The DeanBeat: Oculus VR returns to CES with a towering presence and lots of competition

A year ago, virtual reality headset maker Oculus VR was barely noticeable at the 2014 International CES, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas. This year, thanks to its $2 billion acquisition by Facebook, it had a giant booth that dominated the gaming section of the sprawling show floor. And it had a demo, dubbed “Crescent Bay,” that rocked.

Virtual reality was a hot trend at CES because it promises to deliver experiences to gamers and nongamers alike that they’ve never been able to have before. It represents one more step toward the illusion that we can all live alternate lives in a cyberworld, like in the film The Matrix. Maybe because our own lives may be a little too drab, we all want VR to succeed.