Test: Oculus Rift

Despite mediocre trials and the broken promises for an accessible and convincing virtual world promoted by science fiction over the last 80 years, we finally have a technology that proves to us that the reality is closer than we think. Oculus Rift promises to be a highly immersive virtual reality experience and we were lucky enough to receive a Development Kit.

First Impression

We tried the first Development Kit (DK1) and we are impressed by the immersion offered by Oculus Rift. Unfortunately, this is compromised by both the huge size of the glasses and screen resolution. One of the most frequently cited complaints was the inadequate correlation with body movement. This can easily be fixed through the use of Motion Controllers. Development Kit 2 (DK2) fixed this problem.

Potential Discomfort?

Several of our developers testing the product experienced a certain discomfort; prolonged use of Oculus glasses led to headaches. This is related to the larger technical problem of latency. "Our greatest challenge," says John Carmack from Oculus, "is to develop Oculus Rift by reducing the information transfer delay to avoid these drawbacks as well as fix the immersion problems."

Conclusion

Oculus Rift is not only an impressive technology, but it has also revived interest in virtual reality among developers, including Sony with its Morpheus system. With Oculus' team of talented individuals recognized in the industry (example : Michael Abrash, Laura Fryer, John Carmack, etc.), and the company's acquisition by Facebook, VR will doubtlessly not be disappearing anytime soon.