First Impression
I was very lucky today to experiment with an Oculus Rift
Development Kit. By now, I am probably several months late to do an elaborate review of the packaging-installation-performance evaluation; you
already know many of that stuff from many other posts from the Oculus
community (e.g. r/oculus). However, the experience of playing with a Rift as a user was unprecedented and I believe that some thoughts are worthsharing.
Firstly,
the Rift came in a beautiful case that absolutely protects the device
and everything was included: from UK, US plugs to HDMI cable, mini-usb
and a usb-to-DVI adapter.
The professionalism that the Oculus team shows by this "product" presentation with the SDK is amazing.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to try this out at my Ubuntu laptop, as a
displayport-to-HDMI converter was necessary; so our first exploration
was made from a Sony Vaio equipped with a mainstream NVidia
GeForce 330 that did run the demos, but with the FPS (in Rift) varying from 30 to 40.
The installation was seamless. No quirks, no missing dlls (except when I
first built a demo with some needed DirectX components that come with the redistributable),
no surprises. We used the second pair of lenses that came with the Rift. The package included three pairs, A, B and C and the user is free to use which ever he likes in order to achieve the most focus possible for nearsighted people. The 1280x800 (an HD prototype is already presented) (2 displays with resolution 640x800), 32-bit colour, LCD head-display was ready to have it's gyroscope sensor calibrated.
And then the fun started with the free demos from share.oculusvr.com and www.riftenabled.com. Many hours of "playing" and experimenting with the setup followed. Among the demos, the few that I highly recommend-as a must-are the vr.training (inspired by Metal Gear Solid training levels~nostalgia alert~and highly recommended for low-end graphic systems), VR Cinema (that can load an avi, wmv or mkv and play it as if you watch it in a theater), Titans of Space (educational), Blocked In (just a presentation of a single room for an adventure game), Dreadhalls (an absolute atmospheric/horror game), Fallen Angel's Lair (demonstrating UDK, the Unreal Engine), Oculus Tuscany Demo (101 demo from Oculus), Ocean Rift (watch out for the shark) and the coasters from archivision. What will come next to our evaluation is the heavy artillery of gaming (e.g. Half Life 2 - opting in for beta from its Steam menu and by providing the "-vr" command line argument).
The simulator sickness
Before trying Rift, I was sceptical (as everyone) for the simulator sickness that occurs to the user, that results from slight disorientation as a game progresses. The user builds up discomfort from in-game locomotion, rapid rotations, fast changes in elevation etc., which are all some form of acceleration that the brain perceives but the body doesn't actually feel. Some things regarding this matter can be improved dramatically: 1) technologically (like latency and tracking precision) and 2) some other things must be taken under consideration in the game design - HCI level. The developer.oculusvr.com site has a very informative wiki page with guidelines (e.g., placement of camera, displaying text, speed of elements, flashing, providing static references like a cockpit etc. that limit the sickness effect).
Screen-door effect
The most annoying thing in the whole process of evaluation is that due to the low resolution of the displays that are extremely close to your eyes you can really see the black lines between pixels. From what I read at the community-press this effect can be eliminated with both higher resolution and better higher pixel-fill rate (to my understanding).
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| Packaging |
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| Lenses |
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| USB box (transfers sensor data to pc) |
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| Again a rear view |
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| Side view (controlling the distance of the headset from eyes) |
I would really recommend the Step into the Game with Oculus Rift and Unity 4.2 video from Unite 2013 by Peter Giokaris who explains elements of the device and gives a primer on the Unity 3D for Rift.
Conclusion
(as an end user and not API-wise yet)
Oculus Rift is definitely THE future of Virtual Reality (as a computer science field in general). It can have many applications apart from home entertainment to boost productivity and efficiency, enhance (augment) reality, help people with vision problems (as in this recent project about diplopia) and many more. The final product is expected to benefit from the market growth of smart-phones and the need for better, more complex with live colors, high refresh-rate (and of reduced price) displays.
