This year has already been touted as the year that virtual reality finally takes off and with the speed of headsets being launched, new applications being created and new styles of immersive gaming, it is easy to see why. So what is the best new technology on offer this year and what can you do with the new headsets and technology?
Top-quality headsets
There’s no doubt that the best headsets are also the most expensive – headsets such as the HTC Vive, the PlayStation VaR nd the Oculus Rift top the list in terms of costs but also in the quality and range of applications they can use. The Samsung Gear VR is rated as one of the best to use with smartphones, particularly with the Samsung models, obviously.
But you can even use something as simple as Google Cardboard to gain access to the world of immersive gaming technology. With prices starting from just a few dollars, these headsets may not look fancy but they are a cost-effective way to try these new technologies to see if they are your things, without spending a fortune.
What can you do with a VR headset?
Of course, regardless of whether you spend a few dollars or a few hundred, what you can do with the headsets is the most important question. And there are already lots of applications that you can use, with more coming.
You can already download an app that allows you to enjoy a 360-degree view on YouTube as well as a range of simple games such as the Zombie Shooter VR. There are plans to allow you to access anything from a sports betting site to social media with a VR headset, overlaying the app content onto the real world.
Immersive gaming
Perhaps the ultimate use for VR headsets is in the area of immersive gaming. Of course, any game can be immersive when you become totally focused on it and block out the real world. But the use of VR headsets will take this one step further.
An early example is Quantum Break for the Xbox. The game not only uses the voices of actors such as Aidan Gillen and Lance Reddick but their likeness appears in the game. It uses a series of four 22 minute live-action episodes that add to the gameplay in a completely new way. This allows players to switch between live-action and gaming in a way that showcases the future of gaming.
