For anyone wondering what it is like to race in the Oculus Rift or VR in general, Marcel Pfister has posted a video he made over on YouTube, using a green screen and an Oculus Rift. Marcel’s exercise has resulted in a mixed reality video which gives everyone a realistic idea of what it is like to use a VR headset and actually find yourself in the car!
As most of you all know, I am a very big supporter of VR in sim racing. Personally, I think that this technology will revolutionise sim racing as we know it today. Having owned an Oculus Rift DK2 unit since its release, I can safely say that, at least in my case, there is no going back. Once you have experienced VR and looked around as Marcel does in this video, you are basically transported to whichever circuit you choose and get to sit in any number of race monsters you have at your fingertips. The immersion level of VR is quite breathtaking and there is no comparison to triples or projection, mainly because of the fact that you are literally immersed in the game. There just isn’t anything else that compares to what is attacking your senses whilst driving in VR. I know VR is not for everyone and there are people that just don’t see VR as an option for sim racing. I respect this point of view as well and would say to each their own when it comes to choosing how to race.
I, for one, am very excited at the prospect of being able to test the latest generation of HMDs from Oculus and HTC. I already know from reading several accounts of how these units have been received, that they are a decent step forward in resolution and latency, which only bodes well for the future of VR in sim racing. I can imagine that in the not too distant future, there will be HMDs fitted with sensors to map all the driver’s controls as well as their hands and you will see your physical wheel / button boxes, etc. overlaid in the game. I can even see the day when companies will come up with an open or closed faced helmet peripheral incorporating VR and sound.
The future is bright for sim racing and this technology will take the genre to another level.
