Virtual Reality is no longer a dream of the future: Many manufacturers have released or at least announced VR glasses – except for Apple. COMPUTER BILD shows the most interesting VR glasses – and has already tested some!
Virtual Reality (VR for short) was on everyone’s lips two years ago and was considered a big trend in 2016. But apart from demonstrations at major trade fairs such as CES and E3 , VR has so far remained quite quiet, and some spoke of a trend reversal . Power the PlayStation VR the technology is now suitable for the masses? The potential is enormous: Whether authentic racing simulations, bloody shooter action or the latest Hollywood blockbusters – while the almost perfect illusions of foreign worlds or distant times ended in front of the TV frame up to now, games and films get gamers and film buffs right in the middle thanks to VR technology into the action. A powerful computer, smartphone or a powerful console are required to create the interactive environments. In the following, you will get to know the most important virtual reality glasses and find out which models are on the rise!
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PlayStation VR – the player
After a few postponed market launch dates, Sony’s PlayStation appeared in stores in October 2016 for around 400 euros – the price has now fallen by half. Because Sony’s cyber glasses didn’t live up to the great expectations! This is mainly due to the inadequate display resolution, which throws an overly blurred image onto the lenses. The price for an affordable VR solution was simply too high for that! PS4 owners who can overlook this and want to dare to venture out into virtual reality for the first time will not go wrong with the PlayStation VR: The simple structure, the functional processing and the range of games are a good argument, especially for VR newcomers.
Oculus Rift – the classic
In 2013, Oculus VR kicked off the VR trend with the first developer version of the Oculus Rift. Even then, it made a good impression with compatible games. In 2014, Facebook bought Oculus VR for around 2.3 billion US dollars and announced that it would continue to invest in the project. A lot has actually happened in the past few years: if the first development version had a resolution of 1280×720 pixels, the finished glasses had 2160×1200 pixels (1080×1200 pixels per eye). In the practical test, the Oculus Rift underlined its high-quality workmanship and ran without delay. It has been available in stores in Germany since September 2016. If you don’t have a high-performance PC under your desk, you should take a closer look at the mobile Oculus Go. You can find the practical test here.
HTC Vive – the competitor
With the Steam operator Valve, HTC has a financially strong and game-savvy partner for the development of the Vive on board. In terms of technology, the shared VR glasses draw on par with the Oculus Rift. Both use an OLED display with 2160×1200 pixels that works at 90 Hertz. The field of view is also 110 degrees. The scales reveal a “big” difference: the Vive weighs 555 grams, which is almost 100 grams more than the Oculus Rift. But in the practice check, the additional weight was well distributed, and the weight is only really noticeable after playing for a long time. A revised model, the HTC Vive Pro , has been available since mid-2018 .
Google Daydream View – secret favorite?
In 2014, the company distributed a cardboard craft kit to all participants at the Google I / O developer conference. Those who folded everything up correctly received the Google Cardboard, VR glasses for smartphones. The content was available via app. Google’s modest VR start then went into the second round in November 2016 – with the serious Daydream View. These VR glasses make no secret of the fact that they cost little at 69 euros. The workmanship is not particularly high-quality, but functional: In the practical test, the soft material made it comfortable to wear, the smartphone was firmly in the holder. There is a controller for the device. However, the lens distance cannot be adjusted afterwards. The disadvantage is even more serious
Play better: games for VR glasses
Virtual Reality was one of the hottest topics in the game industry, but the hype has now cooled. But the movement is far from being dead. COMPUTER BILD shows in the gallery which games the manufacturers have brought onto the market in the meantime.