Hook Me Up To This Impractical Virtual Reality Suit Right Now
Explore a castle from the safety of your very own castle, probably.
The Oculus Rift is one of the most immersive gadgets we’ve ever seen–just strap the glasses onto your face and you’re transported to a virtual world. But if that’s somehow not enough, you can help fund PrioVR, a set of sensors that monitor your movements and translate them into a game, with help from the Rift. Bend your knee, and your on-screen (or on-Oculus Rift) avatar bends along with you. Swing a sword, and so does she.
The developers of the sensors, YEI Technology, think people are willing to drop $225,000 on Kickstarter, and so far they’ve raised more than $21,000, with 42 days to go. If you want to get on the early adopter, train, though, it’ll cost you: kits are being offered to backers at a minimum of $450.
Still, the sensors look crazy-accurate, at least if the videos from YEI are any indication.
The question, really, is how many people will actually want one of these things. To run in the game, you apparently have to physically run. If you’re playing a game that spans miles and miles, does this system force you to go along with it? And if so, does that limit you to playing games that take place within a walkable distance? Questions! We’ll see how many people have faith in the idea in the next 42 days.
[Kickstarter via IGN]