Virtual reality is no doubt the next big technology that disrupts our world. There are needs for it everywhere: entertainment, business and government, and it could even prove useful in everyday human interactions.
Companies are already making great strides in virtual reality even though the technology is still in the early stages of development. Oculus and HTC are just two of the companies making VR waves.
We recently had a chance to look at the HTC Viveand the consumer Oculus Rift, both of which claim to offer the next big leaps for the future of gaming. But how do they stack up against one another? Read on for a complete side-by-side breakdown of the two VR viewers, and which comes out on top in each category.
Round 1 - Hardware
The Oculus Rift is still months from release, estimating an official launch sometime in Q1 2016. However, Oculus has revealed the final specs the 2016 consumer model will sport.
The headset will have 2160 x 1200 resolution, or 1080 x 1200 over two OLED displays for each eye. That works out to 233 million pixels per second with a refresh rate of 90Hz. Additionally, it has 360-degree positional head tracking and a 100-degree field of view. Unlike the HTC Vive, the Rift is meant to be used while sitting down in conjunction with Oculus' Touch controllers - though there have been experiences that let you stand and play.
The Rift does need to be plugged into a computer running Windows 7 or higher to work. You will need a GPU equivalent to the Nvidia GTX 970/AMD 290 or better. Other hardware requirements include an Intel i5-4590 processor, 8GB+ of RAM, 2x USB 3.0 ports and HDMI 1.3 video output.
The HTC Vive features similar 2160 x 1200 resolution, or 1080 x 1200 over two OLED displays for each eye. It has a 90Hz refresh rate, over 70 sensors (e.g. an accelerometer, a gyroscope, etc.) for fluid and seamless movements, and will operate in a 15ft x 15ft tracking space if you have the supporting wireless cameras. Various front-facing cameras will help identify objects in the area around you as part of the headset's Chaperone safety system, which aims to protect users from colliding into walls or any other objects, allowing you to safely use the Vive while moving around.
HTC's Vive also needs to be tethered to a PC running Windows, GNU/Linux, or OS X via an HDMI cable. The Vive will likely require similar, if not better, specs to the Oculus Rift due to the latency-free wireless demands.
Winner: While both offer powerful hardware, it's too early to tell which will have the edge.
Round 2 - Design
The Oculus Rift has a lightweight and compact design. Velcro straps are easily adjustable, there is comfortable padding for the faceplate and removable headphones are adorned to the sides of the headset. As far as design goes, it's not the most immaculate looking device. It's essentially a big, black brick sticking out from your face. However, it's certainly more compact than other options coming to the market.
The HTC Vive is lightweight, and there are 37 visible sensors on the front of the device for seamlessly connecting to the infrared wireless cameras for the 15ft x 15ft tracking space. Similar to the Rift, there are adjustable Velcro straps, and comfortable padding on the faceplate. As for the design itself, the Vive is actually worse off than its Rift counterpart. Not only is it also a big, black object sticking out from your face, it's a lot bulkier.
Winner: Oculus Rift because it's slightly less bulky and more refined.
Round 3 - Controllers
The Oculus Touch are the companion controllers to the Rift, helping immerse users deeper in the VR experience. However, an Xbox One controller will ship with the Rift, as the Touch controllers will be sold separately later on. The Touch controllers feature a half-moon design (they're called the Half Moon prototype, after all), are lightweight, wireless, and sport a lanyard similar to what you find on a Wii remote.
One of the best things about Oculus Touch controllers is the natural haptic feedback, and as far as input mechanisms go, you have an analog trigger, an analog stick and two additional buttons. Oculus Touch work well enough, however, there are currently still bugs, latency issues, and the wireless connection seems to drop periodically. These issues should be ironed out by the headset's Q1 launch, for Oculus Rift's own sake.
The HTC Vive controllers take on a more traditional design over the Touch's half-moon style. For instance, there's a single analog trigger for your index finger and a wheel below for your thumb. The wheel is used for scrolling through menus, adjusting your zoom in games, and more. It also functions as a selector for menu and game options, and gives off a satisfying click. They're very responsive, work flawlessly, and should be even better by the time they're announced in October.
Winner: Despite the issues, Oculus Touch takes the edge for unique design and immersive feel
Round 4 - Gaming
As with any technology that claims to be the future of gaming, there needs to be plenty of software available. Fortunately, Oculus has its own in-house film studio working on creating virtual reality films for the headset, although we're not sure when we'll see the first VR film from the studio.
Additionally, the Oculus Rift has a number of games being natively developed for it. So far, there are over 200 games, including titles like EVE: Valkyrie, Airmech VR, and more. Many developers are working to bring their games to the Rift, but the steep $350 for the Development Kit 2 is a turnoff. Despite its growing game offering, one thing Oculus doesn't have in its arsenal is the backing of popular digital distribution platform, Steam.
The HTC Vive is being developed in conjunction with SteamVR, which is a big name to have in your back pocket. There are already over 171 games that claim to have VR support in the Steam store, and the list will only get bigger as we get closer to launch. SteamVR will give HTC Vive the platform it needs to succeed, not only because of the reputable name, but Valve's big push for the virtual reality space will no doubt overtake the amount of software available to the Rift. After all, Valve is giving away free developer kits, which eliminates the $350 risk for the Rift DK2.
The Vive also has an advantage in that it can be used with Windows, Linux and OS X, whereas the Rift is limited to Windows 7 or higher. Over time, the Vive will no doubt win as far as quantity of games go, simply because of the sheer amount of developers publishing to Steam.
Winner: HTC Vive by a long shot
Round 5 - Price and release dates
The Oculus Rift doesn't have a set launch date, only an estimated release sometime in Q1 2016. Pre-orders for the virtual reality headset will open up later in 2015 but Oculus VR has yet to confirm a price. The company's Development Kit 2 models cost $350 (£400, AU$460), so it wouldn't be surprising to see the final consumer model cost marginally more than that. Another element to consider is that the Oculus Touch controllers won't come with the headset and will release separately later, likely for at least another $100 (about £65, AU$135).
The cost of the Rift and Touch controllers aren't the only equipment you need to think about. If you don't have a powerful Windows machine, you'll need to look into upgrading the hardware or get a new rig all together. With the requirements the Rift is asking for, some of these computers can easily run past $1,500 (about £968, AU$2022).
The HTC Vive has a more official release window set for this Christmas. There's been no word on pricing, however, except that HTC is prepared tostart at a "slightly higher price point" before bringing the cost down. Like Rift, there are extra costs with the Vive if you want the wireless cameras for tracking. The controllers are also being released separately, details of which will beannounced in October.
Much like the Rift, the Vive will require premium hardware that will no doubt surpass $1,500 (about £968, AU$2022) if you're replacing your machine. However, it might be able to work on low-end Steam Boxes, considering Vive's is partnership with SteamVR.
Since the Vive has a Christmas release window, it will arrive at consumers' doors much faster than the Rift, giving it that much-needed edge.
Winner: HTC Vive for releasing sooner, though it remains to be seen if it's truly ready when it comes out
Conclusion
While both the Vive and Rift won two rounds, that doesn't necessarily make one better than the other. Virtual reality is an impressive technology, and we're beginning to see some big leaps for the future of gaming, especially with the HTC Vive and its partnership with SteamVR. The Rift and Vive are still just dev units, but they work extraordinarily well and will only improve as we get closer to a consumer release.
The only real downside to both headsets is that they're tethered to a PC and also require a powerful machine to use. However, this could change in future renditions of both products, making them more accessible to consumers.
Source: Tech radar
This is good information to display.
ReplyDeletealternative gopro