After stumbling upon this video showcasing The Void‘s vision for pushing entertainment to the next level using virtual reality, I couldn’t help but think back to when I was a child, watching my Dad play Call of Duty and explaining to him ecstatically that one day we’d be able to play together through the rooms of our own house. We would be able to defeat enemies who charged at us from behind doors and sneak behind shelves and beneath tables to stealthily evade others when our ammo started to run low!
My Dad laughed and played along with my fantasies. However, has technology now advanced so much and so quickly that these childish fantasies are already becoming reality?
The Void promises to do this by infusing the physical world and virtual reality together, creating the most immersive form of entertainment that we have yet to experience.
“At THE VOID you will walk into new dimensions and experience worlds without limits. From fighting intergalactic wars on alien planets, to casting spells in the darkest of dungeons, THE VOID presents the Future of Entertainment.” – The Void Official Website
The Void is a start-up in Salt Lake City with huge ambition that already boasts an impressive amount of tech to ensure that their vision will, indeed, become a reality for the world to enjoy. They offer the opportunity to explore our physical environments with virtual reality.
Their custom-built arenas (Gaming Pods) will be able to track the players position, using wireless positional tracking, which will seemingly make the transition from the physical environment and the VR world a seamless one. But the immersion isn’t just left to what’s presented within the Virtual Reality headset. The Gaming Pods themselves are filled with physical sensations that help to make the experience feel as real as possible; from simulated liquids and smells to air pressure and temperature changes to suit the VR that the player is experiencing. It sounds like it will be hard to remember that you’re actually in an empty room!
“By combining virtual and physical environments we distinguish ourselves from the rest of the VR pack” –James Jensen, CTO/Founder of THE VOID
Let’s talk tech.
As I’ve mentioned before, The Void includes an impressive amount of tech which will be combined to create the most immersive VR experience possible.
Firstly, the Rapture HMD (Head Mounted Display) Headset, one of the most impressive VR headsets yet:
- Dual High-Density Curved OLED Displays (1080p per-eye, initially)
- Quantum Dots (nearly doubling perceived resolution color range)
- Custom Optics
- High-Quality binaural THX Headphones
- Super-Gain Inline Microphones (for in-game communications)
- Proprietary Global Head Tracking Sensors (running at 120Hz)
With OLED panels curving the display around the players’ peripheral vision, this headset is quoted to ‘exceed that of similar VR devices expected to reach the home market later this year’.
The void is going all out, ensuring full body immersion in the ‘game-worlds’ by including their own Rapture Vest and Gloves. The lightweight vest will ensure that the player can feel interaction, using four types of haptic feedback so to vary the feel from different environmental factors. But, what if you wanted to pick up a sword and battle that creature? The Rapture Gloves will enable you to do just that.
Details on just how accurate this tech will be and how many variations of environmental elements the player will be able to interact with are light in these early stages of development. But it’s safe to say that expectations are high, with partners such as Optimal Design and Unity, The Void is attracting a lot of positive attention. The question is, will this truly make our VR fantasies a reality?
“Until now, we have only seen experiences like THE VOID portrayed in science fiction films and novels. Our team is ecstatic to bring that dream to life. We truly believe it’s the future of entertainment.”
