Virtual Reality is not something new, but the Oculus Rift has renewed interest in it as we come to realize that we are getting one step closer to virtual-reality gaming. Although the technology is already out there and thriving, in terms of hardware we are still lacking the right device that can give a fully immersive experience.
Aside from the Oculus Rift, there are actually a handful of other VR headsets that are making great strides in the field. In this post, we will be looking at 5 such VR headsets and the possibilities that they have to offer when it comes to owning your own VR headset (without breaking the bank). Check them all out below and share with us your thoughts in the comments!
Recommended Reading: Control VR: Turn Your Hands Into A Virtual Reality Controller
1. Sulon Cortex
Sulon Technologies has an interesting view in the future of gaming. Instead of building another Oculus Rift headset, they built the Cortex. The Sulon Cortex can turn any physical space into a holodeck allowing users to play games in an fully immersive interactive virtual world. It is capable of doing spatial scanning thanks to the proprietary scanner on the Cortex, creating augmented virtual reality experiences.
As long as you have some physical space to spare, all you need to do is equip yourself with a Cortex, let it scan your surroundings, then enjoy your fully immersive experience of augmented virtual reality. You can also roam around freely with no fear of tripping over wires as Cortex is a self-contained wireless system.
[Price: 9 - Get one]
2. Avegant Glyph
A VR headset with a twist, the Glyph uses virtual retinal display instead of conventional display. Using the back of your eyeballs as a screen, the device uses a combination of optical parts to project images directly onto your retina, giving you extremely sharp and clear images that are not produceable by conventional displays.
Although not built mainly for VR (it steers more towards media), the Glyph can show you high-resolution images without the screen-door effect. The device comes with an HDMI source so you can connect it to an HDMI-compatible device, turning Glyph into your immediate screen. Sliding it upwards also turns it into a headphone.
[Price: 9 - Get one]
3. Altergaze
If the price tag on the Oculus Rift is a turn off, know that you can own a virtual reality headset via 3D printing. Named the Altergaze, this device is essentially a goggle through which you can insert your smartphone. The headset is primed to allow you to immerse yourself into the virtual reality effect, with a field of view of 110 degrees and a head-tracking feature for a more in-depth experience.
In short, Altergaze is a 3D printable, electronics-free, open source virtual reality goggle that opens a new path to crowdsourced product manufacturing.
[Price: - Get one]
4. Durovis Dive
Dive is similar to Altergaze in that it also turns the smartphone into a virtual reality goggle, but unlike the Altergaze, you can’t fully 3D print the Dive because you need to obtain the lens and headstrap from their OpenDive lens kit to complete the Dive device. In the kit is also a NativeSensor app that enables Dive to do a head-tracking feature with minimum latency.
The Durovis Dive is a great starting tool for anyone who wants to experience virtual reality first hand, without spending a lot on high end headsets like the Oculus Rift.
[Price: - Get one]
5. Project Morpheus
Facebook may have acquired Oculus Rift, but they aren’t the only company who are bent on taking up virtual reality as a route for the future of gaming. Sony is also looking into the same venture with the Project Morpheus headset. Morpheus is a headset that comes with a 1080p resolution display, 90-degree field of view, an accelerometer, gyroscope sensors and the PlayStation camera to track head orientation and movement accurately and in real-time.
Morpheus can be paired with the DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller and the PlayStation Move motion controller to act as your control system in the virtual world. At the time of writing, Project Morpheus is still an early prototype with no release date yet.
[Price: TBA - For more info]
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