#peripheral vision like a VR headset

[gregorydickens]

Me and my lazy eye.

[jjraderftw]

Sword Art Online (ep.1,2,5,8)

Oh boy, SAO! What else can I say except that it’s the tried and true classic that every anime fan loves to bash. Regardless of what the stigma tied to it, SAO popularized the ever famous isekai style of anime to a larger audience and made fantasy stories a lot more popular than they would have otherwise been. The first half of the season, which we will be focusing on, tells the story of Kirito and his trials to escape the world of Sword Art Online. In a not too distant future, a form of virtual reality headsets allow you to connect your entire nervous system to a VRV world and truly live the game. Once an MMO game is released that brings about the mechanics of a video game into a real life scenario, the players are trapped and forced to finish the game or else risk dying. The classic quote “if you die in the game you die in real life” comes from this show after all. Though Kirito is an experienced player, he struggles for survival because the normal world of games he is used to (one with no real repercussions) meets the real risks of life. This show makes you think about how far VR has come, what is the difference between life and simulations, and how the idea of being behind an “online” avatar changes a person.

Virtual reality has come a long way. Today, we see the development and use of Oculus Rifts and Vive headsets that break the barriers of reality. We can now play, game, and entertain ourselves in worlds that aren’t even real, imagining things that aren’t physically possible. We can reach new heights and create situations like SAO’s fantasy settings that feel real because we can see and interact with the environment with our own peripheral vision. As we move, our characters move. As we move our hands, so do the avatars. It is a new level of immersion because we can no longer see the physical boundaries of our controllers and a television screen. Instead, we only see the world we are simulated in. As of now, development of full body suits, trackpads, and much more are revolutionizing the way we live by making online environments. That brings up the question, however, of how we will be able to tell real from simulated? The show brings up the idea that a simulated world could potentially have the same feelings (the five senses) and consequences of real life. You can die, marry, and live out your life in an online world. At that point, will the real world be outclassed? Will the limitless bounds of the online world create situations that are more ideal than the real world? It’s up to us to determine what we will make out of this potential future. Given an SAO style world existed, would entire civilizations, families, and relationships be preferably fostered there? I believe that we would ideally want a mix of the two. Simulations could create an ideal world but it will always lack the fact that you are not physically present. Your being is not linked to the online world, but the physical one. Then again, the argument exists that your physical senses would be present thus making your being present. It’s very much in the eyes of the beholder. I think our physical world, though littered with flaws, should not be replaced. Think of it as your main save file in a game. The physical world is our main save and simulations are branch saves.

SAO brings up an interesting idea about what online avatars allow people to do. The mask that people can have online allows them to do and say whatever they want without filters. As a result, many people on anonymous social forums and video games are often crude and filterless in their mannerism. The idea of a privacy safety shield allows people to have freedom not known before. In SAO, this is symbolized by the avatar creation. By making a character, you can hide your true person. However, when the real game begins, the avatars are dissipated, exposing everyone’s true identities. This tied with the fact that SAO simulates reality can be a commentary that in real life, and even in the internet, you are never truly anonymous. In reality, you always show your face and use your voice to communicate. In the online world, however, you may also be exposing yourself. The existence of cookies, online accounts, and social media allow your online identity to be somewhat easily trackable. Third party sources can also gain access to your personal cameras, microphones, and virtual addresses, which when considered with the technologically filled world we live in, makes you ask: are we ever truly in privacy?

[mayookhpallikandi]

Major Study Forefront(2)

Digital media is improving day by day, so technology is using AR, VR etc. Nowadays these technologies are using in many industries. In future these technologies will be more efficiently used in every sector.

Many of us instantly think of Pokémon Go, the worldwide phenomenon, when we hear the term "augmented reality." Even though this game marked a turning point for augmented reality by showcasing its broad appeal and promise, its future extends well beyond gaming. The fields in which we work, shop, and interact as well as our daily lives are about to become heavily reliant on augmented reality. This article will discuss how augmented reality (AR) is changing and how it will become a part of everyday life, impacting industries such as retail, healthcare, education, and more. AR has the potential to completely change the way we interact with the world around us by fusing digital and real-world information together.

Future augmented reality technology promises to completely change how we interact with the gadgets we use on a daily basis, like smartphones. Smartphones will probably eventually give way to AR glasses and headsets as the technology develops. AR glasses could use motion and gesture detection in place of touchscreens to perform common tasks like updating social media, making video calls, and GPS navigation.

The capabilities of AR glasses in the future will far exceed those of current models. Our senses—sight, touch, and sound—will all be combined in these next-generation models to create fully immersive experiences. These gadgets will revolutionize our interaction with the outside world because of their larger fields of vision and capacity to show information in our peripheral vision. Technology for motion gestures will also advance significantly. You could just point at a location and have directions appear instantly, saving you the trouble of typing addresses into a GPS. In a similar vein, pointing at buildings or objects could reveal comprehensive details about them without requiring prior knowledge of their names. AR is improving our perception of and interactions with the world around us, going beyond novelty and into everyday usefulness.

References

Dudkin, I. (2020) The Future of Augmented Reality (updated for 2020-2021). https://skywell.software/blog/the-future-of-augmented-reality/.

Staff, F. (2022) 'Apple’s AR glasses will be launched in 2024, along with a second-gen VR headset,' Firstpost, 14 June. https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/apples-ar-glasses-will-be-launched-in-2024-along-with-a-second-gen-vr-headset-10792251.html.

[zerolatencyirving]

Virtual Reality VR Headset: Next-Level Immersive Experience

In recent years, technology has rapidly evolved, bringing with it innovations that were once thought to belong only in the realm of science fiction. Among these advancements, Virtual Reality (VR) headsets stand out as one of the most transformative, offering users an unprecedented level of immersion and interaction. Whether you're a gamer, a movie enthusiast, or someone exploring new ways to experience the digital world, VR headsets provide a next-level immersive experience that is changing the way we engage with content.

The Evolution of VR Headsets

The journey of VR technology began decades ago, but it wasn't until recent years that it became widely accessible and user-friendly. Early VR systems were bulky, expensive, and often fell short of delivering a truly immersive experience. However, with the advent of powerful processors, high-resolution displays, and advanced motion tracking systems, modern VR headsets have overcome these challenges, offering users a seamless blend of reality and virtuality.

Today’s VR headsets, such as the Oculus Quest 2, PlayStation VR, and HTC Vive, are compact, wireless, and relatively affordable, making them accessible to a broader audience. These devices offer high-definition displays, responsive motion tracking, and built-in audio systems that collectively create a truly immersive environment.

