Software support for VR, consumer adoption & Hype

The success of VR very much relies on the adoption of Virtual Reality hardware. Its future relies on this because without a large user base, there might not be much development. It’s almost certain that games and software will require a normal and a VR version. With the amount of platforms that software already gets developed on, it won’t be viable for a lot of companies to start developing for additional hardware, especially if the new hardware’s user base won’t initially be very big.

http://www.kzero.co.uk/blog/crossing-the-chasm-virtual-reality-launch-strategies-for-mass-adoption/ 

(article about the importance of early adoption and effects of consumer hype)

The adoption of VR is not yet something that can be observed due to the fact that a consumer version of a popular VR headset has yet to be released. This means that there is yet to be any end user impressions of Virtual Reality, so there is no way of telling if it will truly be a success. The popularity of virtual reality is purely being driven by hype. Most of this comes from promises made by big companies, or videos of Development Kits online. The majority of people following the development and awaiting the release of a consumer version of a headset have yet to experience Virtual reality.

The experience of virtual reality can be as amazing as ever, but without the initial adoption, not much software will be developed, it simply wouldn't be worth developer’s time and money. The hype has already been a huge asset the VR market, and could become a large contributor to the headsets early adoption.

VR... How do I move?

One of the biggest flaws with VR right now is the lack of player input when it comes to movement. Players right now are mostly restricted to holding down buttons for movement. there are developments to counter this such as the Virtuix Omni.

Virtux Omni
http://www.virtuix.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHL4xAeMiRg

This is as of now, still a primitive solution to the issue with player movement in VR, and for something as simple as movement, the infamous factor of pricing effects its viability as a consumer product. The aim for product like this is to make a more subtle and smaller solution to player movement.

Microsoft's HoloLens

Microsoft recently announced their HoloLens at its latest keynote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCCXZ8ErVag
http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-hololens-explained-how-it-works-and-why-its-different/

This is another version of VR, but instead It's AR (augmented reality). This means that means that instead of placing you in a scene or situation, it changes your view by adding virtual assets to you existing vision. Problems I foresee happening with this headset include lack of development for the software and device itself, and once again the price. The one difference this has over the VR alternatives is that it seems to be for a more professional use, normally on a professional level price is less of a concern as people are willing to spend more on a professional grade product.

proposal

I’m going to do an academic report on the issues, restraints and limitations of VR (headsets). Be that technical limitations like the kind of hardware that just isn't yet powerful enough to run an immersive experience, or just factors that restrict consumers from properly using the headsets, such as motion sickness.

·       Technical limitations

·       General issues with US and VR

·       Cost restrictions

·       Development issues

My report will go into lengths about a specific issue, and it will also cover the resolutions and fixes that could be made, and whether it’s just temporary (such as costs and the barrier to entry for a decent experience, and how it’s likely to go down as hardware becomes more affordable/powerful). I will also look into the problems that are not likely to be resolved such as the fact that players/users can’t stand up and move around easily without losing balance. I will look into what issues like this will mean for VR, and how it would restrict users to a very static experience.

I’m looking at why VR needs very powerful hardware:

·       Needs to be 60+ Frames per second to make the imagery smooth to enhance realism and prevent motion sickness.

·       Needs to be a high resolution to keep the image crisp as jagged lines, screen door effect and low detail are very noticeable on VRHS.

·       Assets and geometry needs to be high quality because the detail of assets and game props are very noticeable in games when using VRHS.

John Carmack VR presentaion

Carmack is a veteran within the games industry, he worked on titals such as DOOM 3D and is now one of the main developers within Oculus VR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqzpAbK9qFk

Resolution limits

There has been 2 Revisions of the main VR system (Oculus Rift), DK1 and DK2, the second development kit shows an increase in resolution as well as other improvements, increase in resolution increases the fidelity, but the amount it can be raised is limited by current gen hardware.

Current technical and physical limitations of VR (headsets) FRAMES PER SECOND

The idea of virtual reality is very much engrained in gamer’s minds, it’s not long now until consumers can get their mind on the first iteration of VR headsets. Currently the big two products are the Oculus Rift and Sony’s Morpheus. The idea of these headsets are to fully immerse the player within a world that they would most likely never be able to visit, both headsets achieve this, but to what extent?

Currently there are barriers to entry, be that physically or technically. This is somewhat of a phase as of now. A lot of issues are currently being ironed out by the developers and will continue to be fixed until the products release. But there are some issues that are not so simple. One of the major barriers is the technical limitations of the hardware/system to drive the display on the headset. Currently a person would need a very powerful computer to achieve the 75 frames per second of the 75 hz panel on the Oculus Rift, and requiring a £700+ PC is a tall order for most consumers. The same issue plagues Sony’s Morpheus, it is only able to achieve 30-60 fps, it only costs £350 for the Playstation 4 but the visual fidelity of the content is severely downgraded compared to the Oculus Rift. These issues are very much based around the development of graphical hardware. The VR scene requires hardware that just isn’t yet available on a wallet friendly level.

The reason it’s important for VR headsets to require such high framerates is because having a low FPS very much spoils the immersion and is also a contributor to the infamous VR motion sickness. This problem will eventually be resolved when manufactures deliver GPU/CPUs powerful enough in order to drive the displays that are affordable to the majority of consumers.

This is a LinusTechTips interview with the Oculus Rift founder and CEO Palmer Lucky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQoPvZGjYvQ

Palmer notes that there is a “diminishing return” between 90 – 120FPS to it’s pretty reasonable to estimate that in the next 5 years we will see the development of games move to higher frame rates, or at least having a high fidelity 30-60 option and a “VR 120FPS” option.

Another limitation in reaching these goals is the TECH in the headset. It’s ok to say “we need 120hz”, but to install a 120hz panel on a small headset isn't simple. 120hz and 144hz screen tech is still quite a new thing, and implementing it on a ultra-low latency 7” LED panel is not cheap. Yet again, this is another issue that only time can resolve, but it’s just another one out of many things that create a barrier for VR to become successful and immersive.

Motion sickness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yczrE08LJ-0

Loss of balance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INDKNA7kXoo

Virtual Reality

I will be researching the technical limitations and barriers that could prevent the innovation and development of VR technologies. I will be focusing on the main two VR products, Oculus Rift and SONY's Morpheus device. 

Notable things I will be including in my work will be graphical limitations of consoles to run VR, and problems with screen technology and motion sickness that may hold the devices back and prevent consumers from using VR.