Vive is a virtual reality headset from Valve and HTC. Photos of a new VR helmet from Valve have appeared online

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Best device For virtual reality on this moment: full immersion VR, excellent physics in games and applications, a large number of content...

Introduction

“I think the limit of display development will be a room in which a computer can control the existence of matter. A chair in such a room is quite suitable for sitting on. Handcuffs created in such a room will bind, and a bullet created in such a room will be fatal."

Ivan Edward Sutherland, American scientist

The father of VR (virtual reality) can be called Morton Hayling, an aspiring filmmaker in Hollywood. He assembled and patented a VR simulator called “Sensorama” (sense - feeling, rama - panorama) back in 1957. The essence of the device was this: a person sat down in a specially equipped seat, stuck his head into the “booth” and took a motorcycle ride around Brooklyn. The video was recorded on three cameras from different angles of view, the person taking part in virtual reality heard stereo sound, felt not only the vibration of potholes on the road, but also a light headwind. In addition, a system for transmitting odors was invented. Unfortunately, in similar technology there was no human interaction with VR.

The first attempts to create a portable virtual reality headset were made by American scientist and Internet pioneer Ivan Sutherland. In 1967, the scientist described and designed a helmet, the image of which was generated using a computer. But since the design was bulky, the device had to be suspended from the ceiling, so the device was also called the “Sword of Damocles.”

10 years later, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology created the project “The Aspen Movie Map” - a simulator of a walk around the city of Aspen (Colorado). It is TAMM that is considered the first implementation of “real” VR. By the way, the term “virtual reality” appeared much later - in 1989 thanks to Darom Lanier, a scientist in the field of visual data.

In the 80s and partly in the 90s, the topic of virtual reality and cyberspace (the term was introduced by William Gibson in the novel Neuromantic in 1984) was quite popular. They wrote books, created games, made films. The most memorable movie of my childhood is “The Lawnmower Man”: a scientist experiments on people using computer technology; Using virtual reality, an experimenter develops the mental capabilities of a sick boy. I won’t “spoiler” further, in case you want to watch it.

It seems to me that VR has gained the greatest popularity these days. In general, this is no wonder: computers have become more powerful, sensors have become more accurate, and screens have become smaller and with high resolution. Over the past couple of years, almost all manufacturers have decided to show their technologies in the field of virtual reality: Samsung has a Gear VR helmet, Facebook now has Oculus Rift, the Chinese giant Xiaomi also showed Mi VR, Sony demonstrated PlayStation VR. However, all of them do not fully immerse a person in the world of virtual reality, that is, while in VR, you cannot physically move in space and interact with objects at the same time.

At the beginning of this year, at the annual MWC exhibition, HTC, together with the legendary Valve, frankly speaking, unexpectedly presented its helmet called Vive. The essence of the device is similar to competitive solutions, but with HTC Vive you can move in virtual space, that is, physically “walk” around the room, while making the same movements in VR.

I went to a Vive demo over the winter and then shared my impressions. At that time, the device was at the development stage. And since the gadget turned out to be difficult to implement (tons of wires, complex installation system), I was not sure that the HTC Vive would go on sale in the near future. However, I was mistaken: not so long ago the helmet arrived in stores, and the price was 70,000 rubles.

Contents of delivery

The device comes in a large black box (approximately 60x40x20 cm) with the inscription “Vive” and an image of a helmet. Inside you will find:

It turns out to be an impressive set with wires and various adapters.

Appearance

Since I know what a non-commercial sample looks like, I can say that the developers did a good job on the ergonomics of the design, as well as its aesthetics (the sensors were covered, the wires were neatly gathered into a pigtail, they became thinner).

On the front side there is a camera (allows you to add elements of reality to the visual world), and at the bottom right there is an adjustment of the distance between the eyepieces (IPD). There are holders on the right and left, by pulling which you can set the optimal distance from the eyes to the lens. On the left is the helmet button and readiness indicator. There is a microphone near the mouth.

There are four cables running along the top, three of which connect to the PC. One serves for 3.5 mm audio output.