Immersion Like Never Before

The primary allure of VR headsets lies in their ability to immerse users in a digital environment that feels incredibly real. This is achieved through several key components:

High-Resolution Displays: Modern VR headsets come equipped with high-resolution screens that offer crisp, clear images. This level of detail is crucial in making the virtual world feel tangible and realistic.

Wide Field of View: A wide field of view enhances the sense of immersion by allowing users to see more of the virtual world at once. This is akin to peripheral vision in the real world, helping to create a more natural and encompassing experience.

Motion Tracking: Advanced motion tracking technology enables the VR headset to track the movement of your head and, in some cases, your entire body. This means that when you move, the virtual environment moves with you, further enhancing the feeling of being inside the virtual world.

Spatial Audio: Audio plays a significant role in the immersive experience. VR headsets with spatial audio capabilities allow users to hear sounds from all directions, adding depth and realism to the virtual environment.

Haptic Feedback: Some VR systems incorporate haptic feedback, allowing users to feel sensations in the virtual world. This could range from the vibration of a controller to simulate a car engine to more complex feedback that mimics the sensation of touching virtual objects.

Beyond Gaming: Diverse Applications of VR Headsets

While VR headsets are often associated with gaming, their applications extend far beyond this domain. The technology is being increasingly used in various industries, including education, healthcare, real estate, and entertainment.

Education: VR headsets are revolutionizing education by providing students with interactive learning experiences. Imagine studying history by virtually visiting ancient civilizations or learning biology by exploring the human body in 3D. VR makes it possible to engage with subjects in ways that traditional methods cannot.

Healthcare: In healthcare, VR is being used for training, therapy, and rehabilitation. Medical students can practice surgeries in a risk-free virtual environment, while patients can undergo VR therapy to treat conditions such as PTSD and anxiety.

Real Estate: VR is transforming the real estate industry by allowing potential buyers to take virtual tours of properties. This not only saves time but also provides a more immersive experience than traditional photos or videos.

Entertainment: Beyond gaming, VR is making waves in the entertainment industry. Virtual concerts, movies, and theme park experiences are becoming more common, offering audiences new ways to engage with content.

The Future of VR Headsets

The future of VR headsets is incredibly promising, with ongoing advancements in technology poised to make the experience even more immersive. Developers are working on improving the resolution and field of view, reducing latency, and making headsets lighter and more comfortable to wear. Additionally, the integration of AI and machine learning could lead to more interactive and personalized virtual experiences.

As VR technology continues to evolve, it's likely that we will see even more innovative uses for VR headsets. From virtual workplaces to social VR platforms, the possibilities are endless.

 

Virtual Reality headsets have come a long way from their early days, now offering users an unparalleled immersive experience that transcends the boundaries of reality. Whether you're stepping into a new world for gaming, education, or entertainment, VR headsets provide a gateway to experiences that are as engaging as they are transformative. As the technology continues to advance, we can only imagine what new heights of immersion and interaction VR will achieve in the years to come.

For more info :-

Zero Latency VR Games

[govindhtech]

Apple Vision Pro 2 Replaced with Cheap Vision Headset

Apple Vision Pro 2 Rumors

Apple, the behemoth of the IT industry recognised for its high-end goods, appears to be adjusting its approach to the mixed reality (MR) space. Apple has cancelled plans for the Vision Pro 2, their next-generation, high-end VR headset, claims the information.

Apple Vision Pro 2 Release Date The Apple Vision Pro 2 is not expected to have a release date. According to reports, Apple has put a stop to development on one particular high-end headset. What is known as follows:

According to reports, Apple chose to concentrate on developing a less expensive VR headset. This change implies that the Vision Pro’s high price point might not have been appropriate given the state of the VR market at the time. By late 2025, analysts predict the less expensive Vision headgear to be released. Apple may be acknowledging that the VR market is not ready for ultra-premium devices. Let’s explore the rationale behind this choice, what to anticipate from the cheaper Vision headset that is rumoured, and the wider ramifications for Apple’s goals in the MR market.

Apple Vision Pro 2 The original Vision Pro cost a whopping $3,499 when it was debuted earlier in 2024. It had difficulties even though its powerful processor and high-resolution screens made an impression. Reviews for the immersive experience were divided; some people praised it, while others criticised it for being bulky and having little interesting material for a high price.

A closer examination of the variables that could have affected Apple’s choice is provided below:

Poor Sales According to reports, following the initial excitement, sales of the Vision Pro sharply declined. With the limited availability of content, consumers were reluctant to commit such a substantial amount in a relatively new technology.

Niche Market Currently, enthusiasts and professionals are served by the high-end VR market. VR has to get more accessible and reasonably priced before it can be widely adopted.

Put Accessibility First Apple hopes to increase the number of VR users and possibly kickstart the MR ecosystem by giving priority to a less expensive model.

A Speculative Look at the Affordably Vision Although there are little details available, the following is what we believe to be the cheaper Vision headset:

Lower Price Point A considerable price drop is probably necessary to reach a larger audience. It is more affordable for a wider group of customers, with estimates indicating a range of $1,500 to $2,500.

Streamlined Features In order to reach a lower price point, the less expensive Vision may have some features cut. This can entail a decrease in peripheral sensors or computing power. But essential features like sharp screens will probably still be present.

Lightweight Design According to reports, the first Vision Pro was heavy. For longer VR experiences, the more economical version may put greater emphasis on an ergonomic and pleasant design.

Apple’s Extended Plan in MR Although the Vision Pro 2’s shelving may appear to be a step back, Apple may have made a wise choice in the long run. Here’s the reason:

Creating a VR Ecosystem By lowering the barrier to entry for VR, Apple hopes to draw in more developers who will provide engaging apps and content. A positive feedback loop would be created as a result, encouraging more people to invest in VR.

Technology that is Future-Proof Virtual reality is a developing field. Apple can collect useful user data and feedback to improve subsequent generations by entering the market with a more reasonably priced headset.

Keeping a Competitive Edge A greater selection of VR headsets are already being offered by other tech behemoths like Meta and Sony. Apple could compete more successfully if it positioned itself in the mid-range market.

Difficulties and the Path Ahead It takes skill to create a VR experience that is both appealing and affordable. Apple will have to deal with difficulties such as:

Juggling Cost and Performance It will be important to find the ideal ratio between affordability and providing a VR experience that lives up to user expectations.

Content Gap The industry as a whole continues to face obstacles due to the dearth of excellent VR content. To solve this, Apple may need to make content production investments or form alliances with developers.

Apple Vision Pro 2 Price The Apple Vision Pro 2 will not have a set pricing because it appears that development has been halted.

