At the 2016 London Film and Comic Con a special zone was constructed to showcase the latest in virtual reality technology and to allow convention goers to try out the newest software.
The London Film and Comic Convention is an annual event that focuses on films, cult television, gaming, anime and comics. The 2016 convention featured props, memorabilia, top actors like Famke Janssen, Ian McDiarmid, Jack Gleeson, Jeremy Renner, and Mads Mikkelsen; as well as showcasing some of the latest games and technology (Digital Journal’s review of the event can be found here.)
Among the technology was the latest in virtual reality hardware and software. The VR Zone was powered by Pauley Interactive and sponsored by Samsung Gear VR. Pauley Interactive is a digital interactive consultancy, involved with innovative interactive graphics for touch screen technology, interactive sales and the developing area of virtual reality.
The focal point within the VR room was the Samsung Gear VR. This is a mobile virtual reality headset developed by Samsung Electronics. To develop the headset the South Korean company worked in collaboration with Oculus. The device offers an impressive in field-of-view of 110-degrees. There is 64GB of on-board storage and 4GB of memory.
The advantage of the Gear VR is that it’s compatible with the Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Digital Journal was taken through the steps with a representative of Pauley Interactive. The process involved simply snapping a smartphone into the Gear VR; placing the device over the head, and within seconds the user is transported into the immersive world of virtual reality.
To try this out, Digital Journal was shown a segment from a movie. This was a little like being inside a personal multiplex. Within seconds any perception of the outside world had gone and the focus was totally on the movie being played out, contained within a personal theater-sized scale entertainment factory. The rendering of high quality images is aided by the quad core processor.
There was a similar experience with games. Watching footage from a computer game was like being part of the action, a whole different experience from playing a game in front of a television screen. The key advantages with virtual reality are the ability to use your head movement to explore, aim and interact.
As well as Samsung’s offering, also on show were the BrizTechVR ‘Google Cardboard’ headsets. These allow users to experience virtual reality in a simple, fun, and affordable way. Although not on the same scale as the Samsung offering, these headsets are fun and a range of apps for Google devices are being developed.
There’s a way to go with improving graphics in some cases, and virtual reality won’t be for everyone, especially those who suffer from motion sickness; despite this, it will, on this experience, offer a major leap in the way we begin to consume entertainment.