The controllers have also changed for the better: before, they were angular, and the buttons looked like “hello from the 90s.” Now each controller has smooth outlines, top part The round, touch zone under the thumb is pleasant to the touch, has mechanical pressure from top to bottom, left to right. Below it is a button to launch the Steam menu in VR mode, on top is a button for selecting various functions. Under index finger– trigger, there are also two buttons on the left and right of the handle. The sticks are quite light, they are interesting to control, but not always safe: in some games they can accidentally fly out of your hands (with sharp swings), so straps are provided.

Vibration motors were built into the sticks. They are triggered at different moments: when you come across virtual objects, when you interact with them, when your weapon is reloading, and so on. All this immerses you even more into VR.

Technical side of the issue

It should be noted that the HTC Vive will require a powerful Windows PC to operate. By powerful PC, I mean it includes a video card no lower than GTX980, or better yet something cooler, something like 1070 or 1080, since the quality of graphics and frame rate will directly depend on the card. Below are the official ones minimum requirements:

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, AMD Radeon R9 290 or better
Processor: Intel i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 or better
RAM: at least 4 GB
Video Output: HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 or better
USB port: 1 x USB 2.0 port or faster
Operating system: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 or higher, Windows 10

My PC and iMac were not suitable for review, so I asked for such a computer to definitely cut off the possibility of “lags”: the beautiful, compact and powerful MSI VORTEX G65VR.

Intel Core-i7 6700K
SLI Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
64 GB RAM

Quite a serious gaming machine.

The helmet itself looks like most similar devices. On its body there are sensors (32), which are evenly distributed over the entire surface, including on the sides, on the bottom and top edges. Viewing angle – 110 degrees.

The device has two lenses that focus on two screens with a resolution of 1200x1080 pixels each. Lens matrix – Amoled. Probably, this particular matrix was used to make the black color black, however, as you know, Amoled is “famous” for a certain pixel structure - Pentile. This structure, unfortunately, is very noticeable, so the resolution visually becomes less than 1200x1080. Low resolution is the main drawback of the HTC Vive. However, to increase the resolution, not only new displays are needed, but also a powerful video card that would allow 4K output for each eye above 90 frames per second. The ideal situation is when each screen has a resolution of at least FullHD, and preferably more.

Here it is worth mentioning the operating time of the sticks. They lasted me 4-5 hours. On the one hand, it’s not much, on the other hand, it’s difficult to play for more than 5 hours, because not only the eyes get tired, but also the whole body as a whole, since you have to physically move around the allocated space. The sticks charge in about 2-3 hours – minimum required time for the body to recover. Everything else is powered by network adapters.

Positioning stations are synchronized wirelessly, they just need to be plugged into a power outlet. Wired connection may be required only in special cases.

Installation and configuration

First, you will need to choose a place where you will play. It is best to allocate at least 2.5x3.5 meters of empty space. Just in case, remove breakable objects, it is advisable to close the mirrors and turn off bright light sources.

I used the MSI Vortex computer described above and connected it to my PC monitor. Installed the software and Steam. Next I collected everything necessary elements:

Since I have a lighting system for shooting video, I used the stands from it as tripods for the base stations. Fortunately, they have a standard mount at the back and bottom. I placed the racks in opposite corners of the room and set the height to about 2 meters. Because base stations must be connected to the power supply, then think in advance where you will connect the adapters (in my case there were not enough sockets, I had to almost hang the entire room with extension cords). I installed the BS so that they looked at each other. On the reverse side of the BS there is a button for switching channels: on one base there should be value A, on the other - B.

I connected the helmet to the LinkBox, and already this box to the PC. Connected the network adapter to the LinkBox.
When I collected everything and the software determined everything necessary drivers, then launched Run Room Setup

You can choose a large or small room. Set up one of them - below are the screenshots. Be careful when calibrating the floor, otherwise you will be either higher or lower in space in VR. When setting up a space, it's not necessary to only circle the area where you don't have items, for example, I had a sofa and I included its space in VR because it's lower and VR tends to use space in a straight line. I got 2.7x1.9 meters (I freed up more space for games; there was no point in doing this for testing).

Launch Steam, select Store - Games - Virtual Reality, leave HTC Vive in the search and install the games.

Games, impressions

At the moment, there are approximately 800 games on Steam that are designed specifically for VR. Of course, as always, not all of them are interesting and original, especially free ones, but you can definitely choose for yourself. The minimum cost of toys is 59 rubles, the maximum is 1,300 rubles. On average they sell for 300-600 rubles.

