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Virtual Desktop Makes Windows OS Oculus Rift-Capable
An anonymous reader writes Virtual Desktop is a free program that makes the Windows operating system compatible with the Oculus Rift VR headset. To the surprise of some, plugging the Oculus Rift into a computer doesn't result in a native view of the OS, meaning that users have to put on and take off the headset as they move from one VR-specific app to the next. If you want to use typical Windows programs—like Photoshop, Firefox, or Microsoft Office—no dice! That's where Virtual Desktop comes in, enabling the entire Windows desktop, and any application that can run on it, to be seen through the Oculus Rift. It also works as a bridge between VR-specific applications, allowing you to move from one to the next without ever taking off the headset. The latest version released today includes voice commands for launching VR games, global monitor mirroring, performance improvements, and is built against the latest Oculus Rift SDK.
I've had a rift DK2 for nearly a year now, and this has been around for quite a while. Text is a bit more readable than it typically is in most VR games because the windows are mapped on to a curved surface. Ultimately it's still too awkward and low resolution (due to the DK2 splitting a 1080 display to show an image for each eye) for serious use. it remains a neat novelty that will make your friends go "wow".
BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
I'm not sure what you're talking about. I wouldn't really describe Virtual Desktop as "3D Windows". It just shows your 2D Windows on a virtual screen (or screens if you're running more than one monitor). It doesn't make any attempt at creating a 3D UI for Windows.
With future versions of the headset, if the internal screens get hi-res enough, something like Virtual Desktop could be useful for simulating multiple large displays for increased productivity even if you don't have multiple physical screens. But at the moment, both the hardware and the software support are a bit lacking. I think the current use case for Virtual Desktop is that you can launch a VR game without having to pull the headset off to see what you're clicking.
I think this is a bit misleading. I those numbers are based on linear pixel density divided by FOV (for the DK2, 1080 pixels/100 degrees). That is OK to a first approximation, but the LEEP optics in the rift do not evenly map the pixels. The pixels near the center of the screen are much less stretched than the pixels at the edges. This is appropriate because our eyes have better resolution near the center of our retina. If you are principally looking forward as you are when using your real monitor, the effective pixel density of the HMD is going to be much higher than stated above. If you are looking out of the corner of your eye, it will be much worse. Assuming HMD continue to use flat panels with LEEP optics, a proper 4k panel may be adequate to allow proper desktop representations. Of course, all of this math changes once we start using curved OLEDs, etc.
There is also probably some subpixel rendering improvements that can be done as well. I continue to be amazed at how much readability improves when using ClearType or similar subpixel font rendering even on high DPI monitors. Of course, the same subpixel ideas/antialiasing ideas may need to be applied to the entire windowing system allowing LEEP distortion/viewing angle compensation for borders, widgets, etc. There are lots of opportunities here to design a 3D windowing interface and get all of these things right. I'd love to have the 27" and 30" monitors on my desk to be the last I ever buy.