The world is about to experience a massive change in the way entertainment and information is delivered to individuals. The age of the television has given way to the computer, then the smartphone came along, shaking things up even further. Now, it’s time for Virtual Reality (VR) to take over. Also known as Augmented Reality, VR allows porn lovers to experience erotic situations as if they were really there. Instead of watching video footage, you can become a participant in virtual orgies. With the hardware that comes with VR headsets, all of your senses can be stimulated, almost as realistically as during the actual sexual act. It’s easy to see how this kind of technology could lead to a seismic shift in how we consume porn, but how can you get on board the VR train and start to find out what it has to offer?
Sites like AliceX require very little investment in accessories, but there are some things that all VR porn lovers should get hold of. The most important piece of kit is the VR headset. These have been around for decades in clunky, expensive (and not very good) varieties, but the latest generation of headsets is driving down the cost and delivering a totally immersive experience at the same time. You can get hold of a Samsung VR Consumer Edition headset for around A$140 for a gold standard service (although it only works with Samsung phones). Alternatively, you can get a taste of what VR porn is all about by buying a Google Cardboard headset. It might sound basic (and it is), but at A$17, Google’s offering is a bargain. There’s one important difference between budget and high-end headsets though. Google Cardboard doesn’t automatically attach to your head in the way that other headsets do. This means that viewers need to hold the screen to their eyes, which makes enjoying an erotic experience a little bit tricky.
The headset isn’t all you’ll need. VR porn services are provided via mobile phone streaming (at the moment), and not all phones have the juice to accommodate their data demands. Most streaming services recommend that users have an Android 4.1 or better smartphone. Use something like a Samsung Galaxy S7 or a Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 to get a high quality, unbroken stream that won’t cut out just before climax. Larger screens also work better, for understandable reasons, and high resolution as well. For that reason, the iPhone 6 is also an excellent option for VR porn streamers.
Innovative porn companies have already latched onto the technology, offering VR variants of traditional porn options, and webcams are leading the charge. AliceX is the major VR webcam provider, offering a 360 degree viewpoint on its roster of gorgeous babes. All you need to get started with AliceX is an ordinary Android enabled smartphone and a standard VR headset, which the firm can supply if you don’t already have one. You can also watch it via your desktop if you have Chrome installed. And what do you see when you log onto AliceX? Well, at first it’s not a world away from normal online webcams. However, when after a few seconds, you realise that everything is different. Unlike ordinary cams, you can move all around the girls on AliceX, and see every part of their body as they make their sexy poses or do whatever customers request. If you want to focus on her sexy heels, you can. If all you are interested in is her breasts – that’s fine too.
AliceX isn’t the end of the story as far as VR porn is concerned. As the adult entertainment industry starts to appreciate the potential of VR, more and more streaming sites are appearing all the time. Some of these streams are provided by familiar names, with established franchises, such as Naughty America. Others, such as Virtual Reality Porn (the content is more creative than the name) have been set up specifically to distribute VR content, but all of them offer a revolutionary new perspective on sex. The only downside at the moment is that the vast majority of VR content is located behind relatively high paywalls. The cost of creating VR erotica is higher than conventional video, and the viewer base is smaller, so profits aren’t yet high enough to drive down the cost for consumers. That will all change as more people get onboard, so strap on your VR headset and help to make the new technology available to every porn fan on the planet.
Having said that most early adopters have erected high paywalls, there are some exceptions. Some of the world’s largest providers of free porn videos now offer an exclusive VR category, featuring 5-8 minute long free samples. That's more than enough to get a taste for how arousing VR content can be compared with normal footage. It’s also a great way to find out what the pay-for-content services have to offer, allowing you to find out what all the fuss is about before you take the plunge and buy a year-long subscription.
The headsets currently available are just the tip of the iceberg as far as augmented reality is concerned. One thing’s for certain, the future will include much more immersive erotic experiences, incorporating your hands, feet, muscles and even your senses of smell and taste. The logical end point of VR porn is the creation of virtual partners who appear just like humans and have AI personalities, but are designed to satisfy the user’s every sexual wish. We’re not there yet. In fact, we’re only just beginning. In the next few years, expect more VR accessories to appear and more advanced headsets. VR will also spread from its predominantly heterosexual niche to other areas like lesbian and gay porn, shemales and all forms of fetish. As for the shows themselves, they will become more immersive and complex, with more interaction with human porn stars. In a couple of years, VR cybersex will be available to everyone, delivering a porn-star experience in the comfort of their own home. We’ve certainly come a long way from porn magazines.
Image sources Image 1 Fotolia.com - nito Image 2 Fotolia.com - Dan Race