Virtual reality: why this time is different

Let’s start with a quick introduction to the history of virtual reality. Virtual reality was created in 1965 by Ivan Sutherland: he created the “Ultimate Display”, a device that could superimpose metal frame interiors on a room. The military was simultaneously researching and investing in the potential of virtual reality for flight simulation and training.

The virtual reality industry continued to develop over the next two decades, but the appeal was limited to only the most ambitious engineers and early adopters due to the cost of the components and the computers that powered them. Even in the early ’90s, the price of a decent VR headset was well over $50,000. The high cost of entry, of course, meant that it was still out of the question for the average consumer.

Ultimate Display

PALMER LUCKEY AND OCULUS RIFT CHANGE THE GAME
Fast-forward 40 years and Palmer Luckey (the inventor of the Oculus Rift) created his first VR prototype at age 18 in his parents’ basement. Luckey eventually developed the product that would become known as the Oculus Rift. Oculus ushered in the current era of virtual reality development and breathed new life into this promising technology.

The Oculus announcement was closely watched by techies, developers, and early adopters, all of whom were itching to experience this new frontier in VR development. It didn’t take long before heavyweights like Facebook, Google, and Samsung took notice and started investing heavily in VR in hopes of producing the first consumer-ready device. Facebook believes so strongly in Oculus Rift that it acquired the company for $2 billion in March 2014. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg stated that he sees the acquisition as a “long-term bet on the future of computing.”

TODAY’S CHOICES FOR CONSUMERS
The current line of virtual reality products runs the gamut in terms of price and affordability. You can get your feet wet with Google’s product (aptly named Cardboard). Cardboard is very cheap, approximately $20.00. Use readily available components like cardboard, biconvex lenses, a couple of magnets, Velcro, and a rubber band. Instead of a built-in screen like the Oculus Rift, this product works with any Android phone running 4.1 or higher (just slide your phone into the “headset”). You assemble it all yourself, following Google’s step-by-step instructions with images.

Your phone powers the entire experience with apps found in Google’s Cardboard app store.) There are no external cables or heavy hardware to deal with… just the Cardboard case and your Android phone. We at Primacy recently built one for testing internally – the entire build took around 5 minutes from start to finish.

google cardboard

Facebook’s Oculus Rift
Given the current pace of innovation, it’s a safe bet that both the hardware and software for Facebook’s Oculus technology will only get better in the coming months. The consumer model, while not currently available, is expected to be released in mid-2015. The developer model (DK2) costs $350 and comes loaded with a low-latency display (the same one used in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3). The display offers a respectable 960×1080 resolution per eye with a 75Hz refresh rate. The unit also includes a gyroscope, accelerometer, magnometer, and a near-infrared camera for head and position tracking. The apps run on a computer that is connected directly to the headset via an HDMI and USB cable.

oculus rift

Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition
Samsung saw an opportunity to jump into the VR mix and partnered with Oculus. They have produced a headset that looks like the most consumer-ready device to date. Samsung’s Gear VR Innovator Edition is exactly what you’d expect from the established tech giant, both in terms of quality and ease of use. It’s also the most expensive option, with an MSRP of $200 for the headset + $750 (no contract) for the phone required to power it. Unlike Google’s Cardboard, the Gear VR only works with a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, so if you’re lucky enough to have one, you can save yourself a significant amount of money.

The headset itself is very well designed and quite intuitive. There’s a volume switch, touchpad, and “back” button on the right side of the headset that can be used to easily navigate through VR experiences and apps. The top of the headset has a focus wheel that is used to adjust the focus to the optimum range for your eyes. Two straps hold the unit securely on your head, sealing off your view from the outside world for an enhanced sense of immersion. Plus, the absence of cables tethering you to a computer helps make the experience more enjoyable and portable.

There’s no need to remove your head unit to download or switch between apps…it can all be done via the Oculus Start Menu or the Samsung App Library after initial installation and setup. There are a handful of cool and useful apps included, like Oculus Cinema, for watching movies and videos in a virtual theater, Oculus 360 Photos, for viewing panoramic photos, and Oculus 360 Videos, for watching panoramic videos. Samsung also recently launched a marketplace called Milk VR which is basically YouTube for VR.

Samsung VR Team

THE UNDERSIDE – A CASE OF JUDDERS
We found that many of the apps available now are graphics-heavy and the experience can quickly degrade without a fairly good graphics card. It’s worth noting that experiences involving 3D graphics and fast motion can become off-putting for some people due to GPU or frame rate restrictions and a phenomenon known as “jitter” (when images become smeared, strobolized, or smeared). otherwise distort), so it’s really the developers’ responsibility to create “comfortable” experiences that aim to minimize vibration. Despite the drawbacks, when used in conjunction with a computer that has a high-end GPU, the result is a feeling of immersion that 10 years ago would have seemed impossible. The Oculus Developer site currently includes an SDK for PC and mobile that includes integrations for the Unity and Unreal game engines. The PC SDK is designed for Rift DK2, while the Mobile SDK is designed for Oculus-powered devices that take advantage of mobile phones.

VR – THE FUTURE IS HERE (OR REALLY, VERY NEAR)
We’re just beginning to break the surface with VR. The rise of panoramic video and photography is making it easier to “teleport” viewers to places they could never physically be.

Imagine a front row seat to your favorite band performing live…with the freedom to look in any direction in real time. Imagine walking (literally…walking) through your favorite national park as if you were actually there. Imagine yourself sitting in a conference room on the other side of the world and interacting with others as if you were really there. These are just a few of the amazing apps enabled by VR headsets like the Oculus Rift. So stay tuned – if current progress is any indication, virtual reality is here to stay and will be invading your living room or office much sooner than you think.

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