Epic's Sweeney on VR: "We are 100% in on this"

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney on why the Gears of War and Unreal developer has doubled down on virtual reality.

Epic has thrown its weight behind VR, producing both demos and tools for development of VR content.

Speaking to Re/code, Sweeney described Epic's vision of a VR-enabled future.

"We see this as the future of this industry," he said.

"Not this year and not the next year, but over the next decade, all other forms of displays and computer-human interaction devices will be replaced by VR and its successor technologies.

"We are 100 percent in on this. It’s not a platform where, today, you can go out and build a $100 million game like Gears of War. But it’s coming."

Sweeney said one day everyone will wear lightweight, sunglasses-like VR headsets and use them instead of any display device - no smartphones, no computers, no TVs.

"You don’t have to reach into your pocket to get something. You just reach out with gestures. And it will be better than the highest-end gaming PC today because you’re not looking at a monitor; your entire field of view, 130 degrees, is filled with high-quality computer imagery," he said.

"You don’t need keyboards, you don’t need mice and you don’t need touchscreens."

It's an ambitious vision, and doesn't leave much room for social screen use, like watching TV or movies with family and friends. With companies like Epic, Sony and Facebook backing, it, though, virtual reality might just become actual reality.

Ah ha ha. I'll see myself out.

Image from The Lawnmower Man.