By the end of the year several iterations of virtual reality peripherals will hit the market and, so far, I’m unconvinced they will be the wave of the future.
There are a few reasons why I believe this to be true.
Let’s start with the fact that developers are already dealing with the instances of virtual reality causing users to suffer from vertigo, or motion sickness, due to tracking issues.
Vertigo has been a problem for me while using earlier generations of consoles while viewing the image through a television set, so I could just imagine how much worse it would be using virtual reality headset. It’s not fun to try to power through a game that is making you physically sick. In fact I’ve only done it once, as a teenager because I spent hard-earned allowance money on the South Park game for Nintendo 64. So, anyone who purchases this expensive hardware will also feel obligated to play, even if they get sick while doing so.
Admittedly, the cases were experienced during trials for media representatives using demos, so it’s possible that the bugs will be worked out in time for each headset’s launch.
Even if the issues are worked out, I’m on the fence whether to buy a virtual reality headset.
There’s a reason video games are relaxing, you get to play them while sitting down. If I wanted to get up and do something that simulates reality, I’d get out of my chair, put on my shoes and step outside. At least then the only time I would suffer from vertigo is if I was in an airplane, on a boat in the middle of rocky waters, or being tossed around in a roller coaster ride.
Then again, I am curious to see what this new technology will bring to the table. Guess I will try it out when all the bugs are fixed before completely ruling out its true impact on the industry.