Virtual Video Game Headset
By JOSHUWA DEAL
Staff Writer
The Oculus Rift is a product being provided by Oculus VR, that is a virtual headset produced specifically for immersed video game experiences. However, when one wears the headset they gain high definition with a complete field of view of the gaming landscape that is 360 degrees.
Unlike a television screen where everything is formatted in front of the viewer, the Rift allows the viewer to turn theirs head to see everything around them, much like in reality. The Rift is so immersive that in 2014 Oculus VR allowed for veteran WWII fighter pilots to experience the Rift in order to simulate flying a fighter plane once more; the press’ reaction was staggering due to the realism that the Rift provides.
Gaming and technology experts speculate that the Rift is an example of the future with console gaming.
Oculus VR has been perfecting their product since 2012 and will allow for a consumer version to be sold at the standard price of $300 in 2016.
To prepare for the competition of the PS4 and Xbox One, the company has created many testing sites for the public and tech critics at festivals and conventions. Most recently the Rift was at Sundance Film Festival where they allowed the public to view a short film called “Lost” using the headset.
The short film had viewers walking in a forest and when sounds are heard from their direction they must turn
and react to them, creating a unique narrative about a lost entity in the forest. This exposure leads many to believe that the Rift will not limit itself to video game media alone but will possibly transition later into film experience immersion as well.
It seems that with technology constantly improving, the public will never be satisfied and perhaps that is the key to progress. The Rift turns gaming into reality and raises the public’s standards for entertainment immersion significantly.
