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Next Generation in VR Gaming is Nearly Here

So the next generation of technology finally seems to be within arms reach. The Omni is close to being released later this year to give gamers that all around immersive sensation.

“It is a much more immersive and engaging reality experience,” explained Dr Jason Jerald, CEO Nextgen Interactions. Designed to work with the Oculus Rift, or any other VR headset, the Omni brings a whole new level of gaming to make you feel like you are truly part of that world.

What is it?

It is a base that you can stand, walk, run and jump on and this movement will be conveyed to what your character does in a video game. In their Kickstarter video, Jan Goetgeluk, Founder of Virtuix and developer of the Omni said: “This really is taking virtual reality to the next level!”

The Omni, so named because it is the first omnidirectional treadmill that supports the VR world, integrates the gamers body movements so that they truly are part of the game. You can walk, run and jump in a 360 degrees rotation, meaning that you don’t have to just keep running forward like in an old school, Sonic the Hedgehog style game.

How does it work?

The non-moving treadmill base is a curve shape so that it is easier for the user to get a better and much more natural sensation when moving. Because of this design it means that gravity will automatically bring the foot back to the centre. Special shoes are provided, with intricately configured soles, to stabilise the foot on the low friction surface of the Omni. There is also a harness which holds you in place so that you don’t run off the edge and into your living room furniture.

Omni Shoes

Unlike a normal treadmill, there are no motors or moving parts and the harness can be detached from the top so that it can easily be stored, just like gym equipment. And just like gym equipment, the Omni provides the ultimate ability to get fit in a way that puts the Wii Fit to shame.

A healthier way of gaming

It has been estimated that in just one hour’s game play, the average gamer will cover a distance of around 3-3.5 miles and burn around 350-400 calories. The Omni will track this information so that you can see how active you are. It also allows you to be able to just go for a jog around many of your favourite open world games like Skyrim. Once person has even used it to go around the Pokemon world and for anyone who has ever played that game, there is a lot of walking involved in it.

Product View 2

How it works

The device is best used with first person games like Battlefield and the Elderscrolls series and in addition to just being able to just move around, extra equipment can be used with it such as a normal Xbox controller or a controller designed as a gun or bow. At this point in time it can only work with a device that uses keyboard input so that the base can be programmed to coincide with those keystrokes. But development is still continuing so that it can be used with consoles such as the Xbox One and PS4.

For moves that you can’t do in the Omni, like a dive roll and all of the fancy moves that you do when running around a battlefield or as part of a covert operation, like in James Bond, a controller can still be used so that you don’t miss out.

Who it’s for

It has been designed so that all different types of people can use the device from the estimated age of 10+ due to how low the safety harness will go. The device weighs a light 75lbs and has a base of only 45 inches. As with any treadmill there is an additional sound with it but no more than the Xbox, PC or Playstation creates at a low 70-75 decibels.

 Product View 1

Of course the fun does not stop at just gaming. This revelation in VR technology also means that it can be used for active training, possibly army training, virtual fitness, online meet-ups and simulation experiences. The possibilities at this early stage are endless.

How much?

The Omni is expected to be released around September this year but has not yet been confirmed. However, it can already be pre-ordered on their website for $499 (£296*) and if you want two, they do a double package at $1019 (£605*).

*Prices are correct as published on http://shop.virtuix.com/ when article was published and currency conversion were also for the same date.

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Consumer Virtual Reality is So Close You Can Touch It

So, we have the Xbox One, the Playstation 4 and the 3DS as being the current leaders in technology on the gaming market. But what direction can gaming go in now? Could the Oculus Rift be it?

We may be a long way off the Holodecks from Star Trek that the world is so eagerly waiting for, if it’s even possible but we are getting closer, step by step. We now look forward to a new form of virtual reality with the Oculus Rift.

What is it?

Still in its experimental form, but thought to be released within the next year, the Oculus Rift is a head set, covering your eyes, designed to show you a view of 107 degrees of the game. It takes into consideration your head movement so if you lean to see around a corner you can. This is all thanks to the positional tracking.

When trying the demo version, the user feels completely immersed in the game. As far as the brain comprehends, everything around you is a computer graphic and in 3D.  You can use, what looks like the Wii nunchuck, controllers to control arms and pick things up in the game and move forward and backwards.

Oculus Rift 1

However, as with all experimental technology, there are a few bugs as Mark Aldridge from the College of Arts Technical at the University of Lincoln confirmed, the arms that you use whilst immersed can loose calibration quite quickly and there have also been cases of people experiencing motion sickness as the brain says that their legs should be moving when, in fact, they are stood still. This is something that Oculus will need to overcome in order for the technology to be viable for public sale.

(Mark Aldridge giving a quick guide to the Oculus Rift)

Although the Rift is still in its prototype days, other technology has already been designed to work with it in anticipation so that the user can immerse their whole body into the scenario, such as the Omni. But as the Developers of the Oculus Rift say that at the moment the games that are being used to experiment with on the VR headset are not specifically designed for the headset there are the issues with motion sickness.

(Mark Aldridge explaining about motion sickness on the Oculus Rift)

How much?

Oculus are expecting that this technology will be available to the public and their target price to release this at is only $300 (£180) meaning that it would be cheaper than both the Xbox One and the PS4. However, the likely-hood is that the technology will be incorporated into these systems and be able to run in addition to them as well as possibly with just a pc.

Just experiencing the device for a short time will give anyone the hopes and dreams that this becomes bigger than big. My experience was short but it was enough to make me realise how easily you can completely loose yourself in another world.

(My experience on the roller coaster)

The dream

The hope to eventually have this as a consumer product where you can truly be part of the game is only just around the corner, especially with the help of the Omni. The Omni has be designed to would with VR headset to incorporate all of the movement of your body whilst keeping you safe from running into objects in your living room.

Hopefully within the next couple of years, the world of gaming will have been completely reworked. With graphics in games already being so realistic and now being able to take the next step of actually putting your head in the game, there appears to be no limitation to the virtual world. There are even rumours that there is a vibrating vest being created to work with all of these devices as well so that if you get hit in a game then you will feel a vibrating version of the impact too.

Check out http://www.oculusvr.com/ to keep up with how close they are getting to release this amazing technology.

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