I work in tech and late March had a chance to play around with the current state of virtual reality (VR) gear. I was kicking around posting a primer for awhile, and after this Roosh tweet I decided it was time to stop thinking and start posting. I present to you, Mindless Drone's VR Primer. I'm not an expert in this space, so I welcome critique and discussion from those who have played around with the tech more.
Overview
VR has kicked around in one form or another for a few decades. I remember playing in a VR "arcade" as long ago as the 90s, I suspect I'm not the only one on this forum with the experience. However the processing power - both hardware and software - hasn't been there. That's all changing. There are multiple converging trends that have primed the world for VR - the hardware, fueled by low cost, high power GPUs, software from a robust gaming industry, the rise of social media - it's now acceptable to be "wired" 24:7- and people are so burnt out from it they're always chasing the next high - VR is a natural fit. Finally, numerous major corporations (source: Fortune) - I would argue Facebook at the lead driver from an influence perspective - are pushing towards this. It's happening.
Hardware
The current hardware is getting surprisingly sophisticated but also has a broad number of price points. VR gear works with s headset that separates your vision into two spaces with a divider and then renders individual images into each eye - just like your interpret the world normally. Conversely, Augmented Reality (AR) works by beaming the images directly onto your retina. I'm sure that's fine with no long term side effects.
Cheap Gear
These systems are basically interfaces that a smart device goes into. Examples are the Samsung Gear and Google Cardboard. You insert your smartphone or other device into the interface and voila, instant VR. You remain motionless (i.e., you sit, you don't walk around) and guide yourself through an interface on the side. Despite the apparent crudeness, for the price point, particularly when paired by the latest Android devices (i.e. Samsung s7) - the results are really impressive. What struck me with this was how good the experience was at an entry level price - particularly if you already own the device. Considering how immersed people get in their smart phones - this shows VR is even closer than one might think. Another advantage of this setup is that it is wireless - a big advantage over the more expensive gear which still requires a wire.
Room setups
The HTC Vive is the best example (only?) of this type of rig right now. You set up laser cameras in a room, strap on the headset, grab controllers, and voila - you've got your own VR Room. Hand held controllers allow you to interact with your virtual world. This experience is pretty trippy as you are "tracked" in your experience and can move around. You do need to watch out for walls and tripping over the cord. Still, it gives the basic ability to wander in VR - pretty cool.
High End Gear
The Oculus Rift (Oculus is owned by Facebook) is the big dog here, although the Sony Playstation VR is no slouch either. Extreme graphical power (you do need either a gaming computer or a Playstation to power it) and the ability to track motion, make for a disturbingly immersive experience. You're still bound by a big headset tether, however, which is a downside. Currently, like the Vive, you use a handset controller. While they aren't quite haptic gloves, gamers and even civilians can learn them quickly.
Overview
VR has kicked around in one form or another for a few decades. I remember playing in a VR "arcade" as long ago as the 90s, I suspect I'm not the only one on this forum with the experience. However the processing power - both hardware and software - hasn't been there. That's all changing. There are multiple converging trends that have primed the world for VR - the hardware, fueled by low cost, high power GPUs, software from a robust gaming industry, the rise of social media - it's now acceptable to be "wired" 24:7- and people are so burnt out from it they're always chasing the next high - VR is a natural fit. Finally, numerous major corporations (source: Fortune) - I would argue Facebook at the lead driver from an influence perspective - are pushing towards this. It's happening.
Hardware
The current hardware is getting surprisingly sophisticated but also has a broad number of price points. VR gear works with s headset that separates your vision into two spaces with a divider and then renders individual images into each eye - just like your interpret the world normally. Conversely, Augmented Reality (AR) works by beaming the images directly onto your retina. I'm sure that's fine with no long term side effects.
Cheap Gear
These systems are basically interfaces that a smart device goes into. Examples are the Samsung Gear and Google Cardboard. You insert your smartphone or other device into the interface and voila, instant VR. You remain motionless (i.e., you sit, you don't walk around) and guide yourself through an interface on the side. Despite the apparent crudeness, for the price point, particularly when paired by the latest Android devices (i.e. Samsung s7) - the results are really impressive. What struck me with this was how good the experience was at an entry level price - particularly if you already own the device. Considering how immersed people get in their smart phones - this shows VR is even closer than one might think. Another advantage of this setup is that it is wireless - a big advantage over the more expensive gear which still requires a wire.
Room setups
The HTC Vive is the best example (only?) of this type of rig right now. You set up laser cameras in a room, strap on the headset, grab controllers, and voila - you've got your own VR Room. Hand held controllers allow you to interact with your virtual world. This experience is pretty trippy as you are "tracked" in your experience and can move around. You do need to watch out for walls and tripping over the cord. Still, it gives the basic ability to wander in VR - pretty cool.
High End Gear
The Oculus Rift (Oculus is owned by Facebook) is the big dog here, although the Sony Playstation VR is no slouch either. Extreme graphical power (you do need either a gaming computer or a Playstation to power it) and the ability to track motion, make for a disturbingly immersive experience. You're still bound by a big headset tether, however, which is a downside. Currently, like the Vive, you use a handset controller. While they aren't quite haptic gloves, gamers and even civilians can learn them quickly.