Sometimes going to work involves manipulating things in a hazardous environment and VR can make it easier to do that sort of stuff remotely. Similarly, augmented reality makes it easier to do things when you need dynamic information about a task and you've got your hands full doing the thing.

Get VR and AR _really_ good for those sorts of use cases (and I think there's some money in that stuff) and it becomes a lot easier to expand into other areas.