Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Oculus Rift is immersive enough to horrify someone who fears roller coasters

Roller coaster
The Oculus Rift has seen a real turnaround in public perception since it was first shown off on Kickstarter. People who try the head-mounted virtual reality system are usually blown away by the impressive sense of immersion and depth it offers. It’s so good, that it can apparently terrify someone that’s deathly afraid of roller coasters. Don’t buy it? Here’s rather convincing video proof.
Meet Jacob. Jacob is probably a regular guy with a job and hobbies, but he has terrible friends. Knowing that Jacob does not like roller coasters, they strapped the Oculus Rift on his head and queued up a roller coaster demo. It starts off okay, but the stereoscopic 3D effect really makes you feel like you’re there, which is a problem in Jacob’s case.
As the virtual roller coaster starts to drop down the first hill, he gets a little wobbly. The Oculus Rift tracks head movements and pans the UI accordingly. The experience can be a little disorienting, and it’s not easy to get out of the simulation if it gets to be too much. That’s why there’s a spotter behind Jacob to catch him when he tips backward. Okay, his friends probably aren’t that terrible, and there was reportedly some alcohol involved.
The Oculus Rift is is not up for sale yet, but you can pre-order the development kit for $300. Games need to be designed with Oculus Support, but some game devs have opted to include support. Orders are expected to go out next month.

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