HTC Vive’s controllers unlocked the master roller coaster designer within me

Virtual reality is something that looks like a novelty to a lot of people, but the first wave of games rolling out now are already showing us how powerful the technology really is.

Chunks is a new game on Steam for the HTC Vive VR headset that highlights the potential of using motion controllers while inside a simulation. It looks and feels like Minecraft, but instead of manipulating the world with a gamepad, touchscreen, or keyboard/mouse, you use the Vive’s positionally tracked wands. And after a few hours with Chunks (likely named for the way you build the world with chunks of blocks), it’s obvious that VR is a massive leap forward for empowering people to interact with digital environments. Analysts from SuperData Research anticipate this industry could generate $40 billion by 2020, and a lot of that money could come from software that enables architects, artists, and designers to do their work in an entirely new way.