More than just a gaming tool

The Chinese virtual reality (VR) market is expanding at a fast pace but experts have called for the technology to be applied to a wider range of sectors besides just entertainment and gaming, saying this is necessary for steady development of the market.

Industry experts noted that the retail sector could benefit from this technology by using it as a value-added service for customers. For example, a scented candles retailer has developed showrooms in which consumers can use a VR headset to gain an immersive experience with floral fragrances. Furniture and interior decoration retailers too can leverage VR technology to provide their potential buyers with accurate manifestations of designs.

"It costs about 80 percent less to build a VR showroom to present ceramic products to buyers than to create a showroom full of real ceramics. What's more, in a VR showroom, buyers can view hundreds of patterns of ceramics and they can tell which details they like the best and what alterations they wish to make," said Zheng Hong, sales representative with Lianbang Ceramics Ltd Group.