Virtual Reality: How Far Have We Come?
The idea of Virtual Reality is not a new concept; in fact, its evolution can be traced back to flight simulators from the 1930's. However, over the past eighty years, the cost of simulators, augmented reality, and virtual reality remained the most significant roadblock to wide commercial use and further development. Therefore, since the reintroduction of Virtual Reality with the completion of the Oculus Rift Kickstarter campaign in 2012, video game developers have jumped on the bandwagon in droves because, for the first time in decades, VR was finally proven possible in a cost-effective manner.
Sudden interest from video game companies produced the likes of the HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, the Microsoft HoloLens, and Playstation VR. Unfortunately, despite the leaps and strides made in this new arena, VR has remained in the background of the video game industry, in part due to the lack of available titles for the systems, as well as the still relatively expensive nature of the necessary software and hardware.
When I first witnessed the development of the Oculus Rift, I was ecstatic, mainly because my dreams of one day walking around a HoloDeck from Star Trek seemed to be reaching fruition; however, its high cost still limits its availability to a large majority of people. I have only recently had the opportunity to enjoy its wonder through the generosity of close friends. So, will this demographic gap remain the case for the foreseeable future?
In 2014, Mark Zuckerberg stated that VR was the future, that the next logical step was to fully immerse ourselves inside the virtual worlds that already exist on our Xbox's, our Playstations, even on our iPhones, and I believe Mr. Zuckerberg is correct.
Following its success with the Vive headset, HTC is reportedly developing a mobile VR experience, and more companies are following their lead. If such an experience can truly become mobile, availability and interest in the VR industry will skyrocket. Furthermore, Sony's more recent release of Playstation VR provided a relatively cheaper alternative to the Vive, albeit with a lower quality result and greater risk of nausea and headaches. However, I believe the future is looking bright with continual improvement in the world of VR.
If you want to read detailed reviews of the various VR systems, GameInformer provides ratings and detailed schematics, experiences, and available games on their website. Also, the other article on this blog with the label "Virtual Reality" provides options for the various systems and their approximate prices.
Sudden interest from video game companies produced the likes of the HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, the Microsoft HoloLens, and Playstation VR. Unfortunately, despite the leaps and strides made in this new arena, VR has remained in the background of the video game industry, in part due to the lack of available titles for the systems, as well as the still relatively expensive nature of the necessary software and hardware.
When I first witnessed the development of the Oculus Rift, I was ecstatic, mainly because my dreams of one day walking around a HoloDeck from Star Trek seemed to be reaching fruition; however, its high cost still limits its availability to a large majority of people. I have only recently had the opportunity to enjoy its wonder through the generosity of close friends. So, will this demographic gap remain the case for the foreseeable future?
In 2014, Mark Zuckerberg stated that VR was the future, that the next logical step was to fully immerse ourselves inside the virtual worlds that already exist on our Xbox's, our Playstations, even on our iPhones, and I believe Mr. Zuckerberg is correct.
Following its success with the Vive headset, HTC is reportedly developing a mobile VR experience, and more companies are following their lead. If such an experience can truly become mobile, availability and interest in the VR industry will skyrocket. Furthermore, Sony's more recent release of Playstation VR provided a relatively cheaper alternative to the Vive, albeit with a lower quality result and greater risk of nausea and headaches. However, I believe the future is looking bright with continual improvement in the world of VR.
If you want to read detailed reviews of the various VR systems, GameInformer provides ratings and detailed schematics, experiences, and available games on their website. Also, the other article on this blog with the label "Virtual Reality" provides options for the various systems and their approximate prices.
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