Bir Medya Toposu olarak Fiziksel Gerçekliğin Simülasyonu: VR Teknolojisinin Tarihsel İzleği

Purpose: This study argues that contemporary VR technology reflects a longstanding media topos: the simulation of reality. To support this claim, the historical trajectory of VR technology is traced across eight stages, from the 19th-century panoramas to contemporary VR.Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on a review of canonical scholarly works on VR, from which eight stages are identified as the trajectory of the simulation of reality topos. Drawing on Erkki Huhtamo’s media archaeological approach, a topos is understood as a recurring cultural pattern that shapes how media technologies are perceived. For each stage, the study examines the key technological developments using available sources, including patents, technical research by innovators, and publicity materials.Findings: Recreating and simulating physical reality have often been presented as a novelty of VR and promoted as its primary affordance. However, this analysis reveals that VR is only a 21st-century manifestation of a centuries-long endeavor. This study shows that VR technology is not a novel development; rather, it is a continuation of earlier technological and discursive efforts, shaped by a specific sociotechnical imaginary and topos.Research limitations/implications: One limitation of this study is its focus on canonical texts and mainstream technologies, which leaves peripheral forms outside its scope. Future research could examine these forms.Practical implications: Practitioners may benefit from understanding how cultural and social expectations shape perceptions of VR as a device for simulating reality. Originality/value: This study is the first to examine VR through the lens of the simulation of reality topos, situating it within a historical trajectory rarely considered in previous research.