Update: Latest In The World Of Virtual Reality
Virtual reality has come a long way – but more importantly – where is it going?
It’s remarkable to think that the origins of virtual reality can be traced back to the mid-18th century, with the invention of stereoscopic images played simultaneously through a pair of viewing tubes. Refined over the following decades and greatly anticipated by science fiction publications of the 20th century, VR’s official debut occurred in 1960 using a head-mounted device not entirely dissimilar in appearance to the current generation of headsets.
For more than half a decade VR has been predicted as one of the Next Big Things without ever reaching the mainstream. However, 2017 may just be the year that it finally arrives. This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (better known as E3) recently featured a series of forthcoming product launches that could propel this fledgling industry firmly towards mass public adoption in a year’s time. Here are the key facts about a market with the potential to revolutionize everything from software programming and website design through to gaming and live streaming…
Technology is struggling with the demands of VR.
Scientific studies have suggested that a frame rate of 90fps is the minimum required to avoid motion sickness or a sense of dislocation. The fact that Sony’s forthcoming PlayStation VR barely runs at 60fps caused a fair degree of queasiness at E3, with even experienced VR gamers struggling to cope with Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. Microsoft’s Xbox replacement Project Scorpio VR console won’t be launched for at least 18 months, and Nintendo has flatly refused to enter this particular industry, despite revolutionizing the games industry with its uniquely interactive Wii console a decade ago. Little wonder that brand new titles like Ubisoft’s extreme-sport simulator Steep are still designed to be displayed on a TV screen.
A whole new market for peripherals is opening up.
Until recently, many VR titles were adapted from existing software like the aforementioned Resident Evil title, or Fallout 4 for HTC’s upcoming Vive headset. By contrast, Farpoint is a brand new first-person shooter designed and coded specifically for use through Sony’s forthcoming PSVR, and the company’s proprietary Aim Controller. This rifle-shaped device features down-the-barrel scoping and two triggers, alongside all the other DualShock 4 controller buttons. No prices have been confirmed yet, but peripherals like the Aim Controller will add an extra layer of authenticity to VR gaming as well as increasing its cost among consumers.
Platform exclusivity is going to increase.
As one of the major movie houses, Sony is uniquely placed to keep its blockbuster games and film adaptations PS4-exclusive. Rival VR provider, Oculus, is also currently acquiring multiplatform games to achieve exclusivity on its proprietary Rift headset, and Microsoft is hardly averse to locking out rivals from its own products. Consumers may find their preferred titles dictate their future choice of consoles – a far cry from the relatively free choice between today’s Xbox and PlayStation machines.
New styles of game are on the way.
Resembling an outtake from the Saw movies, E3 hosted a trailer for a game called Statik Institute of Retention, where puzzles have to be solved through logical deduction to free a first-person character. This provides one indication that VR games will evolve into new sectors, away from the usual RPG/FPS/driving genres that work so well on a flat screen. Oculus’s The Unspoken is another example of this phenomenon, taking fighting games into the virtual world with hand-held fireballs and the ability to hide behind on-screen objects.