The holodeck is here … at least in a crude, prototype form.
Several companies are working to make virtual reality operate as we always imagined it would, and one of those developers just posted a demonstration of their technology bringing developer Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto IV to live.
That company is Cyberith, which is a technology startup based in Vienna, Austria. Cyberith makes the Virtualizer walking controller device. This hardware reads foot motion and can translate that into movement in games.
Virtualizer creator Tuncay Cakmak posted a video to demonstrate how that works. In the video, he combines the Virtualizer with an Oculus Rift VR headset and a Wii Motion Plus controller. He uses those devices to interface with a heavily modded version of GTA IV for PC. It’s pretty amazing how well it all seems to work.
Check it out below:
The problem with a game like GTA IV is that the character goes from standing to sitting on the fly. That isn’t an issue for the Virtualizer because it has a seat built-in that enables players to sit down whenever they need to. Gamers can start punching people, try to run from the police, jack a car, and start driving it without having to break immersion.
The Virtualizer is still in development, but Cakmak promises that it will go on sale soon.