Capsule of total immersion in the game. Is there a full immersive virtual reality helmet? The best virtual reality helmets

Reality, what we see, hear, touch, perceive with the help of our senses, is relative. It seems that this idea is already obvious to most of humanity. If we replace the signals sent to our brain by “feelings” with others generated in one way or another, we may not notice the substitution. One can only hope that the idea of ​​the film "The Matrix" has not yet found its technical embodiment. This, of course, is an exaggerated risk of virtual reality, but one should not forget about it.

The term "virtual reality" is often used in relation to a variety of systems up to the point that it is understood as the Internet. Naturally, such a loose use of terminology causes great confusion. To clarify, the concept of "virtual reality" (VR) refers to a kind of artificial world constructed using computer technology, in which a person can be completely immersed not only as an observer, but also as a participant. VR systems are technical devices that create the illusion of being in this artificial world and, in some cases, allow manipulating its objects.

The term “virtual reality” itself is far from new. Science fiction writers have long chosen this topic and contributed a lot to its development. The worlds of Lem, Bradbury, the Strugatsky brothers appeared - why not virtual reality? True, only in the imagination of the reader. And what about reality? Do you remember how, after reading your favorite book, you did not notice how time flies, and if someone called you, it took a few seconds to return to reality. In other words, you were immersed in a fictional world. But for its visualization, the effect of presence is important.

By and large, everything that we call a work of art is virtual reality in the broadest sense. This is, first of all, a theater that has developed into modern interactive shows with many stage effects, including laser ones. This is a fine art - even Renaissance artists used the technique of a direct look, when it seemed to the observer that the painted portrait was following him with his eyes. It was impossible to explain this effect otherwise than by magic in the Middle Ages. With the advent of photography, the stereoscopic camera was invented (by the way, by our compatriot Ivan Aleksandrovsky in 1854). Stereoscopes appeared, which became widespread in the middle of the last century - the prototype of modern virtual reality glasses.

Hall of the cinema "Stereokino" in Moscow, where the audience watched stereo films using the glasses-free method. 1947

The invention of cinema by the Lumiere brothers brought a new level of visualization. Already the first commercial film show in the basement of the "Grand Cafe" on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris on December 28, 1895 caused the audience to panic at the sight of the approaching locomotive. Then the cinema became sound, color, widescreen and stereoscopic. In Soviet times, in Moscow and some large cities, in addition to the usual ones, there were cinemas with an extended presence effect:

1. Stereoscopic. The Moskva cinema became the world's first commercial stereo cinema, which used a glasses-free screen projection method, and the Oktyabr cinema had a stereoscopic hall with anaglyph glasses.

2. Panoramic. Cinema "Mir" is also in Moscow, where the projection was carried out from three film projectors at the same time.

3. Circular film panorama at VDNKh. There, the screens were located in a circle for all 360 degrees.

Now we have 3D cinemas everywhere.

In 1962, Morton Heilig in the United States received a patent for a miracle of technology called a sensorama.

He was a cinematographer and his goal was to push the limits of cinema to the limit: to add taste, touch and smells to the image and sound. The sensorama was, in fact, an analog simulator. By paying 25 cents and sitting on a movable seat, the viewer could watch one of the five two-minute films. In addition to color widescreen stereo image and stereo sound, such short films, which included, for example, demonstrations of a trip around New York on a motorcycle or flying in a helicopter, included sensations of movement with vibration, head and seat turns, the use of various aromas, wind, blowing in the face. These days there are rides and cinemas 4D, 5D, even 7D with movable seats, hot and cold winds, splashes, smells and so on.

But everything that was mentioned above suffers from a significant drawback - the lack of interactivity. The spectator is passive, forced to follow the script, and the maximum that can be done is to interrupt the session. In the 90s of the last century, the King's Bounty computer game was very popular. The player controlled one character (whose class was chosen from four proposed ones) and could open the map in any direction, complete tasks, collect artifacts in a random sequence, that is, act independently. A virtual environment without freedom of choice in an artificial world is generalized by the concept of 3D. Here are the main components of modern virtual reality: immersion (an interesting plot), the effect of presence (visualization) and interactivity (freedom to choose the development of the plot).