"(2 display x 640x400)"... this is incorrect. Each eye has 640x800, because the display is only split horizontally, not vertically.
ReplyDeleteedit: 640x800 in each display.
ReplyDeleteThank you michaeltenery, Brad Davis! Of course you are right! I fixed it!
edit: 640x800 in each display.
ReplyDeleteThank you @michaeltenery, @Brad Davis! Of course you are right! I fixed it!
I bought and quickly sold my dev kit. As a usability designer, a few simple truths can't be ignored.
ReplyDelete1) people don't want to wear big heavy black square things on the head and face.
2) the wires are unmanageable especially while wearing headphones.
3) type is illegible unless its HUGE AND BOLD.
4) I can' find my mouse or keyboard or controller once I'm wearing the unit...very frustrating to put it on, then off again to find my keyboard, then back on and find that sweet focal spot all over again.
5) its only clear in the very center of the eyecups...the edges are blurry.
6) its not practical to turn your head a zillion times while playing a game...its easier to use the controller.
7) people don't want to pay $300 for a novelty item when a console costs around $450.
8) CRAP games and demos. AAA games promised to sign on but nothing so far.
9) Hardly any Apple love.
10) Google, Msoft, Apple, Sony all have new patents on next gen augmented reality headsets...they will squish oculus like a bug....thats why you will only see new dev kits being sold and you will never see a real consumer version.
My guess "projection mapping" will be the new VR experience...no bulky headsets or wires...just a few projectors in the corners and some Kinects. to tell where you are looking.
For 1,2,3 there is a lot room for improvement but the rift was already super light and wires weren't really a limiting factor for my experience. I can totally agree with 5. Regarding 6 I see it as a paradigm shift in a reasonably priced home entertainment setup, so game designers and players are going to adapt eventually. (6) A wireless xbox-like controller is definitely a must. (7) I hope the final version will be cheaper (from what I read, that is the intention). Today I was told that half life 2 was an amazing experience in 60 fps (apart from the graphics quality)-regarding 8. Let's hope the best to be the leader of the market and the rest to keep following and try to challenge each other in features and in price (I think that Oculus has a promising future though). I have tried Kinect many times, it's something completely different as you now and I truly believe that it will always have super interesting applications outside the gaming industry but it will never reach the most interesting categories regarding video games.
ReplyDeleteEvery single one of your points is entirely short-sighted. You've had a quick look at an unfinished developer kit and from that you've come to the conclusion that you completely understand the technology and where it is going.
ReplyDelete1) It's lightweight and the final version will most likely be even lighter. Your statement was as valid as saying that people don't want to wear bulky headphones that cover their ears. Some people prefer over the ear headphones to earbuds, but advancements in technology have given them a varying selection and the same will be with VR.
2) The consumer version will most likely have better cable management. And future versions will be wireless. You tried the developer kit, not the consumer version.
3) The consumer version will have a much higher resolution and text will be far more readable. Each successive generation will become sharper until the VR world is as clear or clearer than the real world thanks to advanced displays and optics.
4) As VR continues to advance, new, more intuitive input devices will replace the mouse and keyboard. The Razor Hydra and similar devices are already revolutionizing VR input.
5) The eyecups were actually designed for a different display that was no longer available in the quantities that they had requested. The consumer version will have far superior optics. I'm surprised you didn't know that.
6) It's far more intuitive to turn your head to track objects than it is to use a controller. People who have never touched a gaming controller have no problem observing the virtual world around them in a way that makes sense to them.
7) The developer kit is meant for developers, not consumers. Its a novelty for enthusiasts at this point. The consumer version has uses far beyond gaming. Even the developer kit is already being used in the following fields: Science, Architecture, Medicine (Diplopia for example), Therapies such as resolving phobias and PTSD, 3D Printing, 3D Character Design and Modelling, ROV Piloting, Stereoscopic Photography and videography and hundreds of sub-fields within those that I mentioned. I'm glad you did your research.
