Oculus Connect "Future of VR" Panel Questions

[Gypsy816]

Hi all!

As you're aware, Oculus Connect is coming up in a few days. We have a special keynote panel titled "The Future of VR" occurring on September 20 at 2:15 pm PDT and we're looking to get questions for the panel from you, the development community! Select questions will be answered at the panel and posted on Twitter using #FutureOfVR.

The Future of VR panel includes Michael Abrash (Chief Scientist), Atman Binstock (Chief Architect), John Carmack (CTO), Palmer Luckey (Founder), and Nate Mitchell (VP Product - Panel Moderator).

Panel description: An open discussion on the future of virtual reality from some of the leading visionaries in the industry.

Post your questions for the Future of VR panel below!

[Sharpfish]

Can you make the final CV version of the rift smooth WHITE (not black) please (like a Nokia Lumia 920 white *ahem*) Polycarbonate thanks. Especially if it's a lot slimmer than DK2. I tend to prefer smooth white now (unless it's something bulky/boxy like a PS4) and from a consumer pov white tends to lend an air of sophistication while black tends to feel more geeky, especially in the context of what a HMD is - black may scare more people off. Hey wth you could even offer them in a choice of funky colours for the casual/mass market.

Very trivial but until I can formulate the best way to ask my actual question(s) about VR itself, it'll serve as a place holder and a vote for the visual styling (though I know it'll never be asked nor indeed is it even really a question about the future of VR). 8-) - will edit this with the real question later. Thanks

---------- REAL QUESTION BELOW!

OK One of the questions I've really been wanting to hear the pro's opinions on:

What do you consider the most vital next step for VR outside of the HMD's Visual improvements?:

1. Motion Compensation and simulation (to counteract sickness/enhance feeling of being there) for example spinning cabinets/motorised platforms (for the mainly seated experience)

2. Full intuitive hand control (such as control VR) and if so do you think it's a hack if it can't have haptic feedback? Would it just break immersion more to be unable to feel or be unable to have movement of the arms/hands restricted by something you can reach out and actually touch visually?

3. The ability to use walking/standing without losing balance and with full freedom (wireless HMD, 'safe zone' hardware)

4. Untethered HMD with full self contained positional tracking (360 degrees)

5. Standardised 'surround' or positional audio to support the visuals and enhance spatial realism?

6. Something else not mentioned above?

[drash]

Q: As more headsets show up on the market, what does Oculus see as the future of cross-VR-platform development?

Q: Has any thought been given to what it will take for the classic "glitch in the Matrix" moment (i.e. the same cat running past a doorway twice in a row) to be reflexively considered to be part of a game's narrative rather than a mistake on the part of the developer?

[alimasri]

1. When's the consumer version finally coming out? come on you know you have a date set.

2. What input devices are going to be available for the CV? the secret project you guys are working on.

3. What are the specs of the CV?

[shim2]

Q: Do you forsee HMD's being released in the same way smart phones are? i.e. A new model every year.

Q: Is full human field of view something we could see in the near future, (3-5 years) or is that still a good ways off?

[infinium]

Hello All,

I would like to ask the following:

What are some of the first problems that you imagine will be tackled over the coming years on the way to true Holodeck worthy VR? Can you currently envision what fundamental hardware/software developments will occur on the way from todays' HMDs, to 100% immersive believable VR? What do you see as some of the most significant longer-term hurdles that will need to be faced on the way there? How far could we be in say 5, 10 years?

I wrote an article about the Future of VR in 2010, here: http://www.thenanoage.com/virtual-reality.htm

Steve

[Paul33993]

Q: At his SMU address in April, John Carmack was very enthusiastic about the potential of using flexible OLEDs to bend to the curvature of the lenses. Has he been able to test this theory? Is it the next evolution in display/optics like he was hoping? If not, why did it fail?

[dkellitt]

Hi there,

My question is:

There has been a lot of confusion around what system requirements will be needed to run the CV1 smoothly, with many assuming having a high end spec PC will be a necessity, due to the high graphical demand to achieve presence with reasonable graphical fidelity. Considering the implications of marketing to such a small group, can you explain what market you are aiming for and what PC spec is acceptable for the CV1? and your reasons for this choice.

thank you,

Darren Kellitt

[saviornt]

One question that I have is asked above:

- Has OVR experimented with, or have future plans, for flexible panels; what are some of the optical hurdles that must be overcome in order to use a flexible display for full peripheral immersion?

- FOVeating rendering: Technical aspects of how this needs to be implemented and when/if it can be.

- When does OVR expect to be able to release a wireless HMD?

- What are some of the ideas of different accessories for the HMD that may be released? (Such as carrying cases, not-in-use mounts, generic stuff like that).

- Does OVR have plans to release a VR-Shell / OS Gui for Windows, Ubuntu, and iOS?

[theregoes2]

Pick any of the following (my apologies if they have been answered elsewhere already):

Q: In the past there was talk of the Rift eventually being released for consoles. Is that still the case? Is there any chance that Oculus will release a console or something like a Steam Machine that is set up and intended primarily as a Rift playing computer?

Q: Has Oculus ever considered making their own game engine designed around VR development?

Q: Oculus is publishing Luckey's Tale. Is publishing something that we can expect more of from Oculus or is it a one time deal to get games out for the launch of CV1? And, sort of related, will we get a demo of Luckey's Tale?

Q: Will CV1 purchasers get access to Oculus Share?

Q: Positional tracking is a fantastic feature, but when the bounds are crossed, it can create instant sim sickness. Can we expect improves positional tracking on CV1?

I'm sure there are more that I could come up with. But that's it for now.