Right from the day Virtual Reality: the word came into existence, it has been a point and subject of curiosity among the tech-savvy population. Last year was the year of discussing and presenting prototypes of VR whereas this year may prove to be the actualisation of those prototypes. Many companies have planned to bring their prototypes on sale this year. Let’s have a look at some of the front runners.
With its Oculus Rift now available for purchase, Facebook is surely leading the race. It was in 2014, when Facebook had acquired Oculus VR unit and had built an upgraded prototype of the virtual reality headset. The headset has finally reached the consumers. During CES, Oculus Rift VR was put up for pre-order for a whopping $600. A path has already been created by Facebook where users can enjoy and experience their fantasy settings while using Oculus Rift and playing the accompanying games ‘Lucky’s Tale’ and a multiplayer space combat game ‘EVE: Valkyrie”.
Google has always been one of those companies who have vehemently supported the virtual reality concept. Their Google Cardboard and the GoPro partnerships don’t require any introduction. And who can forget its Camera app that lets you create VR 3D images? Though there is no product as yet which is on sale right now from the company but the announcement of a separate division solely dedicated to Virtual Reality speaks volumes about the seriousness of the company in moving ahead in the field of VR. The separate division will be led by Clay Bavor (known to be overseeing the Google Cardboard project), who is the VP, Product Management for Google’s apps including Gmail, Drive and Docs.
Apple
Known for its secrecy, Apple hasn’t let out that much about its VR projects but it won’t lag behind its rivals in the field of VR too, this is for sure. According to some reports, it patented a ‘head-mounted display apparatus for Retaining a Portable Electronic Device with Display’ which essentially means a virtual reality headset powered by an iPhone or iPod. So whether it reveals or not, Apple is progressing slowly and stealthily in this field.
Microsoft
If you are a VR freak you will surely know about Windows HoloLens and HoloLens headset. The Windows HoloLens in case you don’t know, is similar to an augmented reality except that this is much more advanced, because users can wear a headset, like Virtual Reality goggles, to experience holograms in real life. HoloLens brings high-definition holograms in your world, where they integrate with your physical places, spaces, and things. Microsoft’s Hololens is expected to start shipping within the first half of 2016.
Sony
Sony: the TV and camera giant isn’t lagging behind when it comes to exploiting the user’s inclination towards VR. It has its own set of products to give you that VR experience. Sony’s ‘Playstation VR’ popularly known as ‘Project Morpheus’so far is expected to hit stores at a price of £350 (approximately Rs 35,000). It sports a 5.7-inch OLED display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and includes an approximate 100-degree field of view, an accelerometer and gyroscope along with nine LEDs for head tracking. The device also comes with a 3D audio with microphone and stereo input jacks along with HDMI and USB ports.
