Virtual Reality

One of those mythical items that has been talked about for years in tech circles is Virtual Reality. I remember queuing to have a go of one such device back in the 90's while in Disneyland with my family (unfortunately giving up as the queue was so long).

Personally, I've always seen it as a gaming tool - something to make it more 'immersive', and not just looking at a screen.

Oculus (recently purchased by Facebook) were the latest in the line of companies to make an attempt for the under-developed space. Taking many of the modern components already in current smartphones (gyroscopes, high resolution screens, etc) they were actively developing some incredible devices, the Oculus Rift. It seems they were doing well enough that Sony is taking the plunge with their own version of the device which is high praise. 

As mentioned, I always saw the devices being interesting primarily for gaming, and most likely for simulation (e.g. training of soldiers for military environments). The video below shows the potential:

https://developer.oculusvr.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2915 This is the v0.3 release of the Hydradeck: Cover Shooter demo for the Oculus Rift and Razer Hydra. New features include reloading, UZIs and grenades. If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear from you on the forums!

I'd always seen it as a tool or entertainment device. Sceptics were even more wary, not seeing the point at all. And then, Marc Andreesen posted the tweet below, the video is below that.... Eye-opening and moving.:

The Oculus Rift team donates a dev kit so that my grandmother can experience the outside world from inside her home. For some reason, her favorite part was just being able to walk up the stairs. Keep making art, keep living life, and remember to love one another.

What do you think?

Neal McQuaid