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QOTW: Are virtual-reality headsets the next big thing?

by Tarinder Sandhu on 27 March 2015, 16:30

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There has been a plethora of announcements on virtual-reality headsets in the past six months. Barely a day goes by before someone is announcing a new model, new software, or promising the best experience.

Facebook, Google, Sony, Samsung, AMD, Razer, Nvidia, Valve and HTC, to name but a few, have all tipped their hats into the VR ring, hoping their combination of upcoming hardware and software will make VR the must-have experience of the future.

But there's a lot to get right before VR becomes truly immersive technology outside of tech demos. Latency, tracking, horsepower, resolution and form factor all have to be solved, and then there's the question of whether VR headsets should be tethered to PCs and consoles or purely standalone devices.

For all the perceived difficulty, truly gorgeous VR is something to behold - a game-changer of epic proportions. So with all that you have heard and read, do you believe that virtual-reality headsets will be the next big thing in tech?



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HEXUS Forums :: 48 Comments

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Gaming is, well, for me anyway, about immersion. Take me to a battlefield where I can lay waste to my foes or travel the stars in a far flung future… the stuff dreams are made of.

Unfortunately not everyone can dream such a fantastic story or adventure on a whim. That's where gaming comes in, it fills that void that we crave, the more gaming can immerse us closer to that real world lucid dream the better in my book.

VR headsets are a step in that direction, bring them on, make them available to the masses, and move onto the next step that will increase the immersion.
I do see it as something that would be fun to have, but the obvious issue would be Battery life or an annoying cable. I can just image someone using the Wii controllers and playing a zombie game, goes in for the machete kill, Yanks the cable VR headset flies into the wall only to become a Reality Reality.

Who knows this may be a cheaper alternative to buying a 70" 4k TV, making for Cinema, TV, YouTube, and Wizards Dreams come to life. Because we have tried to sleep in bed watching cute cat videos, only to have our phone fall flat onto your nose.
I don't see it as a fad this time. Technology has caught up and can enable a great VR experience now, and with all the development time that Occulus has put in (which has made the likes of Sony do the same) when they finally hit the market this time around they should be nice and mature and give a great user experience. Once word gets around how great it is I think it might take a bite out of monitor sales a little.
This will be about as popular as 3D gaming I'm guessing, it's still a long way off mainstream. And what's the longest someone has used one of these before throwing up their dinner?
Having used the DK2… Going to be huge… VERY immersive (possible too much immersion).

If the consumer Rift is slick and nice wide angle then can see a lot of emaciated gamers being found dead with them on.