skype your way across Europe with the help of a friend. But short of going in person, few things compare to shutting out the real world and stepping into a place with VR. Antarctica too cold, too expensive or too far away? Businesses can help travel-averse customers explore it virtually instead.

Deekonda emphasized that one of VR’s biggest selling points is its ability to make users feel as if they’re truly present. “It has immense potential to impact many aspects of our lives, particularly in day-to-day activities,” Deekonda noted.

In the United Kingdom, Immersive Studios offers would-be tourists a chance to tour Buckingham Palace or the British Museum via VR. You can even “skydive” over the London skyline. Meanwhile, with VR gear like Taclim VR boots from Cerevo, virtual tourists can stroll along a beach and feel the sandy terrain underfoot. Other elements, like ocean breezes, crashing waves and calling shorebirds, enhance the experience even more.

Additionally, VR travel apps like National Geographic Explore VR and BluePlanetVR help fuel wanderlust. Travel companies can use them to let clients explore cityscapes, wild environments and historic landmarks from home or as a preview before booking the real trip.

4. Expand education and training programs.

For the past few years, e-learning has helped prepare students for jobs in many industries. But these programs can fall flat when training is required for jobs that demand hands-on learning. VR bridges that gap with immersive learning simulations.

For example, Tulsa Welding School in Oklahoma uses a VR training simulator for its refrigeration technologies program, while the Training Center of Air Conditioning and Heating incorporates VR-driven instruction into its HVAC courses.

Deekonda sees a bright future for VR in this space. It offers a safe, cost-effective training environment and helps people practice complex procedures that may be difficult or expensive to simulate in real life.

VR educational tools aren’t limited to one subject or industry. The SkyView app uses AR overlays to help students identify constellations and locate planets in the night sky. Microsoft’s HoloLens helps medical students study anatomy through mixed reality technology. Even in Formula 1 racing, drivers use VR to train for expected race-day weather, while engineers test new designs and adjustments within the constraints of F1’s complex rulebook, all in a virtual setting.

5. Challenge traditional sales strategies.

In many industries, VR is helping sales teams rethink their traditional approaches. Automakers, for example, are using VR technologies to attract buyers, improve the dealership experience and help customers form a stronger emotional attachment to their next vehicle. Potential buyers can now view and test-drive cars using a VR headset, with the idea that this experience boosts consumer confidence and lowers the chance of a return. 

Other industries with physical products can adopt similar strategies, strengthening their unique selling proposition and giving reps the chance to highlight key selling points more effectively than a standard pitch.

Pros and cons of VR in business

As you consider the ways your business can use VR, keep in mind the pros and cons of leveraging this evolving technology.

Advantages of VR in business

• VR improves communication: With a headset, microphone and the right platform, you can connect with colleagues and clients in a virtual space. This reduces the need for in-person meetings and adds an engaging, interactive layer to remote team collaboration. It also helps bridge geographical distances, improving efficiency, Deekonda noted.
• VR improves the user experience: Imagine stepping into the role of a cartoon character or an avatar in a game — that’s entirely possible with VR. The digital universe becomes far more engaging and dynamic when experienced through virtual reality.
• VR allows buyers to explore in detail: With VR, people can see, interact with and even customize things in a lifelike, interactive environment without actually going anywhere. They can tour a house, design a kitchen or test drive a car, getting a clear sense of what to expect and moving closer to the point of sale.
• VR streamlines product design: With VR technology, you can design, prototype and test new and unique products without the expense of building physical versions. This can significantly reduce time to market and support a more agile, cost-effective development process. It also helps enable “iterative development and visualization while significantly reducing time and resources,” Deekonda said.
• VR motivates people: Put simply, using VR is fun. In the workplace, it’s a great way to boost employee engagement and motivation. Whether you incorporate VR into design sessions or use it as a way to blow off steam in the break room, this technology can help make the workday more dynamic and enjoyable. 

Disadvantages of VR in business

• VR can be expensive: The cost of some VR equipment remains high, and the quality and features of each kit can vary significantly. Accessories and other add-ons are both plentiful and tempting, which can lead to higher costs than expected.
• VR could become a shield: Even as VR enhances the customer experience, it can impact customer relationships negatively. If customers become too used to VR, they might choose to interact with companies this way rather than in real life. Particularly for shoppers who are already shying away from in-person purchases, VR gives them another way to avoid human interaction instead of forming personal connections with a business.
• VR technology is still evolving: As impressive as VR is, it has its limitations and drawbacks. For example, the Apple Vision Pro debuted to great fanfare in early 2024 before users began complaining about the heaviness of the headset and the resulting headaches it caused, leading some customers to question the device’s long-term value. Clearly, some kinks still need to be worked out with such products. “Getting users comfortable with and adopting the technology can also be a significant hurdle,” noted Deekonda.
• VR-inspired creation can be fragmented: While the opportunity to design the kitchen of your dreams may be enticing, limitless customization via VR has a downside: standardization becomes harder to achieve. This can drive up production costs and complicate service proposals. As much as customers love customized products and experiences, businesses need to weigh the costs against the rewards.
• VR is platform-dependent: Compatibility can be a headache in the VR space. Many products and tools don’t play nicely across platforms, which creates hurdles for both users and businesses. “The VR ecosystem is still somewhat fragmented, leading to compatibility issues,” Deekonda cautioned. Until a more widespread consumer platform emerges — or there’s greater confidence that tools will work cross-platform — it may be hard for businesses to fully commit to VR.

As VR becomes more mainstream, more companies will weave it into their sales process and customer service programs. Over time, the technology will likely become more accessible and affordable and may even help businesses cut costs. 

VR has much potential and gives businesses numerous opportunities to enhance and improve their products, services and processes. However, it’s important to approach implementation strategically. The right setup can drive impact and innovation, but the wrong one can disrupt workflows and dilute your efforts.

Jeremy Bender and Kimberlee Leonard contributed to this article.