A Reflection on Programming in Virtual Reality

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2021-05-31 03:00:02

Since I began college, I have struggled with staying focused while working in shared spaces.1 An ADHD diagnosis during my sophomore year helped identify the root cause of my distractibility, but did little to ameliorate it. As a result, I spend a lot of time testing techniques to limit distractions in my work environment. This is an especially engaging diversion when I have important work to do.

Last November, when my friend Logan went home for Thanksgiving, he left behind his Oculus Go—a Virtual Reality (VR) headset he bought on eBay—and gave me permission to use it in his absence. Since I had a challenging assignment for my programming language theory course due the next day,2 it was only natural to get diverted by attempting to minimize external distractions with this new toy.

Given programmers’ stereotypical penchant for multi-monitor setups, I was surprised that my cursory research into VR programming environments returned no helpful results. I found a lot of vaporware claiming to “revolutionize coding” using immersive interactive experiences and three-dimensional metaphors for code, but nothing about regular programming using a headset in lieu of computer monitors.