8) There are numerous AAA titles working Oculus Rift support into their games. Even launch titles on consoles are nothing more than ports of existing projects. It take 3-5 years for console games to get really amazing looking titles that are built on the actual console's hardware from the beginning of development. But once developers have final versions of the Oculus Rift developer kit (The one that is currently available is an incomplete prototype, as you know since you know so much about it) they will be able to create AAA titles that are built for VR from the ground up.
9) That's actually Apple's fault for keeping their hardware and software so locked down. And hardly anyone uses Apple products for gaming. IOS is equally uncooperative when it comes to integrating Rift support. Oculus has stated that they want more Apple support but Apple has roadblocks in place that stifle innovation. But with the fact that a lot of people use Apple computers for things beyond gaming, VR will make its way there, too. Remember, the Rift is still in the development stages... so Apple support is also still in the development stages. ..but you knew that.
10) Augmented reality is nice and definitely will do well in the future but AR and VR are two completely different technologies when it comes to the user experience. AR enhances the world around you and VR transports you visually to another world entirely.
Every single one of your points is entirely short-sighted. You've had a quick look at an unfinished developer kit and from that you've come to the conclusion that you completely understand the technology and where it is going.
ReplyDelete1) It's lightweight and the final version will most likely be even lighter. Your statement was as valid as saying that people don't want to wear bulky headphones that cover their ears. Some people prefer over the ear headphones to earbuds, but advancements in technology have given them a varying selection and the same will be with VR.
2) The consumer version will most likely have better cable management. And future versions will be wireless. You tried the developer kit, not the consumer version.
3) The consumer version will have a much higher resolution and text will be far more readable. Each successive generation will become sharper until the VR world is as clear or clearer than the real world thanks to advanced displays and optics.
4) As VR continues to advance, new, more intuitive input devices will replace the mouse and keyboard. The Razor Hydra and similar devices are already revolutionizing VR input.
5) The eyecups were actually designed for a different display that was no longer available in the quantities that they had requested. The consumer version will have far superior optics. I'm surprised you didn't know that.
6) It's far more intuitive to turn your head to track objects than it is to use a controller. People who have never touched a gaming controller have no problem observing the virtual world around them in a way that makes sense to them.
7) The developer kit is meant for developers, not consumers. Its a novelty for enthusiasts at this point. The consumer version has uses far beyond gaming. Even the developer kit is already being used in the following fields: Science, Architecture, Medicine (Diplopia for example), Therapies such as resolving phobias and PTSD, 3D Printing, 3D Character Design and Modelling, ROV Piloting, Stereoscopic Photography and videography and hundreds of sub-fields within those that I mentioned. I'm glad you did your research.
8) There are numerous AAA titles working Oculus Rift support into their games. Even launch titles on consoles are nothing more than ports of existing projects. It take 3-5 years for console games to get really amazing looking titles that are built on the actual console's hardware from the beginning of development. But once developers have final versions of the Oculus Rift developer kit (The one that is currently available is an incomplete prototype, as you know since you know so much about it) they will be able to create AAA titles that are built for VR from the ground up.
9) That's actually Apple's fault for keeping their hardware and software so locked down. And hardly anyone uses Apple products for gaming. IOS is equally uncooperative when it comes to integrating Rift support. Oculus has stated that they want more Apple support but Apple has roadblocks in place that stifle innovation. But with the fact that a lot of people use Apple computers for things beyond gaming, VR will make its way there, too. Remember, the Rift is still in the development stages... so Apple support is also still in the development stages. ..but you knew that.
10) Augmented reality is nice and definitely will do well in the future but AR and VR are two completely different technologies when it comes to the user experience. AR enhances the world around you and VR transports you visually to another world entirely.
HALF-LIFE2 IS T H E GAME! I didn't believe it until I saw it.
ReplyDeleteWow, didn't mean to offend you personally there Chad...was just sharing my experience with this particular device...not the industry.