Such opportunities are provided by VR systems: to get involved in the action yourself, and not only in a fantastic space, but also in a completely real world, at least from the point of view of human perception. All this, apparently, predetermined the boom of new information technologies and, accordingly, their rapid development. In addition to the gaming and entertainment industry, virtual reality systems are increasingly penetrating into the business sphere. They are widely applied to practical tasks, including surgical simulation, vehicle prototype development, equipment maintenance and installation, logistics operations optimization, business data visualization, military exercises, pilot training, etc. Replacing physical objects with digital models can significantly reduce time and cost.

Simon Gauntlett (DTG) recently gave an overview presentation on virtual reality for the European Broadcasting Union Seminar on Production Technologies. He considered it necessary to explain why the development of virtual reality would have to be taken seriously. As a first piece of evidence, he cites the wide range of cameras and glasses that have emerged over the past few months. The second evidence comes from the opinions of analysts who estimate the market for virtual reality in the amount of about 120 billion US dollars in the future until 2020. Mostly in the gaming industry, but who knows how game developers and broadcasters will interact further. The third argument was the increasing number of companies and organizations involved in the virtual reality market. Compatibility and the lack of established terminology remain the main problems at present.

There are several main types of systems that provide the formation of virtual reality:

Modern virtual reality helmets are more glasses than a helmet, and contain one or more displays, and in the simplest case, a smartphone is inserted instead of a display. Images for the left and right eyes are displayed on the screens. In "advanced" helmets (glasses), a lens system is used to correct the geometry, as well as a tracking system that tracks the orientation of the device in space. The multi-channel acoustic system allows localization of the sound source, which helps the user to navigate in the virtual world with the help of hearing. The helmet can be supplemented with interactive gloves and a suit, which have built-in sensors that transmit information about the user's movements to the computer.

As a rule, tracking systems for virtual reality are developed on the basis of gyroscopes, accelerometers and magnetometers. For systems of this type, the following are important: a wide viewing angle, the accuracy of tracking when tracking inclinations and turns of the head, as well as the minimum delay between detecting a change in the position of the head in space and displaying the corresponding image on the displays.

Eye tracking systems monitor the movement of pupils and can calculate exactly where a person is looking at any given time. When the position of the user's eyes relative to the displays changes, the image on them changes accordingly. Eye-tracking systems determine the coordinates of the eyes in space. For this, various technologies are used: optical (determining the coordinates of the eyes in the image from the camera, tracking active or passive markers), much less often - ultrasonic. These systems are actively implemented for marketing, military, scientific and other purposes.

The controlled character in the virtual world usually repeats these movements. There are two main approaches. The first is that a large number of sensors are attached to a person, and the computer monitors the movement of these sensors in space. The technology is widely used to shoot films where an actor plays a computer or comic character, to create 3D games, etc. The main means of interaction with the outside world for people is their hands. Therefore, the idea of ​​creating a "virtual hand" has been around for a very long time. To do this, it is proposed to use special gloves that track the movement of the hands and fingers. Another approach is based on pattern recognition. To put it simply, a special video camera shoots a person and determines what he did: waved or, for example, jumped.

Various types of simulators, the prototype of which was the same sensorama, but with feedback. They are used for learning to drive from a car to an airplane, as well as in various attractions such as a virtual roller coaster or an overturning house. In the simplest case, helmets/goggles with a movable seat and additional controls can be used. For virtual driving, imitation of the cockpit of a car / tank / plane, etc. is better. with displays instead of windows.

6. At the moment, the most advanced virtual reality systems are projection systems made in the layout virtual reality rooms (CAVE). Such a system is a room, on all the walls of which a stereo image is projected. The position of the user, the rotation of his head, the direction of his gaze are tracked by the above-described tracking systems, which allows you to achieve the maximum immersive effect.

