![]() I could draw in a 3D space and move through the stuff I had drawn, effectively dropping myself into a world I created. One of the best examples to me was a surprisingly simple app on the HTC Vive. ![]() These experiences involve more complex headsets, tracking equipment and advanced controllers - all connected to a powerful computer or console. You'll find them in the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Sony's PlayStation VR - the products of big money that translates into sharper, smoother moving imagery and better interactivity. High-end VR headsets like it offer sharper, smoother moving imagery and better interactivity than budget products like Google Cardboard. From disarming a bomb to strolling on the deck of a sunken ship, these are being demonstrated around the world as the height of VR right now.Ī woman checks a pair of HTC Vive Virtual Reality goggles during the Gamescom 2015 fair in Cologne, Germany. The VR experiences that do allow you to move around are a lot more immersive. Like the Cardboard, it's also limited in the frame of reference it provides - meaning you can look around, but you can't move around in the virtual space. One of the unique examples was Dead Secret, a game that uses tense music and touch controls to help you investigate a murder-mystery.įor now, Gear VR only works with four models of Samsung smartphones (although it will soon work with the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge). Samsung unveils Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones, VR camera.A curated store has a selection of movies, apps and games. Touch controls and buttons add a layer of interactivity. (Anand Ram/CBC)īuilt in collaboration with Oculus VR (a company owned and backed by Facebook), the Gear VR has straps to keep the device mounted to your face. The headgear is the key difference.įor now, Gear VR only works with four models of Samsung smartphones. The concept is similar, with a smartphone and two lenses powering the virtual reality. Samsung Gear VRĪ $140 step up from Google Cardboard is Samsung's Gear VR. Being handheld, it's also not the most comfortable, which could affect your sense of immersion. You're mostly an observer, albeit with a larger field of vision than say, a movie. In that sense, Google Cardboard is passive VR. It's not the same thing as physically being at the Eiffel Tower, but you can still look up in amazement. Google's own Cardboard app has some neat offerings, including a "urban hike" through some of the world's most famous landmarks. Rather than paying attention to Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek, I found myself moving my head to take in the awkward smiles of the crowd during a dud or staring at the cue card holders. It offers VR experiences like being at the 40th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live. The VRSE app is one of the most impressive examples on Cardboard. Put a smartphone inside, start up any number of Cardboard-ready apps and you're ready to go. (Almost any smartphone will do - my two-year-old Nexus 5 handled it just fine.)Īt around $20, Google Cardboard is VR at its cheapest and most practical: a piece of cardboard with some plastic lenses. Put an Android smartphone or iPhone inside, start up any number of Cardboard-ready apps and you're ready to go. But how do these experiences differ - and are they worth the price? Google CardboardĪt around $20, Google Cardboard is VR at its cheapest and most practical: a piece of cardboard with some plastic lenses. Winning means convincing a lot of people - not just to smile or gasp or laugh, but to walk away with a readiness to spend money - perhaps hundreds of dollars - and bring that experience home.įacebook, Google and Samsung are just a few of the big companies hoping to do that, at prices ranging from $20 to more than $800. And for the budding VR industry, this year could mean the difference between winning or withering away. The virtual reality renaissance is already here. At technology shows like this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, there's a good chance an oddly shaped visor will be strapped to your head and pressed against your eyes in an effort to make your mouth drop wide open.
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