Oculus Rift, image above provided by https://www.oculus.com/rift/
Summary
Games have been around from the very begging of computers. In 1958, a simple tennis game was created and then in 1970, the more popular game Pong was invented. Since that time, games have been part of the digital world, evolving each year to bring better experiences. In 1985, we moved from games on computers to being able to play on gaming console from the original Nintendo Entertainment system and classics like Atari, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis to the new devices like PlayStation, Wii, and Xbox. As new consoles came out the games evolved from simple 2D games to massive open world adventures. Graphics have gotten better every year and are reaching a point where they look lifelike. Even though these games have evolved in amazing ways, in the end, the experience is not unique. The visual effects have improved but the game still involves sitting in front a screen with a controller, but all of that changed in 2015. In 2015, Oculus came out with a gaming device called the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality gaming system. With this new system, we have moved from sitting in front of the TV watching an adventure or experience to being in the middle of it. The Oculus transports you from your living room into new worlds. This will be a revolution in gaming and many other industries. This page will explain the Oculus and the technology behind it as well as the experience that it provides and the changes it can bring to not only the gaming industry but to other industries as well.
Intro
There has never been a time like now where you can feel completely immersed in a virtual experience. Facebook, the owner of Oculus Rift says: “Rift is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Whether you’re stepping into your favorite game, watching an immersive VR movie, jumping to a destination on the other side of the world, or just spending time with friends in VR, you’ll feel like you’re really there (Oculus website, 2017).” This experience is starting to spread and we are now seeing many VR headsets coming into the market and content for the platforms are improving every day. This article will talk about the Oculus Rift headset and the experiences one can have with them.
History of the Oculus Rift
On August 1, 2012, Palmer Luckey, the creator of the Oculus Rift, set up a Kickstarter for the first design of the Oculus Rift he said:
"Oculus Rift is a new virtual reality (VR) headset designed specifically for video games that will change the way you think about gaming forever. With an incredibly wide field of view, high-resolution display, and ultra-low latency head tracking, the Rift provides a truly immersive experience that allows you to step inside your favorite game and explore new worlds like never before. (Lucky, 2012)"
and in just three days, they had raised over a million dollars. The first release of the Oculus was a developer’s kit called Dev Kit 1 and was sold for $300, a relatively low price for a virtual reality headset. Following that release the Rift continued to improve, garnering attention from some large technology companies, and finally, on March 25, 2014, Facebook acquired Oculus for$2 billion, Marc Zuckerberg said:
“Oculus's mission is to enable you to experience the impossible. Their technology opens up the possibility of completely new kinds of experiences… But this is just the start. After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face -- just by putting on goggles in your home (Zuckerberg, Facebook 2014).”
Dev Kit 1
The first Oculus unit sold was a developer kit called the Dev Kit 1. The kit came with the Oculus Rift headset, two HDMI cables, a DVI cable, an HDMI / DVI adapter, microUSB, an international power adapter, and a copy of the Oculus SDK. The headset had a 7-inch screen, one cord attached to it, and weighed 379g. When the Oculus SDK kit first came out it included support for unity and Unreal Engine 3. Though you were immersed in the Oculus and its resolution was good, there were still some issues with the first Rift. There was no ability to control your movements in VR rather you only had control of moving your head, left to right and up and down. This lack of control broke any real feeling of being in Virtual Really which was an issue because the whole point of VR is to enter a complete experience. Even with a few issues there was great hope for the future of VR Gavin Gear a writer for Microsoft said: "I feel like I’m just getting started with Oculus VR, and with such an easy to use SDK, I may have to do more software development with it. The hardest thing is deciding between all the ideas I have for apps, and all of the cool DirectX games and demos to try. I can’t wait for the future of PC gaming! (Gear, 2013)"
Oculus Rift SDK2
In 2014, Oculus released its second developer kit, an incredible improvement from its original form. The resolution was bumped up from 720p LCD, 640 X 800 in each eye, to a 1080p OLED panel, 960 X 1080 in each eye. This improvement allowed the Rift to improve its overall pixel count. Increasing the pixel count helped get rid of what is know as “screen door effect.” Along with the increase in pixels, they increased their frame rates and the Oculus’s ability to detect your head movement, essentially removing the motion sickness that the original Rift was creating. The new kit also came with a new camera which allowed the Rift to track your movement, which meant one could now not only look up and down but could lean over an edge or look up into something such as a chimney. These small improvements really allowed one to get in and stay in their virtual experience. Though these were great improvements there were still some issues. The resolution needed to be increased so that it no longer looked like you were watching through a screen, eliminating any nauseating effects. The next issue was that you could only look at an 180-degree angle before the rift lost sight of you, killing any 360-degree experience. Finally, there were no hand movement controls and this needed to be addressed.