Virtual Reality Rooms (CAVE)

An output device that forms an image directly on the retina. The user places the device in front of him, the system detects the eye and projects an image onto it using motion compensation methods. As a result, you see an image "hanging" in the air. Devices of this type are closer to augmented reality systems, since the virtual objects that the user sees are superimposed on the objects of the real world. In this form, a small VRD device could replace a full-size monitor. VRD, projecting an image on one eye, allows you to see both the computer and the real world, which can be used to create the illusion of "X-ray vision" - displaying the internal parts of devices and organs (during car repairs, surgery). The VRD system, which projects the image to both eyes, allows you to create realistic 3D scenes. VRD supports dynamic refocusing, which provides a higher level of realism than classic VR headsets.

Today, mathematical models, software and graphic subsystems of virtual reality are sufficiently developed and available for mass use. Such technologies in various forms are firmly embedded in our lives. Progress in this area is moving quite fast. Does the abundance of promising technologies promise a bright future?

Let's go back to where we started and outline the risks of mass implementation of VR systems:

• Physical - some people experience nausea, severe dizziness up to loss of consciousness.
• Information security - for example, if users can change the appearance of their avatars, they can potentially impersonate other people.
• Behavioral - for example, some game (and not only) situations can cause serious aggression of certain individuals.
• Confidential – A virtual environment can dramatically expand the scope of possible breaches of privacy because every behavior can be tracked and every element can be changed.
• Financial - having spent a lot of money, you can get something completely different from what you expected.

So there is still work to be done. An extended discussion and discussion of the problems of virtual reality, the development of terminology and the development of recommendations are expected in April this year at the NAB-Show 2016 in Las Vegas.

What is full immersion? This is when the difference between the virtual and real worlds is not felt. That is, you do not feel in which of the worlds you are.

In this article, we will talk about what technologies for full immersion in virtual reality are currently, about the pros and cons of different types of haptic feedback, and about the future of full immersion.

The material was prepared on the basis of a lecture by Denis Dybsky, which was held at the VR-Today conference as part of our educational program "Game Project Management" at GSBI. Video and abstract under the cut.

Components of total immersion

• The first and most important point is visual picture. Everyone is used to the fact that immersion in virtual reality occurs with the help of virtual reality helmets. As a rule, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Gear VR, PS VR and other headsets that are currently on the market.
• The second important point is sound. Without sound, virtual reality cannot be immersed at the moment, since the picture must be fully combined with sound. In order for the user, being in virtual reality, to be able to position himself in space and know where he is.
• The next, even more important point is tactile connection or haptic. In Western terminology, it is called haptic feedback - “tactile feedback”.
• Taste simulation.
• Smell simulation.
• The position of a person in space.

These are 6 components that allow a person to fully immerse themselves in VR. Let's take a closer look tactile feedback (haptic). This is a technology that allows you to receive tactile information through touch. This is a rather complex technology, at the moment there are several variations of its implementation on the market, which allow you to convey the feeling of touch, sensation, and so on in different ways.

Types of tactile feedback:

• The first one is force feedback. For example, in car simulators with the use of a steering wheel, a reverse tactile feedback from it is felt during collisions, and so on. This is force feedback. It allows you to feel pressure on your hands (usually) or on your body.
• The next and most common, most studied type of tactile feedback at the moment is vibrotactile feedback. The most striking example is the vibration of a smartphone. It lets us know when a message arrives or a call arrives.
• The next type is quite complex and not very common at the moment on the market, is ultrasound. It allows you to feel the shape and texture of an object by generating high-frequency sounds. At the moment, there are a couple of solutions on the market that allow you to use this technology.
• Thermal Feedback is another type of feedback. It allows you to feel the cold, heat, transition from heat to cold and vice versa in virtual reality.
• Probably the most accurate way to convey sensations is electrical stimulation. For example, belts in order to get in shape, which are positioned as belts for burning excess subcutaneous fat, use electrical stimulation. These are small electrical impulses that operate, as a rule, at different frequencies, amplitudes and current strengths. In VR, a chemical reaction is quite difficult to simulate, but electrical stimulation is very easy to reproduce. You can customize an individual electrical signal for every sensation and feel a touch, a ball hitting any part of your body, or even rain.

