Slashdot Mirror
Google Decided To Nix Its Oculus Rift Competitor (recode.net)
An anonymous reader writes from a report via Recode: Google recently nixed an internal project to create a high-end standalone virtual-reality headset that would compete directly against the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, according to sources familiar with the plans. Google instead decided to shift more of its resources behind mobile VR and provide tools for other companies to build apps, games and services on Android-powered smartphones, rather than expensive hardware. In May, the company announced "Google Daydream," a platform that will help hardware and software developers create VR hardware, games, and experiences for its new Android Nougat operating system. Google did say they would be releasing their own VR headset, but it's mostly geared towards developers. A different VR project was started inside the Google X research lab, which is now a separate Alphabet company, with around 50 employees working on it, according to one source. That project was creating a separate operating system for the device, unique from Android. Now, it appears that the OS and project were scratched in favor of Android. The report suggests that Google is not as interested in competing directly with hardware from Facebook, Samsung, HTC and others. Apple has been recently granted another AR/VR patent, suggesting the company might be building a VR headset of its own.
Yep, that accurately sums up most of Google's products.
Rift vs Vive. Again two toys that most people don't know shit about, that are absolutely incompatible, that have pretty strong pushers behind them and no matter which one you choose, you'll be fucked 'cause invariably the other one will win.
In other words, it's going to be the same shit as always: Nobody's going to buy 'cause everyone's waiting first to see which format will prevail, and until then the content will suck because no creator will bother dropping tons of money to create a AAA title for a tool that few people have in the first place and even fewer have because they can't decide.
In other words hearing that Google is throwing in the towel is a GOOD thing.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
There are already two VR headsets out with Sony releasing its own eventually. There are still a couple more companies claiming to want to release VR headsets. Plus, there are those "lesser VR" phone-based headsets.
All that for for an install base that's never going to be huge. (TVs and cell phones will always dwarf it.) It's hard to find a killer app for it outside of training sims. Even games are have a problem in that moving around is limited (Vive games use a warping mechanic to move the player to different stations/settings).
In his most recent novel The Peripheral , about a near-future America, William Gibson also envisioned one's mobile phone eventually being usable a virtual-reality headset. Since so much functionality (bank cards, photography) is being integrated into the mobile phone, then it seems a safer bet for a company than trying to introduce awkward standalone hardware into the market.
Let everybody duke it out, then Google can put a bunch of their SW on the winning platform.
The report suggests that Google is not as interested in competing directly with hardware from Facebook, Samsung, HTC and others
The Oculus Rift (Facebook/Oculus), Vive (HTC/Valve), and Gear VR (Samsung/Oculus), aren't 'standalone'. The former two require a gaming PC to connect to, and the latter requires a high-end Samsung smartphone be connected. Google's scrapped project ran its own OS, meaning the processing was done inside the headset. There are cheap Chinese standalone 'VR' headsets, but they for the most part only run personal theater/3d video/slideshow software. A few companies are working on real standalone VR but I've heard nothing of their recent progress; Google could quickly make them irrelevant.
I chuckle at the mention of deciding to use a smartphone rather than 'expensive hardware', as if a new $650 smartphone is cheap. Good luck doing VR on a smartphone that costs less than $300 (going price for a new unlocked Galaxy S6 on ebay, the minimum-specced phone that will work with a Gear VR). I shudder to think how many people are gonna get nauseous with their $99 phone that barely manages to run Android N.
Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
I feel Occulus Rift - and VR in general - is today's Segway. Loads of hype.
Tat Tvam Asi
Sure, early adopters get burnt, but all a format war means essentially is that there is new contested ground up for grabs, and everyone competes while consumers select a winner (not necessarily the "best" but the one that suits them).
Did we have VR headsets a couple years back? Consumer-wise no. So a short format war later, say in 3-5 years, we'll have winners, and a major push forward will have occured.
I don't see a cause for complaint. I'd be more worried if everything stayed stagnant for a long time.
You have been tapped inside this VR for over 3 days. You need to reach around to the back of the google cardboard and use the manual emergency shutdown button. If you do not you will die.
This is like 3Dfx vs nVidia in the 3D accelerator wars, things are crap for early adopters but it'll work out later. I'm not buying in to this public beta.