Year after year, technology has improved and changed our lives yet aside from screen quality and convenience, the way we consume videos has changed very little. In 2017, many of us will make the jump to virtual reality (VR) – it’s not yet mainstream, but it’s getting closer.After being a pop culture novelty for decades, VR is finally the real deal. Numerous companies, including Facebook and Sony, are releasing (relatively) affordable devices that can transport you to a different world (just in time for the next four years!).At the G2E this September, I saw VR at numerous booths. The entertainment business definitely wants a piece of the VR business. Virtual reality is arguably the biggest technological threat to the travel business though there’s something to be said for authenticity and the vast possibilities of being there in person. For example: walking on a side path, fishing, eating, or touching something.
A man’s hands transform before his eyes
There are two ways that virtual reality content is created. The most exciting way, for many, is VR content built using a 360-degree camera in the real world. Google has already released a number of virtual reality tours for public attractions and presumably, private tourist attractions will release official virtual reality tours. But don’t expect every attraction around the world to be rushing into the VR tour business. After all, unlike an in-person experience, a VR tour could be hacked and released for free just like people release movies today. Some attractions, particularly those in remote, inaccessible, or dangerous areas may embrace VR. For example, a cave or a volcanic area could offer a virtual reality tour using a drone to film. Or an art gallery in a country no longer safe for foreigners could open its halls via the Internet.Another way is with 3D computer-generated graphics – usually used for games or simulations. Companies have been doing this for years but costs and technology requirements have limited the quality and quantity of mass-market applications.In the past, slow refresh rates and blurry graphics have marred the VR experience, giving many of its users serious headaches. The issue is what is called the flicker fusion threshold – the rate at which an image can flicker without the brain noticing. For most people this is between 60 and 90 screen refreshes per second (that is, a 60hz-90hz refresh rate). Virtual reality devices today use a decently safe 90hz refresh rate and will, no doubt, jump to 120hz soon, opening the experience to more people. Finding out where you personally are with regard to the flicker fusion threshold is as simple as trying out a headset.
A VR viewer from Best Buy made to Google’s Cardboard VR spec.
There are two types of headsets offered today: dedicated VR headsets which contain dozens of sensors and built in screens, and the extremely affordable “face-mount phone” headsets. The latter is more of a toy; it can be fun, but doesn’t compare to a dedicated headset. Phones are prone to overheating, the lenses of the headset are often low quality, the movement is inaccurate, and users are more prone to sickness. If spending $5-10 on a “taste” of VR sounds more like something you’re interested in, Best Buy has a “Google Cardboard” compatible VR viewer for $5. The only differences between this and more expensive “face-mount phone” headsets is less plastic and the lack of a head strap.In fact, you can watch 360-degree videos without any specialized equipment at all, using the YouTube app on most smartphones. After all, “face-mount phone” headsets are just that. If you load a 360 video, like this one, on your phone and make it full screen, you can move the phone around to change the viewpoint! Though this might be a fun way to experience the content, it isn’t as immersive.
Sony’s Playstation VR headset and controllers.
Dedicated virtual reality headsets range from $400 for Sony’s Playstation VR (sold out in many places this holiday season) to $800 for the HTC’s Vive. While that sounds reasonably affordable, a headset is only part of the equipment you need. If you were hoping to hook up VR headset to a device you have around the house, you’re out of luck unless you own a PlayStation 4 or an ultra-powerful gaming computer. Sony’s Playstation solution is by far the easiest to set up and the most affordable – $800 will get you a complete virtual reality system (though games and software cost additional), but in the games that run on the Playstation, the 3D computer graphics look noticeably dated. However, 360-degree videos will not be affected by the Playstation’s lack of computing power.For a more authentic gaming experience, an Oculus Rift (Facebook’s VR headset) gaming PC bundle will set you back $1400. But costs will come down drastically in the next few years. Microsoft has already announced a $300 VR headset that will be compatible with budget PCs that cost in the range of $300 to $500.
Gaming PCs are not cheap, nor small, nor convenient!
Because computer games already have 3D graphics, they are relatively easy to adapt to virtual reality headsets, so there are far more games available than 360-degree videos. Steam, a PC gaming marketplace, currently has over 400 VR games available. On the PlayStation 4, there are about 40 VR compatible games. One of my favorite applications of VR in gaming is for auto racing; VR makes a dangerous and expensive sport both safe and affordable. Perhaps some of tomorrow’s Formula 1 drivers will get their start in virtual racing.360-degree videos, on the other hand, must be filmed from scratch using a 360-degree camera. For truly professional video quality, the equipment costs tens of thousands of dollars, and processing and editing the video, once recorded, is difficult. The VR video marketplace is in its infancy; there are few videos that last more than a few minutes long and have been professionally produced. Right now, the best place to find videos is on YouTube.
Experience the wonders of the world like never before in Google Earth VR
Google Earth VR, a combination of 360 cameras, normal cameras, and computer-generated graphics, done in a way that only Google can pull off, was released a month ago, greatly increasing the “tourism” content of virtual reality headsets. Everything available on Google Maps/Earth is available in the VR version as well.The bottom line? Buying equipment for virtual reality gaming is a safe investment today – there are lots of good applications being offered. But if you purchase a VR headset for experiencing 360-degree videos, it may sit around until the marketplace becomes more mature. A truly affordable headset, compatible with more affordable computers (and more importantly – laptops!), needs to be released before there can be mass demand for good, lengthy 360-degree videos.
