A LONG-TERM bet on the future of computing. That is how Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Facebook, described the news
on March 25th that his firm had splashed out some $2 billion on Oculus
VR, a company that makes headsets that let gamers immerse themselves in
fantasy worlds (pictured). Oculus isn’t the only firm trying to turn
virtual-reality technology into real money by bringing it to the masses.
But its combination with the giant social network is certainly
eye-opening.
For a long time, gamers
have dreamed of wearable headsets that make them feel like they are
actually inside lifelike worlds. Thanks to big advances in computing
power and software, that dream is much closer to becoming a reality.
Oculus Rift, the prototype headset that Oculus has developed, was
recently on show at SXSW, a techie fest in Texas, and wowed delegates
lucky enough to wear it and experience the company’s digital rendition
of the 700-foot Wall that protects the Seven Kingdoms in HBO’s fantasy
series “Game of Thrones”.
Other companies have also set their sights on the virtual-reality arena. Sony recently unveiled Project Morpheus,
a prototype of a virtual-reality headset that is designed to work with
its PlayStation 4 gaming console so that, say, zooming around in the
popular Gran Turismo driving simulator becomes even more compelling.
Microsoft is also rumoured to be developing a headset of its own for its
Xbox console.
Some gaming veterans will no
doubt roll their eyes at all of the hype. After all, in the 1990s there
was a period when PC-based virtual-reality gaming was touted as the Next
Big Thing, but devices such as the Sega VR flopped because the
primitive state of the technology left much to be desired. Gamers were
often left feeling sick rather than elated after using their headsets.
Now,
however, huge leaps forward in graphics processing power, cheap
miniature cameras and wafer-thin, high-resolution screens have
dramatically improved matters. That is why Facebook is confident that
Oculus has a bright future in gaming. Already some 75,000 kits have been
snapped up that help developers create games that will take advantage
of Oculus Rift’s capabilities. David Ebersman, Facebook’s chief
financial officer, reckons the future profits Oculus and Facebook make
from gaming alone will justify its $2 billion price tag.
Perhaps
they will, but the social network’s main motivation for buying the firm
isn’t to zap the competition in virtual-reality gaming. It is to get
its hands on a technology that it thinks could become one of the next
big computing platforms to follow the personal computer and mobile
phone. This is the “long-term bet” that Mr Zuckerberg was referring to.
Facebook
isn’t the only big web firm that is fascinated by sophisticated
headgear. Google, for instance, is touting its Glass smart specs as a
new computing platform perched on the end of people’s noses. This week
the company, which hopes to roll out Glass to the masses this year,
unveiled a strategic alliance with Luxottica,
the owner of high-end eyewear brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley.
Luxottica will help with the design and development of future iterations
of Glass.
Google’s vision of the future
involves overlaying the real world seen through its specs with
information from its search engine and other services. Facebook’s is of
people totally immersing themselves in virtual worlds where they will be
able do everything from taking virtual classes together to
communicating with distant friends as if they were standing in the same
room. The two firms may not see exactly eye-to-eye on how this will all
play out, but neither can be accused of being shortsighted.
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