Virtual Reality

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality is a technology that involves a computer with a VR headset with external sensors in a room to simulate the user in a virtual world. The headset has gyroscopes, accelerometers, and other sensors that allow it to track its positioning in the environment to move the screen in the headset as the user performs actions. This gives the illusion that the user is moving in the virtual world. The computer must be powerful enough to handle both the game environment as well as the virtual environment that the user is occupying. The cost of VR may be large, but investing will mean having a unique experience that isn't just limited to video games. For a link to the HTC Vive, click the picture below. To check out how to get started on Virtual Reality, Click Here.

Controllers and Interaction

Most if not all high-end VR headsets will come with controllers that allow the user to interact with the environment. These controllers use their own sensors and communicate with other sensors placed in specific locations in the room. The controllers allow the computer to track the user's exact position and interpet it into the game, with vibrations and tactile responses from the controllers and with their own physical controls that make the user feel that they are truly interacting in the VR world. The controllers can appear in the headset as hands or any object that the user will interact with. Each Virtual Reality headset has their own respective controllers. To go to a the Oculus Rift website, click the picture below. To learn more about Virtual Reality controllers and headsets for the GearVR system, Click Here.

The Future of VR

Virtual Reality is still a very new technology. Due to its limitd use and high cost, VR is not as ubiquitous as the amount of computers and televisions in a household. There are very few games that actually support VR, and the ones that do may not be the most optimized or may not take full advantage of a VR system's capabilities. VR itself, while also high-tech, is not a complete optimal experience and still needs much development. Not all people can also use VR comfortably, as motion sickness is still a factor. Even with all of these issues, VR will still be highly anticipated. VR can allow people to not only have a real-life interaction with video games, but also with many other applications, such as virtually exploring the world. These unique experiences from Virtual Reality will surely develop into better and amazing realities in the future. For how to build an "ultimate" VR ready computer, click the picture below. To learn more about the future of Virtual Reality, Click Here.