Existing problems

1. Now to immerse yourself in virtual reality stimulates only 2 senses out of 5 is vision and hearing.
2. An even bigger problem than the previous one is the presence of wires in the PC and console helmets. A large amount of data passes through a virtual reality helmet, and this requires wires. In order to feel completely free in virtual reality, you need to remove them.
3. The problem of interaction with the virtual world. As a rule, in order to fully interact with it, controllers are needed. Now controllers from different manufacturers are ordinary controllers Vive, Oculus Touch, etc. But in order to fully interact with objects, to be able to touch them, turn, take, feel its texture, weight, virtual reality gloves are needed. What they should include: at a minimum, this is a motion capture system so that you can track the position of the hand in space, how the fingers move, whether they are compressed, how the hand rotates relative to the whole body. Fine motor skills should be monitored. When touching a virtual object, there should be feedback. For example, texture can be made using electrical stimulation. If this is some kind of large object, for example, a person bumps into a wall with his hands, then, of course, this can be simulated with a vibrotactile feedback.
4. Due to the fact that at the moment there are solutions on the market that mainly use vibration or force feedback, this reduces quality of interaction in a virtual environment, because they do not allow you to accurately convey all the sensations.
5. Another point: in virtual reality, with full immersion, you need imitate walking. How can I do that? The first way is teleportation. For example, this is implemented in HTC Vive, there, using the controller, you can teleport to different places in the virtual environment. The second is directly physical walking around the room. But in order to fully immerse yourself, depending on the volume of the virtual world in which you are immersed, you need a small or large room. But for full movement in the largest possible open worlds, it is impossible to use only a small room. Since you need to walk in all directions, this is not very convenient. The third gadget that more or less solves this problem is the Tread Meal (there are several offers on the market now), which allows you to move right in it, it supports the human body and does not let the person get tired.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that at the moment there are no systems of complete immersion in virtual reality as such. For the time being, these systems can only be called partial immersion systems. It may seem to someone that it is enough to use only a helmet to immerse yourself in virtual reality, but no, this is not true.

Examples of systems that are moving towards fully immersing a person in VR.

CAVE
This is a project that was launched in 1992. It usually consists of huge displays all over the room. These are wall-mounted speakers, directional sound, motion capture and stereoscopic displays.

The VOID
A VR amusement park that opened a few years ago in Utah, USA. The physical locations that you can walk in it fully correspond to the virtual ones.

AlloSphere
10-meter sphere with multiple stereoscopic displays, built-in motion capture system, sound and so on.

Teslasuit
Suit for total immersion in VR. It looks like an ordinary suit, it has several systems in it.

• The system for transmitting sensations, that is, the Haptic Feedback System. It allows you to accurately convey the sensations of VR. You can feel how someone is touching you, even if he is 1000 km away from you.
• Motion capture system. Allows the user to track its position in space and move through it. At the moment it is inertial tracking, but now a hybrid mockup is being developed, which will also use optical tracking.
• Climate control. Allows you to feel cold, warm, decrease or increase in temperature.
• The suit is completely wireless.
• In order to allow third party developers to use the suit, a proprietary SDK has been developed.
• Haptic glove.
• 5G and cloud for processing (in plans). Today, all devices require powerful hardware in order to fully launch content and there were no lags. The suit will allow all processing to be transferred to the cloud. This will save users from iron, remove all unnecessary peripherals. Since peripherals greatly reduce mobility in VR, the cloud must be quite powerful, distributed, and a lot of other nuances. Therefore, its creation will take at least 3-5 years.

Now let's take a look into the future.

Now systems are being developed that will allow you to connect a computer directly to the human brain. They have been in development for quite some time. Well, the most discussed project - Neuralink from Elon Musk. This is a very complex project, judging by the current level of technology, this will happen no earlier than in 15-25 years, and possibly more.

The suit is a closer variant in time. The suit is a system that allows for a complete training of a person's vital signs. The developers plan to develop smart clothes, which will have various sensors built in (temperature, measuring the level of oxygen in the blood, humidity and other sensors that allow you to take vital signs of the body).

In parallel with the suit, there are many developments on gloves. They allow you to interact with objects. Gloves are also stuffed with sensors that work on electrical stimulation. The glove itself has all the same control systems that are in the suit.

