The first VR head-mounted display ( HMD ) system , The Sword of Damocles , is invented by computer scientist Ivan Sutherland and student Bob Sproull . Connected to a computer , it is capable of showing simple , virtual wireframe shapes that change perspective when the user moves their head .

Virtuality is launched : VR arcade machines where gamers can play in a 3D-gaming world . Virtuality pods feature VR headsets and real-time immersive stereoscopic 3D images , and can be networked together for multi-player games . The same year , SEGA reveals it is working on a VR headset of its own .

Entrepreneur Palmer Luckey creates the first prototype of the Oculus Rift headset . It features a 90-degree field of vision and relies on a computer ' s processing power to deliver images to the user . Two years later , Luckey launches a Kickstarter programme that raises US $ 2.4mn .

14 December 2022