VR and MMOs go together like peanut butter and jelly, assuming you don’t have a peanut allergy. There is a lot to talk about in the world of possibility, but not a lot of actuality because we’re still about six months away from the prime time release of most virtual reality tech and even then, we’re in still a big issue of cost, adoption rate, and the need for urgency in developing apps for it that aren’t just spooky jump scare games, proof of concepts, or games specifically designed to be played by popular YouTube let’s players.

The value for VR tech in MMO gaming is pretty much infinite in the possibilities of bringing people not only together, face to face, across long distances but also in immersion. Looking over to your right and seeing your comrades fight right beside you makes for a much more interesting experience than sitting and seeing a three dimensional renderings on a two dimensional display in the middle of your house surrounded by Mt. Dew and Doritos.

As an interesting aside, while I like Mt. Dew, I rarely ever drink it. I also really like Doritos, but never eat them. Not to say that I don’t have a plethora of bad habits, it’s just that the combination of those two just never really happens, although I have spent many a night staring blankly at my monitor.

Anyway, I digress – the important thing to note is that we’re about six months off from the first generation VR devices hitting mainstream and there is a lot to know about what is going to happen and the various ways this will play out. The most anticipated idea is that VR will be a novelty and will remain an obscure section of space for a while, but that’s not specifically a guarantee. The only limiter on the tech right now is “simulation sickness” which is the fact your eyes see your body moving, while your body feels itself staying still, sort of a glitch in the Matrix if you will.

The only cure is haptic feedback and screen technology. Haptic feedback is its own article (devices that simulate motion/feeling) and screens need to be as high-def as possible with high refresh rates. Sound helps too, of course, along with anything to help immerse you. For now, though, let's look at the upcoming tech:

Upcoming and Released VR Tech

First, there is Oculus Rift, which Q1 next year will see a release of its consumer level product. This is the tech that has been worked on now for years and we’ve seen the developer edition out in play for a while now. This is probably going to be the most adopted form of VR, although I don’t believe pricing is out yet.

From here, we get into the wide world of various other tech. Sony Playstation VR, arriving sometime in the first half of next year, is designed for, well Sony’s platforms. HTC Vive, which should launch Q1/Q2 next year, is designed specifically for “Steam VR.” HTC and Valve are partnering up to launch Steam VR together next year. FOVE VR One is also in the field, and features eye tracking which lets is simulate depth-of-field.

Microsoft Hololens is VR, but it’s also augmented reality. It’s supposed to arrive some point probably in 2016, but no one knows. Windows 10 is supposed to be running directly on the headset too, somehow. I don’t know how that’s going to work, but it’s in the field.

Razer has joined the field as well, launching the OSVR (Open Source Virtual Reality) which is attempting to keep “Steam VR” and “Microsoft VR” and “Sony VR” from all being different ecosystems and bringing it all together into one open source product. They’re not aiming at a specific product, but more or an ideal right now, hoping hardware and software developers will all jump in on it together.

Then there is Gear VR, which is out right now, and only $99.99 with the exception you have to plug specific Samsung phones into it. From what I’m to understand, it’s mostly good for consuming light interactive content played directly on the phone. More or less a novelty.

Google Cardboard is out now and is interesting. It’s $20-ish or you can build it yourself, works with any Android phone that’s 6” or smaller (for the best viewing experience I think), and again is mostly for consuming light interactive content on Android.

Tech Adoption

With all of these options, there is going to be consumer confusion on which one is the proper one to get. The phone ones are more novelties, in my mind, providing an interesting promise of just escaping off into the wilderness while waiting on a flight or having something interesting to do before bed. The other headsets though are all viable contenders.

Adoption by the mainstream, to the point a developer like Blizzard or EA will say “let’s make a VR MMO,” won’t happen until there is enough headsets in the hands of players everywhere to make a viable base of users who will even be able to play their game. So I imagine we’re still a few years out before you a VR headset is usable in more than a few novelty games.

Oh and let’s not forget pricing. If the Oculus Rift consumer level is $350 then count out a lot of people from buying in at the start. That’s a lot of cash to spend on something with little to no urgency to buy. Until there is something that screams “you need a VR headset” then there won’t be urgency to spend that kind of cash.

Sure, at $100 you’d probably see people buy in, and then you could easily have a guaranteed audience of people wanting to do something with their device, but at the same time there is a lot of tech and components to make it work and it’ll be awhile before the price comes down, I think, especially considering that the Oculus Rift will come with controllers, sound, and a tracker.

Anyway, that’s where everything stands right now. Basically, at the start of next year a lot of devices will be hitting market. From there, it’s going to be a battle between adoption (people buying the gear) and development (software coming out for the gear). If something comes out that entices the adoption by the mass-market, then we’ll see more and more cool things. If it remains a niche technology, then things will continue as they stand now.

That’s pretty much it in the world of VR, right now at least.


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Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

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Get in the bush with David "Xerin" Piner as he leverages his spectacular insanity to ask the serious questions such as is Master Yi and Illidan the same person? What's for dinner? What are ways to elevate your gaming experience? David's column, Respawn, is updated near daily with some of the coolest things you'll read online, while David tackles ways to improve the game experience across the board with various hype guides to cool games.

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