There Is No Inferior VR
Or, why non-PC VR headsets are necessary for VRs survival in its early years.
I’ve seen a lot over the past few years — developers immediately dismissing a new VR headset because it doesn’t have 6 degree of freedom (6dof) tracking and some for of 6dof track interaction. Some go as far to say it’s bad, subpar or even (most infuriatingly) not true VR. I think this is… not a good thing (to put it nicely). We’re too early in VR’s life still to be picky about new hardware thats coming out. That being said, this isn’t going to be me saying any VR is good VR, but instead me saying that the the 3DoF headsets like the Oculus Go, Vive Focus or even down to the GearVR are absolutely necessary for the adoption of VR. I’ll even go as far to say that calling it not-true VR hurts adoption as a whole, everywhere.
“Technology only advances as society allows it to.” This was some quote by someone who I don’t remember the name of, but it’s applicable quote for this argument. Society, as a whole, is not ready for the PC VR platforms. They’re a big jump for a multitude of reasons. PC VR headsets like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift are expensive, they require a non-trival amount of set up time, they require space and the software can be a little janky to use. It’s still rough, despite being commercial products. They require a focused effort to set up and use, and even then for some cases it might not be the most convenient or useful tech for the situation. They’re not ready for mass adoption yet — but that is ok, this is where the other headsets come in — and this is why they’re still important.
Society needs to learn to get used to a new technology — look at cell phones, or the internet. Consider this conversation by Katie Couric on the today show in 1994 talking about email and the internet. This is where we are with VR now. What even is VR? What can it do? Why do we do all the things that we do with it — no one knows yet. And if you think you know, then you’ve either been working in VR for decades (shout out to you, by the way) or you’re telling a lying to yourself. Most of the people I’m hearing call some VR bad or inferior — probably are in the latter category.
This is where the 3DoF VR headsets come in,— the ones that are cheaper, easier to set up and run on platforms that are more than just a one-off VR headset and are NOT on PC’s. These are easier to use, more approachable to society as a whole. They require less risk and work in many cases. No, I’m not going to say that they’re the gateway to the next level of VR — I mean, they kind of are, but that is a teeny tiny fraction of it. They’re something much bigger — they’re helping move society towards a VR ready society. They’re conditioning the world for what is to come in the future. We can’t ignore these smaller, “inferior” as some would say headsets — they’re just as important, if not more important than the PC VR fully-track super shiney headsets.
Saying that these headsets are inferior, bad or not true VR misdirects people into using them. It belittles their importance and quite frankly, shows a narrow view of the VR industry as a whole. We need the 3DoF headsets, we need Daydreams, we need more Vive Focus (Focii?). They’re setting the foundation of VR for years to come. Ignore them, and we have no foundation.
So please, think about what you’re saying the next time you say that the Oculus Go or the Vive Focus is inferior or subpar. It’s not pushing people towards better VR, it’s pushing them away.
You can follow me around on twitter @fr0z3nR for other game and VR development shenanigans.
