7 Most Exciting Tech Trends From CES 2016

2. Virtual Reality Is Coming, Finally

Gamers rejoice, because Virtual Reality is growing up.

HTC are showcasing their VR offering in the form of the HTC Vive Pre - a virtual reality system developed in partnership with gaming company, Valve. To look at, it doesn't seem all that different from previous models, perhaps a little sleeker, but it's what's on the inside that counts.

One of the most important innovations here is the development of real-world integration with a front-facing camera and some very clever software.

Dubbed "Chaperone", this is essentially a safety feature. One drawback of VR is that the likelihood of walking into a wall or stepping on the dog is pretty high, so what Chaperone does is feed you information about your physical surroundings, creating an overlap between the real world and your virtual one.

The worry is that this could spoil immersion, but the reports from people who have tried it suggest that they have somehow managed to do it in such a subtle way that you don't even notice. The spatial information is basically fed directly into your subconscious without you registering it.

With these developments, the folks at Oculus Rift would be foolish not to be at least a little bit worried, but they've also got an offering of their own to focus on. With pre-orders opening on January 6th, it has been announced that early backers of the original Oculus VR Kickstarter campaign will be getting a finished headset for free. So if that's you, we're jealous.