TULA: Will 2015 be the year that virtual reality goes from sci-fi fantasy to real world play thing?
Facebook thinks so, having spent more than $2 billion to acquire the company Oculus VR, which is expected to release a potentially game-changing virtual reality headset next year. Samsung and Sony are racing to release their own virtual reality gear too.
Virtual reality is part of a booming wearable technology industry that took steps toward a big breakout in 2014. But it’s really expected to explode in 2015.
Here’s a look at a few tech trends that could make a huge leap in the year ahead — along with a few that fizzled out in 2014.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg calls Oculus’ virtual reality technology “a new communication platform.”
Looking a bit like oversized ski goggles, the company’s Oculus Rift headset transports users into a virtual world.
When you turn your head, the device’s video screen seamlessly responds to the motion so it feels like you’re actually peering around in the virtual world.
The technology is still in the very early stages but a quick demo makes its promise immediately apparent.
The producers behind the recently aired TV documentary “The Polar Sea” created a stunning Oculus-compatible virtual reality experience of the northern lights as seen from a beach in the Arctic.
Zuckerberg has suggested that sports fans could one day watch a game in virtual reality from the vantage point of the best seats in a stadium.
In the U.S., Samsung just released its Gear VR headset, which is also powered by Oculus technology. The $200 headset pairs with a Galaxy Note 4 smartphone to run virtual reality content. Samsung called the device an “Innovator Edition,” signalling that it’s for eager early adopters and not quite ready for prime time. No release date has been set for Canada.
Sony is also working on a VR headset, nicknamed Project Morpheus, and you can expect other companies will rush their own products to market sometime in 2015.
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