Here’s a question: Is “immersion” the most valuable part of virtual reality?

The early days of VR’s (relatively recent) revival were characterized by attempts to highlight the things that differentiated it from other mediums. How it could function as “the ultimate empathy machine” according to Chris Milk, CEO of the recently Meta-acquired Within. Or how it realized the potential of science fiction’s vision of virtual worlds and the next evolution of the internet — a fact we still haven’t quite shaken.

Central to both ideas was the opinion that if you can make someone feel like they’re in a different place and able to take action there, they might become more engaged, productive, and happy. Headsets are standalone now, and input methods have been refined. The one thing that hasn’t been settled is how we move around.

There’s a lot that can be said about Silo, Apple TV+’s latest sci-fi series. It’s based on Wool, a self-published sci-fi book series by Hugh Howey, who also serves as an executive producer. It’s showrun by Graham Yost, best known for the iconic modern Western series Justified. It stars Dune’s Rebecca Ferguson, with an all-star ensemble cast.

But the best way to sum up the series is to simply say it exactly replicates the feeling of reading an engrossing sci-fi book. The trailer proudly says, “We do not know why we are here. We do not know who built the silo or why we are underground. We only know the world outside our sanctuary is death.”