Virtual Reality

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Pez

I play a good bit of Gran Tourismo in PS4, and dont have the VR headset. I wish I could just rent one for a bit to see what it's like.

I have two young kids, get little time to myself where I could cover my eyes and ears for an hour.

Have you tried one of the phone-based headsets? Those can be had for like $5, and would give you an idea of what virtual reality is like (though I’m sure it's not nearly as powerful as a PS4-based system). Google even makes a cardboard headset that you can just fold up and place your phone into. Better yet, if you have a Samsung phone, you can get the one my kids received, called the Gear VR. It’s also pretty cheap (less than $20), but the big advantage is that Samsung has a partnership with one of the big virtual reality companies (Oculus) so you get access to the Oculus system of programs and apps – kind of like the App Store for use by Apple products. The programs in Oculus’s system all work well and are designed to be easy to use.

I have not played Gran Turismo, but racing games like that could be problematic in virtual reality if you are prone to motion sickness like I am. I don’t get seasick, carsick or airsick, but it only takes about 10 seconds for me to feel a bit queasy in a virtual reality program where my movement is simulated. My youngest daughter, on the other hand, gets carsick, but has no such issues in virtual reality. The motion sickness issue is one of the big challenges that still needs to be solved.

I’ve limited my experience to programs where my perspective is largely stationary. Even then, however, it’s pretty amazing. A few examples:

1. Pictures – It puts you inside the picture, for lack of a better phrase. Certainly a better perspective than looking a photo or a computer screen.

2. Movies – my kids’ headsets came with an app that plays movies (or even videos taken with your phone) on a giant movie screen.

3. Maps / Google Streetview – there’s an app that lets you type in any address in the world and you’ll be transported into the Google Streetview photo of that exact spot. However, unlike looking at them on a computer screen, you are inside the picture.

4. Netflix – Netflix has an app that allows you to watch their shows on a giant-screen TV. Works pretty flawlessly.

Those are just a few examples. There are tons of apps, many of them games most of which I haven't played.