Ads are coming to VR and we really hope this is an April Fools’ joke

Virtual reality is getting even more realistic: ads are going to be everywhere.

HTC is opening its Viveport to advertisers, offering the chance to put elaborate ads directly inside the VR world. The ads come in 2D and 3D flavors, as well as loading scenes, end scenes, or “app recommended.”

The language used on the developer page is a little bizarre and comes very close to acknowledging that users might not appreciate this:

Therefore, VR Advertising is not simply an interruption, but a synonym of exceptional experience!

The Vive will also track whether or not you’ve looked at the ads or turned away. Because even your eyeballs are commodities now. Luckily, this will only apply to apps hosted within the Viveport store, and shouldn’t apply to any VR games you’ve bought on Steam.

I’m hoping this will turn out to be an elaborate April Fools’ Day joke, but given the pervasiveness of modern advertising, I can’t help but doubt it.