It was in 2016 that Google announced its intentions to move into serious virtual reality and not just disposable cardboard viewers.
It was recognized that there was a need for headsets which would be able to track motion without dedicated rooms that are full of cameras or markers.
If you take a look at the Daydream mobile headset it is the cost of the cameras that put plenty potential VR customers off. For instance baseball will stream videos and stats but the live games are not available on Virtual Reality.
Project Tango is entirely different and we saw the first Tango device available to developers at last year’s I/O. The Nvidia-made tablet is laden with sensors and cameras that could map a 3D space in real time, and this is something that is difficult for a computer but something we humans take for granted.
Head of Virtual Reality Clay Bavor described the new headset as: ‘immersive computing that enables our computers to work more like we do.’
Google’s Partnering
After two and half years Google is partnering with HTC, Lenovo and Qualcomm to release a reference design and two commercial products based on it. If this venture proves to be successful Google’s long experiments with augmented and virtual reality with have merged into a self-contained VR headset.
These new headsets use the Daydream platform and another system which is called ‘WorldSense.’ WorldSense tracks motion through front facing edge detecting cameras, and the end results should cost in the region of $600/$800 which is a similar cost of high-end tethered products like the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive.
One thing that should be taken into consideration is that there would be no additional cost of a PC making the headset comparable in cost to a gaming console.
One of the industries that is following the advancement of VR is the gambling industry which is not a huge surprise as the industry has always pioneered new ideas and technologies. If you take the mobile market as an example, the gambling industry is years ahead of other industries as it is fast recognizing the potential of the mobile market, and how this market could increase its revenue.
In fact statistics show that more people use their smartphones to have a bet rather than waiting to use their computers. We lead increasingly busy lives and anything that makes our lives easier is welcomed.
This applies to our leisure time as well as carrying out daily tasks like banking, and as technologies advance so do the games we can play. We can take our pick from a selection of only the most popular of games like roulette and poker, and sites like Swanky Bingo provide a range of games with excellent graphics, video and audio clips to enhance gameplay.
The idea that soon we shall be able to enter a VR casino and enjoy the immersive experience VR has to offer us is exciting stuff.
Perhaps soon we shall be able to play and view tournaments like WSOP using VR headsets. The future is virtual, and it’s here to stay.
