Top Virtual Reality Business Use Cases

VR in business

Interest in VR 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 technology categories, including biotech, video and gaming. This category list is expected to grow in the coming years as businesses of all types and sectors examine how they can use VR to innovate. 

While VR headsets are very cool, many VR industry insiders say hardware isn’t the only area growing in innovation. Most envision rapid advancements to the underlying technologies that drive VR experiences, along with increased demand for new applications, content and accessories. For companies, figuring out how to use VR to drive revenue and improve operations — now and in the future — is a pressing task. 

How businesses can incorporate VR

Using VR makes sense for businesses in many cases. Here are five ways a business can incorporate VR.

1. Utilize the ‘try-before-you-buy’ concept.

If your company manufactures and sells products, VR might dramatically change your world, as it can help you market and promote products and designs. For example, in select United States markets, 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 home improvement brand also offers Lowe’s Infinite Kitchen, a special VR app with haptic feedback that allows users to interact with common kitchen objects like faucets and ovens.

2. Introduce established products to new audiences.

VR experiences are a natural extension of the video gaming industry. As VR becomes more mainstream, gaming companies can expand their markets by introducing their products to audiences that were previously turned off by the know-how required. With specialized accessories, VR-enabled games don’t require mastery of complicated controllers. Instead, with VR motion-capture gloves, playing a VR-enabled game can be 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. It allows players to interact with virtual objects by using their hands to perform actions such as grabbing, throwing, stacking and drawing in a virtual environment. This renders handheld controllers redundant. 

For the manufacturers, VR gloves allow for precise tracking of hand movements and gestures, collecting valuable data for analysis. Similar products have been launched by Manus and SenseGlove, with use cases ranging from research and robotics to gaming and industrial applications.

3. Promote tourism as a virtual experience.

Sure, you could watch a film about a particular destination or Skype your way across Europe with the help of a friend. But besides being there, nothing is better than shutting out the real world and fully experiencing a place with VR. Antarctica too cold, too expensive or too far away? Businesses can help their travel-averse customers take a VR trip instead.

In the United Kingdom, Immersive Studios offers would-be tourists the opportunity to take a virtual tour around Buckingham Palace or the British Museum via VR. You can also “skydive” over the world-famous cityscape of London. Meanwhile, with VR gear like Taclim VR boots from Cerevo, virtual tourists can take a stroll on a beach and feel the sandy terrain beneath their feet. Other aspects of the virtual environment, like the feel of ocean breezes and the sound of waves breaking and shorebirds, heighten the experience further.

VR travel apps like National Geographic Explore VR and BluePlanetVR fuel inner wanderlust. Travel companies can help clients explore cityscapes, wild environments and historic landmarks from the comfort of their own homes before actually going there.

4. Expand education and training programs.

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

For example, the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Tulsa Welding School provides students with a VR training simulator for students in its refrigeration technologies training program while the Training Center of Air Conditioning and Heating uses VR-driven training for its heating, ventilation and air conditioning students.

VR educational tools know no bounds. The SkyView app uses AR-generated night sky overlays to help students identify constellations and find planets and other celestial bodies and Microsoft’s HoloLens helps medical students learn about the human body using mixed reality technology. Even in Formula 1 Racing, VR is used extensively for drivers to practice their skills in predicted race-day weather conditions. Engineers also use simulators and VR to create and test new designs and adjustments without breaking F1’s complicated rulebook.

5. Challenge traditional sales strategies.

In many industries, VR is helping salespeople throw out their traditional playbook. 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 expectation that this VR experience boosts consumer confidence in their purchase decision and makes the chances of a return less likely. 

Other sectors with tangible products can replicate this concept, strengthening their sales proposition and giving sales reps the opportunity to highlight different selling points in more powerful ways than a typical sales presentation.

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 trying to capitalize on this evolving technology.

Advantages of VR in business

• VR enhances communication: Using a headset, microphone and communication platform, you can connect with colleagues and clients in the virtual world. This removes the need for meetings to be always in person and adds an extra dimension of interactivity to remote meetings. 
• VR improves the user experience: Imagine putting yourself into the body of a cartoon character or an avatar in a game — that’s actually possible with VR. The digital universe is much more engaging and dynamic for the user when VR is enabled.
• VR allows buyers a detailed view: With VR, people can see, touch and change things in a lifelike, interactive environment without actually going anywhere. They can view a house, design a kitchen or test drive a car, getting a full idea of what to expect and moving closer to the point of sale.
• VR streamlines product design: Using VR technology means you can design, prototype and test new products without the expense of making them in the physical world. This can significantly reduce time to market and allow for a more agile approach.
• VR motivates people: Put simply, using VR is fun. In the workplace, it’s a good way to get your employees to engage and stay motivated. Whether you incorporate VR in design sessions or as a way to blow off steam in the break room, this technology can transform the workday into something more exciting. 

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 vary significantly. Accessories and other add-ons are both plentiful and tempting, which can lead to greater expenses than you anticipated. 
• 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 isolate themselves instead of forming human bonds with a business.
• VR technology is still in its early stages: As impressive as VR is, it has its limitations and drawbacks. 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 customers to rethink the device’s value. Clearly, some kinks still need to be worked out with such products.
• VR-inspired creation is fragmented: While the opportunity to design the kitchen of your dreams may be enticing to consumers, limitless customization via VR has a downside: standardization becomes harder to achieve. This can negatively affect production costs and service proposals. As much as customers love customized products and experiences, businesses need to weigh the costs against the rewards.

As VR technology becomes mainstream, more companies will use VR in their sales process and customer service programs. With time, VR experiences will become more cost-effective and possibly even help businesses cut costs, which will open the door for more enterprises to participate in the technology. VR has many exciting applications and affords companies lots of possibilities when it comes to honing their products or services. However, any implementation needs to be carefully thought out to maximize the business impact instead of fragmenting your operations.

Kimberlee Leonard contributed to this article.