Apple’s priorities now lie in developing a VR headset at a lower cost. Here is an overview of the circumstances:

The initial cost of the Vision Pro was $3,499 dollars. This expensive pricing point may have prevented many customers from making the purchase. There are rumours that the new, less expensive Vision headset would retail for between $1,500 and $2,500. In conclusion Apple’s move to a less expensive VR headset represents a business-minded strategy for the MR industry. It’s a calculated move that sets Apple up for long-term success in the VR space, even though the Vision Pro 2 may be shelved. Apple’s ability to strike a balance between cost, functionality, and a high-quality virtual reality experience will determine the fate of this much-discussed low-cost headgear. Should Apple succeed in this, it has the potential to open up VR adoption to a wider audience and establish Apple’s dominance in the emerging mixed reality space.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[sultanaislammow]

XR content world under AI narrative

In fact, there are always collisions and attempts between XR, AI-related technologies and short videos. For example, virtual humans in HE Tuber short videos have discovered new ways of presenting short video content through technology. The emergence of AIGC has also provided efficient tools for short video creation. The combination of creators’ emotions and technology is empowering content creation.

With the advancement of technology, AIGC can now 

 handle any content format, including text, voice, code, images, videos, and even 3D model actions, etc. If AI can perfectly understand the creator's intentions and ideas, it can avoid a lot of tedious and repetitive modification work.

At the same time, generative AI can solve the source of creators' material problems, especially highly professional knowledge content. This type of content requires professional knowledge reserves and clear logical thinking, and entertainment and personal emotional attributes are relatively small. Weak, rational technical tools can comprehensively improve the efficiency of this type of content creation.

From the perspective of XR content creation, AI is also fully empowering the space construction of the virtual world.

Content production related to XR technology is a major problem faced by content creators. Although technology companies such as Microsoft have launched developer platforms, compared with 2D content creation, they are still not universal and very difficult. The continuous improvement of generative AI has brought new imagination space to virtual world modeling and content production.

At this year's press conference, Apple publicly demonstrated some interesting applications in the virtual world designed by developers, such as 3D human body teaching, immersive racing design for designers, private planetarium, virtual DJ, etc. Among them There is no shortage of AI creation technology.

As early as last year, the Decentraland Foundation held its own art week in the virtual world. The entire event featured AI-modelled buildings, AI poetry recitations, and marketing visuals produced using AI. Its creative director once said in an interview: "When used in the creative industry, if used properly, it can increase productivity, but it will not replace human artists. There will also be a lot of AI in the Metaverse as NPCs and support robots. We There's already text-to-video functionality, and the text-to-3D model will obviously speed things up in terms of experience building."

Picture from Xiaohongshu

In comparison, the most significant difference between humans and AI is that human creation is based on the sensibility and imagination of human creators, while AI creation is based on the training and data it has received. People's taste, creative intention, and content style formed over a long period of time cannot be imitated.

Generative AI is more of a tool to improve efficiency, but it is not the creator itself. The independent thinking of creators and the continuous progress of AIGC technology will jointly build the richness of the future XR content world.

03 Viewed rationally, the XR outbreak still has “shackles”

Although the development of XR content is good, there are still several important issues to face in order to achieve universal popularization.

The first is a breakthrough in interactive technology. From PCs, mobile phones to XR, the switching of each generation of mobile computing terminals is essentially an innovation in interaction methods. Before Apple Vision Pro, most VR devices interacted with peripherals such as controllers, which was much like the simple projection of a mouse and touch in the virtual world, without any fundamental change in the way of interaction.

Apple has introduced gesture interaction. The natural pinching and zooming of the fingertips will be captured by the camera on its MR headset, and then the picture on the screen can be zoomed in and out. The linkage of iris recognition, voice interaction and other methods jointly create an interaction mode that is in line with the natural operating habits of the human body. But this is based on the high price of $3,499 for the Apple Vision Pro, which makes it difficult to become a comprehensive hardware device.

At the same time, the development of mobile terminal equipment has always reflected the changing rules of "from thick to thin" and "from heavy to light", but VR equipment is heavier than current smartphones. From this perspective, the transition from mobile phones to VR devices is a "regression" in the development of mobile terminals. Even Apple has not solved this problem.

In addition to hardware technology, the development of XR will inevitably require strong software and content support. After all, the original intention of users to purchase XR equipment is not to store an unusable machine at home. However, whether it is games, movies, social networking, or office work, they currently do not constitute the rigid needs of users and can only meet the early adopter needs of a small group of people.

Even Apple only briefly demonstrated the upgrade of Apple Vision Pro for office, home and entertainment scenarios, and did not bring new applications. In addition, the external battery life of Apple Vision Pro is only two hours, which means that the application scenarios will not be as extensive as mobile phones for the time being.

The XR field currently lacks a “killer” application to attract users into the virtual world. Only when users come in can the industry be profitable, thereby having the capital to improve the ecosystem and develop new content, forming a positive cycle for the industry.

Today, the XR industry and the content industry are increasingly integrated, and technological innovations allow some basic content creation to be completed through AI. At the same time, users’ requirements for content are getting higher and higher, and their preference for immersive content has become increasingly obvious. Under such a trend, content creators must try to seize the wave of immersive content changes, and a new content scenario may be coming soon.

04 Write at the end

Since ancient times, technology has never limited human imagination. The emergence of Apple Vision Pro represents the continuous breaking of the barriers of XR devices from a hardware perspective. I believe it is only a matter of time before XR devices become new smart terminals. In the long run, XR will continue to move forward amidst ups and downs, but future competition will no longer only revolve around hardware, and the "battlefield" will shift to the content side.

In Crowry’s view, XR will not kill short videos, but it will eliminate a group of content creators who cannot adapt to the trend of the times. Only creators who continue to innovate and follow the trend can seize opportunities in the changing times and inject endless energy into the rapidly developing content industry.

Author: Dake

[gikairan]

Man, there are people actually excited about this stupid Apple Vision thing and just....

why? 🙃

Its literally Google Glass, but worse. It will fail for the same reasons Google Glass never got off the ground. From privacy concerns about the cameras on someones face, to people finding out that staring at a screen SO close to your face is an actually Awful experience.

I've seen people go "Theyre not the same!!!" and like... they are. They really are. They are both designed to do very similar things, except ones got an Apple logo on it. If anything, Apple Vision is worse because its got the form factor of a VR headset. Something already considered bulky and uncomfortable for long-term use. The form factor of VR is one of the major reasons it is likely to remain niche.

