[Freddy]

An article from The Guardian (UK) last month...

Virtual Reality is ... well, real. The last year has seen the launch of every major VR platform, from high-quality tethered systems like HTC’s Vive and Facebook’s Oculus Rift, through to cheap-and-cheerful smartphone-based platforms like Google’s Daydream and Samsung’s Gear VR.

The early adopters have bought in, the launch games have been launched, and now that the initial flurry of excitement has died down, the more pressing questions are left: how will the platforms evolve? What will you actually be able to do with them? And is VR just a stepping stone anyway, to the even more science-fiction future of augmented reality tech?

At its inception, VR is unquestionably a gaming technology first and foremost. The most expensive and technologically advanced systems have an almost total focus on serving the hardcore gamer market. Even the simpler systems, which lack the pixel-pushing power necessary to satisfy modern players, still end up with a preponderance of games and game-like projects, because that’s what’s easiest to build with the tools available.

Source : The Guardian

Full Article : https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/27/will-2017-be-the-year-virtual-reality-gets-real

[LOCKSUIT]

The name "2017" sounds like it.

[Art]

Some of my friends say that VR and AR are simply fads that will go the way of those red and blue 3D glasses several years ago...a flash in the pan without any practical value.

We'll just have to wait and "see".

[LOCKSUIT]

Well, true in some sense (maybe), but for when the AI clean-up bots come, definitely it will be used by them. What I mean is they will be like frying flipping acrobats doing stuff in VR and with foglets manipulating reality and it just is crazy like crazy mahn it's, there's a lot. It's deep.

[Freddy]

To be fair though current VR is way ahead of those old blue/red glasses.

[LOCKSUIT]

I heard you say Freddy you have a Oculus Rift?

- Can you see the pixels?
- Are there "spaces" between the pixels?
- Is there so many pixels that you can't tell what's reality?
- Does it cover aroundddd your eyes enough to say that it's not similar to typical "flat-screens"?

[Freddy]

Can you see the pixels?

Yes if you look for them, on text mostly. I'd like to see 4K in the future, but it's not so noticeable as it makes it bad. You can up the settings if your GPU card can handle it so it's more smooth - like AA. Really though I don't notice it much, but it's not yet as clear as a modern monitor. Some text is a bit blurry is my main complaint, but it becomes clearer if you look directly at it - the sides lose focus a bit for reading text.

Are there "spaces" between the pixels?

If you go looking for them yes, overall I don't notice it much, but they are there. More noticeable horizontally.

Is there so many pixels that you can't tell what's reality?

No. The full resolution is ‎2160 x 1200 pixels, giving you 1,080 x 1,200 per eye. But the immersive quality tends to outweigh the shortcomings for most things. In games you are too busy to notice and with recent improvements in video cameras and still cameras some of the visuals are really very good indeed.

Does it cover aroundddd your eyes enough to say that it's not similar to typical "flat-screens"?

It covers your eyes yes, you can see things to the side and above, the field of view is pretty good, but I'd like to see it go a little wider for some things. It's nothing like a monitor, it's completely different.

Really though, if you want to know, see if you can find a store demonstrating them. It's difficult to describe to someone on paper, you really have to see it.

For me it's been a lot of fun so far and the specs are good enough to make it a wow thing. Of course, the further they push it the better.

[LOCKSUIT]

Interesting.

When you say it's nothing like a monitor, then, I'd like to ask you - is it just like what I'm seeing now from my own eyes? (I don't see how it could be different then that). The reason I'm asking is because you said it's nothing like a monitor instead of saying it's "like" reality.

[Freddy]

Hmm, it's not like reality it's virtual reality 

It's like looking at something real except in lower resolution is my best stab at that.

You can look all around yourself and the scene - so it's not like looking at a static flat monitor. And you are immersed in the world and don't see real world interfering with it.

As I suggested - try to find a store is my best advice if you want to know what it's like. Or buy one of the cheap "I Am Cardboard" kits and attach a phone to it - that will give you some idea.

[LOCKSUIT]

Yes it's like real life (don't tell the others we call it virtual reality). And is lower resolution.