Over the past few years, the topic of virtual reality has increasingly appeared in news reports from various gaming publications. All major companies have entered the race to be the best player in the new market. And, although the clear leader has not yet been determined, there is no doubt that virtual reality is a new trend and the future of our gaming. Recently "Igromir" you could personally try out almost all currently available devices. We will talk about one of the most vivid virtual impressions. Playstation VR.
But first, a little history. The idea of virtual reality is not as new as is commonly believed. Back in the 60s, an inventor named Morton Heilig patented something that even then resembled modern VR helmets. He called this device telespherical mask, which did not go beyond the patent, but later, under the leadership of the same Morton Heilig, developed into a device called Sensorama, in which, in addition to the real 3D effect, there was also a smell generator. Naturally, there was no talk of any interactivity at that time, the device reproduced only pre-filmed and processed videos, but a start had been made.
For those who are interested, here is a link to the full version of the document:
mortonheilig.com/TelesphereMask.pdf
The next round in the https://get-lucky-casino.co.uk/withdrawal/ development of virtual reality technology can be considered the beginning of the 90s, when the first devices appeared that allowed you to interact with virtual space.
Then, in 1995, he entered the arena Nintendo with my Virtual Boy. This VR headset was connected to a handheld console and was equipped with a monochrome display. It’s obvious that Nintendo was ahead of its time and the technology at that time was simply not ready to provide the proper level of computing power and player comfort, because many complained of nausea and pain in the eyes after just a few minutes of use. The helmet was really a puncture of the Japanese company and Virtual Boy still appears from time to time in various tops of the worst consoles in history.
Another Japanese company Sony chose a different path of development and, realizing the dangers of the market, did not cut loose, releasing a limited edition of the helmet in 1997 Glasstron, which was equipped with two LCD displays, as well as built-in headphones. The helmet was intended exclusively for watching videos and did not gain much popularity, but grew into a larger-scale project HMZ Personal Monitor, which the company gradually developed and still produces some modifications to this day.
Therefore, it is not surprising that when the craze for virtual reality began, the Japanese corporation was able to quickly respond to the market situation and present its Project Morpheus, recently renamed Playstation VR.
The helmet itself, although it looks bulky, is actually quite light and does not bother you at all. Of course, you can feel it on your head, but only until the game starts, although more on that later. At the exhibition, samples were connected to the consoles by wires, but the final version promises to be wireless. The helmet, in addition to being lightweight, is also lined on the inside with soft materials, similar to those used in the manufacture of headphones, and the distance from the display to your eyes can be easily adjusted by pressing a special button. By the way, people with glasses can also use a helmet without any problems. There are no headphones in the helmet, but any that are compatible with PS4 or your TV.
Some games will require quite serious preparation – controllers PS Move, you will need to take a certain position of your body and arms (for example, you need to sit down and not let go of the gamepad for a certain time), but all this fades when you are immersed in the world of virtual reality..
London Heist
The demo starts in some basement. The guy (whom I nicknamed Vinnie Jones) is trying to extract information from you. At this moment I began to turn my head in all directions to look at this basement and the room turned out to be really well designed. A glowing sign above the entrance, some kind of garbage lying here and there. The only thing that confused me was that I couldn’t see my hands. Then, when the big guy began to threaten me with a gas burner and brought it to my face, I reflexively recoiled and began to turn my head away. The immersion level is fantastic. By this point, I had already forgotten that I was at a gaming exhibition and I still had a lot of things to do, and Vinnie Jones was already handing me the phone, I put it to my ear and the fun began (by the way, depending on which ear you put the phone on, the sound will be in that earphone. Another important fact that contributes to immersion). After talking on the phone, we are transported some time back to the hall of some mansion. We need to pick up a diamond from one of the drawers of the table next to which we are standing. And if I thought that there was a high level of immersion before, then I was very mistaken. It started right now. As soon as the hero picks up a diamond, an alarm goes off and guards come running from all sides. At this moment you need to take the gun, insert the clip (all using manipulators PS Move one in each hand) and start shooting back. Enemies react very clearly to bullet hits and die spectacularly before your eyes. The guards shoot fairly accurately, so you have to actually duck to hide behind a table, leaning out of cover to fire a few shots. After the enemies are defeated, the demo ends, and the inscription “to be continue” only provokes you and you want this very continuation. They take off your helmet and you are back on Igromir. I want to go to London, to see Vinnie Jones. I would like to know how the story ended on the other side of the virtual screen. I would like to again experience the emotions of immersion in the virtual world.