This time next year you may well be reading this article while wearing your virtual reality headset. VR is set to hit the mainstream with the launch of several headsets, including the Facebook-owned Oculus Rift, early next year.

Issue 17 of the always free Factor Magazine – out now – takes a step into the virtual world. From VR’s potential in medicine to disrupting education, we take a tour of what you can expect from the future head-mounted displays.

Social media has already transformed how we communicate with friends, family and complete strangers, and VR has the ability to change this again. Brands, sports team, shops and more could have their own VR channels where we have virtual experiences with others.

Doom-mongers have predicted that VR technology will result in a generation of isolated shut-ins, living out their hopes in a dream world while reality slips away from them. We ask if there’s any truth to this prediction and what the social impact of VR could really be.

Although it gets the most hype, the Oculus Rift isn’t the only headset that’s on its way, so we run down the alternative devices. We also look at the different industries that VR could disrupt.

Strapping on a VR headset might not be a way to cure your common cold, but the technology does have medical uses. In some instances VR has been used to treat phobias for 20 years, and we find out how VR treatments are set to become easier.

Many feel that VR is reserved for the tech-devoted, but the opportunities it presents for enhancing everyday life are endless. As the major companies prepare to launch their devices to consumers, we look at what it will take for the average person to convert to VR.

It’s possible that future students could be completely educated in virtual worlds. We explore how the pioneers are using VR for education at present, and where the area could go.

There’s a look at the history of wireless communication technologies, a wearable that makes your skin clearer and the latest in personal water transport.

We also take a step into the VOID , a virtual entertainment centre launching next year. The VOID will merge VR with the real world, while transporting people into different interactive worlds. It is intended to not only provide gaming experiences, but also re-purposes films to be interactive; offer training for companies; provide educational experiences and more.

As well as this there’s all the latest news and reviews in Issue 17 of Factor Magazine – out now on iPad and online.