Gaming is continuously adapting and changing. While Microsoft and Sony
innovated the console market with their next-gen releases, online game
providers such as Rational Group were turning their focus towards the ever- expanding mobile market. Valve vowed to bring the online platform into our living rooms with SteamOS, and a whole range of controllers and gadgets,
from the SteelSeries to the Leap Motion Controller, were shaking up the way we play.
Meanwhile, a little company called Oculus VR were casting out their nets to
reel in the white wale of gaming. The head-mounted Oculus Rift device has
pioneered the possibility of virtual reality and bought it out of the sci-fi dreams
and into the real world. The latest Crystal Cove prototype has made huge
strides towards commercial release, sporting a low-persistence OLED display
and motion trackers to reduce judder and motion blur, eradicating the issue of
stimulator sickness.
The incredible capabilities of the Crystal Cove have gotten potential
consumers very excited, while the recent launch of the Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2
(DK2) is pushing the boat out for the gaming crowd. Available on pre-order for
$350, the DK2 will allow developers to create ground-breaking games for the
Rift, making the gadget’s launch that one step closer.
“DK2 isn’t identical to the consumer Rift, but the fundamental building blocks
for great VR are there,” said the company in a statement. “All the content
developed using DK2 will work with the consumer Rift. And while the overall
experience still needs to improve before it’s consumer-ready, we’re getting
closer every day. DK2 is not the Holodeck yet, but it’s a major step in the right
direction.”
However, although the initial focus of the Rift is on the gaming community,
the implications of virtual reality technology stretch far further. In an interview
with PC Gamer, founder of Oculus VR Palmer Lucky said: “When VR is going
to be exciting is when it gets as good as real life at everything. And you start
to say, well, ‘Why would I travel on a business meeting across the world just
to go sit face-to-face with people, if we can just plug in Rifts and get all of the
same communication we could have gotten otherwise?”
In the meantime, the company is focusing on ironing out all the creases before
the Rift hits the shelves. “Virtual reality is going to continue to evolve rapidly in
the coming years. There’s no cutting corners or ‘good enough’ when it comes
to VR; the consumer Rift needs to be perfect and we’re dedicated to getting
it right. We’re moving as fast as possible and promise it’ll be worth the wait,”
stated Oculus.
“We truly believe virtual reality will change the world”.
