Oculus Rift: The Future of VR?

[Gahars]

The possibilities of virtual reality are endless, and they've been the fodder for science fiction for some time. From the constantly malfunctioning Holodeck in Star Trek to the Matrix in, uh, The Matrix, it's provided a fascinating subject matter to explore and develop.

Unfortunately, science hasn't quite caught up to the science fiction yet. Our attempts at VR have left a lot to be desired, and pale in comparison to their fictional counterparts. The pursuit just seems kind of hopeless for now.

Scratch that, seemed kind of hopeless. The makers of the Oculus Rift, a VR headset designed to augment and enhance the gaming experience, are hoping to change everything.

Oculus Rift is a new virtual reality (VR) headset designed specifically for video games that will change the way you think about gaming forever. With an incredibly wide field of view, high resolution display, and ultra-low latency head tracking, the Rift provides a truly immersive experience that allows you to step inside your favorite game and explore new worlds like never before.

...The Rift takes 3D gaming to the next level. There are a number of VR headsets out there, but none that deliver a truly immersive gaming experience. Most products either lack the technical features required for believable immersion or sit at a very high price-point ($20,000+) reserved for the military or scientific community.

We set out to change all that with the Rift, which is designed to maximize immersion, comfort, and pure, uninhibited fun, at a price everyone can afford.

Kickstarter

Now that's all well and good, but we've all heard that claim before. It's not like this project has someone with serious clout and respect in the gaming industry to vouch for it, like Gabe Ne- oh wait, it totally, totally does. It also has the support of Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski.

The team behind this project created a Kickstarter project to fund development kits. As of now, it has more than doubled the original goal; with 30 days left, the final tally should be quite high. If you would like to see the specs behind the device, read up more on the Oculus Rift, or donate to the Kickstarter (and are too lazy to use the link above), you can find it here.

The first game compatible with the device will be Doom 3 BFG, and looking at the footage, I can tell you this thing is a miracle; it actually managed to make Doom 3 worth playing!

 

[Bladexdsl]

$20k to play doom 3 you can forget about seeing this in the next gen for at least 20-30 years

 

[sjones900]

Ehh... for some people it might be a cool peripheral, but I think it's still too early for something like this.

 

[Bladexdsl]

i'll be too old to use it when it finally is available

 

[Gahars]

Ehh... for some people it might be a cool peripheral, but I think it's still too early for something like this.

That sort of attitude isn't going to bring about progress or change any faster.

It's a stepping stone, sure, but some big names have thrown their weight behind this; if it does well, the effect on gaming would certainly be interesting.

 

[chavosaur]

How the hell could anyone not be excited for virtual reality?
Fps games will be changed forever, as well as tons of other gaming experiences.

 

[Phoenix Goddess]

I absolutely love this. I saw a video on a virtual reality device that a Japanese company was working on not too long ago. It was amazing.

About damn time the world advances.

 

[ferofax]

I hope this works just like a normal monitor and not require games to support them... else, that'd be bad.

I wonder how this would be like with a Wii mote + nunchucks on a game like Skyrim...

 

[Hells Malice]

Anyone not excited for VR should just quit gaming now and go play outside.
VR is the future.

This thing looks pretty fantastic, and it's insane that the kickster launched today and has already raised nearly 650,000 for its cause. Nuts. People really want VR.
It's getting tons of support from all over the place. I had to fight back the urge to buy the dev kit just so I could get a chance to try it early.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Read the title: Yeah, okay, whatever. I stopped being excited about VR about the time Pogs stopped being sold in stores.

Read the article: Pfft. Okay, so Gaben is backing it, big whoop. I bet it's as lame as those retarded glasses that were popular in 2008 that boasted looked like a 40" screen. They were like playing a game on a damn postage stamp attached to your eyelids.

Saw the video on kickstarter: *Throws wallet at screen* WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING?! TAKE MY MONEY!

 

[LightyKD]

I thought this was the future of virtual reality...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IHMWX_vu_U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[kenjixx]

The creating of NERvGear ... next we will trap inside the dead game of sword art online

 

[KingVamp]

I hope this works just like a normal monitor and not require games to support them... else, that'd be bad.

