Virtual reality is set to explode in the coming years, as Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus and numerous other VR headsets will soon be competing for the attention of gamers everywhere. But what if you didn't have to buy a several hundred dollar headset to get your VR fix? What if, instead, VR was a place you could go?
It's that idea that is fueling The Void, a new Utah-based company looking to create the world's first virtual reality entertainment playgrounds. Take a look at its mission statement, straight from the official site:
"We live in an age where endless entertainment options exist at our fingertips, yet we still have a real need to get out of the house and share new experiences with our friends and family. At THE VOID you will walk into new dimensions and experience worlds without limits. From fighting intergalactic wars on alien planets, to casting spells in the darkest of dungeons, The Void presents the Future of Entertainment."
These VR battlegrounds will be built specifically with different types of experiences in mind. Not only will players have a state-of-the-art VR headset strapped to their head, but the environment itself will help to simulate a new reality. Environmental effects like wind and water can be added to further enhance the experience, while haptic vests can simulate the feeling of being struck or shot. Haptic gloves allow for players to interact with their virtual environment.
Imagine these environments as a skeleton of sorts. The walls, ledges and hallways are just the starting point of the experience. Once the player straps on the headset, additional layers are added over the top of the real-world environment to create a virtual one. What was once an ordinary tunnel is transformed into an ancient tomb. What moments before was a textureless room of columns and blocks suddenly transforms into a war-torn city with the help of the VR headset.
From the sounds of it, the headset itself will be giving Oculus and other VR companies a run for their money. Here are some specs for the Rapture HMD (Head Mounted Display) taken from The Void website:
Dual High-Density Curved OLED Displays (1080p per-eye, initially)
Quantum Dots (nearly doubling perceived resolution color range)
Custom Optics (proprietary lens-in-lens design)
High-Quality THX Headphones (featuring in-game binaural sound design)
Super-Gain Inline Microphones (for in-game communications)
Proprietary Global Head Tracking Sensors (running at 120Hz)
It's an impressive piece of tech, to say the least. It all sounds completely crazy at first, but maybe just crazy enough to work. After all, why use VR while sitting in your office chair with a controller when you could physically move around a virtual environment, swinging a virtual sword or firing a virtual weapon with your own hands? It's like the Wii ... only way cooler. The trailer for the concept below gives a good idea of what The Void is shooting for.
If the company can manage to make an experience half as cool looking as the trailer above, it can expect some long lines in its future.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
