The Future at a Discount: Five Below's VR Headset




Pioneering cyberpunk author William Gibson once said, "The future is already here--it's just not evenly distributed." That quote ran through my head when I saw a virtual reality (VR) headset for sale for $5 at my local Five Below store. That's even cheaper than a Google Cardboard kit, which costs around $10.

This "VR Lesnse2 Virtual Reality Viewer" headset is nothing more than a plastic shell with a pair of adjustable lenses and elastic head straps; the user has to provide all of the necessary hardware and software. Nevertheless, I had to laugh at how frequently VR is hyped as cutting-edge technology, and yet here it is on sale for $5 in the year 2017 at a local discount store. To be fair, this isn't the first time VR has been used as a sales gimmick to move cheap and lackluster products, although at least this headset provides the option of adding the necessary technology so that some satisfying VR can actually happen.




Snide remarks about cost aside, this particular headset is perfect for someone who has a smartphone that can run some basic VR software. Users can use a spring-loaded clip to attach their smartphone to a tray that slides out from the headset's right side. The tray is large enough to accommodate phones that have screen sizes between 3.5 to 6 inches. The head straps and face padding are comfortable, and there are enough holes in the front of the headset to insert a headphone jack for those who do not have wireless headphones. There is also a smaller panel in the front that can be popped off for augmented reality (AR) programs that are VR headset-ready and use the smartphone's camera. On the other hand, this headset does not include any buttons or controls, so you'll have to find other some way to remotely manipulate your smartphone (e.g., a Bluetooth controller).

My current smartphone isn't very sophisticated, so using this headset for even the most basic VR applications is out of the question. However, my phone can play side-by-side (SBS) 3D video files, including SBS 3D videos of VR applications in action, and this headset is ideal for viewing SBS 3D videos. Even though I've previously blogged about using a Stereoscopic Owl viewer to watch SBS 3D videos on my Kindle Fire, this cheap VR headset is actually the better option. So, if my 3D HDTV ever dies on me and I can't find a replacement, I can still watch my 3D Blu-ray movies.




For non-3D content, I did find some apps that allow for the playback of 2D videos in the headset. The iPlay SBS Player includes settings for different types of 2D and 3D video files. It also includes a delay timer, so you'll have time to put your phone into the headset before the video begins. To watch 2D videos from YouTube in a VR headset, the iPlayIT app converts 2D YouTube videos into SBS 2D videos.

Of course, 2D to SBS 2D conversion does not add any depth to the video; it just makes the video ready to watch in a VR headset, with a separate video display for each eye. SBS 2D apps such as iPlay's are suited for those who would like to use their headset as a portable, multi-format movie viewer. I did watch a shaky-camera "found footage" movie as a SBS 2D video in my headset to see if it would add anything different to the experience; in other words, I wanted to see if a film shot from a first person point of view would somehow feel different when the screen is placed directly in front of my eyes. Doing this didn't change my viewing experience, but I strongly recommend that people who already get motion sickness from found footage movies should NOT watch these films through a VR headset.

I've speculated before on this blog that smartphones will play a crucial role in making VR a profitable media format, and seeing a VR headset for sale for so cheap confirms my idea. By promoting VR as a low-cost accessory to an already popular technology such as smartphones, casual consumers can explore the VR format without spending too much money. For those who become VR fans through their smartphones, they can choose to buy more advanced and dedicated VR equipment (such as Oculus Rift and Vive), but not everyone who is willing to make such a purchase can still experience VR though something they already have. If you're going to evenly distribute the future, this is probably the best way to do it.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Tron: Uprising (Part 1 of 4): Characters

Image
This month marks the one year anniversary of the cancellation of Tron: Uprising , which aired on Disney XD for 19 episodes. Set between the events of Tron and Tron: Legacy , Uprising chronicled the events shortly after Clu’s rise to power within the stand-alone Grid created by Kevin Flynn. Personally, I think that Tron: Uprising got a raw deal from Disney. It’s a fantastic addition to the Tron saga that went on to win both Emmy and Annie Awards , yet Disney clearly had other priorities and was willing to toss Uprising aside without so much as an official cancellation notice. Even to this day, Uprising has yet to be released on DVD or Blu-ray and I’m wondering if it ever will. In honor of this amazing animated series that was cut down in its prime, I have decided to do something that Disney won’t. Since there will never be an official Tron: Uprising art book, I have searched across the Internet to find a selection of art from Uprising that I can share here on my blog with
Read more

FOUND: Mechanical Shark from Universal Jaws Theme Park Ride

Image
When the Universal Studios Theme Park in Florida shut down its Jaws ride back in January 2012, Jaws fans everywhere were devastated. Yet even though this part of the Jaws franchise is no longer operational, some of its sharks are swimming around out there … including places such as Frederick, Maryland. A few days ago, I was contacted by a fellow Jaws fan named John Ryan, asking me if I knew anything specific regarding the sharks from the Universal Jaws ride. He was asking because he thought he found one and is trying to verify its authenticity. We spoke on the phone and exchanged a few emails, and here’s what he told me about his find: “I've been collecting Jaws memorabilia for decades and when I found this incredibly rare gem sitting in a backyard in Frederick, Maryland, I wondered about its connection to the state. The current homeowners said the shark was already there when they purchased the property. They also told me it had been the subject of neighborhood rumor for y
Read more

Machine Robo's Magnificent Robot Combiners

Image
I don't collect Transformers merchandise, but I see articles and advertisements about it when I browse through Japanese robot toy sites. From what I can gather, one of the latest product lines for Transformers is called "Combiner Wars" , a line that consists of five or six transforming robot toys that combine into one bigger robot. Combiner robot toys have been around for a long time, and Transformers had quite a few of them even back in the '80s. Yet of the many combiner robot toys I've seen over the years, the ones that have consistently impressed me were the ones released by Bandai under the Machine Robo line. Whereas other robot toy lines are stuck in the novelty of combining smaller toys into a bigger toy, Machine Robo has used the concept of combination to promote creative play. Read on for a review of how Machine Robo has built upon its combiner toys throughout the years.
Read more