The Oculus Rift is going to change gaming, one headset at a time

And this high-level support has created a market for additional immersive peripherals.

The Omni, for example, which is just about to finish its very own Kickstarter run, works with the Oculus Rift to allow players to walk, run and strafe through three dimensional worlds using special shoes and a low-friction octagonal pad.

From there, it's not too much of a stretch to imagine peripherals that allow for virtual weapons, virtual tools and virtual engagement in the near future.

Coupled with the fact that the team at Oculus Rift still hasn't settled on the technology it will use for the consumer release of the product, and there's still a lot of potential for the technology to move forward.

The prototype headset we used could still be replaced, with the Oculus team admitting that they were looking at all kinds of different technologies, including OLED.

More than a game

But regardless of the technology they decide to stick with, the Oculus Rift is set to deliver a paradigm shift in the way people engage with not just video games, but all forms of entertainment.

In one demo, the Oculus placed us in an empty movie theatre. Turn around and you can see the flicker of the projector on the real wall. Look to the left and right and see the exits. Straight ahead, a screen shows off the trailer for Man of Steel.

It's an early prototype of an app for the headset, but it doesn't take a genius to imagine where it can go in the future. Virtual cinema screens, composing your avatar into the app so you can enjoy the cinema experience without the teenage brats talking through your movie.

Or fill up a stadium with virtual front row seats to a live sporting event. All it takes are broadcast cameras in the right place and some intelligent code to make it happen. Sure, it's still a long way away, but it is going to happen.

If you can forgive the pun, the Oculus Rift is a game-changer, in the best way possible.

Having spent the past decade editing some of Australia's leading technology publications, Nick's passion for the latest gadgetry is matched only by his love of watching Australia beat England in the rugby.
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