I've seen people say "you poo-pooed the iPad and the Watch and now look!" And like... okay i get it. Everyone really did poo-poo on the iPad. But i'd argue the original presentation focused more on "you can do everything on your phone, but on a bigger device!" rather than "hey, heres a smaller, thinner device that will replace your laptop, that runs the apps your phone does". Like, i remember people making fun of it because it was an oversized iPhone. Who wants a giant face-sized device to make phone calls? No-one. And thats why it was ridiculed. And i dont remember people making fun of the Watch, because.... by the point the Watch was released (2015)... the Pebble Smartwatch was already around (Kickstarter was in 2012, release was 2013). It hadn't just done well on crowdfunding, its still in the top 10 highest grossing kickstarters of all time.

These things have proven their use since their release. I really doubt Apple Vision is ever going to justify its use to the normal consumer.

It will absolutely have niche applications, dont get me wrong. The Hololens already exists, but most regular normal people likely didnt know it released. Because its not tech for the general public. The Kinect isn't actually dead- its got its use in some very niche applications, and Microsoft just tried to force the tech into gaming to make it more widespread (probably to justify actually creating it?). There will likely be industries that find AR extremely useful (I keep hearing about surgeons and AR. Though i also think architecture and construction might find a lot of use for this)

In terms of the video Apple showed off, theres very little I can see on it that will actually improve someones life.... Sure you can relive your memories in 3d.... but you've got to wear a bulky pair of ski goggles to record it in the first place. You can relive the memories of your children after the divorce!! .... And you lost that human connection during the actual moment itself, because you obscured the top half of your face for a giant screen. The best "use" i thought was obscuring the view of a busy plane around you. ... Except in reality, obscuring such view would likely be awful.... So the thing only has about 2 hours of battery life and needs to be plugged into an external battery with a wire. Given the bulky nature of the device, thats... really bad. The video showed a woman on a plane watching Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film is 2 hours and 19 minutes long. .... You cannot watch that entire film on a single charge. Then theres the fact we see most of her field of vision obscured by pretty sunset clouds. And the idea of getting rid of a peripheral vision of A Flight sure sounds nice. ... Until you realise how much you rely on that vision during a flight.... For a long flight - you'll need to see when the flight attendants are coming around for drinks, food etc. You'll need to know when people sitting around you might want to get up. Obscuring 100% of your vision is maybe not the best idea? Even for a short flight, obscuring all your vision might cause you to miss important announcements. Or, you know, your neighbour who just wants to pee? Then theres how the movie window is going to work full stop. We see earlier in the video that you can put a window in front of you, and a window to the side that you move your head to look at. Are you going to be able to put windows in a 360 degree circle around your head, and you just spin around in real space to see them all? ... If so, will the movie player stay in one space in "real space", or will it stay in the same place according to the screen? Imagine if a movie player on a small screen in front of your eyes stayed in the same place relative to real space, and every time you adjusted yourself in your seat... you had to physically move the window to see it. And think about how often you do minor changes to how you sit, how your head is positioned etc etc....

Most of the rest of the announcement seems to just be office related stuff. Controlled by hand gestures.

... You know why hand gesture devices have never caught on? People hate using them (: Have you ever used a Kinect before? You'll find your body got tired quite quickly trying to just navigate menus. We dont like holding our hands/ arms up all the time to navigate digital menus. It feels worse than a mouse, a controller, or just tapping a screen. Its just awkward. People will try it for work and then go "wow just using my mouse & keyboard is way easier" and then never put on the stupid goggles again.

All in all, this thing is just... bad. Its not good. It wont catch on. It'll be an extremely niche product that will only every really have a handful of uses. And none of them will be for the general public.

[sandboxly]

Bigscreen Beyond Review: A Compact and Ultra-Light VR Headset with Stunning Visuals and Customized Comfort

In this Bigscreen Beyond review, we’re taking a deep dive into the latest addition to the world of Virtual Reality headsets, which offers unparalleled comfort combined with groundbreaking visuals in a compact and ultra-light form factor. This revolutionary headset, known as Bigscreen Beyond, has transformed the VR experience by focusing on an ultra-light and compact design that allows for hours of comfortable VR sessions. Don’t miss out on discovering how this game-changing product has redefined the standards for Virtual Reality experiences.

Stunning Visuals: OLED Displays and Pancake Optics

Bigscreen Beyond offers ultra-high resolution OLED microdisplays, combined with advanced pancake optics, that provide users with jaw-dropping visuals that are 2-3X greater in visual fidelity than other VR headsets. The headset delivers stunning colors, deep black levels, razor-sharp clarity, and exquisite detail like never before.

Custom-Built for Ultimate Comfort: 3D Face Scanning

The headset comes in 15 sizes, catering to everyone’s unique face shape and interpupillary distance (IPD) through a quick, 5-minute 3D face scan. After scanning, a custom cushion is manufactured just for you, ensuring enhanced immersion, comfort, and reduced eye strain during your VR adventures.

Optional Accessories for Enhanced Experience

Bigscreen Beyond offers a variety of optional accessories, including a high-end audio strap with built-in audio and powerful bass, prescription lens inserts for those who need corrective vision assistance, and USB-C accessory ports that support seamless integration with third-party devices, such as audio sources or other peripherals.

Built for Connectivity: Full SteamVR Support

Bigscreen Beyond is fully compatible with SteamVR base stations, controllers, and accessories, allowing gamers to enjoy their favorite VR titles on Steam. The headset delivers optimal VR performance, ensuring an immersive and engaging experience.

Technical Specifications: Know What You’re Getting

Face cushionCustom-built through 3D face scanWeight127 gramsDisplay resolution5120 x 2560 pixels per eyeField of view93° HFOV x 90° VFOVOpticsCustom pancake opticsTechnologySteamVRProximity sensorYesUSB-CYesMicrophonesStereoTechnical Specifications of Bigscreen Beyond Bigscreen Beyond’s technical specifications are as impressive as its sleek design. The VR headset weighs just 127 grams and offers a display resolution of 5120 x 2560 pixels per eye, an impressive 93° HFOV x 90° VFOV field of view, and custom pancake optics. The headset supports SteamVR technology, a proximity sensor, USB-C accessory ports, and stereo microphones, all connected through a high-end optical fiber USB-C cable. To power your Bigscreen Beyond, you’ll need a quad-core Intel or AMD CPU and a GPU like the Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD RX5700 XT or newer.

Look at how small this VR headset is. @DShankar and his team are true wizards!

— Nathie, VR Content Creator on YouTube | 700k+ Subs

Pre-order Your Bigscreen Beyond VR Headset Now

Pre-order your Bigscreen Beyond VR headset now for $999 USD, with deliveries starting in Q3 2023. Each package comes with the headset, custom face cushion, soft strap, fiber optic cable, and link box. Keep in mind preorders are fully refundable reservations, and an Apple iPhone XR or newer is required for the 3D face scan. Don’t have an iPhone? You can still complete the 3D face scan by borrowing a friend’s iPhone or using one at an Apple store.

