The past two decades, we've been plagued with representations of a virtual reality game system in movies and literature, and for that entire time, we have always been disappointed when someone attempted to make VR gaming a possibility. Nintendo tried the VirtualBoy, which is now just a collector's item, and other arcade consoles have tried to turn the technology into a viable form of gaming. Recent attempts were made at allowing 3D compatability in select PS3 titles, but that didn't take off entirely well, either. For as long as the idea of VR technology has existed, it's always remained a dream that seemed to be impossible to obtain. Just this week, however, virtual reality gaming has become a substantial reality.
Developer Oculus has developed a headset, simply named "Rift," that allows for a full, immersive VR experience that puts any other attempt to shame. The technology, an inspirational Kickstarter-funded underdog, was revealed at the last E3, but was met with less than enthusiastic coverage by mainstream media. When it was brought to CES yesterday, however, the hands-on demonstrations were all the rage by both press and general audiences. The device is composed of surround-sound quality headphones, and two monitors set up similar to the basic goggle setup that we're familiar with. The Rift contains stereoscopic 3D technology, and a spot-on orientation tracking software that moves according to where your head is tilted.
The whole point of the Rift is to bring this futuristic technology to the average gamer by making it an affordable, yet functional, piece of software. Oculus is currently working on the consumer version, but the software-savvy can receive a dev kit from Oculus to test the tech and develop your own VR experience, in exchange for a pledge. More details are at www.oculusvr.com . As a fan of all things indie, I strongly urge you to support the development of this device.
Written by Caleb Smith
Tech Editor for TheTechFixation.com
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