Palmer Luckey rebooted the field of virtual reality as the founder of Oculus VR around the idea that VR headsets could be smaller, cheaper, and lighter than ever before. With the release of the Oculus Rift DK1 in 2013, Luckey’s focus on consumers and VR games significantly boosted the mainstream adoption of VR technology. The acquisition of Oculus by Facebook (now Meta) in 2014 for $2.3 billion also helped to kickstart an investment frenzy in VR startups.

Luckey's contributions to the XR industry extend beyond Oculus; he fundamentally altered the landscape of VR, propelling it into the global tech spotlight. His innovative design and Oculus' success catalyzed the VR industry, influencing countless VR applications and inspiring a new generation of VR enthusiasts and developers.