Bigscreen Beyond Review Conclusion

Bigscreen Beyond is poised to revolutionize the way we experience VR, offering unprecedented comfort and aesthetics, advanced technology, and unparalleled visual quality. It delivers the next level of engagement and immersion while playing your favorite games or exploring the digital world. Pre-order your Bigscreen Beyond VR headset today and experience VR like never before. Read the full article

[ashe-the-acorn]

I'm trying to say and the point you're missing is that VR comes with a lot of additional issues, especially for people already with issues like vision or motion sickness it makes a hassle for. Like I'm never getting contacts because I'm opposed to the idea of shoving plastic in my eye for mostly aesthetics, and I'm not looking to pay extra to get a vr headset with custom fucking lenses. That's just an insane ask for a piece of entertainment media.

I'm saying the reason companies don't make games for VR isn't the lack of potential, it's that games like Half Life Alyx showed that for the most part, a new killer game didn't help move consoles and players immediately tried to figure out ways to make it playable to most people by stripping out the VR. While you can make more complex experiences for it, I feel like with the Wii and other heavy motion based gaming systems, outside the novelty there's not much demand.

And the Wii had a much lower barrier to entry than VR ever will and it still couldn't get motion controls to take off as the next big thing. The attitude I get from most people who have VR is one of cost sunk fallacy and assuming most people have the disposable income to build a gaming PC/buy a gaming console then pay essentially that again for a largely inconvenient to use gimmick peripheral that's likey just this gens flash in the pan fad like 3D TV's a decade ago and shit like the 3DS which Nintendo eventually caved and made a version without the 3D features I've heard most people say they enjoyed more (especially the new 2DS)

im kinda fucking sad how like. full length original vr games that aren't just based on user generated content and have great deal of effort and polish put into it is a category that ONE SINGLE FUCKING GAME is a part of. I love you Half Life: Alyx but my fucking god no one else learned from it

[riahlynn101]

“When I’m Gone” (5).

Chapter 5

Trigger warning(s): blood-like an excess amount of it.

--

The game has hardly started - she’s maybe an hour into it - but already Vanessa knows she’s made a grave mistake. Everything from the lighting to the narration that seems to echo around in her mind to the repetitive tasks, scream red flag!

This isn’t even mentioning the giant rabbit she keeps seeing in her peripheral vision.

The urge to throw the stupid headset off grows. Gregory’s most definitely bored out of his mind, and it’s a miracle he hasn’t complained yet. Well, maybe he has. Vanessa can’t hear a damn thing besides the whirring of the VR’s processors and the creaking of an old, artificial pizzeria.

A decrepit bunny ear sticks out to her left. She spins in her chair, knowing it’ll just disappear before she can see anything else. Except it doesn’t.

Before her is a decrepit bunny mascot. Its whiskers are bent, and the fabric is tattered and dirty. She scoots back in her chair, but it doesn’t help her in-game.

It tilts its head to the side. She just knows it’s smiling at her, much like that man did - mocking her.

She tries to calm herself down.

“This is just a video game. It can’t hurt you. It’s just pixels, ones and zeros,” Vanessa mutters under her breath.

“Oh?” The bunny mascot speaks. It glitches out, disappearing. Only to reappear almost immediately in front of her.

“Ah!” In a desperate attempt to remove herself from the situation, Vanessa tugs at the head set, letting the controllers go. It doesn’t budge.

The bunny-

“-I prefer the term rabbit. Less childish, don’t you think?” The bun-rabbit tells her. “And anyway, I can’t let you leave now, Vanessa...or….should I call you….Vanny?”

X-x-x

Gregory watches his sister struggle for a better part of an hour before he decides to wander outside the tent. The man is giving him the creeps, and his head is hurting from sitting still and quiet for so long.

The air outside is pleasantly warm. Fall has always been his second favorite season, only losing out to spring.

Once a year, around October, Vanessa likes to take him to the cider mill. They can’t ever afford any of the pumpkins that grow out in the fields, but she never lets that bum Gregory out. Instead, they play games like: “find the biggest pumpkin” or “how many pumpkins can we find that aren’t orange?”

Afterwards, if she allows it, they go inside the large barn where they make the donuts and apple cider. Gregory loves watching the workers prepare the food, smushing his face against the glass observational window - much to his sister’s chagrin. Sometimes, if he’s extra good, and money permits, she’ll buy a pack of the donuts.

He sticks his hands in his pockets, kicking a pebble off the curb and into the street. He hopes they go this year.

A car passes by, slowing down as it passes him. It stops about thirty feet away.

Instantly, Gregory’s on guard. His teacher, Miss Jessica, just went over stranger danger. He jumps from one foot to the other, rolls his neck, and cracks his knuckles. No one’s kidnapping him today.

A man steps out of the car. Fairly normal-looking all things considered. Blond hair and dressed in a suit and tie. He looks harmless. But....

...Miss Jessica did say anyone can be a kidnapper.

The man’s talking on the phone. A clear distraction to make Gregory lower his guard. He laughs. Well, it isn’t gonna work.

The man’s three feet away when Gregory sees an opportunity and takes it. He lunges, both hands out to shove the man down.

They both tumble to the ground. The man’s head slams into the grass-coated ground, a pained moan leaves him. His cell phone clatters, falling to pieces on the nearby sidewalk.

Gregory holds his nose as he scrambles to get up and away from the man. Without looking, he knows it’s absolutely gushing blood.

The man gets his bearings enough to lift his head and shoot Gregory a glare. “What the hell, kid?” He says, struggling to sit upright.

“‘orry, my ‘eacher ‘ol me anyone can be a ‘apper.”

“Your nose is bleeding.”

It’s not a question, but Gregory still nods his head.

“Here, my office is in that building right there. I can patch you-”

“No!” He backs away, closer to the tent.

“Sorry, forgot. Stranger danger, right?” When Gregory nods again, he laughs. His laugh is harsh and loud, but in a good way. It’s familiar and safe in a way he can’t quite explain.

“Fine, how about you stay here. And I try to dig through my car for a pack of tissues and some napkins.”

“‘ounds ‘ood.”

Gregory sits in the grass, keeping his eyes on the man, who is currently fighting a losing battle with his glove compartment box. He can hear him punch it, cursing all the while. Every so often, he’ll peek his head out and give Gregory a sheepish grin, mouthing apologies.

“Yes!” The man shouts, thrusting a bunch of crumpled napkins outside his car door. “Found them!”

He’s quick to return to Gregory, almost forgetting his car door in the process. Which is good because Gregory can feel the blood running down the arm holding his bleeding nose.