ReplyDeleteI study Emerging Technologies and have been obsessed with the Oculus since April...so I'm vested in the project and I'm VERY familiar with all the information/excuses your reiterated from their press releases & reddit threads...well done, they should give you a job in Marketing.
Admittedly my original post was a bit jaded, and I DO agree with how you feel about the industry in general...someday VR "can, could, may, should" be a slam dunk game changer...but let us not forget that VR has been commercialized for over 20 years and the Oculus isn't even close to being the golden child we are dreaming of...it likely won't be for at least 5 - 10 years. Lets hope I'm wrong and it comes sooner.
Its very exciting times as the technology is getting more accessible, however the Medical & Technical fields you reiterated had access to the highest end VR technology for decades...yet they have limited use for it. Perhaps the cost of implementation was too high until now.
AAA games won't allocate resources to produce games (from the ground up) for such a small community of current enthusiasts. The math just doesn't add up for a positive ROI. Once again...this hopefully will change in the nearest future.
Its not very difficult at all to export an Apple version of a game/interface from Unity...most devs are on PCs and don't bother to export both formats...but NOW is the crucial time to keep momentum building and reach/convert as many people into VR evangelists as possible. We should ask ALL developers to make their creations cross platform whenever possible.
In my small focus groups, most 30-40yr olds wouldn't even put it on their face. One millennial quoted "its just like riding a real coaster, but without all the fun". Several video game execs were quite impressed when they tested it, however all of them had gripes about the quality of the dev kit...which "should, could, would" be fixed in a consumer version if it ever manifests.
So in short, I do have high hopes for the future of VR. Not so much for the Oculus device itself...if it was indeed created on an open source platform, it wouldn't be surprising if they position for an acquisition by a larger company that would otherwise have the resources to beat them to market with a better hardware/software/market saturation/distribution.
Oculus is a validation mechanism, and we all should support the VR effort by continually supporting the innovators, and developers within the budding home based VR industry.
I just wanted to give a little constructive criticism so people know what to expect when they receive the a dev kit.
If Half Life 2 is opting in, does that mean the Hammer editor can be used to develop for this? Would this allow Team Fortress 2? Just curious because there are classes in Unity and UDK and Hammer at iD Tech.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea. :-(
ReplyDeleteI think you have some valid points there but Oculus Rift has spawned more VR content in the past year than there has been in the past 20 years and it's not even a finished product yet.
ReplyDeleteThe investor who recently gave them $75 million was there for the series A funding when they raised $16 million. However, they passed on the series A funding because the Rift had problems that they couldn't overlook. Oculus showed them their newest prototype and they agreed that the problems they had seen earlier had been solved and offered the $75 million to get it into production. The team at Oculus VR looks back at their first HD prototype and is amazed at how far they've gone past that towards creating great VR let alone the Developer kit. Their newest prototypes put the developer kit to shame and I really hope we get to see what they are up to at CES in January.
The reason that medical, military and universities have had limited use for VR is because those devices previously cost upwards of $100,000. The Rift. Palmer Lucky himself once bought a headset that originally cost $97,000. He bought it at an auction for $80. Before the Rift, VR was completely dead to average person and there was little to no interest in it. The dreams of VR in the 90's far outpaced the technology. When you take a technology that used to cost $100,000+ and sell it for under $300 it is going to have a huge impact on how we interact with computers.
I'm pretty sure that AAA game companies are already building games from the ground up for the Rift as Oculus has partnered with several and provided them with higher end HD developer kits.
The bottom line is that if the consumer version of the Oculus Rift delivers on everything they've promised that it would, it is going to be bigger than either one of us expects. I predict TV sales will drop because of it. When I can use the Rift to watch movies in HD on a 100ft screen I would gladly pay $300 for a Rift as opposed to $1500 for a 70" TV. And no matter how 3D my TV is, it will never put me visually inside another world, it will always be a window looking into that world.