Oculus Rift
Oculus Rift Box
Finally, on March 25, 2016, the consumer version of the Rift was ready for shipping. This consumer version cost $599.99 it came with the Rift headset, a sensor, remote, and an Xbox One wireless controller. The Rift improved in a lot of areas from its developer kit to now and supported 1080 X 1200 in each eye of OLED panels with a refresh rate of 90 Hz. This combination of high refresh rates and resolution brought down motion blurring. With the new sensor, the Rift finally brought 360-degree vision and a true movement tracker. When the Oculus Rift was release, the main focus was gaming. The Rift launched with 9 titles and there were over 100 independent titles in its store. The rift also allowed for 2D videos and 360-degree videos. For example, there were experiences to walk the streets of famous cities or explore amazing structures. Though the experience was great, it wasn’t until December 6, 2016, that the Rift truly excelled at being a full virtual reality experience.
Oculus Rift with Touch
What the Oculus Touch Controler looks like to VR
Oculus Touch Controller
On December 6, 2016, the Rift was truly complete. Finally, there was the ability for you to use natural hand gestures and movements in the VR experience, and with the additional sensors included with the touch controls, you could have 360-degree motion tracking. The touch controllers were two controls molded to each hand, and they allowed for pointing and other movements like thumbs up, but the real beauty was that you could finally be immersed in VR no longer needing an Xbox controller. Oculus Inc Explains them this way "Before you even pick up a pair of Touch controllers, you know how to use them. Intuitive actions in VR feel as natural as using your real hands. (Oculus, 2017)"
Rift Experiences
At the moment, the Rift is great for gaming. There is a wide selection of shooter games, first-person puzzles, and roleplaying -- it's an experience like no other. Aside from just gaming, there are developers working to branch out and create additional experiences like rock climbing or whale watching from inside the ocean. There are also viral desktop experiences and big screen tv/movie watching. There is even an experience where you can travel in a human blood stream, but these are just the beginning, there is a lot of room for growth in every industry. Imagine touring homes and buildings before they are built or practicing medical operation, sports training, and educational experiences. The world of VR opens everyone to experiences often only had by few people.
Conclusion
Though the Rift is expensive, coming in at $599 and $299 for the additional touch control, the experience had with the Rift is worth it, and with the funding of Facebook, there is a bright future for the rift and for VR.
OCULUS RIFT
Summary
Games have been around from the very begging of computers. In 1958, a simple tennis game was created and then in 1970, the more popular game Pong was invented. Since that time, games have been part of the digital world, evolving each year to bring better experiences. In 1985, we moved from games on computers to being able to play on gaming console from the original Nintendo Entertainment system and classics like Atari, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis to the new devices like PlayStation, Wii, and Xbox. As new consoles came out the games evolved from simple 2D games to massive open world adventures. Graphics have gotten better every year and are reaching a point where they look lifelike. Even though these games have evolved in amazing ways, in the end, the experience is not unique. The visual effects have improved but the game still involves sitting in front a screen with a controller, but all of that changed in 2015. In 2015, Oculus came out with a gaming device called the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality gaming system. With this new system, we have moved from sitting in front of the TV watching an adventure or experience to being in the middle of it. The Oculus transports you from your living room into new worlds. This will be a revolution in gaming and many other industries. This page will explain the Oculus and the technology behind it as well as the experience that it provides and the changes it can bring to not only the gaming industry but to other industries as well.
Intro
There has never been a time like now where you can feel completely immersed in a virtual experience. Facebook, the owner of Oculus Rift says: “Rift is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Whether you’re stepping into your favorite game, watching an immersive VR movie, jumping to a destination on the other side of the world, or just spending time with friends in VR, you’ll feel like you’re really there (Oculus website, 2017).” This experience is starting to spread and we are now seeing many VR headsets coming into the market and content for the platforms are improving every day. This article will talk about the Oculus Rift headset and the experiences one can have with them.
History of the Oculus Rift
On August 1, 2012, Palmer Luckey, the creator of the Oculus Rift, set up a Kickstarter for the first design of the Oculus Rift he said:
"Oculus Rift is a new virtual reality (VR) headset designed specifically for video games that will change the way you think about gaming forever. With an incredibly wide field of view, high-resolution display, and ultra-low latency head tracking, the Rift provides a truly immersive experience that allows you to step inside your favorite game and explore new worlds like never before. (Lucky, 2012)"
and in just three days, they had raised over a million dollars. The first release of the Oculus was a developer’s kit called Dev Kit 1 and was sold for $300, a relatively low price for a virtual reality headset. Following that release the Rift continued to improve, garnering attention from some large technology companies, and finally, on March 25, 2014, Facebook acquired Oculus for$2 billion, Marc Zuckerberg said:
“Oculus's mission is to enable you to experience the impossible. Their technology opens up the possibility of completely new kinds of experiences… But this is just the start. After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face -- just by putting on goggles in your home (Zuckerberg, Facebook 2014).”
