Recent Developments and VR Industry Trends

The new year 2016 has not even managed to gain a foothold in our minds, and the virtual industry market has already stirred up several events of varying degrees of importance, causing a strong resonance and some reassessment of the overall picture of what is happening.

I suggest briefly returning to these events and discussing future trends in the situation.

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Without exaggeration, the main event of this year, in the field of virtual reality, was the opening of pre-orders and the announcement of the cost of the first consumer version of Oculus Rift.

I’ll clarify that this is not about “early access” or “test version” of the product, but about a fully functional device for a wide range of consumers, which can be easily and directly purchased directly from manufacturers.




Moreover, we are talking about a DEVICE, from which fundraising for the development of test versions of which this universal VR-hype began, which we can observe today.
Interestingly, the affordable cost of the device was the cornerstone of the development strategy of the new technology, promising to bring the experience of immersion in virtual worlds in almost every home where there is a computer.

I don’t want to bore you by retelling the history of Oculus that has already been mentioned more than once, you can find it in the topics “ Oculus Rift - To Be or Not To Be? ”, And in the first part of the review of the consumer version of Samsung Gear VR prepared by me for the GoHa portal. Ru.

The bottom line is that despite the already announced and far from modest system requirements for computers, requiring allocation of about $ 1000 to purchase a PC from scratch, everyone was waiting for the recommended cost for Oculus Rift in the region of $ 300- $ 400, which is close to the cost of the test version for developers - Oculus Rift DK2 ($ 350).

Therefore, when it turned out that the Oculus Rift CV1 (Consumer Version 1) virtual reality system could be purchased for the increasingly cosmic $ 599 / € 699, many supporters of the acquisition of the first VR systems sharply moderated their appetites and postponed the implementation of their plans for some time.



The delivery includes a head unit created using lightweight and durable materials, which contains two 90 Hz OLED displays with a resolution of 1080 × 1200 pixels per eye; Fresnel lens hybrid lenses, more complex to manufacture than many lenses for SLR cameras; mechanism for regulating the position of screens and lenses; high-quality High-End headphones and various sensors and sensors that interact with the head tracking system.



Also included is a tracking system, a remote control for easy navigation through unhurried VR content, an Xbox One gamepad designed for gaming applications, and a durable case that will protect your high-tech gadget from damage and dust during transportation or storage.



Not being a specialist in the development and manufacture of such devices, it is quite difficult to assess the real value of the product, however, the company’s leader and the face of modern virtual reality, Palmer Lucky, said that Oculus is sold at cost, and the Xbox One controller goes to users for free.

At the same time, users can purchase a kit consisting of a high-performance computer and the Oculus Rift system for only $ 1499 (PC + Oculus).



Despite the fact that the cost of such a high-tech gadget, which will first appear on the market, looks quite justified and very democratic (let's recall the cost of the first iPhones, the first plasma TVs or the first PCs), at first glance it seems that it is still excessively high and will become an obstacle to the promotion of VR to the masses, which could negatively affect the overall development of the VR industry.

But time has passed since the opening of pre-orders, and the date of the likely delivery of the device, which was expected at the time of launch in March, quickly changed to May, and now June appears there, which indicates a stable sale of new batches of devices.
This is confirmed by Palmer Lucky, reporting that the kits are selling better than they might have expected.
And, if we ignore the initial rainbow forecasts about “a maximum of $ 350- $ 400 per set”, it becomes clear that the price did not scare away real buyers, at least in the USA.

We all knew that launching the Oculus Rift requires a strong $ 1,000 configuration (and more for us), and many were familiar with the cost of the earlier and less tech version of the Oculus Rift DK2, which was $ 350 (we have more). We probably hoped for a miracle, but it did not happen.
The developers did not compromise and did not shove cheap equipment into the final version, aiming at the top segment of the emerging market.

What is even more interesting is that they cannot even be blamed for not fulfilling promises. After all, you can recall that during the fundraising for the development of Oculus Rift, all funding participants were promised an affordable and high-quality virtual reality system - “Happiness for all, for nothing, and that no one should leave offended”.
All participants who believed in Oculus Rift and young developers back in 2012 were sent free bundles of new consumer-level systems. In gratitude for the support of technology and ideas.



Well, and the cost? Those who were able to afford a top-end configuration and followed the development of virtual reality are unlikely to be upset by the extra $ 200 cost of the coveted toy.
Well, those who are familiar with the technology only by hearsay or are skeptical about it, will wait for cheaper production, the appearance of competitors or the right content that will increase the value of VR in their eyes.

In the meantime, you can have fun with the initial VR systems: Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR, Fibrum, etc.

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The next important event was the demonstration at CES 2016 of the new test version of HTC Vive Pre, a joint brainchild of Valve and, which is one step away from the collapse in the smartphone market, HTC.

Some upset Oculus-waiters, after the announcement of its value, immediately went over to Valve camp - after all, someone, and old Gabe would not let you down. He probably has a VR-system will be cheaper, "and there are always discounts in Steam."



We immediately highlight a few particularly interesting points:

- This is not a consumer version, and it is aimed at enthusiasts and developers. At the same time, HTC Vive Pre has characteristics comparable to the consumer version of Oculus and will be sold already with VR-controllers, which for Oculus will need to be purchased separately and a little later. Pre-order will open in February. The first batch will consist of 7000 devices.

- Compared with the previous version, HTC Vive has become salable, smaller and lighter, and has acquired a camera and an additional system that can scan the surrounding space and digitize it for VR applications.
New functions significantly expand the device’s functionality even greater than that of Oculus, and also open new horizons in the field of mixing realities. Something like the technology of "augmented virtual reality", using objects and objects of the real world in virtuality.

For those not in the know, the HTC Vive system is capable of tracking the movement of the helmet and controllers in a space the size of a room.
It is difficult to imagine how it can be safely used at home, given the wires, furniture and walls, but in conjunction with the camera, additional opportunities for using the device open up in a wide variety of areas of human activity - education, design, design, etc.


- Despite the fact that a very “gaming” company Valve takes part in the development, it became known that the developers of the system do not rely on game content - there are no game exclusives planned for the system.

- Also, commenting on the latest events around the cost of Oculus Rift, the developers said that they were not surprised, and at the same time they plan to occupy the premium segment among virtual reality systems.

Summarizing all of the above, and recalling previous revelations from HTC, the company will not rush to release a consumer version, it will focus on top-end devices with wide functionality that are not fixated on gamers, and will not be exchanged for budget options. Take off the pink glasses.
You can wait in 3-5 years as part of special attractions for amusement parks, in the form of systems for the practice of surgeons, in art, etc.

Nevertheless, despite unfriendly signals in relation to consumer VR gaming, we are waiting for the opening of pre-orders and the announcement of the cost in February. What if they surprise: D

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The third important event for the VR industry (maybe it comes first in importance, who knows?) Was the appearance of information about the entry of such a giant as Google into the game.

The company has opened a VR-department and will be engaged in the development of VR-projects. Whether it will be a new VR system or new technologies or tons of new content is still unknown, but Zuckerberg has already been alarmed. Well, or should have been alert.



Well, gamers craving an affordable and high-quality VR experience in the near future should not give up. After all, besides HTC, Valve and Google, we are waiting for the announcement of the VR system from Sony, which now has the most extensive portfolio of VR games and exclusives, and also knows how to succeed in the gaming business and at the same time not disappoint the players.

Of course, there were rumors that Amazon had already posted listings for the PlayStation VR with a cost of Boeing ($ 800), but this is hardly believed. And Sony here also disowned it.

It is becoming more interesting!

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