Another important point is weight simulation in virtual reality. Everyone wants to not only feel the object, touch it, feel its shape, but also feel how much it weighs. This is real with the help of electrical stimulation. Now there are studies that allow us to say that with the help of electrical stimulation it is possible to very accurately simulate the weight of an object. Such a thing will also be on time or a little later.

A few days ago, Virtuix showed off the latest version of its Omni VR kit, which contains 40 capacitive sensors and allows you to track your every move and relay it to your character in a PC game.

So far, Omni has tracked your foot movements using Microsoft Kinect. Now it provides the ability to analog movement - this means that the faster you go, the faster your character moves, and the limits of his speed are not limited.

The user puts on special running shoes with sliding plastic inserts on the soles and clips into the harness inside the Omni waist frame. This harness resembles a climber's harness and is attached to the surrounding support ring. The system provides enough support so that you can move your feet on slippery surfaces at its base without fear of falling.

Then you put on your Oculus Rift glasses and the transformation is complete. Here is how one of the techno-journalists who tested the new system describes his experience.

“Team Virtuix downloaded Half Life 2 for me and I turned into Gordon Freeman. I ended up in the Bypass Canal, one of the early levels of the game where I could run around shooting Combine Soldiers. Moving around inside the Omni works well in general, but sometimes presents a bit of a problem as your steps don't always translate into step-by-step movement.

You also can't strafe or confidently move backwards - although we don't do that kind of thing in real life, these maneuvers are quite critical in first-person shooters. Aiming is pretty quirky too, as the crosshairs on the screen are drawn based on where you're looking, not where your weapon is pointing.

But the most serious obstacle was motor disorientation. After five minutes on the Oculus, I felt nauseous. The impact of two unfamiliar technologies on my body at once led to sensory overload. All I had left was instinct, I ran around and hid behind cars as the bullets whistled over my head.

I completely felt like I was in a game, and as I turned to look at my enemies, I had no idea where my body was actually turning. It is difficult to adapt to this, but it creates an incredible immersion. I’m sure that sooner or later I could get used to it.”

Omni doesn't work perfectly yet, and doesn't allow you to absolutely accurately translate your movement to the character in the game, but it is a very obvious symbol of the future, which we will very soon become a part of. Virtuix plans to ship the Omni this May for $499, and the system will work with any game or app that supports keyboard input.

You can move on to how to get into it. This will require special devices. All of them are relatively recent and new to the market, but even then the principle of "give me the latest" will not always provide you with a good choice. Therefore, we offer you to walk with us through the jungle of virtual reality devices in order to better understand.

First, let's define the terminology right away. You can hear next to such concepts as video glasses, virtual or augmented reality glasses, a virtual reality helmet - and these are not synonyms. All these are separate types of devices with different functionality.

Video glasses: home assistant

Video glasses are a common addition to a home theater system. They don't work as a standalone device, they just help you better perceive what your cool plasma screen is showing - nothing more. While some of them allow you to watch 3D or even spherical video, it cannot be compared to other devices.

Conclusion: Video glasses will not be able to demonstrate virtual reality in all its glory, it is rather an accessory to a home TV.

Augmented Reality Glasses: A New Hope

There are also augmented reality glasses. The very first of these were Google Glass - these are glasses that were supposed to "complement" the real objects that you saw through the glass. The project suffered a resounding defeat and did not particularly impress anyone. First of all, users were not satisfied with the imperfection of their work, the primitiveness of functions and a rather strange external design.

Despite this failure, Microsoft recently decided to invest in a similar project of another augmented reality glasses - HoloLens. The prototype of glasses looks more interesting than Google Glass, and the system of their work should be more perfect. The key difference is that the Microsoft project will use holographic images to augment reality (hence the name), and therefore their functionality will be much wider. In addition, they will be self-contained and will not require a connection to any device (as Google Glass needed an Android operating system carrier).

Conclusion: Now it’s not even worth considering augmented reality glasses as an option for buying, because there are no finished devices on the market.