Since I already used the HTC Vive in the demo zone at the beginning of the year, I imagined what I would see in VR. To demonstrate, HTC management installed several games to suit their tastes. Later I installed the games myself, albeit free ones :)

Many games are displayed on the PC, that is, others can see what is happening on your computer. virtual world. The only thing is that it is all displayed differently: somewhere as a vertical video, somewhere as a widescreen one. Viewers do not see the full picture. One of the important points - be sure to use a headset! I first launched the HTC Vive without headphones, and, frankly, I didn’t feel much of an effect. The second “approach” was already in the “ears”. That’s when I became 100% immersed in the VR atmosphere.

One of the few simple games is Audioshield. The task is very simple: to the music that you choose yourself, you need to beat off energy balls with shields different sizes and flowers. Everything seems simple, but extremely exciting. The faster the tempo of the music, the more balls there are in the game and the more you have to move to hit them.

In this case, you get great pleasure from the fact that the picture is very realistic, and the pace of the game is sometimes high. In addition, the sticks vibrate when balls hit them. Just right for a group of player friends!

Game The Brookhaven Experiment. Here you need to shoot zombies. You have a pistol and a flashlight. The game is interesting in terms of atmosphere, but unoriginal, because everything happens in the dark, and you want to look at every blade of grass.

I won’t describe all the games - you have to play them in VR yourself, and not read them.

Greatest impression produced The program Lab. Here you are given the opportunity to find out what the HTC Vive is capable of in terms of interacting with objects in the virtual world, to understand how it works in VR mode.

You find yourself in a laboratory where an electronic dog is running around the floor. You can play with it: take any object (hold the trigger on the stick) and throw it to the side (mostly there are sticks already there). The dog will bring it back.

On virtual desktop I found the drone control panel and the aircraft itself. As it turns out, it can be launched and controlled. Cool and unusual.

The most spectacular demo, which, I assure you, will not leave anyone indifferent, is the mountains. You find yourself in a stunningly picturesque place in the mountains (so realistic that it is difficult to distinguish it from the real world). The sensations are exciting, but, unfortunately, movement occurs only at certain points. It was with this demo that I began showing the capabilities of HTC Vive to my family and friends.

For example, my dad really liked VR: he enjoyed exploring various corners of the underwater world games The Blu, swatted away a dragon in one of The Lab's rooms, and in the Senza Peso demo, even I got goosebumps when I watched on the monitor as he moved on a boat along the river of a mystical underworld, perhaps personifying Dante's hell.

Mom couldn’t stand even a few minutes in the “Mountains” demo of The Lab: she grabbed me, closed her eyes with the sticks and periodically squealed in horror, finding herself on the rocks in front of the “abyss”. I couldn’t play “Zombie” at all because of the scary sounds and characters that matched the title of the game.

My wife liked the program for creating galaxies, Earth and other planets (Universe Sandbox). Excellent physics and graphics, interesting effects.

I've watched over 25 games. Most of them were free, so the plot and graphics sometimes left much to be desired. However, I highlighted several applications for myself: The Lab - the first thing to install on VR; of course Serious Sam is a legendary toy; Invasion is a cool cartoon (as far as I know, it is also available on Sony VR); PresenZ – a demonstration of super-realistic static graphics (I’m not even sure that these are graphics, they were probably shot like that on cameras); Quanero is an unusual application for showing a small video with the ability to rewind or rewind what is happening (you can approach the characters and look at them).

In short, immersion in VR is almost complete. It’s interesting to watch people you know from the outside when they try to throw something somewhere in their reality, or when they crawl on their knees and poke at different objects in search of something, or when in fear they wave away sticks, perhaps from flying bullets , arrows, and maybe from attacking “zombies”.

After a couple of hours of playing, I felt nauseous several times, often after VR the surrounding space looked unreal, for example, the PC monitor seemed like a selection menu in VR, objects were too voluminous, and so on. Therefore, be prudent, do not get carried away by this “immersion” for a long time.