Dev Kit 1
The first Oculus unit sold was a developer kit called the Dev Kit 1. The kit came with the Oculus Rift headset, two HDMI cables, a DVI cable, an HDMI / DVI adapter, microUSB, an international power adapter, and a copy of the Oculus SDK. The headset had a 7-inch screen, one cord attached to it, and weighed 379g. When the Oculus SDK kit first came out it included support for unity and Unreal Engine 3. Though you were immersed in the Oculus and its resolution was good, there were still some issues with the first Rift. There was no ability to control your movements in VR rather you only had control of moving your head, left to right and up and down. This lack of control broke any real feeling of being in Virtual Really which was an issue because the whole point of VR is to enter a complete experience. Even with a few issues there was great hope for the future of VR Gavin Gear a writer for Microsoft said: "I feel like I’m just getting started with Oculus VR, and with such an easy to use SDK, I may have to do more software development with it. The hardest thing is deciding between all the ideas I have for apps, and all of the cool DirectX games and demos to try. I can’t wait for the future of PC gaming! (Gear, 2013)"
Oculus Rift SDK2
In 2014, Oculus released its second developer kit, an incredible improvement from its original form. The resolution was bumped up from 720p LCD, 640 X 800 in each eye, to a 1080p OLED panel, 960 X 1080 in each eye. This improvement allowed the Rift to improve its overall pixel count. Increasing the pixel count helped get rid of what is know as “screen door effect.” Along with the increase in pixels, they increased their frame rates and the Oculus’s ability to detect your head movement, essentially removing the motion sickness that the original Rift was creating. The new kit also came with a new camera which allowed the Rift to track your movement, which meant one could now not only look up and down but could lean over an edge or look up into something such as a chimney. These small improvements really allowed one to get in and stay in their virtual experience. Though these were great improvements there were still some issues. The resolution needed to be increased so that it no longer looked like you were watching through a screen, eliminating any nauseating effects. The next issue was that you could only look at an 180-degree angle before the rift lost sight of you, killing any 360-degree experience. Finally, there were no hand movement controls and this needed to be addressed.
Oculus Rift
Finally, on March 25, 2016, the consumer version of the Rift was ready for shipping. This consumer version cost $599.99 it came with the Rift headset, a sensor, remote, and an Xbox One wireless controller. The Rift improved in a lot of areas from its developer kit to now and supported 1080 X 1200 in each eye of OLED panels with a refresh rate of 90 Hz. This combination of high refresh rates and resolution brought down motion blurring. With the new sensor, the Rift finally brought 360-degree vision and a true movement tracker. When the Oculus Rift was release, the main focus was gaming. The Rift launched with 9 titles and there were over 100 independent titles in its store. The rift also allowed for 2D videos and 360-degree videos. For example, there were experiences to walk the streets of famous cities or explore amazing structures. Though the experience was great, it wasn’t until December 6, 2016, that the Rift truly excelled at being a full virtual reality experience.
Oculus Rift with Touch
On December 6, 2016, the Rift was truly complete. Finally, there was the ability for you to use natural hand gestures and movements in the VR experience, and with the additional sensors included with the touch controls, you could have 360-degree motion tracking. The touch controllers were two controls molded to each hand, and they allowed for pointing and other movements like thumbs up, but the real beauty was that you could finally be immersed in VR no longer needing an Xbox controller. Oculus Inc Explains them this way "Before you even pick up a pair of Touch controllers, you know how to use them. Intuitive actions in VR feel as natural as using your real hands. (Oculus, 2017)"
Rift Experiences
At the moment, the Rift is great for gaming. There is a wide selection of shooter games, first-person puzzles, and roleplaying -- it's an experience like no other. Aside from just gaming, there are developers working to branch out and create additional experiences like rock climbing or whale watching from inside the ocean. There are also viral desktop experiences and big screen tv/movie watching. There is even an experience where you can travel in a human blood stream, but these are just the beginning, there is a lot of room for growth in every industry. Imagine touring homes and buildings before they are built or practicing medical operation, sports training, and educational experiences. The world of VR opens everyone to experiences often only had by few people.
Conclusion
Though the Rift is expensive, coming in at $599 and $299 for the additional touch control, the experience had with the Rift is worth it, and with the funding of Facebook, there is a bright future for the rift and for VR.
Reference:
1. Oculus Rift | Oculus. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2017, from https://www.oculus.com/rift/2. Lucky, P (2012, August 1).Retrieved March 19, 2017, from https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1523379957/oculus-rift-step-into-the-game/description
3. Zuckerbergm, M (2014, March 25). Research and writing [Facebook Post]. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10101319050523971
4. Gear, G. Hands-On with Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Development Kit. (2014, November 07). Retrieved March 19, 2017, from https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2013/12/11/hands-on-with-oculus-rift-virtual-reality-development-kit/#WQqdeg0WipCuwrY7.97
5. Oculus Rift | Oculus. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2017, from https://www.oculus.com/rift/