The man kneels in the grass. He gently peels Gregory’s hand away, grimacing. “It’s not that bad,” he lies, ripping one of the napkins in half to plug up Gregory’s nostrils.

“Liar,” he tells the man, once he’s not worried he won’t bleed out.

The man laughs again, wiping away the excess blood as best as he can. “No, really, I’ve seen worse.”

“Nuh, uh.”

“Yes, when I was younger I fell off this stage. Fell face first on tile flooring.” The man helps Gregory to his feet, tossing the bloodied napkins in the trash. “My nose started gushing blood.” He moves his hands, imitating blood splattering. “But not only that, I also lost my two front teeth. Given, they were my baby teeth, but I wasn’t due to lose them for a couple more years. So I just walked around with this big gap in my mouth.”

Gregory giggles. “That’s...what were you doing when you fell?”

“My sister dared me to go onto the stage and touch one of the robots. Long story short, it moved, I freaked out, and leapt from the stage in pure terror.”

“Your sister must have felt really bad.”

The man sighs, sadly. “Yeah, she did.”

He pats Gregory on the shoulder. “Where’s your parents?”

“I don’t have parents, I have Vanessa.”

“What?”

Gregory slaps his forehead, he can be so forgetful. “Vanessa’s my sister. She’s playing this really lame game because we need money.”

The man quirks an eyebrow. “Playing a game for money? What kind of game?”

Gregory rubs his chin in thought. “Um...I think she said it was for some pizzeria,” noticing the man’s alarmed expression, he quickly adds, “but I could be wrong. Vanny says I have a selective memory.”

The man grabs him by the shoulders, brown eyes burning into his own. “Gregory, this is important! I need to know...was the game set up by Faz entertainment?”

“Uh...I’m not sure. She didn’t say.”

The man lets him go. He turns away, muttering.

“Mister…?”

The man sighs - an action that Gregory feels he probably does a lot. “Name’s Samuel Emily.”

“Mister Samuel Emily, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, kid, everything’s fine. Just-just where’s your sister now?”

He makes an exaggerated gesture at the tent. “In there.”

The man walks passed Gregory, pushing open the tent’s opening, and heads inside.

Confused, dumbfounded, and a little bit hurt, Gregory stands there just outside the tent. Had he said something wrong? Sometimes he speaks before he thinks. A trait Vanessa tells him he needs to work on, and he is. But sometimes…

...sometimes he tends to say things that offend other people.

He hopes he hasn’t blown it. Gregory doesn’t have many friends. He’s not bullied, but there seems to be an unspoken agreement amongst the other kids to not include him in their games.

He takes a step forward. Something crunches under his foot. Gregory looks down. “Oh!” The remains of Mister Samuel’s phone are almost beyond recognition.

Gregory frowns. He did that. Mister Samuel is going to be so mad when he comes back.

Cowardly, Gregory thinks of running away and hiding in an alley. But he doesn’t want to leave without telling Vanessa. She has a tendency to overreact about these sorts of things.

Thankfully, or maybe not thankfully based on the expression pasted on Mister Samuel’s face, he doesn’t get to make that decision.

“You told me your sister was playing a game here?”

“Yep! A VR game.”

“Gregory,” he starts, “there’s no one in there.”

[joycecarolnotes]

I found this little thing in a file of old, abandoned writing projects and thought it was just nice enough to edit and post - plus I’ve been promising @itsevidentvery I’d write a first kiss for ages :)

--

"That was sweet," says Richard.

"Sorry?"

"How you waited for me. With the glasses?"

"Oh. But of course." Jared raises a hand in salute. "However long it takes, my captain." He chuckles then, and blushes—soft, rosy color blooming on his cheeks and ears—but maybe that's the cold, or just the alcohol. How much did he have, Richard wonders. Jared doesn't usually drink. Not unless, like tonight, it's a way to be a part of something.

The rest of the gang are unconscious already, but Jared insists they'll be glad they cleaned up before bed. He would do it by himself, too—probably whistling a happy tune while he worked—but hey, Richard thinks, that's just Jared. Jared, who is presently on his knees beside him, soaking up spilled champagne from the floor of the palapa with one of his monogrammed hand towels. He looks over at Richard, and smiles.

"You've always waited for me," Richard says, fondly. "That's us, you know. First in, last out." And because he doesn't know what else to say, he giggles.

The fuck was that? Jesus, Richard. The shock and the wealth and the champagne are turning you into some kind of schoolgirl idiot. And the thing you have for Jared—the "crush" or whatever it is—shit. It definitely doesn't help either.

Jared looks up at Richard, that guileless expression on his face. He intones very seriously, "always."

They finish cleaning, in quiet companionship. So diligent, you'd hardly believe they were (at least as of this evening) a couple of millionaires. 

Jared picks up a shard of champagne glass, turns it over in his large hands and considers it. "The money,” he says. “What do you imagine you'll do with it?"

Richard shrugs. He hadn’t really given thought to that part. "Dunno, I guess. The whole rich CEO lifestyle never really appealed to me, y’know? Shit, what am I supposed to do. Portraits of myself? Yacht with a pool on it? Tacky fucking mansion like Gavin's? Heh. I’ll probably be exactly the same as I am now."

"Oh Richard. I do so admire you."

Richard never quite knows what to do, when Jared just says stuff like that. When he puts his feelings out and lets them sit there, with seemingly no regard for how awkward and uncomfortable it is. The exact thing Richard tries not to do. The exact thing Richard so fears.

"Uh yeah, y- y- yep,” he stutters. “Thanks, Jared. You too."

Don't look, he thinks, don't look, as Jared gazes at him from his peripheral vision, that worshipful look on his face. If Richard looks, he knows, it will be impossible not to kiss him. And if Richard kisses Jared, everything will have to change. 

"Richard?" Jared reaches over and rests his hand on Richard's wrist. "Are you absolutely certain you're happy about this?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. The guys really wanted this so - " 

"That's not what I asked," says Jared.

Usually, Richard tries not to think too hard about what would or wouldn’t make him happy. Being responsible for his own happiness is a task for which he feels immensely ill-equipped. What do I want, he wonders. What makes me happy. And he’s just drunk enough to think that the answer is kneeling right next to him. Richard licks his lips. 

Then, out of nowhere, Keenan fucking Feldspar's encouraging voice inserts itself into his head:

You're doing it, you’re doing it. 

You’re doing it, you’re doing it.

Richard wonders if maybe he’s been brainwashed, if next thing he knows he’ll find himself in Keenan’s house, wearing some trendy VR headset and a set of silk pajamas. Then again, he thinks, his brain hasn’t necessarily done him much good. Especially when it comes to things like this.

Richard squeezes his eyes shut. He sets a hand on Jared's cheek and with the tumbling momentum of a downhill fall, he kisses him.

