I am not sold on the whole VR thing. It seems like a gimmick and I can’t imagine strapping a screen to my face before enjoying some marathon gaming sessions. Augmented Reality seemed like a far less nauseating idea, but I still wasn’t sold on it and even used some rather salty language when talking about it. Good thing I used flavouring, though, because I now have to eat my words. Hololens has surpassed my wildest expectations.
My face-on time with Hololens was built around a Halo experience. In the queue, we had our “Spartan Optic Calibration” done – basically, it was a number to show where the natural point of viewing convergence is for each individual. Using this number, they can calibrate the headset to ensure that the holographic images appear within a field of view that’s comfortable.
The Hololens fits on essentially like a baseball cap. It’s comfortable and doesn’t weigh down on your ears – the main band is tightened around your head until snug but comfortable and then the lens comes down over your eyes. Thanks to being a bit further away from your face, it’s fine for people who wear glasses, plus, it doesn’t feel claustrophobic or like you’re wearing a screen next to your eyeballs.
After being fitted into the headset and testing that I could see four dots on the wall ahead of me, the woman setting me up instructed me to walk down the hallways and follow the way points. I am adult enough to admit that I scoffed before turning, imagining some silly form of way point. Instead, there, floating in the middle of the hallway like it does in games, was a way point, counting down how far I had to go until I reached it. It was quite possibly the single most immersive experience I could have imagined.
Upon reaching the way point, it became an arrow to turn left. In a small walkway, I was able to look out a porthole in the set and see a huge hangar stretch out. Depending on how I looked through the porthole, I could change what was visible, just like looking through a real window.
Upon reaching the final room, there was a central console where we could look at objects and depending on where you focused your eyes you could get more information about the various pieces. It was intuitive, easy and totally natural. When the briefing began using a hologram in that same position, it was incredible to follow – the map of the upcoming combat area as well as instructions about what to expect were so much more vivid thanks to the augmented reality. Obviously it was designed to look like a hologram, but it was more vivid and clearer than I ever would have expected.
As someone who suffers from simulation sickness, I’m very sensitive to things my brain decides doesn’t make sense to my eyes. I tried my hardest to trick the Hololens – moving my head from side to side, changing my gaze and viewpoints, adjusting my angles as I looked at things. Not once did anything fall out of place or look wonky. It was smooth and totally immersive. In fact, I didn’t want to take it off when the demo was over and I was sad that we wouldn’t get to play the actual game while wearing the headsets. It wasn’t even heavy or cumbersome to wear.
After that demo, I am completely sold on the Hololens. Just to see that way point light up, to look through a window and have it adjust what I could see depending on how I peered through it – that’s a kind of immersion we’ve never seen before in games; at least, not done this perfectly. I’m still not totally sure how it will work in practical application – it’s not like there can be space ship sets with Hololens experiences in every arcade. But still, I could imagine some really cool opportunities with this technology and the sheer fact that it works so well already is an incredible sign. It may just be a gimmick for now, but it’s a pretty damned incredible one.
Last Updated: June 17, 2015
Geoffrey Tim
June 17, 2015 at 13:36
Zoe wont shut up about how amazing this is. I need to try it. NEED.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 17, 2015 at 13:55
If only you had the opportunity to go to E3. tee hee.
Geoffrey Tim
June 17, 2015 at 14:02
^#$%3 my @#%@#5 you @#@#$ Ass#$#$@34
Lord Chaos
June 17, 2015 at 14:02
Stop mumbling.
Kensei Seraph - Terran Ghost
June 17, 2015 at 14:05
…… why bring Rule 34 into this?
Are trying to say that you want to see “pictures” of @disqus_DoEH3TsffU:disqus?
