The Oculus Rift promises what so many '80s films predicted: goggles that envelop you in a fully 3D environment, where your perspective actually moves with your head. Sounds awesome on paper, but how does it work in practice? We got the chance to try out the Oculus Rift for ourselves at GDC 2013:
Our thoughts, besides the ones in the video? The unit is surprisingly light--imagine ski goggles, or two duct-taped game cases strapped to your head--which bodes well for longer play sessions. It also creates that cool, dream-like sensation of a disconnect between your mind and body; for instance, your eyes and brain may be telling you that you're plummeting towards earth, triggering a faint vertigo sensation despite the fact that your feet are planted firmly on the ground. No official retail price has been announced for the Oculus Rift, but if we start seeing more developers tweak their games to match Hawken and Team Fortress 2's compatibility with the device, this could very well become the next must-have peripheral in the world of gaming.
