These past weeks there has been a lot of anticipation of the Oculus Quest. Some have said it is the first entrance to true VR entertainment. We are finally getting a VR gaming device that provides 6DOF, good graphics and most importantly no cables. This is the device to bring VR to the masses.
I too am very excited to finally try it this week. Looking forward to being able to walk around a space without the fear of pulling my computer to the floor or getting tangled in the cables during an intense round of Beat Saber, but how will it compare to other “wireless” VR entertainment?
My experience with VR has been quite deep. I have had the opportunity to try many VR headsets, play games, take training, and even experience some hacked environments to make it feel more real. By far the best VR entertainment I have done is The Void, this experience takes it to the next level and lets me live out my childhood dream of being a part of Star Wars.
The Void immersion is unbelievable, getting to walk from “room to room” and pick up objects to fight Darth Vador is awesome and I can’t wait to try Vador Immortal on the Quest to see if it provides similar excitement and immersion. The Void, like other Location based VR attractions, is expanding and providing great entertainment for a short period of time.
However, can The Void or the Quest become the Ready Player One Oasis we read about in the book and see in the movie? I am not sure, and hearing from the most immersive entertainment company it appears they agree. Last week Bob Iger, CEO The Walt Disney Company said “We’re not trying to fake immersion” He says “We’re trying to make something as real as possible with as much scale as possible”
I love The Void and have returned a number of times and look forward to more. Disney is also a huge supporter and investor in The Void so Location Based VR attractions are not going anywhere soon. However, Bob Iger is right about building “something as real as possible” Walking into Pandora at Animal Kingdom is stunning during the day and breathtaking at night. You enter an environment you could once only see in two dimensions. Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure is the three-dimensional depiction of Radiator Springs from the movie. There is no other way to become a wizard than to enter Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando, and after seeing Bob Iger’s tweet of Galaxy’s Edge I am not sure anything will be able to top walking up to the Millennium Falcon or having a drink in the cantina.
There is a place for VR in entertainment and training for sure but, it also needs to be for the right reason. Like with Disney and Universal, if you can build a physical immersive environment with the right detail and scale, there is no better way to experience it. The Void allows us to play out the Star Wars fantasy in a way we can’t in the physical world. However, we need to know when to use one vs the other. Focus on the expectations of the user and the goals of the entertainment or training before just jumping into one or the other.