Nowadays, most people associate virtual reality technology with gaming. But the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Gear VR and other virtual reality headsets offer so much more than just total game immersion.

Here are the top five other uses of virtual reality technology.

Entertainment

Aside from gaming, other forms of entertainment will also benefit from VR technology. While people are already enjoying 3D movies, apps like the Oculus Cinema can take that experience one step further by giving the audience the opportunity to watch movies on an immense virtual screen. The technology can also bring people inside the movie itself, which is what Nonny de la Pena will attempt to do at Sundance with her film Project Syria. The flick, which was shot using the Oculus Rift, shows audiences how children survive the ravages the war.

Health Care

This is one industry that has been quick to adopt and adapt the technology to improve diagnosis and treatment. For instance, VR simulations made using CAT scans and ultrasounds are used by surgeons as a way to study locations of tumors and determine the best way to remove them. Virtual technology is also used in rehabilitating patients who have suffered a stroke and in treating those suffering from PTSD.

Education

There's no doubt that combining virtual reality with various school subjects will make students more interested in it. With VR, students can feel what it's like to walk through the Coliseum, look at the painting hanging at the Louvre or even see what astronauts really see while traveling through space. Apps like Unimersive and Cerevrum are already offering VR educational content for schools and students alike.

Courtrooms

Virtual reality technology can also be used to help solve crimes and bring justice. With VR, forensic researchers can actually bring the jury and the judge to the crime scene. There have already been numerous instances when 3D information about a crime scene has been shown to jurors and experts say this helps jurors understand the situation more than if the crime was just presented on paper.

Manufacturing

Virtual reality can be a big boon to designers and manufacturers alike as the technology makes it possible for everyone involved in the process to get a detailed look and feel for the product before it's constructed. One company that has already taken advantage of VR is the Ford Motor Company. Employees at the company's Immersion Lab in Michigan can just put on a VR headset and check the interior and exterior of a car.

There are various other industries that can benefit from virtual reality, like the military and tourism. It's a given that the in the near future, the technology will be used not just by gamers, but by doctors, scientists, soldiers, designers, teachers and students.