Seriously: Is VR tech really the future?

Andrew NuscaBy Andrew NuscaEditorial Director, Brainstorm and author of Fortune Tech
Andrew NuscaEditorial Director, Brainstorm and author of Fortune Tech

Andrew Nusca is the editorial director of Brainstorm, Fortune's innovation-obsessed community and event series. He also authors Fortune Tech, Fortune’s flagship tech newsletter.

Are virtual-reality headsets the real deal? Consumers have been pondering this question for years, but a new generation of hardware is demonstrating that, well, yes—it might just be this time around.

There’s Facebook-owned (FB) Oculus VR, for one, and its highly anticipated (coming in 2016!) headset. There’s competition from HTC (the Valve VR-powered Vive), Sony (the spookily named “Project Morpheus”), even Google (GOOG) and its cardboard-and-Android-smartphone combo, Cardboard. (Yes, seriously.) And that’s to say nothing of Microsoft’s HoloLens, which eschews isolated entertainment for a more—well, augmented experience.

Critics say the tech is still overrated and niche; supporters can’t get their hands on it fast enough. Which side is right? You’ll just have to watch our latest Tech Debate.

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