Samsung, Google, Facebook and Sony join forces to drive VR development

Virtual celebration: Despite high prices, VR headsets could still find a place under the tree this holiday.

Acer Starbreeze, Facebook Oculus, Google, HTC Vive, Samsung and Sony Interactive Entertainment have announced the formation of an international non-profit organisation, called the Global Virtual Reality Association (GVRA), to research and foster virtual reality technology and bring together all the players in this global industry, including consumers.

Together, partners in the alliance hope to shape the future of virtual reality by developing this emerging industry and taking it forward in synergy with consumers.This implies making all of their debates and their most advanced research available to web users, while also taking on board user feedback.

"The goal of the Global Virtual Reality Association is to promote responsible development and adoption of VR globally," said the GVRA. "The association's members will develop and share best practices, conduct research, and bring the international VR community together as the technology progresses."

The firms who have signed up to this new and powerful association see virtual reality as an IT platform in its own right, with the potential to play key roles in sectors such as education and healthcare, for example.

It's still early days for the virtual reality industry and the high prices of the first VR headsets on the market (the PlayStation VR starts at US$399/RM1,765 and the HTC Vive sells for US$799/RM3,535) could prove a brake on sales, even in the holiday period.