Game of goggles

A LONG-TERM bet on the future of computing. That is how Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Facebook, described the news on March 25th that his firm had splashed out some $2 billion on Oculus VR, a company that makes headsets that let gamers immerse themselves in fantasy worlds (pictured). Oculus isn’t the only firm trying to turn virtual-reality technology into real money by bringing it to the masses. But its combination with the giant social network is certainly eye-opening.

For a long time, gamers have dreamed of wearable headsets that make them feel like they are actually inside lifelike worlds. Thanks to big advances in computing power and software, that dream is much closer to becoming a reality. Oculus Rift, the prototype headset that Oculus has developed, was recently on show at SXSW, a techie fest in Texas, and wowed delegates lucky enough to wear it and experience the company’s digital rendition of the 700-foot Wall that protects the Seven Kingdoms in HBO’s fantasy series “Game of Thrones”.

Other companies have also set their sights on the virtual-reality arena. Sony recently unveiled Project Morpheus, a prototype of a virtual-reality headset that is designed to work with its PlayStation 4 gaming console so that, say, zooming around in the popular Gran Turismo driving simulator becomes even more compelling. Microsoft is also rumoured to be developing a headset of its own for its Xbox console.

Some gaming veterans will no doubt roll their eyes at all of the hype. After all, in the 1990s there was a period when PC-based virtual-reality gaming was touted as the Next Big Thing, but devices such as the Sega VR flopped because the primitive state of the technology left much to be desired. Gamers were often left feeling sick rather than elated after using their headsets.

Now, however, huge leaps forward in graphics processing power, cheap miniature cameras and wafer-thin, high-resolution screens have dramatically improved matters. That is why Facebook is confident that Oculus has a bright future in gaming. Already some 75,000 kits have been snapped up that help developers create games that will take advantage of Oculus Rift’s capabilities. David Ebersman, Facebook’s chief financial officer, reckons the future profits Oculus and Facebook make from gaming alone will justify its $2 billion price tag.

Perhaps they will, but the social network’s main motivation for buying the firm isn’t to zap the competition in virtual-reality gaming. It is to get its hands on a technology that it thinks could become one of the next big computing platforms to follow the personal computer and mobile phone. This is the “long-term bet” that Mr Zuckerberg was referring to.

Facebook isn’t the only big web firm that is fascinated by sophisticated headgear. Google, for instance, is touting its Glass smart specs as a new computing platform perched on the end of people’s noses. This week the company, which hopes to roll out Glass to the masses this year, unveiled a strategic alliance with Luxottica, the owner of high-end eyewear brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley. Luxottica will help with the design and development of future iterations of Glass.

Google’s vision of the future involves overlaying the real world seen through its specs with information from its search engine and other services. Facebook’s is of people totally immersing themselves in virtual worlds where they will be able do everything from taking virtual classes together to communicating with distant friends as if they were standing in the same room. The two firms may not see exactly eye-to-eye on how this will all play out, but neither can be accused of being shortsighted.

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