Opinion: Virtual reality gets practical, still fantastical

When the price of Facebook Inc.’s Oculus Rift virtual reality headset was unveiled earlier this year, it came as something of a shock to many supporters.

For the commercial release of the device on March 28, customers must shell out a whopping $600. It’s a large asking price for those on the fence about it, like myself.

Still, the news reawakened my curiosity in the concept of VR.

To me, it’s always seemed to be a trope of science fiction films or a burgeoning gimmick that’s just not very useful.

Then I tried one.

I’d describe it as technology I never knew I wanted – but now that I have it, I won’t be turning my back on it.

In searching the Web after the Oculus price scared me off, I found a number of more reasonably priced headsets. Google Cardboard represented the cheapest option.

The name is representative of the product. It is literally a cardboard box folded into a headset with round lenses that magnify your view. Mine cost about $20, but Google has a blueprint online you can follow to make it yourself.

The catch is your smartphone acts as the viewer, with VR apps providing the meat of the experience.

My iPhone has a 4-inch screen, but the magnitude of how it looks through Google Cardboard is unreal.

By splitting the video, picture or any other element into symmetrical portions on the screen, the device tricks your eyes into believing it’s a 3-D experience. You simply insert your phone into the backside of the device, load up a VR app and the lenses do the rest. A magnetic strip included with the device initiates the button on the phone. It’s simple, but there’s a complexity to it that’s really neat.

Seconds after I downloaded the Google Cardboard app, I was staring up at the Eiffel Tower, which required me to move my head as if I was really looking up at it. Next moment, I’m viewing a Tyrannosaurus rex in a museum, taking a peek under the sea, watching a virtual spaceship take off, daydreaming at a kaleidoscope that Pink Floyd could have dreamed up and traveling down city streets, including Springfield, with full 360-degree control by the motion of my head.

It became quite the sight in the Springfield Business Journal office, with my co-workers spinning around in circles and exclaiming, “Wow!”

This is some of the most mind-boggling tech I’ve experienced in quite some time. It’s wild feeling like you’re actually looking at the Roman Colosseum while someone in real life talks in your ear from what somehow seems even farther away.

It’s amazing to sit on a virtual roller coaster and throw your hands up like a total dork when the vertical loop comes around.

Of course, there are problems.

The cardboard device I ordered has the issues you might expect. It’s a bit flimsy. Contact with human skin causes greasy spots to appear. It is hard for your eyes to adjust to the sensation it provides, and long use will guarantee a headache. You’re going to look extremely nerdy when you wear the thing. And, while the apps are a lot of fun, I haven’t so far found a lot of practical uses for the device, other than the ability to scope out cities before you visit them.
That doesn’t mean it won’t get there.

For example, I downloaded a New York Times VR app that puts you inside news stories in a whole new way. One from the Discovery Channel taught me about a junkyard, while I personally controlled the camera.

The Oculus Rift is geared toward video games, which has the potential to transform that particular industry.

Last year, SBJ staff members visited with architecture firm Bates & Associates to try out an early version of the tech, and they left in awe.

Architects – and others who can benefit from a real-life concept prior to the actual finished product – truly can get a lot out of this type of tech. Bates & Associates, for example, was using it as a prototype to create 3-D spaces for clients to virtually walk through their buildings.

For me, while the hint of a gimmick still exists, every time I put the thing on I feel amazed. Beyond what I see on the screen, I get a glimpse into the future and how wearable devices could affect our society.

This is just the beginning. The future is now.

Web Producer Geoff Pickle can be reached at gpickle@sbj.net.