5 Reasons Why Virtual Reality Headsets Are The Next Big Thing

Virtual Reality headsets are starting to become common nowadays with smartphone brands even offering it as freebies. As these devices become increasingly available to more consumers, it really has the potential to be the next big thing after smartphones. Here are five reasons we can think of.

1. It can improve the way we communicate and share experiences.

Although current VR devices are focused on entertainment, it is also a great platform for communicating with other people over the internet. Video calls will no longer just be through a static webcam or smartphones, VR headsets can put people in a same virtual location and communicate like they’re face-to-face even though their miles apart.

VR headsets can also improve social experiences like sharing a 360-degree view of your location or activity. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg also considers the Oculus VR as a communication platform. “By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”, he said.

2. It can make entertainment more immersive

Speaking of entertainment, this is what most VR headsets are targeted at the moment. It paves the way to a more immersive digital experience like gaming wherein gamers are put inside the digital world instead of just sitting in front of a monitor. When watching movies, users can have a theater like experience from the comforts of their homes or without the need for big and expensive TV sets. VR owners may also enjoy at its fullest the 360-degree videos uploaded on YouTube. Even the porn industry is starting to make videos catered to VR headset users.

3. It’s good for tourism and educational tours

With VR, people can see and look around places before or without leaving their homes, making it a good tool for tourism. Want to see the insides of a house you want to buy but don’t have the time to visit it personally? How about a view of Google’s Data Center? Or the White House? Or inside CERN’s Large Hadron Collider? No problem, just wear your VR headset and take a 360-degree VR tour.

4. It’s a good teaching/training tool

Microsoft has demonstrated this kind of capability during their Build Developers Conference last month. With the help of developers and devices like the Microsoft HoloLens, schools can make learning interactive and easier to understand. Companies can also utilize VR to train their employees such as engineers, scientists, pilots, etc.

5. It’s readily available

As mentioned at the start of the article, VR devices can be as cheap as free like the bundled Gear VR when you purchase a Samsung Galaxy S7 or Lenovo’s ANT VR headset when you purchase the new Vibe X3 or Vibe K4 Note. There’s Google Cardboard for $15 or you can make your own. CD-R King also has its own for Php888. Or you can go with the more expensive Oculus VR or Sony’s PlayStation VR. With that said, Virtual Reality technology is here. All you need now is the budget.

The post 5 Reasons Why Virtual Reality Headsets Are The Next Big Thing appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

5 Reasons Why Virtual Reality Headsets Are The Next Big Thing

Virtual Reality headsets are starting to become common nowadays with smartphone brands even offering it as freebies. As these devices become increasingly available to more consumers, it really has the potential to be the next big thing after smartphones. Here are five reasons we can think of.

1. It can improve the way we communicate and share experiences.

Although current VR devices are focused on entertainment, it is also a great platform for communicating with other people over the internet. Video calls will no longer just be through a static webcam or smartphones, VR headsets can put people in a same virtual location and communicate like they’re face-to-face even though their miles apart.

VR headsets can also improve social experiences like sharing a 360-degree view of your location or activity. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg also considers the Oculus VR as a communication platform. “By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”, he said.

2. It can make entertainment more immersive

Speaking of entertainment, this is what most VR headsets are targeted at the moment. It paves the way to a more immersive digital experience like gaming wherein gamers are put inside the digital world instead of just sitting in front of a monitor. When watching movies, users can have a theater like experience from the comforts of their homes or without the need for big and expensive TV sets. VR owners may also enjoy at its fullest the 360-degree videos uploaded on YouTube. Even the porn industry is starting to make videos catered to VR headset users.

3. It’s good for tourism and educational tours

With VR, people can see and look around places before or without leaving their homes, making it a good tool for tourism. Want to see the insides of a house you want to buy but don’t have the time to visit it personally? How about a view of Google’s Data Center? Or the White House? Or inside CERN’s Large Hadron Collider? No problem, just wear your VR headset and take a 360-degree VR tour.

4. It’s a good teaching/training tool

Microsoft has demonstrated this kind of capability during their Build Developers Conference last month. With the help of developers and devices like the Microsoft HoloLens, schools can make learning interactive and easier to understand. Companies can also utilize VR to train their employees such as engineers, scientists, pilots, etc.

5. It’s readily available

As mentioned at the start of the article, VR devices can be as cheap as free like the bundled Gear VR when you purchase a Samsung Galaxy S7 or Lenovo’s ANT VR headset when you purchase the new Vibe X3 or Vibe K4 Note. There’s Google Cardboard for $15 or you can make your own. CD-R King also has its own for Php888. Or you can go with the more expensive Oculus VR or Sony’s PlayStation VR. With that said, Virtual Reality technology is here. All you need now is the budget.

The post 5 Reasons Why Virtual Reality Headsets Are The Next Big Thing appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Nokia returns to making hardware with a VR camera

Nokia is back in the hardware-making game, albeit this time creating toys for virtual reality where most of the tech giants are now heading into.

nokia-ozo

Called the OZO, the Finnish giant’s newest project is said to include eight f/2.4 cameras to create 360-degree spherical video and 360×360 surround sound, and weighs 4.2 kilograms. It can capture a wide range of detail at 185 degrees in 8K or 4K shooting modes, and can be edited with a software application made for Apple’s Mac platform.

The OZO isn’t some casual tech toy like the Gear 360, as Nokia aims to bring this to serious filmmakers. The price? A whooping $60,000 or Php2.79M when it was silently launched in the US last year. We all know we can’t afford that, and the Finnish giant also aims to create a cheaper VR camera aimed at hobbyists which will be introduced in the future.

Nokia OZO | Via WSJ

The post Nokia returns to making hardware with a VR camera appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Nokia returns to making hardware with a VR camera

Nokia is back in the hardware-making game, albeit this time creating toys for virtual reality where most of the tech giants are now heading into.

nokia-ozo

Called the OZO, the Finnish giant’s newest project is said to include eight f/2.4 cameras to create 360-degree spherical video and 360×360 surround sound, and weighs 4.2 kilograms. It can capture a wide range of detail at 185 degrees in 8K or 4K shooting modes, and can be edited with a software application made for Apple’s Mac platform.

The OZO isn’t some casual tech toy like the Gear 360, as Nokia aims to bring this to serious filmmakers. The price? A whooping $60,000 or Php2.79M when it was silently launched in the US last year. We all know we can’t afford that, and the Finnish giant also aims to create a cheaper VR camera aimed at hobbyists which will be introduced in the future.

Nokia OZO | Via WSJ

The post Nokia returns to making hardware with a VR camera appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

HTC Vive, the “most immersive VR”, gets international prices

Touted as the most immersive experience of any VR (virtual reality) package, the HTC Vive was made in partnership with Valve and involves a Full Room Scale 360 Degree solution so players can get up and go around exploring the actual room and interact with the surroundings.

vive-set

As mentioned during its announcement, it has high-quality graphics, 90fps video, and some serious hi-fi audio going on to give the player a totally immersive gameplay.

The HTC Vive is currently priced at $799 in the US, NT$28,288 in Taiwan, and JPY111,999 in Japan so that roughly translates to about Php38K when directly converted to our local currency.

Pre-orders start today, February 29, with shipping to roll-out in April. It comes with two wireless VR controllers and two Vive base stations.

There’s a list of international pricing over at the source link below.

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