Virtual Reality Glasses

VR glasses blur the boundaries between reality and virtual reality. With a Virtual Reality headset, you can see your movements in a computer-generated virtual environment. Virtual Reality glasses such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift S and PlayStation VR let you immerse yourself in completely different worlds. In VR games, you can swing your virtual sword, climb mountains, fight monsters or experience pure thrills in horror games in detail-packed fantasy universes. VR Gaming is versatile – now you can find a selection of interesting titles in numerous genres.

Since the beginning of the video game development, players experience adventures that are always more detailed and captivating – immersion is capitalized. No comparison to the early beginnings of game development. Although games with higher-quality graphics were gradually coming to market, was long missing, apart from the visual impressions on the monitor or television screen, a haptic feedback of the game's action. The beginnings of virtual reality can therefore include video games that captivated players not only with optical impressions, but also gave them a tangible impression of the events with vibrating joysticks, controllers or steering wheels. If players with their racing cars come off the track, they don't only notice this by the picture, but feel the jerking of the car at their own body.

In order to make an artificial world appear real, the brain has to be tricked out. A monitor, even if it is so large, has edges that separate the virtual from the real world. If users place two small monitors directly in front of their own eyes with the help of glasses, the eyes can no longer grasp the monitor limits due to the low viewing distance: One can look into a seemingly limitless virtual world. In order for the eyes to be able to see the monitor image that is about 5 to 8 cm away, a lens is required for each. As with reading glasses, these lenses break the light of the monitors so that the images are sharply displayed on the retina. Two "flat" monitor images create an impressive depth perception. Due to the two different image information, the human brain can calculate a total spatial impression of the object under consideration. The two monitor images show a scene from slightly different angles. Thus the virtual world appears three-dimensional and absolutely real.

VR Controller: Some systems come with special controllers. Depending on the VR application, the controllers in the computer-generated world represent, for example, your hands, with which you can grab and use objects. 

Additional hardware: In order to capture the user's movements in a room and to reproduce them in virtual reality, some systems require special stations to be positioned in the application area. 

Special features: High resolution and refresh rates are important to ensure that all images are smooth and the VR experience feels realistic. Precise tracking of your movements and a wide field of view are also important purchase criteria if you value an optimal VR experience. Low latency ensures that there are very small delays between your movements and playback in the VR application. One of the basic requirements for an unforgettable immersion in VR worlds is also 3D sound, with which sounds can be heard from different directions. 

Requirements and connections: Check in advance whether your PC meets the requirements of the VR glasses – whether Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive or another model for the PC. Also important are connections such as USB (for example, USB-A, USB 3.0) or HDMI and associated cables, which are included in the delivery or are available separately.

Our practical tip: In small steps to the great VR experience

If you don't have any experience with VR glasses, it's best to try different models in advance to find the right device for you. A good alternative for getting started in the VR are cost-effective cardboard holders for smartphones and suitable apps. This allows you to slowly approach VR.