CES 2019: Remember virtual reality? Its buzz has faded at tech show

People use Oculus VR headsets at the Panasonic booth at CES International, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

NEW YORK: Just a few years ago, virtual reality was poised to take over the world. After decades of near misses, the revolution finally seemed imminent, with slick consumer headsets about to hit the market and industries from gaming and entertainment to social media ready to hop on the bandwagon. 

But the buzz over VR has faded to a whisper. At the CES 2019 tech show in Las Vegas, Facebook’s Oculus unit isn’t holding any glitzy press events, just closed-door demos for its upcoming Oculus Quest, a US$399 (RM1,634) untethered headset due out in the spring. Other VR companies are similarly subdued. HTC announced two new headsets – one with only sketchy details – while Sony has some kiosks for its US$300 (RM1,228) PlayStation VR set in the main hall.