What is "virtual reality"

n. A reality that is only based in the computer.

n. a hypothetical three-dimensional visual world created by a computer; user wears special goggles and fiber optic gloves etc., and can enter and move about in this world and interact with objects as if inside it

Virtual reality (or VR) is a computer technology that replicates an environment, real or imagined, and simulates a user's physical presence and environment to allow for user interaction with this environment. Virtual realities artificially create sensory experiences, which can include sight, touch, hearing, and smell. Most 2016-era virtual realities are displayed either on a computer monitor or with a virtual reality headset (also called head-mounted display), and some simulations include additional sensory information and focus on real sound through speakers or headphones targeted towards VR users. Some advanced haptic systems now include tactile information, generally known as force feedback in medical, gaming and military applications. Furthermore, virtual reality covers remote communication environments which provide virtual presence of users with the concepts of telepresence and telexistence or a virtual artifact (VA) either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove or omnidirectional treadmills. The immersive environment can be similar to the real world in order to create a lifelike experience—for example, in simulations for pilot or combat training—or it can differ significantly from reality, such as in VR games.

Virtual Reality was the name of a series of six gamebooks released in 1993 and 1994. Four of the books were written by Dave Morris, and two by Mark Smith.

"Virtual Reality" is a single released by the Italian singer Alexia solely in Finland in 1997.