Why Virtual Reality Products Need Translation

By Sarah-Claire Jordan

We’ve talked about how important it is to make sure video and computer games are properly translated, whether through dubbing or subtitling, but virtual reality is what really needs to be concentrated on right now. This new technology, being developed by Google, Samsung, and even Facebook, will be the next big thing since smartphones. The issue, however, is to make sure that no market gets left behind and that everyone has equal access to information on virtual reality headsets to be prepared when they become more mainstream.

Virtual reality is something that we have been toying with for a while now, since at least the 80s or 90s, and it has finally manifested itself in the form of a few models of different virtual reality headsets, designed by the companies mentioned above. Two of those companies are interested in making them all about games and other kinds of apps, while Google is thinking more along the lines of streaming content from YouTube. All of them, however, realize the huge potential any kind of headset could have.

Before anyone even thinks about buying one of these things, they need to know exactly what they are all about. Information for now is limited, as not many people have the money to buy these products in the stage of development they are in right now. In order for the public to be well-informed about what they are investing in, information like user manuals, tutorials, presentations, and more, need to be created in one language and then translated into as many other languages as possible, as soon as possible. That way, none of the companies will have to play catch-up with any one market just because their campaign in that language wasn’t effective enough.

User manual, packaging, and website translation should be a top priority for these companies when it comes to what to translate first. These are the things that people will be using to explain the product via reviews posted on YouTube, blogs, and even Facebook. This is the first information that anyone will have about virtual reality headsets, so it is imperative that it be translated accurately into the target languages. Websites should be translated as well, as this is where people will look first before even before having access to physical user manuals and any information on packaging. If this information is not complete or accurate in any language, that particular market is as good as lost.

If the companies that are already producing virtual reality headsets and the software to go along with them want to be equally successful in every country, they need to seriously consider who they have decided to work with on translation. The success of their marketing campaigns in other countries hinges on how well the content of the campaigns is translated, and there is absolutely no getting around that. It is in their best interest to make sure they find the best possible translation services to work with them on these international marketing campaigns.

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Tags: digital translation, marketing

Category: Business Translation