Virtual reality glasses and VR headsets: a bird in the hands

The main difference between augmented reality glasses and virtual reality glasses is that the former cannot provide you with a complete immersion in the virtual world. This type of glasses will be more of an assistant for educational purposes, household, useful at work.

But virtual reality glasses can provide you with complete immersion. The most famous glasses of this type are still Samsung Gear VR - and they look like a full-fledged helmet. Some call this device a compromise for those who want to immerse themselves in the virtual world for a relatively small fee.

Gear VR is powered by a Samsung smartphone (you can buy a helmet for Note 4 or Galaxy S6, as well as some other recent models). The phone is inserted into the body of the helmet with lenses and connected to it via microUSB.

Specifications: Image resolution will depend on which smartphone you are using. Do not forget that this is a mobile device, so you should not expect super-high graphics performance from the very beginning. Content developers initially reduce image quality and detail so that a smartphone, far inferior in power to full-fledged computers, can cope with the output of two pictures at the high refresh rate necessary to create an immersive effect.

Management: You can control the process using the built-in buttons, you can additionally purchase joysticks and touchpads.

Price: The device costs $99, but be warned that the glasses will be useless without Samsung's latest flagship phone. According to the characteristics, the glasses can only work together with the top models of phones, therefore, formally, another $600-1000 can be added to this amount, not to mention additional controllers, without which half of the games will simply be inaccessible.

Disadvantages: We all remember the scandal associated with exploding phones from Samsung. Many Gear VR users complained that the phone was hot while using the glasses.

Conclusion: For especially experienced gamers, the device will not provide a revolutionary experience, and it can rather be called a device for a frivolous acquaintance with the world of virtual reality. If you like it, you will definitely want to move on to something more serious, and you will no longer need Gear VR glasses.

In addition to Samsung, you can pay attention to other virtual reality glasses - Carl Zeiss VR One, Avegant Glyph, Archos VR Headset, Deepoon E2. There are several dozen analogues of such devices, all of them have their own disadvantages and advantages.

The most affordable glasses can be called Google Cardboard - and at first they were not perceived otherwise than as a joke from the corporation. Google showed how to literally assemble a device for virtual reality from improvised means - you will need cardboard, a pair of lenses and straps for fastening.

Price: About $15. And a high probability of getting them for free at any thematic event.

Conclusion: This device (if you can call it that) is ideal for a beginner who wants to get acquainted with virtual reality.

Virtual reality helmets: heavy artillery

The most impressive device on the virtual reality market now remains helmets. And even though they look like futuristic glasses, they can provide a complete immersion in virtual reality.

Of course, the most famous - because of its superiority - remains the Oculus Rift. The first version of the helmet for developers appeared in the summer of 2013, but the first commercial version for consumers has been on sale since April of this year. The helmet has been highly anticipated in the VR market. On the one hand, the device aroused great interest and brought virtual reality into the mass consciousness, on the other hand, it showed that there is still work and work to be done in this direction.

Characteristics: The helmet is equipped with a pair of displays with a total resolution of 2160 × 1200 and demonstrates a frame rate of 90 Hz. Until now, this is considered the so-called "gold standard", which is the most balanced and pleasant to read.

Controls: The helmet comes with a controller from the xBox One game console. The helmet is used in conjunction with a computer that runs games (or any other specialized content).

Price: Basic equipment costs $599. Additionally, you will have to pay $200 for the Oculus Touch controller. And all this will be useless without very good technical characteristics of your computer. Therefore, without an updated hardware, you should not even think about buying an Oculus Rift. Sellers, along with a helmet, immediately offer to assemble a suitable computer, the price of which starts at $ 1000 (and reaches infinity).

Cons: Being the first Oculus Rift is both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the one hand, the developers have ensured that many people associate virtual reality very strongly only with this device. On the other hand, competitors "peeped" many of the advantages and tried to fix many of the Oculus Rift's mistakes. And since it was the first, it will be refined and improved in any case, and therefore it is simply impossible to call it the best on the market now.

Conclusion: Oculus Rift can be bought if you want to try the original helmet, which was the first on the market and opened the era of devices of this type. However, you should not expect that it will be relevant after a while - not only can competitors surpass it, the company itself can release its updated version. And certainly the version of April this year will not make sense to buy.

