Virtual Reality Headsets - Mainstream in the Making?

The Big Three [Source: http://bit.ly/2kWqhmm]

There’s been a tide in the tech world. And this tide is virtual.

Over the last year, three multi-billion dollar companies have launched a virtual reality headset for public consumption.

In order of release, HTC with the HTC Vive (March 2016), Oculus with the Oculus Rift (April 2016), and Sony with the PlayStation VR (October 2016). Other companies might try their hand at VR too, perhaps most prominently Nintendo. Another league of VR headsets exists too, and includes the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream, both more focused on smartphone games and apps.

The other three, which I'm focusing on, are predominantly hardcore gaming-focused devices, but like any smartphone, they have social media and video entertainment apps available too.

But are they here to stay? The tech revolution of the future, today? Or is the VR headset just another costly gaming device that will fade after a couple of years, like the Kinect, the PS Vita (at least in the West), and the Wii U?

To get a better idea, let’s look at reasons why they’re worth the investment.

By many accounts, these are great pieces of tech (earning 4 or 5 star, or equivalent thereof, reviews across the board), provided you have the space and hardware to utilise them to their fullest (more on that later).

These sources cite good performance, comfortableness, and ease of use as reasons why you should pick one up.

There’s also plenty of games for them to keep you busy, with supposedly many more to come (for the PSVR particularly, as Sony stated last year they have 230 developers working on games for their headset).

Search online for any ‘Best [VR headset] games’ and you’ll find that a lot of these are pretty good too. The Vive has Elite Dangerous and Job Simulator, the Rift has Edge of Nowhere and Eve: Valkyrie, and PS VR has Resident Evil 7 and Rez Infinite; all of these among others.

Something that new consoles (particularly Nintendo’s) can struggle with is having enough first-party games exclusive to them that would give people the reasons they needed to buy them (indie games fans, as always, should be content). The headsets are off to a good start when it comes to this, but whether it will continue remains to be seen.

Something that gives them an edge other these consoles though, is the tech itself.

Even if you can buy Resident Evil 7 on a PS4 rather than a PS VR, for example, the experience between them is remarkably different (and some have boasted that it’s considerably better on VR), largely due to the added immersion and differing play style.

Not gonna catch me playing it in VR though

Yes, the Wii U had its tablet, and the Vita its touch screen and rear, but I’ve little doubt the differences in play present there are lesser than those granted by the virtual reality experience.

This edge may have done little to persuade consumers though, as according to a report from research firm Canalys, by the end of 2016 800,000 PS VR units were expected to have been sold, along with 500,000 Vives and 400,000 Rifts.

As TechnologyReview has pointed out in their article on VR headsets, the original iPhone sold 3.3 million units the year it launched, so these figures could be considered somewhat underwhelming, especially for the PSVR, which launched $200 cheaper than the iPhone did.

The developers themselves may not see it that way however. Sony’s stated its sales units are “on track” (though according to a recent report, the results may now be better than that). HTC meanwhile have reported that they’re making a profit on their headsets, though Oculus seems to be somewhat hazy on the subject.

From this, and a recent lawsuit accusing them ofcopyright infringement (among other things), Oculus’ success in the VR field could be brought into question.

Though they seem to be undeterred. A recent statement from an Oculus spokesperson said: “Our commitment to the long-term success of VR remains the same.”

In any case, there are some clear reasons why consumers could be reluctant to fuel VR success.

For one, setting up a VR headset can prove arduous. While minimal space is needed for the PS VR and the Rift, the Vive focuses more on movement, meaning a space of around a couple metres (if not more for some games) is necessary.

VR set-up is an expensive process too. If you want the cheapest option, you’ll have to fork out around £300 for the PS VR, plus another couple hundred pounds or so for a PS4, and if it doesn’t come with one (as not all bundles do), you’ll need a PlayStation Camera for around another £40. 

If you want an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive you’ll have to fork out around £400, or £700, respectively, plus have a rather high-spec PC to go with it, costing a few hundred quid, at least.

No wonder some may be reluctant to indulge in this hobby.

These issues may limit the audience somewhat, but note that high cost didn’t stop the iPhone from selling millions of units, and a need for space didn’t stop the Wii.

Windlands, Psytec Games

To get some expert opinions on the headsets, I e-mailed some VR developers. I heard back from Jon Hibbins, founder of Psytec Games, developer of VR titles Crystal Rift, and Windlands. Both are available on the Vive, Rift, and PSVR.

I also contacted Gary Quinn, Specialist Facilities Manager in the School of Computing at Teesside Uni, and heard his thoughts.

To say the least, I got some contrasting opinions between them.

JH: "[VR is] THE new medium, putting you inside a world rather than spectating through a flat screen, from teh first second with a DK1 headset on, I knew this would chagne the world and I wanted to develop for it.

"For expensive first-adopter hardware they have sold very well, I truly believe VR will replace mobile phones, computer screens, cinema, and TV technology, it's just time now."

GQ: "They're unlikely to be a commercial success. I think they're a novelty that a small number of gamers would buy - but not in sufficient numbers to sustain a headset industry. I think the returns from a small user base would not make commercial production a viability. 

"Most of the people who have tried SCM's Oculus and Vive headsets are impressed, but treat them as a novelty. Once they've had the experience, they're not inspired enough to come back for more."

JH: "Being inside the world is incredibly more immersive than watching from the outside, [VR development] is an amazing step forwards for all mediums before it, including Film and Art."

Will VR headsets like these succeed? I think they're off to a decent start, and have potential to go further (in gaming and elsewhere). For now, I feel it’s hard to do much more than reason and speculate.

If anything’s for sure, it’s that consumers get the final vote.

[NB: I originally wrote this piece for a Uni assignment. This version is a couple hundred words longer, as I had a rather short word limit, but still this is the origin of it. For the purposes of that assignment, I had to format the piece a certain way, and I've retained that format over to this. Hence, future pieces exclusive to this blog may or may not be formatted a different way.]