Virtual Reality is the Future
If you get a chance to try an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or any VR headset for that matter, DO IT!
I was lucky enough to have my friend David Orban convinced me that I should get a DK2. My DK2 arrived in September 2014. From the first moment I put that headset I was sold on VR.
I've landed on the moon. Raced an F1 car at Monza. Had spaceship fights in space. Had my mind blow with demos like SightLineVR.
The problem with telling others about VR is that no matter how well you try to explain it, you can't properly convey what it's like. VR is an experience. Given the right game the immersion can be picture perfect. I've raised my hands to protect my face or braced my body for an impact only seconds later to realize that I'm just gaming.
I've always been an avid sim-racer. I've used a triple monitor set up for quite some time. Lots of racers use setups like this to maximize the immersion and give you a better field of view for racing. This is what my setup looked like:
I prefer the Rift so much that I got rid of my triples. All those screens got replaced with this:
That's my father trying out my DK2 in iRacing.
VR really nails the 'cockpit' style gaming experience. Racecar, airplane, spaceship it's a perfect match. I recommend spending a little on a wheel for driving games or a flight joystick. It really adds to the experience.
Non-cockpit games like FPS's are fun but using a keyboard/mouse or joypad steals away a bit of the experience. There are a lot of companies trying to improve on this. I'm sure this year we will see a lot of innovation in regards to FPS controls when using a VR headset. Oculus Touch looks promising as well as Leap Motion.
The technology is not perfect at the moment. Resolution is just a little lower than you'd like. The CV1, The first consumer version of the Riff, will improve upon this. I already have my order in for a CV1 and I hope to tell you the resolution change has really improved the product. I think for near perfect immersion a 4k resolution will be required. At the rate this technology is progressing that can't be more than a couple years aways.
We are just scratching the surface of what VR can and will do. VR will be a must have item before you know it.