*slowly backs away*
The King Shopper
June 17, 2015 at 19:02
IN PAINS ? ,?ANnxiety?, have SLEEP issues? we got good ?PainsPILLS? n good?BUD n Mary. j ? n the ?Purple/leann? TXT us????) 464-60???. Low key delvry. Real shit. no bs. fgfgfg
The King Shopper
June 17, 2015 at 19:02
IN PAINS ? ,?ANnxiety?, have SLEEP issues? we got good ?PainsPILLS? n good?BUD n Mary. j ? n the ?Purple/leann? TXT us????) 464-60???. Low key delvry. Real shit. no bs. fgfgfgfdf
RinceTheElfRoot
June 17, 2015 at 15:53
ouch
The King Shopper
June 17, 2015 at 19:01
IN PAINS ? ,?ANnxiety?, have SLEEP issues? we got good ?PainsPILLS? n good?BUD n Mary. j ? n the ?Purple/leann? TXT us????) 464-60???. Low key delvry. Real shit. no bs. fdfgfgfg
The King Shopper
June 17, 2015 at 19:01
IN PAINS ? ,?ANnxiety?, have SLEEP issues? we got good ?PainsPILLS? n good?BUD n Mary. j ? n the ?Purple/leann? TXT us????) 464-60???. Low key delvry. Real shit. no bs. fgfgfg
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 17, 2015 at 13:40
I can say with near certainty I’d rather not buy a new video game for the rest of my life than be required to strap on any kind of headset in order to play one. Just, no. Don’t care how cool it is.
Lord Chaos
June 17, 2015 at 13:45
I thought you liked strapons. 😛
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 17, 2015 at 13:48
*strap-ons.
…wait… damn it!
FoxOneZA
June 17, 2015 at 13:47
Holo Lens surpasses the use in just video games and entertainment #justsaying
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 17, 2015 at 13:56
I like my real world & virtual world in neat, separate, little boxes. Blurring the line between digital & physical doesn’t do it for me.
Lord Chaos
June 17, 2015 at 14:05
But… This way you could even have a girlfriend…
*Runs
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 17, 2015 at 14:12
I wouldn’t wish me even on a virtual girlfriend.
Jonah Cash
June 17, 2015 at 13:51
I am leaning more to Hololens not being a gimmick than VR. VR is Kinect 5.3 and won’t be fun after 3 hours of gaming. Or is that just me?
HvR
June 17, 2015 at 14:35
Nope, not just you but think you are stretching with 3 hours
Kensei Seraph - Terran Ghost
June 17, 2015 at 13:54
Sounds really promising.
Still hoping to play a SAO style game in my lifetime.
Kensei Seraph - Terran Ghost
June 17, 2015 at 13:56
Hell, if someone else invents the tech I’ll make it myself*.
*@KenseiSeraph:disqus is not responsible or liable for any loss of any kind as a result of playing the game. Especially loss of sanity.
Lord Chaos
June 17, 2015 at 13:57
Too late. Lost my sanity many a moon ago.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 17, 2015 at 13:57
…he said while talking to himself.
Kensei Seraph - Terran Ghost
June 17, 2015 at 13:59
Sadly it’s the only way to have an intelligent conversation.
Ottokie
June 17, 2015 at 13:59
Now we are talking xD
I saw someone on youtube that made a mock VR program with the SOA interface and it looked pretty neat.
Kensei Seraph - Terran Ghost
June 17, 2015 at 14:17
If you decide to track that video down or have it bookmarked please share.
Ottokie
June 17, 2015 at 14:22
Here you go
Kensei Seraph - Terran Ghost
June 17, 2015 at 14:24
Thanks.
Now I just need to remember to watch this when I get home since Youtube is completely blocked here.
Lord Chaos
June 17, 2015 at 14:25
That sucks.
They blocked it here as well, but for some reason imbedded links work.
Pieter Kruger
June 17, 2015 at 13:56
@Zoe I’ve heard people saying that the actual field of view is too small(apparently only a small window on the actual screen that is “active”) and that the colours are not as vivid as shown on screen in the demos. Any comments on that maybe?
Pieter Kruger
June 17, 2015 at 14:01
I would just like to thank Amex in advance for the opportunity to acquire HoloLens at launch!????
Ranting Raptor
June 17, 2015 at 14:32
I need to try this 0_0
HvR
June 17, 2015 at 14:33
Only thing that WOW’ed me at the MS conference.
Specifically the virtual screen on the wall; couch co-op becoming a reality again.
Price will probably prove again to be the barrier, they have to come in at sub (maybe even half) mid-range plat panel TV prices.
Ranting Raptor
June 17, 2015 at 14:41
lol. Plat panel. Lekker Afrikaans ne
HvR
June 17, 2015 at 15:05
LOL, unattended maar ek sal daarmee rol
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 17, 2015 at 19:19
Sigh! I’d like to be excited, but… alas…
Irene E. Zimmerman
June 17, 2015 at 22:12
<-+++ My best friend's step-aunt makes $68 hourly on the laptop. She has been out of work for 7 months but last month her pay was $18355 just working on the laptop for a few hours. She actually started four months ago and pretty much immediately began to make more than $542… Every week.