Virtual reality–or VR– has been gaining tons of traction in the media in recent years, especially thanks to the Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus (now PlayStation VR). And it’s VR’s poster boy and Oculus’ founder Palmer Luckey who took to Twitter recently to sound off and what exactly will hold back virtual reality, especially on PC:
Cables are going to be a major obstacle in the VR industry for a long time. Mobile VR will be successful long before PC VR goes wireless.
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) November 1, 2015
@PalmerLuckey It is important to design both hardware and software with those limitations in mind. Real users won’t have cable servants. — Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) November 1, 2015
@PalmerLuckey And I say this as someone who has spent many hours as a cable servant, dancing cables around users to keep them immersed!
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) November 1, 2015
PC and console gaming requires a far higher degree of quality and computing power, hence the need for cables. Wired rigs, wired headsets, wired controllers, potentially, and on. Just to deliver the basic level of entertainment that’s expected from those kind of experiences.
At conventions where VR entertainment is mostly previewed, low-movement experiences require little more than sitting down and keeping cables behind a chair. Conversely, active experiences sometimes need what Luckey calls “cable servants”, wire jockeys who keep cables clear of the player’s path. It’s difficult maintaining the illusion of full immersion when you’re tripping over wires you can’t see.
Mobile devices, on the other hand, like Google Cardboard and Gear VR, require a much simple, far less cumbersome setup: just the phone and the VR device, for casual gaming or movie watching entertainment.
For VR to become viable, there will need to be a middle ground: high entertainment value and quality, affordable costs, and an easy-to-use setup. Enthusiasts have been clamoring for a true VR experience for two decades, but only the most extreme hobbyists will put up with anything less than convenient.
Feature image: Oculus
Source: TechCrunch