Posted on October 29, 2014

Our senior designer, Graham provides an article of his Oculus Rift experience at Bath Digital Festival.

Another highlight at the Bath Digital Festival was, 'Virtual Reality: Oculus Rift' which was held in the Roper Reception of the City of Bath College and run by Bristol-based game developer, Opposable Games. I had thought that it would be a lengthy demonstration as advertised but in actuality it turned out to be no more than a trial of 2 games, 'Sightline' and 'Radial G'. 

After joining a lengthy queue and a few technical hiccups along the way, I was able to experience the Oculus Rift VR game 'Radial G' complete with visor and game controller. I hadn't experienced VR  for years, since its early days, so wasn't quite sure what to expect but when I did, boy I was impressed.

The game itself was a high-octane sci-fi racing game set in the future where you climb into a cockpit and attempt to create the fastest lap time. There are several twists and turns, Mario Kart-like speed boosters, death defying drops and lots of other items which keep you fully immersed within the game.

I can honestly say that I've never experienced anything like it before. The nearest thing I guess would be Super Nintendo's classic futuristic game, 'F-Zero', but that doesn't give the game the justice it deserves. Another Oculus Rift VR demo was a title called, 'Sightline', which I didn't get to try due to the queues but if you're interested you can view some YouTube clips here (warning: an incredibly annoying American provides narration. For your own sanity it may be worth muting the sound).

Interest has steadily rose for Oculus VR with a vast and eclectic range of fields including psychologists, therapists, games companies, developers, architect and movie studios incorporating its use. Plus, with a little known company called Facebook buying the company for $2 billion there finally looks like there will be a future for VR. I, for one can't wait to see what happens next with this amazing, immersive technology. 

A big thank you goes out to Opposable Games/South West VR for the experience. If you'd like to join fellow VR enthusiasts where the latest VR project are showcased, dates for regular events run be via the South West VR website.