05 Jan 2018 Predictions
(Not Quite) The Year of VR
For at least three years, technology evangelists in the VR sphere have been saying the same thing. 2016, 2017 and now 2018 all have the same esteemed title “The Year of VR”. While 2018 will be seeing huge adoption in the use of 3D/VR platforms such as Matterport, Oculus and Vive, we’re likely a few years away from VR just being ‘a thing’. Most people have not tried VR yet, and the technology needs at least one more generation to really mature.
There’s several things holding virtual reality back, even in the far flung future of 2018. For starters, it’s still inaccessible to anyone unwilling to spend $3-5,000 on hardware. The interface involves (at this stage of evolution) a cumbersome dual ‘hand paddle’ situation. Body tracking is still inaccurate. We’re still a ways off from everybody having access to VR the same way we have access to smartphones.
But – VR is here, now. And it’s awesome.
This year, Oculus (aka Facebook) plans to release the ‘Go’ VR headset. It promises a stand-alone virtual reality experience for just $200. The Google Daydream is the closest thing Android users have to dedicated VR. iPhone users have had Google Cardboard for years, accessible using a $10–30 headset. The experience and quality might not be as great as the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, but it gives you a very attractive and practical price if you want to try it out.
VR is included with every 3D Showcase
If you want to try out virtual reality, you can’t go wrong with 3D photography. Our Matterport tours have VR built in, accessed via a button on any VR-capable device or phone. It allows the viewer to experience the space almost as accurately as being there. With our high-resolution, 4K camera, we capture spaces with depth and precision. The Showcase VR is very gentle to all VR users, experienced and novice. It fades to black between each ‘jump’, which reduces the chances of motion sickness. The high definition images look amazing on a late-model Android or iPhone, not to mention the awesome Samsung Galaxy.
If you ever want to experience VR, just ask us during an appointment! We can show you how to set it up on your phone and hook you up with a free VR headset!