I wonder how this would be like with a Wii mote + nunchucks on a game like Skyrim...

If it works like a monitor, it can be compatible with any game/ game system. I didn't think it is it own system.
People keep talking about true VR, I hope this the real thing.


I hope they bring that down to google glasses size someday.

 

[Gundam Eclipse]

SWORD ART ONLINE, HERE I FUCKING COME.
Oh, man, am I the only one imagining a game like Skyrim on this? Or fuck, Mass Effect?
OH MAN I AM SO FUCKING HYPE GUYS YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW OH MAN

 

[VampireLordAlucard]

The 3DS uses similar concepts to this. Look at Ocarina of Time 3D:

• When in first-person mode, tilt the 3DS to move the camera.
• 3D gives the illusion of depth.
• Now imagine the screen wraps around your face, covering your field of view

Nothing too fancy in the technology. The problem? Too expensive. Check out Sony's Personal 3D Viewer. It's amazing, but very expensive, and no tilt sensor. For this to be mainstream, I think it needs to come with a console. I can see the successor to the Wii U to being like this: a head mounted display, rather than tablet controller. I can dream!

 

[Guild McCommunist]

SWORD ART ONLINE, HERE I FUCKING COME.
Oh, man, am I the only one imagining a game like Skyrim on this? Or fuck, Mass Effect?
OH MAN I AM SO FUCKING HYPE GUYS YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW OH MAN

Mass Effect would be a bit awkward since it's third person. But a first person role player like Skyrim would be very neat.

Although you would start playing and next thing you know, you're in the middle of the woods collecting Nightshade for potions.

 

[Foxi4]

It's all fun and dandy, but...

Most VR sets are thoroughly ignored by the public not because they suck but because they're... headsets. Heavy headsets. Nobody wants to play their games with a lump of plastic stuck to their face, even if it's the so-called future. Look at the VirtualBoy - ahead of its time and rotted because of it.

I don't think I'll be interested in VR technology like I used to as a kid before we're at the point where you just "fall asleep while connected to a terminal and wake up in the game", and that's still far, far away.

C'mon people - a shot of chemicals and nanomachines that send impulses into your brain, it can't be that hard, start working on it already!

 

[Lanlan]

I really don't like Cliff Blezinski. Like, at all. Gabe Newell is alright though.

 

[Gahars]

It's all fun and dandy, but...

Most VR sets are thoroughly ignored by the public not because they suck but because they're... headsets. Heavy headsets. Nobody wants to play their games with a lump of plastic stuck to their face, even if it's the so-called future. Look at the VirtualBoy - ahead of its time and rotted because of it.

I don't think I'll be interested in VR technology like I used to as a kid before we're at the point where you just "fall asleep while connected to a terminal and wake up in the game", and that's still far, far away.

C'mon people - a shot of chemicals and nanomachines that send impulses into your brain, it can't be that hard, start working on it already!

I think it's worth noting that a lot of VR headsets in the past have sucked. The price was too high, the technology just wasn't there, or both. The headset may be a turn off, but if the technology and price here are handled well, that hurdle can be overcome.

I mean, just look at 3D. For ages it was written off because of its poor quality and the bulky glasses. Once the technology caught up however, people were more than willing to deal with the glasses to enjoy the experience.

 

[Foxi4]

I think it's worth noting that a lot of VR headsets in the past have sucked. The price was too high, the technology just wasn't there, or both. The headset may be a turn off, but if the technology and price here are handled well, that hurdle can be overcome.

I mean, just look at 3D. For ages it was written off because of its poor quality and the bulky glasses. Once the technology caught up however, people were more than willing to deal with the glasses to enjoy the experience.

Oh, advances in technology surely are heading in the right direction - don't get me wrong. I'm glad that the field is still investigated, it's just that neither 3D nor VR in its current state appeals to me all that much. It's just my personal opinion, really.

Stereoscopy still looks like cardboard cut-outs to me and rarely any movies/games are really "done well" in the 3D department. If we can't film a movie in proper, immersive 3D, I can't seem to shake off the layer of doubt when I look at this product. If it's affordable and on display sometime in the nearby future, I'm more than willing to give it a go or even buy it if I find it impressive. For now though, I remain skeptical.