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My experiences in virtual reality

4.10.2016

Translation: machine translated

HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and soon Playstation VR. Virtual reality is finally a reality. After initial delivery problems, VR goggles are now quite readily available. I am happy to share my experiences with you so that you know what you are getting into. This much up front: it's worth it.

A little over a year ago, I had the opportunity to test the HTC Vive before its official release. At that time, it was still a pre-production model. The experience still blew me away.

I was full of excitement when I put on the VR headset and said: "Wow, I'm moving in a completely different world." The demo "The Blu" was the first experience that stuck with me. With this gigantic whale that swam right past me and stared straight into my soul with its huge googly eyes. Really cool. Then something more serious: shooting zombies. Just as I had imagined: simply wave the motion-sensitive Vive controllers around the room, aim, pull the trigger, zombie dead! I had seen the future and knew: I had to have this thing.

Buy it, plug it in, get started

As soon as the Vive was available online from HTC, I ordered it and was as excited as a little kid waiting for his new Lego bagger. The minimum hardware requirements were announced before the release. Might just be enough - if you close both eyes:

AMD-FX-8150
8GB DDR3 RAM
ASUS GTX-970

Laser base stations mounted on the wall, the required space created (3.2x2.2m), Vive plugged in and installed. The fun could begin: "The Lab" and also "The Blu" ran great despite rather long loading times and I got to say hello to the whale again and again until we became inseparable friends. Shooting zombies was next on the agenda. I can highly recommend the demo version of "The Brookhaven Experiment". My flatmate's girlfriend was simply delicious to watch (both acoustically and visually). Unfortunately, I no longer have the video. But you can get an impression from the video we shot with our customers at the demo event:

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Our customers test the HTC Vive
by Sandro Hostettler

Other cool games I tried out with the Vive were "Vanishing Realms", an action-adventure RPG hybrid (developed by a single person!), which impressively demonstrates how the VR experience can have an extremely positive effect on this genre. Sword in one hand, shield in the other and waving it around, fending off attacks, ducking, lunging and dishing out - it's a real joy and gives an extremely satisfying feeling when you take down a 2.5 metre tall skeleton warrior!

"Tilt Brush" was also a fun experience. You can imagine it like paint, but in VR. You can walk around the drawing and look at it from all sides. My first work of art was a...um... face with two big eyes and a long, droopy nose ;-). (No joke - funnily enough, the first colleague from Marketing who also tested this programme drew exactly the same face. Hmm..)

In my opinion, horror games have the strongest effect. But I'm not really that much of a horror fan. But I thought, if I'm going to do it, then do it properly and in virtual reality. In the end, I found a little game. "The Visitor", which a young game designer actually only developed to scare his friends. I was no better off. I was so scared that I had to rip the Vive off my head... But I have to admit that I'm more of a frightened person. Others probably have less trouble with that.

When your stomach starts to grumble, you need a new PC

How I put together my new PC is explained in this article:

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My new PC - VR-optimised!
by Roy Sonderegger

New PC vs. Oculus Rift

With my new setup, I was finally ready to test the Oculus Rift, which is limited to a seated experience due to the (still) lack of touch/move controllers. Some of the games that Oculus offers are the same as on the HTC Vive. Here are three games that I tested on the Oculus .

Dirt Rally

I would describe myself as a good driver, but virtual racing in a rally car is a completely different calibre. Sitting behind the virtual wheel, seeing (and hearing) the co-driver next to you and spinning around on mountainous tracks is definitely an extraordinary experience. Even though I landed on the roof for the first time after about 5 metres - a resistant stomach is a must here, despite the smooth frame rate! Anyone who has the benefit of VR glasses should definitely try something like this out.

EVE: Valkyrie

A boy's dream: sitting in the Cockpit of a space fighter and dogfighting comes true. Although I'm sitting on my chair in front of the screen with the Rift, I feel like a real pilot. The feeling of jetting around in space and being able to move in three dimensions has a very special appeal - there's definitely more to come! Sony Eve Valkyrie will also be released with the Playstation VR.

Lucky's Tale

A classic platform game that many will remember from the N64 or Playstation (One) era. However, the player controls the camera with their head. There are also some funny integrations of the VR headset. For example, when the hero Lucky is in a cave and you can only illuminate a limited area with your own view (see image). The game is intended more as a gimmick (currently supplied free with the Oculus) and the immersion is not quite as strong due to the camera perspective. However, the world is really cute and you would rather invite the funny animated animals to play than stomp them flat.

Conclusion: A promising start with an even more promising future

Virtual reality in the gaming sector is still in its infancy. However, the first marketable devices (Oculus Rift and HTC Vive) already offer an indescribable feeling. You are immersed in the gaming world in a completely new way. The launch of Playstation VR in October will massively expand the target group and the coming years will show what direction it will take. The foundation for this has now been laid. Bethesda has announced "Fallout 4 VR" for 2017, which could be a major milestone in the VR sector. My experience has shown that VR is a real pleasure, but also requires the right hardware to be able to enjoy the experience properly. There are also a lot of games and apps that I haven't tried yet. What is certain is that we gamers are in for an exciting time.

What experiences have you had with VR? Which VR glasses will you be getting? I look forward to your comments below.

VR glasses from our range

Finally, I am pleased to announce that we are now officially authorised to sell the HTC Vive, including the corresponding accessories, as an official partner of HTC. We expect the first delivery in mid-October, around the same time we will also receive the Oculus Rift (EU version) and Playstation VR for the first time.