Define the playing area as large as possible, but only so that it does not extend beyond the base stations. The fact is that if you go beyond them, then, most likely, the reference point will be lost, and you will find yourself somewhere on the floor, or the sticks will be somewhere behind.
Install base stations where no one will knock them down and they will scan the space steadily. What will happen if “I was shaking your BS”?)). The space around you will begin to sway.
Try to remove observers from the playing area, otherwise they may interfere with positioning.
Secure the sticks to your hands using cords. The chances of you throwing sticks at your TV or window at some point are pretty high.
Quite often it was difficult to exit games, they froze, and I had to recharge the Steam and Steam VR systems.
In general, the combination of Steam and Steam VR did not work very stable.

Conclusion

Yes, the device is not for everyone. At a price of 70,000 rubles, Vive may seem like a thing in itself to many, since to get the VR effect it is desirable to have not only a large empty space for games, but also not a weak computer. In addition, due to the pile of wires and network adapters, it is necessary to think in advance about the placement of base stations and PCs. Of course, there are a lot of games, but many of them are, to put it mildly, strange and only arouse interest for the first 10-20 minutes.

Despite all of the above, I believe that at the moment the HTC Vive is the best tool for immersing yourself in virtual reality with the ability to interact with objects and move around within the VR world. If you've ever used glasses like the Gear VR by Samsung, then I assure you that it's nothing compared to the HTC Vive. It’s difficult to describe the sensations in words – you have to try. If you have the opportunity, then definitely do it - get a new experience that can change the way you think about some things in your life.

A presentation of a new virtual reality headset developed by Valve together with HTC called Vive (Vive Developer Edition) took place. Support is declared for the device.

In general, it does not demonstrate any cardinal and fundamental differences in appearance or functionality from such analogs in this direction as, and other virtual reality devices appearing on the market, with the exception of the ability to move freely within the room and not be limited by a narrow the coverage radius of a special camera, as for example in .

Despite this feature, the helmet still requires cable connection to a computer, which imposes certain restrictions on freedom of movement in space.

The Vive uses a laser sensor system called "Lighthouse" of 37 sensors located on the face of the helmet, which in turn transmit data to two wireless devices. Sensors located in two corners of the room create virtual space, which allows you to track your movement using data received from the helmet sensors. Recommended coverage area is 4 by 4 meters (maximum 4.5x4.5). They also send a warning to the user if they get close enough to a wall, and anecdotal evidence suggests that it may be possible to use multiple helmets with the same set of sensors at the same time to play together - but this, unfortunately, does not exclude the possibility of getting tangled in the wires.

In addition to the helmet itself, a prototype VR control device from Valve was also demonstrated.

The controllers, shaped like a handle, are also covered with sensors for reading information using sensors located in the corners. They are equipped touch panel, buttons, triggers and the ability to respond to compression. In general, Valve developers tried to add everything possible options management and interaction. The prototype shown used wired connection, but in the future it is planned to be wireless.

Despite its rather unusual and massive appearance, the control device is quite convenient and intuitive. The developers assured that the unusual and bulky appearance of the device is caused solely by the fact that it is still a prototype and the final version will be more ergonomic and attractive.

Let us remind you that Valve is not the first who decided to use controllers of a similar shape; Sony’s PlayStation Move - a control device of a similar shape is already used together with Project Morpheus during demonstrations.

But let's go back to the Vive itself and take a look at it.

The helmet is quite light for its size and is attached using several straps in the same familiar way used in almost all other similar devices. According to reviews from those who used it, even despite quite active movements, it did not slip, which sometimes happens with the Oculus Rift.

The presented version of the Vive Developer Edition was connected with several wires, but the final version will use only one HDMI cable for connection, in addition, there are audio and two USB connectors on the top. The final version is planned to have an integrated audio system, similar to the one used in the latest prototype. However, it is logical to assume that, just as the developers from OculusVR approached this decision in Vive, it will most likely remain possible to connect and use your own headphones.

Since the helmet uses two displays with a resolution of 1200x1080 and a refresh rate of 90Hz, the image looks clearer than in the Oculus Rift DK2 and. However, according to reviews from those who used the helmet at GDC 2015, multi-colored inter-pixel colors are still noticeable when looking at, for example, a gray background.

The exact cost of the Vive helmet is still unknown, but in an interview, HTC executive director Jeff Gattis (Jeff Gattis) mentioned that the price will be a little higher (relative to others) since they are aiming for premium quality - so many guesses the price range could be $300-$500.

The Vive Developer Edition sales start date is spring 2015. The consumer version is planned for the same 2015, but later.