Jared's mouth is sweet. His lips are thin but firm. Richard's never kissed a man before. He likes it. 

Richard pulls back. "Is this okay? I mean, can - can I kiss you?"

"Oh Richard,” Jared sighs. “I can't believe you think you'd have to ask."

[twiftnews]

Why Virtual Reality Still Sucks | Untangled

With every new VR headset coming out, tech enthusiasts burst out with “this is a true immersion” kind of shit. Why shit? Because despite 20 years of development virtual reality still sucks.

Today’s virtual reality market is full of all types of headsets, numerous platforms, stores, and apps. And this number is growing and expanding: for 2019 only there have already been announced something like 5 or 6 new headsets. But who the hell gives a fuck about them? Nobody. It’s not the quantity, it’s the quality we want! Every company tries to impress us with something new, with a better version of their previous headsets. Yes, they get better. But not enough to go bananas about it.

Expectations we had for VR were not met. Instead of a full-HD realistic image we got a sloppy representation of what VR could have been. Yeah, we can say that it’s still developing, but come on! They promise us “true-to-life amazing experience” and deliver glitching expensive crap that wouldn't fool a child. VR experiences are cool in terms of existing at all. They kinda look cool, there is a lot of work put into them to get from an idea to its implementation. But the way we perceive it ruins all the good that was supposed to be there.

Let’s take gaming for example. If to look at this only sphere, we can already see what is wrong with VR. To begin with, gaming is where it all started. VR is a tool applicable to gaming as nothing else! Just imagine playing Bioshock in VR, for example. Can you feel it? Can you imagine running around, exploring sites with a constant fear of being attacked from behind? Sounds cool, right?

And there are many additional things that are expected to enhance that experience: we have sensors and controllers with a shitton of buttons, we have built-in headphones and treadmills, gloves and even stuff that sprays the smell you might feel in the environment you see. We lack only one thing - immersiveness.

Virtual reality may seem or look real, but it doesn’t feel real. And there are multiple reasons why we don’t enjoy it as we could have. In a nutshell, our brain is too smart to be tricked into believing in the fact that what you see in VR is real.

1. Eye ain’t take it for real!

As you shift focus from a phone screen you are staring at to a girl passing by, your eyes make a lot of work so you could enjoy the view. Our brain takes into account the distance you look at and eye muscles contract to adjust to this distance. At the same time, when you are glued to a smartphone, everything in the background blurs and becomes sharper as you focus on it.

Virtual reality cannot do it. The image is of the same sharpness whenever you look. You can look as you think at the very horizon while watching a sunset, but your eyes don’t behave as they would it if were real. And it creates a sensation of being fooled - your brain doesn't believe easily into such crap cos nothing supports the experience besides the picture, which is probably not even of the best quality. So while you think you look far away, you still feel like you don’t. Which sucks.

Our eyes are actually pretty complicated bastards. There is too much they do at the same time to trick them with VR. Think of peripheral vision. It is very good at catching movement, like when you see your boss approaching you not even looking straight at him. And our focal vision is less sensitive to motion. And these are two completely separate processes that happen in our brain. And when virtual reality application is being created, it is almost impossible to combine them together and make both visual channels pleasant for perception. If the image, for example, is twitching, you will be annoyed as fuck by it cos you will notice every flick with your peripheral vision.

2. Motion sickness

Motion sickness, nausea, virtual reality sickness - whatever you call it it’s all the same stuff. To understand how it works think about the merry-go-round. When you go very fast, your eyes can’t catch up with your inner ear, which records your body positioning and movement. This mismatch between what you see and what you feel is the reason people vomit on that carousel.

The same happens when you try virtual reality experience. When you move your head, the machine needs to register the movement and change the image, creating a delay. And as none of the computers is as fast as to do it at the samу time, people will get sick.

Of course, today that delay counts in milliseconds, but for some people, who are more sensitive to it, it is enough to never try VR. Unless they enjoy playing and throwing up on everything around.

And even if that delay disappears, you will still feel sick. When you control a character that runs, jumps, and climbs while having your ass comfortably seated on a sofa, the what-you-see and what-you-feel mismatch still stays. The only solution here is to do exactly the same as the character. But no one wants to run miles playing Skyrim VR. As an option, there could be treadmills used. But this works for VR arcades, not for playing at home. Imagine having that humongous think in your living room?

But ok, fuck that. You are tough and you can handle such nuisance as vomiting and feeling dizzy and disorientated. But besides problems of virtual reality being not real, there are other factors that make people believe VR still sucks.

First of all, it’s the price. The cheapest virtual reality headset will cost you around three hundred bucks. And, as you can imagine, there isn’t much to look at. Anything decent will cost you a fortune of a minimum $600. And you need a computer powerful enough for NASA to run a game that will still look crappy. And sensors, and controllers, and earphones.

When you eventually save up enough to buy a headset, you will need to set it up and god help ya! With all the wires, and cored, and sensors, and controllers, and earphones you will fuck with it all day long. Or two. Depends on a headset.

Now when this step is done, you can finally go playing. Oh, wait. You can’t play the game you wanted, your headset doesn’t support it. It’s like PS and Xbox. If you want to play a game, you need to buy it for every platform separately. If it exists for the platform you have. Unlike consoles, there are not two options, there are three or four spaces dedicated to each company’s device only. Encouraging, isn’t it? Do you feel like buying a VR headset now?

But we hope for the best! If virtual reality headsets get cheaper, if the quality gets better, if cross-platform content appears, it can make people get excited about VR. Till then, I’d rather not spend a coin on this fraud.

[identybeautynet]

PSVR 2 Specs Run 3.6x Faster Using Eye-Tracking Technology

PSVR 2 Specs Run 3.6x Faster Using Eye-Tracking Technology According to a Unity panel at GDC 2022, the overall performance of PSVR 2 specs has been greatly enhanced using a combination of eye-tracking and field-of-view technology. Utilizing a technique called foveated rendering, it reduces strain on the virtual reality headset’s processing without impacting graphics too harshly. How does foveated rendering help improve the performance of PSVR 2’s specs? Foveated rendering sounds like a loaded, extremely technical term (and it is), but all it basically means is that the headset opts not to render graphics beyond your peripheral vision. Eye-tracking technology takes that one step further by capturing where you are looking in the field of view, thereby allowing the headset to use foveated rendering dynamically as you change your perspective. The idea is that you’re not going to miss what you can’t see anyway. According to the Unity panel, as relayed by Android Central, this technique bolsters the already amazing PSVR 2 specs and keeps them in step with the Quest headsets, which also use foveated rendering. If both eye-tracking and foveated rendering are applied correctly, the panel says that GPU frame times are up to 3.6x faster. Foveated rendering alone only gets it up to 2.5x faster. To prove its point, the Unity panel used a VR Alchemy demo with dynamic lighting and shadows to show that these techniques reportedly dropped the frame time from 33.2ms to 14.3ms. On top of that, a 4K spaceship demo showed that CPU thread performance was 32% faster. All told, with these enhancements, it’s no surprise that game developers were extremely impressed with the PSVR 2 headset behind closed doors. Beyond PSVR 2 specs, eye-tracking will assist your experience with any game on the headset, for instance, by letting you pick up or magnify an item you’re looking at. If you’re looking straight at an NPC, the character can react to your gaze without you having to make a prompt. In other news, Bandai Namco has unveiled One Piece Odyssey as a JRPG, and the PS5 Dualsense has won the BAFTA Best Controller Ever Tournament. Source link Read the full article

