We’ve come a long way in virtual reality in 50 years.

The first VR headset created by Ivan Sutherland between 1965 and 1968 was nicknamed the Sword of Damocles because it looked just like a huge sword hanging over the head of the person using it.

VR hardware is now much friendlier, looking less like a torture device and more like a chunky sleep mask.

Sutherland’s headset showed a cube suspended in the air. Now when we put on a VR headset, it can feel like we’ve been transported to the Moon, the rainforest or into our favourite video game.

Because of how immersive they can be, experts predict that we may choose to spend less time in the real world and more time in a virtual one.

‘In 20 years, VR use will be as common as mobile phone use is today,’ Sol Rogers, CEO and founder of VR agency REWIND, tells Metro.co.uk.

This may have been hard to imagine a few years ago but advances in VR technology are moving fast.

Picture: Ella Byworth