Virtual Reality: VR Equipment & Specs

What is Virtual Reality?

Have you heard of the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Sony Playstation VR, or Google Cardboard? These are some of the most popular virtual reality devices available. 

The video below provides an excellent overview of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and the history of both. For the quick-and-dirty explanation:

Virtual Reality (or VR)

Interaction with a three-dimensional, simulated environment. A head-mounted display (HMD) creates full immersion in the virtual world, and controllers may be used to "touch" and manipulate virtual objects. Advanced VR systems, such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, require a high-powered computer to run. Other devices, such as Google Cardboard, may be used with just your smartphone device and downloadable apps. 

Augmented Reality (or AR) 

A headset-free experience, where computerized elements are added to the real world around you. For example, AR has been used to project tabletop games onto a physical surface, arrange digital furniture in a physical space, and drop animation (AR Stickers) into a camera shot. Pokemon Go is another type of AR experience. In most cases, AR may be viewed with an updated mobile device equipped with a camera.