Obviously, the final version of the helmet, which is expected in 2015, will be significantly better than the Vive Developer Edition demonstrated at GDC.

But even now it is becoming clear that a new, unexpected and strong player has appeared in the VR arena, who is quite capable of changing the disposition of forces.

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Preview and impressions of the games

It's no secret that the topic of virtual reality (VR for short) will become key this year. And most likely in the next few years. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look at which leading companies in the IT industry are investing billions of dollars in developments and products related to this area today. These are Google, Sony, Microsoft, Samsung, Facebook, Nvidia and many others.

In our report from Mobile World Congress 2016, we talked about how VR was the center of attention at this exhibition. And, in particular, the HTC Vive helmet aroused particular interest. Alas, we were not able to meet him then: due to the huge excitement, all 15-minute sessions of working with the helmet were scheduled even before the exhibition began, so we could only admire appearance product lying under glass, and also watch the lucky ones who were able to try out the new product.

After returning to Moscow, we tried to negotiate with the Russian HTC office about the opportunity to try the helmet, but to no avail. Meanwhile, the commercial release of HTC Vive took place abroad. However, currently only pre-orders are available for shipment in June 2016. And the helmet is not supplied to Russia, and even the approximate release date for HTC Vive has not been announced. Of course, “gray” offers have already appeared with a markup of more than twice, but nowhere is it indicated that the helmet is in stock - everywhere is “on order”.

However, our desire to get acquainted with the helmet turned out to be stronger than the circumstances :) Nvidia met us halfway (thanks to Irina Shekhovtsova!). The leading GPU manufacturer is now actively working on the VR topic, and in the Moscow office they found a demo copy for us, with the help of which we were able to evaluate both the gadget itself and several future gaming projects for it. In addition, Nvidia representatives told us about their work on the topic of VR.

In this material we will share with you the information received and impressions of the projects we saw, and also tell you in more detail about the helmet itself. Of course, this cannot be considered a full-fledged test, and at the first opportunity to get the helmet in our hands, we will definitely return to this topic, but at this stage Any information about the HTC Vive is valuable, so we think it's important to tell you everything we can find out.

HTC Vive packaging and design

The first thing that strikes you about the helmet is its configuration. Unlike simple devices type Samsung Gear VR, where there is nothing in the box except a helmet and all sorts of small things, HTC Vive is somewhat reminiscent of a home theater: you get a lot of components that need to be connected correctly. So, the set includes:

The helmet itself
Two identical wireless controllers
Connector through which the helmet connects to the computer and power supply
Two cubes called "base stations"
Headphones and other small things

It is connected as follows. The helmet is connected to the connector with three cables: HDMI, USB and power. Connector - to electrical outlet, as well as to the computer, HDMI cables and USB. Next, two base stations need to be hung diagonally under the ceiling in the corners of the room. These are infrared ray emitters that determine the position in space of your helmet and controllers. These base stations look like miniature tweeter speakers, and you can guess that they are something else only by the absence of speakers. However, through the camera, infrared rays become visible.

It is recommended to hang these base stations about three meters apart. Then they will completely cover the area of the square whose corners they represent. But no big problem, if the distance between them is greater, then there may be dead zones in the space between them.

No less interesting in this set are the controllers. They are made of plastic and have an unusual shape. No one could explain to us why there was this round hole at the end. There was an assumption that for a full experience while watching VR porn (hussars, keep quiet!).

However, this is far from the only interesting detail of the controllers (although it is the most inexplicable). More importantly, there is a trigger, a round button pad, and several other buttons. And all of this can be used in different ways depending on the game. For example, in the game Arizona Sunshine, pressing the round button allows you to reload the pistol, and in one of the demos you can use it to teleport to the selected area of the location.

Of course, the main use of these controllers is shooting weapons (pistols, etc.). Have you dreamed of shooting with both hands, like action heroes? With HTC Vive, this dream becomes a reality. Virtual-real :) One of the most amazing moments is when, while wearing a helmet, you can examine your virtual pistol in detail, turning it at any angle - as if it were a real object. At the same time, some cognitive dissonance occurs: your palm feels one shape (albeit similar to a pistol, but still not entirely identical), and your eyes see something different. Interesting feeling.