[kkglinka]

Time to Kill 5/7 [Overwatch]

Summary: Following the events in Dubai and Lena Oxton’s disclosure to her former team mates of Talon’s true hold over her, those same employers have less time to make best use of their favorite human weapon, as she continues to test their true mastery, and they strive to find a better method. Warnings: Graphic violence, torture/abuse, ptsd, character death (secondary). Note: This follows Terminal Velocity.

.

Wearing a virtual reality headset, Lena gestured with her hands and fingers, guiding her imaginary aircraft in battle against alien centipedes. It was nothing like flying an actual plane but it occupied her time and created the illusion of freedom. Right now, it served a far more important purpose as she pretended that she wasn't flying just any tactical craft, but the Slipstream jet itself. The VR headset became her flight helmet and the sofa chair the cockpit until she felt sweat at her temples and under her arms. Her imaginary craft began to jerk and weave as her hands shook.

Breathing through her mouth, she began to count as a particular virtual landmark passed, ignoring the alien eggs now striking her craft, causing game alerts warning her of imminent crash and burn. She watched her screen turn red, an aggravating alarm declaring critical failure almost disguising the hiss emanating from the narrow air conditioning vents of her quarters. It might have been a relief to remove the headset, if it weren't for that.

In her peripheral vision, a black mist coagulated into a vaguely humanoid column as she pulled the hand controls off of her wrists.

She did not greet Reaper.

Continue to AO3:

[johannahairasfmpyear2]

VR - Virtual Reality

The definition of virtual reality comes, naturally, from the definitions for both ‘virtual’ and ‘reality’. The definition of ‘virtual’ is near and reality is what we experience as human beings. So the term ‘virtual reality’ basically means ‘near-reality’. This could, of course, mean anything but it usually refers to a specific type of reality emulation.

We know the world through our senses and perception systems. In school we all learned that we have five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. These are however only our most obvious sense organs. The truth is that humans have many more senses than this, such as a sense of balance for example. These other sensory inputs, plus some special processing of sensory information by our brains ensures that we have a rich flow of information from the environment to our minds.

Everything that we know about our reality comes by way of our senses. In other words, our entire experience of reality is simply a combination of sensory information and our brains sense-making mechanisms for that information. It stands to reason then, that if you can present your senses with made-up information, your perception of reality would also change in response to it. You would be presented with a version of reality that isn’t really there, but from your perspective it would be perceived as real. Something we would refer to as a virtual reality.

So, in summary, virtual reality entails presenting our senses with a computer generated virtual environment that we can explore in some fashion.

Answering “what is virtual reality” in technical terms is straight-forward. Virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer generated environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person. That person becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions.

How is virtual reality achieved?

Although we talk about a few historical early forms of virtual reality elsewhere on the site, today virtual reality is usually implemented using computer technology. There are a range of systems that are used for this purpose, such as headsets, omni-directional treadmills and special gloves. These are used to actually stimulate our senses together in order to create the illusion of reality.

This is more difficult than it sounds, since our senses and brains are evolved to provide us with a finely synchronised and mediated experience. If anything is even a little off we can usually tell. This is where you’ll hear terms such as immersiveness  and realism enter the conversation. These issues that divide convincing or enjoyable virtual reality experiences from jarring or unpleasant ones are partly technical and partly conceptual. Virtual reality technology needs to take our physiology into account. For example, the human visual field does not look like a video frame. We have (more or less) 180 degrees of vision and although you are not always consciously aware of your peripheral vision, if it were gone you’d notice. Similarly when what your eyes and the vestibular system in your ears tell you are in conflict it can cause motion sickness. Which is what happens to some people on boats or when they read while in a car.

If an implementation of virtual reality manages to get the combination of hardware, software and sensory synchronicity just right it achieves something known as a sense of presence. Where the subject really feels like they are present in that environment.

Why have virtual reality?

This may seems like a lot of effort, and it is! What makes the development of virtual reality worthwhile? The potential entertainment value is clear. Immersive films and video games are good examples. The entertainment industry is after all a multi-billion dollar one and consumers are always keen on novelty. Virtual reality has many other, more serious, applications as well.

Virtual reality can lead to new and exciting discoveries in these areas which impact upon our day to day lives.

Wherever it is too dangerous, expensive or impractical to do something in reality, virtual reality is the answer. From trainee fighter pilots to medical applications trainee surgeons, virtual reality allows us to take virtual risks in order to gain real world experience. As the cost of virtual reality goes down and it becomes more mainstream you can expect more serious uses, such as education or productivity applications, to come to the fore. Virtual reality and its cousin augmented reality could substantively change the way we interface with our digital technologies. Continuing the trend of humanising our technology.

[bitesbitesbites]

The eSight 3 is an augmented reality headset designed to help the legally blind see

At first glance, eSight’s headsets look a lot like any other VR or AR gear out there. But while most virtual reality systems are built to make digital worlds more realistic, the eSight aims to do just the opposite, using augmented reality headsets and digital technology to help bring the real world to individuals who are legally blind.

The latest version, the eSight 3, is a lighter and cheaper version than the company’s previous models, but they all work on the same principles. Using a high-speed HD camera and two OLED displays, video is processed algorithmically to enhance contrast and quality, which allows users with vision issues to better see the world around them. It’s a fully portable device, with roughly six hours of battery life that’s controlled using an attached remote.

There are also some technical challenges that eSight had to consider when designing a device that’s designed to help replicate human vision. Low-latency is key, to ensure that the viewer is seeing the world in as close to real time as possible, as is maximizing peripheral vision so that users don’t get nauseous or lose balance. The eSight is also designed to automatically focus, allowing users to transition between nearsighted objects to long distance at ease, as well as offering the ability to manually zoom in on items.

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/2/16/14637804/esight-3-augmented-reality-headset-legally-blind-see