Hello
my friends,
But even though the concept of plugging a general-purpose VR headset into a gaming PC is just starting to take off. People have been sticking their heads into virtual environments for quite some time. All the way back to 1962 when the world was introduced to the ‘sensorama’ a contraption that not only played 3d movies but, could tilt the viewer seat and even simulate wind and different orders.
Virtual reality in video games didn't really start appearing until the 1980s. When we started seeing arcade games like battle zone that used a periscope viewfinder to immerse players in the action and 3d glasses that were available for consoles like the Sega Master System. 1995 brought us the Nintendo Virtual Boy the first mass marketed VR console. But, although that one was marketed as being a totally immersive experience. Its underwhelming monochrome graphics and difficulty of use made it one of the worst flops in Nintendo history.
However other companies were working on PC compatible headsets during this time and the evolution of technology over the years ultimately gave us the hi-spec VR headsets of today. But then how do they work? Modern VR headsets show slightly different images to each of your eyes to fool your brain into thinking the 2d image on the screen is 3d. This principle is called stereoscopy and is actually similar to how the screen on a Nintendo 3ds works.
Welcome
to Tech Quickly, the coolest texture on the web.
There
are plenty of ways that people try to escape the sometimes-underwhelming reality
of everyday life. Going to the movies, visiting the local watering hole or just
sleeping until noon. But there's been a lot of buzz recently about the idea of immersing
yourself in a virtual world with a virtual reality headset such as the oculus
rift or HTC vive.
But even though the concept of plugging a general-purpose VR headset into a gaming PC is just starting to take off. People have been sticking their heads into virtual environments for quite some time. All the way back to 1962 when the world was introduced to the ‘sensorama’ a contraption that not only played 3d movies but, could tilt the viewer seat and even simulate wind and different orders.
 |
| sensorama |
Virtual reality in video games didn't really start appearing until the 1980s. When we started seeing arcade games like battle zone that used a periscope viewfinder to immerse players in the action and 3d glasses that were available for consoles like the Sega Master System. 1995 brought us the Nintendo Virtual Boy the first mass marketed VR console. But, although that one was marketed as being a totally immersive experience. Its underwhelming monochrome graphics and difficulty of use made it one of the worst flops in Nintendo history.
 |
| Nintendo Virtual Boy |
However other companies were working on PC compatible headsets during this time and the evolution of technology over the years ultimately gave us the hi-spec VR headsets of today. But then how do they work? Modern VR headsets show slightly different images to each of your eyes to fool your brain into thinking the 2d image on the screen is 3d. This principle is called stereoscopy and is actually similar to how the screen on a Nintendo 3ds works.
To
achieve a higher level of immersion VR headsets, use special lenses to increase
the users field of view as well as pixels with very quick response times to
reduce motion blur. Meaning OLED screens have become popular for headsets.
Unlike
a monitor which can deliver a perfectly enjoyable gaming experience at 60
frames per second headsets have higher refresh rates typically around 90 Hertz
and the high-quality ones today. Which is important because lower frame rates
lower refresh rates can be disorienting in a VR context and cause motion
sickness.
Not
what you want after you've dropped several hundred bucks on a rift or a vibe. Because
though of the high frame rate requirement and the headset resolutions that are
well beyond 1080p a high-end PC system is basically a necessity. But beyond just graphics VR headsets have
sensors like gyroscopes and accelerometers to allow for head tracking. So that
what you see will change depending on where you're looking.
Some
headsets like the HTC vive even use separate external base stations and lasers
to enable whole room tracking so the system can detect the motion of your hands
as well. So, as you can imagine these headsets don't exactly come cheap. Fortunately,
other lower-cost VR solutions are becoming increasingly popular such as Google
cardboard which isn't much more than a couple of lenses inside a cardboard box
with a slot where you can insert a smartphone.
 |
| HTC vive |
Developers
have already written quite a few apps for cardboard making it a way to enjoy VR
on the cheap if you don't have the coin for a gaming rig and a fancier headset.
Although this new generation of VR headsets is just now hitting the market. There's
already quite a bit of industry support meaning that VR has the potential to
really make up how we experience games on both PCs and consoles.
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