Another valuable quality of the controllers is the built-in vibration motors for feedback. This takes the realism up another notch. For example, when inserting an arrow into a bow and spreading your arms to shoot, you feel the bowstring stretching. That is, vibration motors create a very believable tactile sensation.

Note that the controllers are completely identical, but one is perceived by the system as left, and the other as right. If you wish, you can change them in your hands without any problems. And this can be useful not only for left-handers, but also, for example, in those projects where you have a shield in one hand and a pistol in the other (depending on the game situation and personal preferences, it may be more convenient to hold the shield in your right hand or left ).

On the surface of the controllers you can see a number of small round depressions - such “dimples”. These “dimples” are precisely what is needed in order to receive infrared rays from base stations. They are used to position the controllers in space. The same “dimples” (only significantly larger) are on the helmet itself - for the same purpose. It looks funny: such a bumpy surface - like the Moon with craters.

One of key differences HTC Vive is different from the helmets that we tested earlier - it has its own screen. If Samsung Gear VR, as well as even simpler helmets Homido, Fibrum, Smarterra, use a smartphone screen that you insert into them, then you don’t need to insert anything into HTC Vive. There is own display, providing an image resolution of about 1080p for each eye. This is more than even smartphones with a 2560x1440 display can offer. Therefore, the image in the HTC Vive is less grainy, the mesh is not as clearly visible as in the above-mentioned helmets. It is clear that when smartphones with even higher resolution appear, then HTC Vive will no longer have an advantage, but for now the only smartphone with a stated resolution higher than 2560x1440 is Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, which, according to the manufacturer, has 3840x2160, but in reality this is not entirely true (see our investigation!). Therefore, so far the picture in HTC Vive is the best we have ever seen in a VR helmet. It’s not ideal yet, but it’s already enough so that you can think about what’s happening in the frame, and not look at the pixels.

Another important point is the wide viewing angle. Many helmets have the feeling that you are looking through some kind of window, that is, on the left and right, the field of view is slightly blocked by the walls of the helmet. The HTC Vive didn't have that feeling. You put on a helmet and immediately find yourself in another reality, where nothing bothers you and almost nothing (except, first of all, tactile sensations) reminds you of the illusory nature of all this.

As for tactile sensations (now in a negative sense), they really exist, and this is still one of the main problems of helmets. HTC Vive is one of the heaviest VR devices. Yes, it has a well-thought-out system for adjusting and fixing the straps so that it sits tightly on the head, and contact with the face does not cause discomfort thanks to the foam pad. In addition to this, there is a lever on the helmet that allows you to adjust the distance between the lenses by choosing optimal value for myself. And everything would be fine, but after 15 minutes of being in the helmet, your hair becomes wet (especially around the forehead and temples), and after another 15 minutes your face begins to get tired. If you take off your helmet at this point, you will experience relief. In addition, the cables from the helmet are a bit of a nuisance, touching either your neck, back, or shoulder (depending on where the hub the helmet is connected to is located). In general, the time of a comfortable stay in HTC Vive varies from 15 minutes to half an hour for beginners and, probably, no more than an hour for experienced ones.

Impressions from games and demo versions

So far, there are big problems with content for VR headsets and HTC Vive. Although HTC Vive is formally already available for sale, it cannot be said that, together with the helmet, the user can immediately purchase any full-fledged serious games at the level of those with which new consoles are usually launched. However, there are already a lot of all kinds of demo scenes, small games and other entertainment for HTC Vive, that is, we can fully evaluate the mechanics, graphics capabilities and other aspects.

Content for HTC Vive can be accessed using the popular gaming service Steam. There is a special section available where you can open a list of projects specifically for HTC Vive. At the time of writing, there were 189 titles on this list. Of these, 161 are games, and the rest are demo versions, benchmarks and other programs. Of these 161 games, 125 are available for download, the rest will be released in the future (some projects have a release date, some only coming soon or month of release).

As for prices, most games cost 400-500 rubles, although there are cheaper ones (up to 79 rubles) and even completely free.

Since we didn't have much time, we decided to try several completely different projects to understand what the HTC Vive is basically capable of and how its hardware capabilities can be used in different genres.

Arizona Sunshine

This zombie shooter set in the Wild West is due out in 2016. In the meantime, we have access to several small scenes where we use a pistol to shoot back the undead crawling towards us.

