A virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of a 3D images or
an environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way
by a person using special electronic equipment like a helmet or gloves with
sensors. There have been plenty of different virtual reality devices being
produced year after year such as the oculus designed specially for games, the
Samsung s5 headset which is for their phones, HTC Hive, Sony Morpheus,
Microsoft Hololens, Razor OSVR and the list goes on. Virtual reality products
have been becoming more and more popular but is the approach that companies
have taken towards them the right one? How will it affect the user? and will it
be worth the buy?
Can the next big thing be virtual gaming? Yes, companies have been
working on virtual gaming devices for a while and it’s now that they have
become open for the world to use. Oculus Rift was available to use at PAX, and
now virtual reality gaming centre will be opening in Australia. So no one can
really say that virtual gaming isn’t going to make it because as everyone can
see it’s soon going to hit the shelves and able for anyone to buy. The idea of
being wrapped up in a reality that is created and not real has been the goal of
many computer programmers and scientists all over the years and now that they
are almost finished the producing them gamers as well as non-gamers can now do
what only their imagination could and live in a fantasy world. A virtual
reality is something that feels real but isn’t, and that’s what the Oculus rift
and the other devices will provide. Many different fields can use the VR as a
way to train students whether they be primary school children to university
students without putting them in harm's way, this includes the fields of
medicine, law enforcement, the army and aviation. It also helps those who cant
experience a full life do things they can't do due to disabilities as well as
visiting cities that they wouldn't have the money for and just do any activity
that the user desires. VR headsets have many advantages and uses to it besides
just for gaming so yes the companies who have been making these helmets have
been going the right direction with the headset because it isn't just an
entertainment device but also a device which can be used to teach others and
can be used by doctors to help their patients.
If consoles are affecting some people mentally and giving them a more
anti-social and violent behaviour, would that make the VR Headsets have more
worse affects too?
A big worry about the headsets is that as the VR environments become
much more higher quality and immersive it would take them away from their real
life and entrap them into the virtual world which they live in and could also
lead to low-self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness and insignificant . But
let's be honest here, that won't happen to majority of gamers out there so it's
not really something to be too worried about unless the person has had similar
things happen to them in the past due to consoles or any other technology. Many
people do suffer from motion sickness though and the VR headsets were known to
trigger it as well which is a big con for people who suffer from it and want to
buy the product for themselves.
another side affect with VR headsets is that the makers of flight
simulators found out that the pilots who had used such simulators sometimes
made mistakes during actual flight because of the differences between the
simulated environment and reality. The problem isn't permanent but because of
this, pilots who have used simulators aren't permitted to fly unless they've
been away from them for at least 24 hours.
Everything has its side effects, some more than the other but that
shouldn't stop people from buying it because it doesn't affect everyone.
The question everyone asks themselves before anything, will it be worth
the buy?
The technology for such an experience is still new and experimental and
buying it when it can still be improved and made better isn't a very wise thing
to do. The hardware needed to create a fully immersed VR experience is still
cost prohibitive. According to the Oculus VR co-founder Nate Mitchell, the
Oculus will be offered around 200-400 dollars which isn't really that much but
you'll need a really good computer to run it and that can cost up 1500 dollars
if you know what you're buying. But if you're willing to put your time into the
VR headsets and not buy and not use it after day 1, then yes, I do believe the
product is worth the buy because it is revolutionary to gaming and you really
wouldn't want to miss out on something like it.
A virtual reality is something that feels real
but isn’t, and that’s what the Oculus rift and the other devices will provide. Out
of all the consoles and different platforms of gaming to come out, virtual
reality has definitely taken the spotlight for gaming even though it may be
slightly more expensive than most consoles which have came out. It's no doubt
something that everyone should check out and consider buying because it is a
game changer and could be the future of gaming and the ender of next-gen
console gaming.
