Imagine being able to explore a secret forest, rock climb, or even launch into Outer Space inside your own home. Impossible, right? Well, thanks to new virtual reality technology, you can. The Oculus Rift is a gaming system that completely immerses you into virtual worlds with a head-mounted display and integrated headphones for a true first person experience. In addition to this, The Rift also includes a stationary IR Sensor that allows for the user to engage while sitting, standing, or walking around a room.
The man behind the magic is Palmer Luckey–founder of Oculus VR. At the age of 18, Luckey began working on his first prototype with the intent to create a better head mounted display. The existing ones at the time were high latency and low contrast–not ideal for a gaming fanatic like himself. Two short years and $2.7 million dollars later, Luckey had received a tremendous amount of positive feedback on his project from notable gaming developers. Oculus VR was later acquired by Facebook in 2012, leaving Luckey amongst the youngest millionaires in the country.
While Oculus VR was still developing their product, they released five different prototypes to the public, two of which were sold as development kits. Famous YouTube gamers like “POiiSED” reviewed the prototypes in reaction videos and unboxings. A frequent complaint in the video reviews were of an unbearable nausea, causing some gamers to throw up. Studies show that the “simulator sickness” is actually the opposite of motion sickness. The brain is convinced you are moving, while the body remains still. Fortunately, Oculus has made great strides since then, switching from a liquid crystal display (LCD) to an organic light emitting diode (OLED), allowing for an accelerated on-screen display.
Pre-orders for the consumer version of The Rift began January 6 and are expected to arrive into homes March 28. Each $599 pre-order includes a headset, sensor, remote, Xbox One controller, and two games; Valkyrie and Lucky’s Tale. Through an epic space mission, players of Valkyrie will experience the thrill of being in the cockpit of a heavily armed fighter ship. Players have the option to fly solo or challenge their friends to multiplayer dogfights. If the futuristic Valkyrie sounds too intense for you, Lucky’s Tale is an easy-going alternative. Lucky, an animated fox, will accompany players on an intriguing journey through various fantasy lands. This game truly encaptures the spirit of adventure and creativity with ‘worlds’ similar to that of Avatar.
Virtual reality bridges the path between your everyday life and any world you can imagine. Gamer or not, the Oculus Rift has something for everyone.