Google Cardboard has been enough to satiate our virtual reality cravings for the time being, but the real fun won’t begin until companies like HTC and Oculus start releasing their own high-end virtual reality headsets. The HTC-made headset, known as the Vive, is actually being co-developed by Valve, and is being designed with movement in mind, but that’s not exactly a good thing. According to a recent survey by Valve, a significant chunk of gamers don’t really give a crap about virtual reality, and an even larger chunk don’t want to a movement-focused headset.
This holiday season marks an important moment in history for the gaming industry. The first of a wave of consumer-grade virtual reality headsets will become available, providing new potential for game experiences. The question remains as to whether or not it’ll catch on enough to be profitable and entice developers to make games for virtual reality headsets. Valve ran a survey recently that acquired more than 2,500 respondents. 42% said they had no plans to invest in virtual reality and were apprehensive about supporting it. Perhaps even more concerning, at least in Valve’s case, 69% of respondents stated that they have no interest in walking around while experiencing virtual reality. Valve’s upcoming headset, the HTC Vive, has been built with movement in mind. Using tracking technology between a camera and purpose-built trackers on the headset, it’s able to map the location of consumers in their physical gaming space as they explore worlds using their own movements as input. It’s a significant progression for gaming technology, but one that apparently most gamers don’t want to buy into.
