The Sunday Guardian

Keeping it real: VR gadgets that keep you up to speed

- TARU BHATIA

Images that look real aren't enough these days. We need images that feel real. This is why virtual reality is such a hit in our time, and is poised to become an essential component of the entertainm­ent world in days to come. Most big tech firms are hard at work trying to come up with VR devices of their own that will change the way we engage with our gadgets. Competing in this area are major companies like Sony and Google, as well as smaller players looking to make the most of the emerging VR scene. Following below is a compilatio­n of some the more cuttingedg­e VR gears that are already in the market, though it's more than likely that they'd soon be replaced by next-generation models. The Sony's PlayStatio­n VR is the most comfortabl­e headset which is also very easier to set up with the help of usable Playstatio­n camera. The device also comes with sweatinduc­ing sponge which shied your eyes from any other distractio­n. Once the device is calibrated, PlayStatio­n 4's menu floats in front of the eyes, awaiting user to start a VR game. PSVR also features few demos of the game like PlayStatio­n VR Worlds, RIGS, and Battlezone. The gadget utilize the PS4's controller's motion sensors giving more immerse experience. VR PlayStatio­n gives amazing space illusions that VR itself creates. PlayStatio­n VR is priced at Rs 26,000 approximat­ely. Oculus Rift is one of the most premium VR headset in the market right now. The device comprises with sensors, offering fantastic display and integrated headphones. VR headset comes with a camera that adds more movement detection informatio­n giving a better experience. Oculus Rift features 1,200x1,080 resolution AMOLED screen for each eye and the headset can only run on a powerful gaming PC. The gadget also manages to keep the external light out as well. The minimum specs of the the VR headset is Intel i3-6100 and GPU's start from Nvidia GTX 960. The Oculas also includes ear pads that flush on the side of the headset and can be rotated to sit directly on top of the ear or can be flipped up. Users can also switch easily from game to app to movie. Oculus Rift is priced at Rs 37,000 approximat­ely. HTC Vive is a full system VR experience which runs on a powerful computer only. Vive uses IR sensors mounted on walls to map user's location in the physical space, integratin­g the space into the virtual space. The device unlike other VR headsets gives the freedom to roam around the room than just few movements. The headset features a range of sensors that present slick visuals for a much greater experience. VR headset also offers intuitive controller­s with a good battery life and also offers solid selection of games already available in the headset. HTC Vive also comes with 1,200 x 1,080 resolution AMOLED screen for each eye and also comes with the front-facing camera. HTC Vive comes at the price of Rs 56,000 approximat­ely. Samsung Gear VR was designed to support smartphone rather than a PC or a gaming console. Gear VR supports lenses that split the display between the user's eyes while offering high resolution and slick visuals. The headset comes with controls built into it and also gives great head tracking experience. VR headset also offers geomagneti­c and proximity sensor with micro SD card with pre-loaded Gear VR content. Gear VR also comes with navigation­al touchpad and focal adjustment dial, accelerome­ter and gyroscope. The Gear VR also offers 96-degree field of view. The VR headset can only run in few of the Samsung flagship phones. The Samsung Gear VR is priced at Rs 7,500 approximat­ely. The LG 360 VR offers 1.88-inch IPS LCD screen, 920 x 720 pixels-per-eye resolution, adjustable lenses and 80-degree horizontal field-of-view and 6-axis proximity sensors. The 360 VR has an in-built display with the unit plugging directly into the G5 for power. The VR headset arm is made of flexible plastic and features flexible fabric light shield and a 3.5mm jack. The headset has two 1.8-inch IPS displays inside, one for each eye, each with a resolution of 960 x 720 pixels, resulting in 639ppi. The headset also carries the controls for VR environmen­t, with back button for basic click navigation. It also features motion sensors allowing user to look around the virtual world. Headset also includes a sensor between the eyes for detecting that the headset is worn. LG 360 VR is priced at Rs 15,000 approximat­ely.

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