Virtual Reality gaming is a concept that has been in the back of our minds for as long as most people can remember. Whether it was seen in an episode of the Jetsons, dreamed up by a creative young mind or tested in a lower-quality capacity at an arcade, virtual reality has been where gaming technology was heading for a while. Now, thanks to Valve and Oculus Rift,the prospect of bringing a virtual reality headset to the average gamer's living room has never been closer than ever before.
At CES 2014, Oculus Rift, the company that made a splash when it debuted at the 2013 E3 gaming conference, debuted its newest headset prototype Crystal Cove which dropped the jaws of many who had been watching the progress of VR technology closely.
Speaking at Steam Dev Days, Valve's Michael Abrash explained that the two companies collaborated on the newest prototype, which incorporates tracking features along with combined sensors and an external camera to keep track of the user's head and body position.
Previously, Valve was expected to create its own version of a VR headset prototype but has instead pinned most of its hopes for the space on the VR startup. According to Engadget,, it currently has no plans to ship a Valve-produced headset of its own. Although Abrash doesn't expect virtual reality technology to really take off into the mainstream for at least another two years. However, he does say that the Crystal Cove is a step in the right direction.
According to Engadget, the technology still has a way to go. Headsets need to improve their tethers, optics and solve multiple head and eye tracking issues. There are also content problems to overcome as well. Oculus' founder Palmer Luckey took the stage at Steam Dev Days to discuss VR. One of the slides that accompanied his speech read "Stop thinking about porting existing games."
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