Brief summary of my experience:
When I first put the headset on, the employee at the Microsoft store was speaking to me through a microphone connected to the earphones. I could not hear or see anything else when she handed me both of the controllers-- I actually attempted to peek out through the bottom of the goggles to see the real world and to remind myself that it was still there. Sounds silly, but despite my mind knowing that I was in a pixelated world, it felt more real than staring at pixels on a screen, and I was almost completely convinced of my autonomy within a different environment.
Being vulnerable in the middle of a shopping mall was unsettling; having two of my major senses cut off from the outside world was isolating and even a bit nerve-wracking. However, when the demo started, the visuals made the immersion a positive experience rather than putting me into a fear-induced mental state. Instead of thinking of my lack of relation to the outside, I relaxed and began thinking about myself within the game environment.
The first part of the demo put the player at the bottom of the ocean on a sunken ship to look at the surrounding visuals and get a feel for the VR experience. It was a way to acclimate the player to the space and limitations of the area marked by a grid within the game. It was beautiful and all-encompassing--of course, it was less of a game and more of a way to gauge what to expect graphically.
After that, the demo switched to a game where the player shoots robots out of the sky using various types of guns. (My favorite was the laser beam). I used the triggers on the back of the two controllers to aim and fire. It was a fun, but pretty run-of-the-mill in terms of gameplay, serving as a placeholder for *what might be your favorite AAA shooter title and how it could run one day*. I do regret not feeling comfortable enough to move around and throw my body into the game; I suppose I held back because of my experience with the Nintendo Wii and for the mere fact that I was in public and subconsciously knew that people were passing by and staring at me. Sure, I was fine with lifting my arms and shooting, but when it came to somersaulting to avoid enemies, I was afraid of tripping over the headset wire.
The third part of the demo, and the part that I enjoyed the most, was Tilt Brush by Google: a game that lets you draw in 3D. There wasn't enough time to experiment with all of the different brushes, colors, and backgrounds in this game, but if they would have allowed me to, I would have probably drawn for hours. The colors were vibrant and electric, and the motions were fluid and relaxing. I can see this game being a great way to destress and deal with anxiety.
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| Source: http://www.polygon.com/2015/9/11/9310729/disney-virtual-reality-animator-valve-tilt-brush (My art wasn't this good). |
Verdict:
After playing, I felt discombobulated. The closest comparison that I can think of is when your eyes adjust to wearing sunglasses for a long time then you suddenly take them off on a bright day. It's not as a extreme as going from complete darkness to blaring sunlight, but it is still uncomfortable. That could easily be because I was in a store with fluorescent lighting, but it might also just be the shock from going from one reality to another.
Secondly, I am a person that is prone to motion sickness. I actively avoid playing first person games because they hurt my stomach. Perhaps this discomfort is caused by my body being stationary and my perspective moving forward within the game. Even so, I didn't feel as nauseous playing the Vive as I do watching or playing first person perspective games because my body was moving around within the game environment. I think anyone can feel queasy after staring at a screen for too long, but VR didn't affect my body as intensely as I thought it would. I had a slight headache and a very mild stomach ache. My only warning is that is absolutely exhausting. I felt like my body had been drained of all its energy--this statement is coming from a person who drinks three to four cups of coffee a day. I can speculate that playing VR for the first time will have an adverse affect on your body, but with further use that feeling would dissipate. I can't say for sure.
There is seldom that I would spent 800 dollars on in this world, especially a console that I played for ten minutes. However, I am interested in VR technology and would buy a system if they even went on sale for the same price as normal consoles. We're talking way down the line. For me, there isn't that much of pull to spend an arm and a leg on it yet. As I stated before, it was an amazing experience that I would recommend to everyone who is interested in video games, but eh, it is a hard sell at the current price. There are cheaper VR alternatives to the HTC Vive like the Oculus Rift or PSVR, but I have not tried them yet, so I am not going to speak on that subject until I do.
I will be keeping up with VR and playing when I am afforded the opportunity to. It's a hot topic and ever-growing medium that I can't see becoming less interesting anytime soon. It is important to note that me and many others have some paranoid skepticism on the subject. However, skepticism aside, before you pre-order or write-off virtual reality, I advise you to find a local demo, and get some perspective.
-Haley
Remember, I played a ten minute demo. I am not an expert. Don't just take my word on it: there are so many people talking about their VR experiences online. Be sure to check out what they have to say!
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