As senior writer for CYBR magazine, I am on the lookout for lots of interesting tech (which I can afford), and so I recently picked up the Oculus Quest 2. If you didn't know, this is the next generation of a self-contained VR headset from Facebook. This means no need for it to be linked to a computer to run the hard wear, which means it is freed from being tethered to a PC.
Right now a large amount of the software on the Oculus Quest is entertainment; games, videos, and immersive experiences. Some are of course better than others. Some are designed for exercise, like the popular Beat Sabre. Of course, the latest iteration of the Oculus, released late last year, is noted for being lighter weight and this lends itself better to those more active uses.
So what I have been using it for thus far.
No surprise, I picked up Wraith the Oblivion: Afterlife, by Paradox Interactive and Fast Travel Games. This game puts you in the role of someone who has recently died, exploring a mansion to determine how, why, and what is behind this death. The game makes use of the surreal experience of VR, as you pass through walls, or perform acts that make you in effect a poltergeist. It's a haunting experience with survival horror aspects as there are ghosts that are much more powerful that you must hide from. For fans of the World of Darkness, this is all familiar ground, while for people new to the setting it's a great introduction to the games.
Another game I have been playing a lot is Super Hot VR. Superhot mimics the Matrix in some ways. Everything is in slow motion. You can dodge bullets and attacks. But as you move, so does everything else. It's a puzzle wrapped in a workout as you lean, crouch and navigate the virtual gun battles. Of course, you have weapons, and as you grab and fire these, time speeds up. So you have to be in the right place to shoot, so as not to get hit in return. It's great fun and really utilises what VR can provide for games.
Of course, I am not just interested in games, given my day job as a Research Software Engineer and Computational Chemist. One application is Nanome.ai. This interesting piece of software allows for the 3d visualisation and manipulation of molecules and materials at the atomistic level, so that you can look at the reaction pockets in proteins, or how molecules and atoms bind to surfaces. So over the next few weeks, I will be playing about some more, trying out Stadia in Oculus, and more chemistry and science-based applications. In particular, I'll me most interested in using them for teaching purposes and examining the results of simulations run on High-Performance Computing facilities.
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