From a mechanical point of view, nothing special, but what amazes me the most is the graphics, which are really decent major project. It’s unlikely that this would be so impressive in the traditional version - with a picture on the monitor, but when you can look up and see blue sky and flying birds, down - and glance over the scorched Arizona land, take a step left and right, then a completely different feeling appears.

A short demo video will help you evaluate the effect of presence.

Speaking of mechanics, we note that reloading weapons here occurs using the round button on the controller. That is, after every six shots with the trigger, we need to remember to reload the clip.

Space Pirate Training

A very impressive game is Space Pirate Training. We are on the deck of a spaceship, and we are being attacked by enemy drones. They shoot laser beams at us, but we can also shoot back, with two pistols at once.

In addition, we can replace one of the pistols with a shield, which can be used to protect ourselves from drone shots. But that's not all! To dodge laser beams, the player needs to crouch, bend over and move around the room. And this is where one of the key features of the HTC Vive comes into play: tracking the player’s position in space.

Cloudlands

Another interesting VR project is the Cloudlands golf mini-game. True, this is not quite classic golf in terms of location (instead of a large field there are various ingenious structures), but the essence of the game is the same: you need to roll the ball into the hole with a club.

We control the stick using one of the controllers. Moreover, the behavior of the stick in space exactly corresponds to the movements of the controller. And this is another clear proof of how helmets like HTC Vive are superior to Samsung Gear VR and similar solutions - such a game would, in principle, be impossible there.

As a minus, we note that the graphics here are simpler. Even much easier than in Arizona Sunshine. And this reminds us that just because a game is being made for the HTC Vive doesn't mean highest quality graphics. Although the performance required here is no less (we tried both games on the same configuration).

Valve The Lab

Perhaps one of the most interesting demo scenes for HTC Vive is The Lab from Valve. Here we are in a certain factory, where a conveyor belt is moving, there are tables with some papers and objects, there are mountains of boxes... On one of the tables you can find a bow and arrows. Once you have them, you can shoot a bow by pulling the string with one controller and aiming the bow with the other.

You can shoot anywhere, there is no specific target (that’s why it’s a demo, not a real game), but the most difficult thing is to hit objects on a moving conveyor belt (you have to shoot a little ahead), and the most fun is to destroy mountains of boxes. However, the fun doesn't end there. There is a robotic dog running under your feet, which you can pet or throw some object at it - everything is incredibly realistic!

In addition, you can approach tables (or teleport to them), take various objects from them, and somehow interact with them (for example, toss and catch a ball or launch a quadcopter). Despite the lack of a specific task, this demo is incredibly addictive precisely because of the feeling of limitless freedom and realistic interaction with objects. Well, archery is, of course, an interesting experience, which, obviously, cannot be repeated in this form on simpler helmets.

HTC Vive hardware requirements and Nvidia developments

Obviously, displaying a 360-degree image, and even with Full HD resolution for each eye, is a task that requires quite serious hardware performance of the PC to which you connect the helmet. According to Nvidia, VR games require seven times more computing resources than regular 3D games when compared to projects with similar graphics levels. At the same time, the image refresh rate must be at least 90 fps for a comfortable game.

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290;
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350;
RAM: 4 GB or more;
Video output: HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2

The key configuration element is, of course, the GPU. The computer we tested the helmet with had an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980, and the picture was absolutely smooth.

Specifically to identify computers suitable for VR, Nvidia has developed GeForce marking GTX VR Ready. The presence of such a sign on the device means that its capabilities are sufficient for comfortable use of HTC Vive and Oculus Rift helmets. Among laptops, only a few MSI gaming models from the GT72S 6QF and GT80S 6QF series have received this marking (you can find a review of one of these models on the website).

However, Nvidia’s efforts are aimed not only at consumers of the final product and the development of graphics chips, but also at making the task easier for the creators of games and helmets. The VRWorks SDK was released for them. This software suite introduces technologies that provide more efficient use graphic resources in VR, and also helps the PC system to correctly recognize the helmet when connected. VRWorks is reported to be integrated into Unity game engines. Unreal Engine and Max Play, and is also supported by HTC Vive and Oculus Rift helmets.

