SALT LAKE CITY — The recent launch of Facebook’s Oculus Rift virtual reality platform has created serious buzz in the technology world, as competing manufacturers race to get their own platforms in front of consumers this year.

Available virtual reality devices vary widely in price and quality, from the low-tech $15 Google Cardboard to the $3,000 Microsoft HoloLens. While some devices like Google Cardboard appear to be more novelty than technology, others like the Rift and Playstation VR provide a more immersive and realistic virtual experience. Quality virtual reality, however, does not come inexpensively — the starting price of admission to a virtual world through the Oculus Rift costs $600.

Shoppers dishing out that much money for a big-ticket item like the Rift will want to know what they can expect from their new toy. Right now, the answer is mostly video games. Most practical uses for virtual reality devices outside of entertainment are unfortunately still in development.

Knvul Sheikh, of Live Science, reports that consumers will eventually use their virtual reality headsets to watch movies, sporting events, and even live concerts. Sheikh explains that healthcare, manufacturing, military, education, space exploration, and even shopping will have its place in virtual reality in the near future.

Until those utilizations are meaningfully developed, private consumers are the target market for the headsets. Certainly, developers will continue to find and create a myriad of practical and commercial uses for the devices in the future, but for now gaming is the market driving demand and will likely be the reason most consumers purchase the devices.

Fortune estimates the virtual reality video game industry will generate $5.1 billion, and reach a global market exceeding of 55 million users in 2016. An audience and revenue stream that considerable will ensure gaming remains a prominent use for virtual reality.

Outside of gaming but still within the scope of entertainment, some commercial applications are already in use. One example, theme park Six Flags, in cooperation with Samsung Gear VR and Oculus, developed an attraction that allows riders to wear wireless virtual reality headsets while riding roller coasters. The park advertised on its website that the attraction will only be available for a limited time, allowing riders to “enter a virtual world with high-resolution imagery and 360-degree views that synchronize to the action of the coaster.”

Six Flags isn’t the only business finding uses for virtual reality to expand its revenue stream. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is convinced that virtual reality is the future of social networking and backed that belief by purchasing Oculus for $2 billion in 2014, according to Forbes. Zuckerberg, in a statement, said, “Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate.”

The current options

Virtual reality enthusiasts who decide to invest in a device have a number of choices depending on the quality of experience desired and software platform required. The headsets available on the market roughly fit into three categories based on the support platform.

The first requires that the device is used in tandem with a mobile device. Those devices offer less in performance and are significantly less expensive. Examples include Google Cardboard starting at $15, Samsung Gear VR for $99, Zeiss VR One for $120, and LG 360 VR for $199.

While limited in scope, the devices are designed to reach a larger audience through attractive prices and by requiring a platform that is readily on hand — the user’s mobile device. These headsets either link to the user’s phone or require that the phone is physically placed into the headset. Users of these devices will depend on software developed and available in their mobile phone’s marketplace.

The second category of headset requires the headset to be used with a separately purchased computer or gaming system. The Fove VR for $349, Playstation VR for $399, Oculus Rift for $599, and HTC Vive for $799 round out this category. These devices carry a much heftier price tag to compensate for their advanced technology. They offer users a much more immersive and detailed environment with quality and definition that far exceeds their less expensive counterparts.

The final category is reserved for headsets that have their own operating system and are capable of operating without any other device or platform. Examples of these devices include the Microsoft HoloLens for $3,000 and the Sulon Q, which does not yet have an available price. Both have an installed Windows 10 platform and promise untethered operation.

Unlike the failed attempt at virtual reality in the early 90s, the technology available for the current class of headsets is more advanced and more likely to bring success. The new headsets are lighter, smaller, and capable of delivering an unparalleled consumer experience. Increased demand will allow practical and commercial uses for virtual reality to expand, and as a result should pull the price point of headsets down.

Until then, devices like the Oculus Rift will be out of reach for average consumers who may have to settle for a less expensive option.

Dave Palmer is an Army combat veteran and tech nerd who, when not writing, works as a regional manager for a staffing company. Contact him at: davepalmer@me.com

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