Oculus Rift: What can VR glasses do?

Virtual reality will be the next big thing in the gaming industry. The VR glasses Oculus Rift should be the first representative of this new dimension. But what exactly can it do?

This is what the Oculus Rift components consist of

• In principle, the Oculus Rift is a screen strapped directly in front of the head, which in the latest version, which is due to come on the market in late 2014, dissolves in Full HD. For this purpose, a separate image is displayed for each eye, creating a 3D effect. With the help of special lenses and the construction that is closed to the outside, the screen fills the entire field of vision of the player.
• The second important component is a large number of sensors that detect every movement of the head and adapt the displayed image to it at lightning speed. The Oculus Rift uses a 3-axis gyrometer, an acceleration sensor and a magnetometer. In addition, the Oculus Rift scans the sensors up to 4 times faster than conventional virtual reality glasses or smartphones, which minimizes the delay in the image.
• The glasses are an accessory for the gaming PC. The images are calculated by the connected computer, to which input devices such as a keyboard and mouse are of course also connected. For this purpose, only specially adapted games are available, which, for example, must be aligned separately for each eye to the side-by-side image display. It started with a customized version of the classic ego shoot "Doom 3".

That's what makes the virtual reality gaming experience so exciting

• With the closed display that fills the entire field of vision, the gaming experience is all the more realistic. But two more points are much more important: The separate image for each eye generates a realistic 3D effect. And by registering every head movement using the numerous sensors, you can "look around" in the virtual space - the view in the game always pans. This feeling is called "immersion" - immersion in a game world - and takes gaming to a new level.
• The fast sensors of the Oculus Rift also prevent "motion sickness": This feeling of dizziness arises when the virtual view always noticeably lags behind the head movements and so the virtual movements are slightly offset - which is comparable to seasickness and a problem for many VR glasses,

Patience asked - availability of the Oculus Rift

• Are you in the mood for the Oculus Rift? Unfortunately, you have to be patient for longer. According to the latest information, a consumer version should be released in 2015 at the earliest - at the price of a game console. Until then, the VR glasses are reserved for developers who write corresponding games and applications, although there is still a lot possible. Numerous applications outside of gaming are also conceivable, such as virtual tours through museums or robot controls. The boom is yet to come.
• If you can no longer stand it, a little improvisation is the order of the day. Since a current smartphone has the required sensors and the screen, there are now kits that you can use to strap on your smartphone as VR glasses. We tried it here.

So that you can ignore the waiting time for the virtual reality horror shooter "Domm 3", we show you here how you can play the classic Doom online.