Among the technologies available in the VRWorks SDK, two are worth noting: Multi-Res Shading and VR SLI. Multi-Res Shading allows you to save resources due to the fact that full resolution(Full HD) only that part of the picture that the user sees is drawn, that is, which is in the frontal plane, in front of the eyes. Accordingly, what is behind or on the side is drawn in a lower resolution, due to which the load on the GPU is reduced.

VR SLI allows you to use a combination of two video cards so that one of them draws the picture for one eye, and the other for the other. Thus, the performance of each video card can be used to the maximum.

It must be said that Nvidia is now very actively working on the topic of VR and sees the future in it for the entire gaming industry. Representatives of the company interact with developers and are ready to assist them in optimizing games for VR; Nvidia also works closely with HTC and Oculus. Overall, although Nvidia itself does not produce any headsets or content for them, the company's efforts in the field of VR are very significant, and this once again convinces us that the era of VR has already arrived, since the combined efforts of so many industry leaders simply cannot not give an impressive result in the end.

Preliminary conclusions

HTC Vive is currently perhaps the most advanced virtual reality headset, allowing you to get the most complete picture of the capabilities and prospects of VR. True, we haven't seen latest version Oculus Rift, but sales of the commercial version will begin only in August, and not everywhere. Russia is not even in the foreseeable plans yet (as well as the Russian office of Oculus), so it is almost certain that HTC Vive will enter our market first, and only then Oculus.

True, HTC Vive is more expensive: $800 versus $600 for Oculus. But the Vive has slightly lower system requirements (4 GB of RAM, not 8 GB, and does not need three USB port 3.0). On occasion, we will definitely compare the commercial versions of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, but for now we can say for sure that this is a completely different level of VR experience than in helmets with smartphones inside. The picture is better, the games are better, plus you have a significantly expanded arsenal of interaction with game objects thanks to controllers and tracking the position of the helmet (the gyroscope and accelerometer in smartphones cannot provide such accuracy).

The main problems are the complexity of installation (installing a helmet for the user will be something akin to assembling home theater, that is, it is much more difficult than with the same smartphone helmets), high performance requirements (in particular, the inability to play with laptops, except for a few very expensive and massive models), and finally, physical fatigue when staying in helmet And, of course, there is a problem with content, but here the situation will gradually change, and in six months the picture should be completely different.

In general, like any innovative technology or new class devices, at this stage HTC Vive is, of course, the lot of enthusiasts and those who want to look into the future. But we no longer doubt that this is truly a window into the future.

In conclusion of the article, we suggest watching our video review of the virtual helmet HTC reality Vive:

When it comes to Valve, no one knows what goes on behind their office doors. As one of the most secretive developers of both games and hardware, his efforts are now extending to VR. Now, as the images show, we're looking at a next-generation virtual reality device.

At the moment, it is unclear what exactly we are seeing in the images. Maybe it's perfect a new version virtual reality headsets, and maybe the company’s next step in the direction of the VR industry.
The images were discovered by Reddit user '2flock' in an Imgur album that contains a number of images showing VR headsets emblazoned with the Valve logo.

Another eagle-eyed Redditor, user shoneysbreakfast, points out that the headset could be equipped with some cleverly integrated SteamVR sensors, the same type we've already seen on the HTC Vive, Vive Pro and Pimax “8K”. They're hard to make out, but they're barely visible, like the indentations on the top of the headset in the photo above.
On the front panel you can see a slot reminiscent of a classic USB. Apparently, it is used to connect additional device. The headrest padding also matches that found on Valve's latest controller prototype, Knuckles.

The surprisingly large pair of lenses could mean the headset is designed to give users a wider field of view (FOV) than the HTC Vive, which has a 110-degree FOV. On the case you can see sockets for the cable, which characterizes the new device as a virtual reality helmet for a personal computer.
Two camera sensors adorn the front of the headset. Perhaps this means it has some kind of optical tracking on board. Although, assuming the helmet is tracked via SteamVR base stations, it's possible the sensors could be used for AR or even hand tracking.
An integrated audio device can also be seen in the body of the new virtual reality helmet. However, this functionality is not new; users could already see it on the HTC Vive Pro. The way the head is wrapped is also very similar to the Vive Pro.

There is no clear marking on the headset itself indicating the manufacturer, so it is unknown which company was responsible for producing the device. The lack of branding and large number of headsets may also suggest that this is an early dev kit or a late-stage prototype.