Future Lust: Hands-on with the Oculus Rift
Posted by Wade Mendham (@Waderman)
Who has two thumbs, buys stuff too early and wants the future now? This guy. So I bought VR goggles called the Oculus Rift. The affordable, light, and super effective device that makes virtual reality a possibility. I got mine a week before PAX Australia and felt pret-ty cool seeing about 4 stalls showing them off with 30 min lines in front of each. So how's it rate?
The Rift is what everyone else is saying it is. A revolutionary, transportative, awe-inspiring revelation. The one-to-one head tracking and field of view is made possible by the abundance of cheap small screens and motion sensors out there. It also means there is minimal lag in head motions being processed, meaning that movement comes across as entirely authentic, unlike the majority of everyone's past experiences with previous VR tech. The display is so light and comfortable that you ignore that fact you have something strapped onto your face.
The fun part about being an early adopter is seeing all the work-in-progress programs out there. There are various tech demos that test what the rift can do. Some are quite frankly awe inspiring (as in inspiring actual awe for the world we live). Titans of Space was something else - a tour of the universe that gave a sense of scale not possible in any customer device currently available (inspired by something like this but with music that sounds like it came from The Fountain). The Rift Coaster demo (a rough rollercoaster sim that is most people's first experience with the rift) even had family members refusing to use it any further due to how it made them feel. It is pretty interesting to see a device getting an actual physical reaction from people, like vertigo. The fun part from my point of view is demoing the unit to mates and work colleagues. I always wanted to be a carnie (without the meth) and my dreams came true. Hey kids, you gotta be this tall to ride now put this on yo’ face (wait, that didn’t come out right). The Rift is a solo experience, but showing off the likes of HD body scanning (nfsw) amongst friends is something else. Space simulation, racers and anything with a cockpit (I would suggest riftenabled.com to search for the apps yourself) is enough to justify the product’s place in any PC setup. There’s plenty of buzz in the developer community, but whether they follow through remains to be seen.
What I am also excited about is the Rift’s place for other purposes. There are already various cinema and video players out there that demonstrate how fun it could be to watch a movie on an IMAX sized screen in whatever respectable place you may find yourself. I can see parents getting a pair (they're goggles but it’s one screen -but then has two lenses so is it a pair?) for a kid so they can get their own TV for around $250 (my guess for the final retail version). The screen in the Rift is essentially a large phone screen, so by adding a battery and WiFi I can see a portable version being really appealing (at the moment it's connected to a PC via USB and HDMI cables).
Now, the tech is young and currently has its limitations. First the screen has a low resolution and gives a screen door effect due to the visible pixels. I personally am not bothered by it but it doesn't matter because the retail version of the Rift will have a higher resolution. My main issue with the developer kit itself is the crud that finds its way on the screen. The unit isn't in a vacuum (the lens caps can be taken off showing the display panel), so dust on the screen will be blown up significantly when in use and can be very annoying. While I'm sure there are easy ways to clean it, I've heard criticisms that the Rift already takes too long to set up (which I think is ridiculous), so any way to reduce any roadblocks to customer adoption should be taken.
The next huge hurdle is the apps, the programs, the math that makes the magic. Games have to be designed for the Rift. Not just to allow for stereoscopic 3d and the head tracking but gameplay that allows the user to explore a world. Based on the coverage in the media, developer interest and the fact that most people that use it end up loving it, I think this has the best chance at taking off compared to any other gaming peripheral that isn't a keyboard or mouse.
Exciting times people - get pumped. There are rumours that both Microsoft and Sony are developing their own VR what-have-you. I would not recommend getting the developer kit unless you're a developer, in which case you should already have one. I can see this tech being used for more than just gaming - architects can use it to design and display house plans, med students could use it for biology study, digital tourism, general education and the list goes on. It's a new tech that's more akin to a display than just another game controller gimmick. I hope for everyone’s sake that this becomes more than just a virtual reality.
Excited about the Oculus Rift? Tell us what you think of it in the comments below! ---------------