HTC Vive has become the second virtual reality helmet on the market. It went on sale less than a month after the Oculus Rift, but the design itself appears to be a bit more polished than the first helmet.

Characteristics: The resolution of the helmet does not differ from the main competitor - 2160 × 1200, the same frame rate - 90 Hz. Note that both helmets have a viewing angle of 110 degrees, but in the case of the Oculus Rift, some complained about the insufficient frame width. There have been no such complaints from HTC Vive users.

Management: Here, HTC has certainly outperformed its competitors. Together with the helmet, there is a set of sensors (the system is called Lighthouse), which are placed in the corners of the room. They track the location of the user and do not restrict his movements as much as the same Oculus Rift. Additionally, the kit comes with controllers for manipulations in virtual reality. However, in fairness it should be noted that when the Oculus Rift began offering a pair of similar controllers in October this year, as a result, this led to almost the same features and price.

Price: The HTC Vive helmet is available for $799. And again - do not forget about the top computer, without which the device cannot be used.

Cons: Surprisingly, none. The helmet offers a large amount of content, works properly, has all the necessary add-ons available. Perhaps the only drawback compared to competitors is the high price.

Conclusion: The presence of a sensor system in the kit “out of the box” and cooperation with Steam (which is owned by Valve, an HTC partner) favorably distinguishes the HTC Vive from its direct competitor. In addition, its release was not accompanied by complaints about unsuccessful delivery, software flaws. However, the price of this device is higher. In addition, you need to understand that even the sensor system will not allow you to run in virtual space - the helmet is still designed for "sitting" games - but they are somewhat more diverse than the Oculus Rift.

The PlayStation VR virtual reality helmet was released much later than the others - in October 2016. Sony had a head start of six months to correct errors.

It’s worth noting the design right away, which we haven’t mentioned before – already on the promo, the helmet looks much more impressive than the competition. LEDs, an unusual shape, as well as the principle of mounting on the head seem more futuristic.

Characteristics: In the announcements, the developers assured that they would be able to beat the competition and give a resolution of 2160 × 1200, but in reality it turned out that the helmet has a resolution of 1920 × 1080, which ultimately loses to two direct competitors. However, there is a plus - the frame rate of the helmet is 120 Hz, which is higher than that of competitors. Thus, the picture looks smoother and more realistic, although slightly worse in quality.

Control: This helmet is not designed for a computer, but for game consoles from Sony. The PlayStation Camera of the console and the Move sensor are responsible for tracking user actions, respectively. In fact, the same principle is used by both the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift.

Price: The official price of the helmet is $399. Do not forget that without a game console from Sony, as well as a camera, the device will be useless. In addition, for full immersion, you will want to buy controllers, which will increase the price of a complete set to about $900.

Disadvantages: Lower image resolution compared to other helmets, which makes the image less detailed.

Conclusion: The device as a whole is comparable in characteristics to its competitors, but its distinguishing feature is the work with the console. In fact, Sony focused primarily on their own customers who have already purchased a game console and want to diversify it with a helmet. With Sony's console user base of over 40 million dedicated fans, it's safe to assume that PlayStation VR won't be in stores. At the same time, Sony controls the quality of content released for consoles, so you can expect that the helmet will allow you to play already known hits for the PlayStation in virtual reality. A more affordable price also makes the helmet competitive.

So what to choose?

Summing up, we can say that in terms of technical characteristics and quality of work, the HTC Vive can still be called the leader, which provides the most complete work and seems to be the most advanced version of the helmet on the market. Access to content from Steam is also a plus, although the library of the other two helmets looks more than worthy.

At the same time, if you do not have the desire to spend so much money on virtual reality, the PlayStation VR will be a good budget option (if you are already a happy owner of a game console).

For a serious virtual experience, it's hard to recommend VR glasses, as they're unlikely to let you experience the full beauty of the virtual world. The Oculus Rift loses to its competitors both in terms of features and price, and wins only in marketing, remaining known as the first VR helmet.