Why virtual reality devices will never catch up with TV

On June 3, according to the Huffington Post, when Oculus released the virtual reality helmet Oculus Rift a year ago, it claimed that it would require a high-end computer priced at more than $1,000, which surprised many people. Today, when consumers finally receive this long-awaited high-end virtual reality device, the debate over whether Oculus Rift and HTC Vive require high-end computer support continues.

Even for someone like me who has been working with VR for over 10 years, this requirement is daunting. VR has been available on cheap computers for years, and I've tried the Oculus DK2 on a mid-range iMac. VR can be driven with a regular phone using Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR. Surely a cheap computer should be enough.

These excessive demands are rooted in the limitations of decades-old technology, and they will prevent virtual reality helmets from ever reaching the forefront of visual experience. The difference between head-mounted displays and standard displays is likely to become an obstacle that emerging virtual reality helmets will never be able to overcome. Here are the reasons:

To understand why headset manufacturers make the decision to require high-end PCs, we must first understand what I call the "VR gap." VR means that each eye sees a different image, which doubles the stress on PC graphics hardware. In addition, VR requires that the viewer be presented with content at 90 frames per second, while the standard for high-end PC games is only 60 frames per second.

Putting these factors together means that VR devices require three times the graphics horsepower to display the same images as standard screens. Some companies, like Nvidia, claim that this "VR gap" is as high as seven times. Whatever the difference, it's undeniably significant. The need for more graphics processing power in VR means that in the next few years, playing games on a standard monitor will be a more detailed, richer experience than playing them on a VR device.

This "need" is not new. Back in the 1990s, people used supercomputers costing more than $100,000 to run VR content because that was considered necessary at the time. However, supercomputers are no longer "necessary" now. This is only in ideal circumstances, and VR may lag behind by 3 to 5 years in terms of visual fidelity.

For Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, the need for high-end computers is starting to make "otherwise VR" make more sense. Both companies have released high-end machines for PC gaming masterclasses, where spectators can play AAA games. Anything less than a high-end computer will see a sharp drop in graphical quality when running VR content. Game fans complained about the lack of clarity and visual richness in early Oculus prototypes. It's understandable that HTC and Oculus want to limit the PC experience, and even in VR, they still can't match the visual fidelity of top PC games, let alone Xbox and PS4 consoles.

Their high prices are also interesting when we compare them to other innovations like the iPhone. When they were first released, the $600 price tag for an iPhone was pretty shocking. Yet, crazy early adopters bought them anyway, and the technology naturally became cheaper over time. HTC and Oculus may have similar motivations. Apple's first iPhone had rich graphics and responsiveness that matched the average desktop computer of the time. I suspect the same will be true for the first generation of mobile phones. Similarly, these VR headsets will need to be built and sold in a way that matches today's average desktop computer.

The mobile chasm, like the VR chasm, has not closed. When mobile technology advances, such as Unreal Engine for iOS, add to the phone, console, and computer to make them better. And mobile may not catch up to desktop for the foreseeable future. For similar reasons, we will be stuck in the VR chasm for the foreseeable future. This chasm seems to be very solid, and it may not close without surprising innovation. But we don't know when the surprising innovation will come.

Good VR should provide a good VR experience. The benefits of VR are clear, even if the resolution is still low and the tracking is still poor. We as a VR community need to create good enough VR because that is the nature of the medium.

As VR-capable computers become cheaper, we'll see more signs of the "VR gap." We're seeing signs now that Microsoft is about to release a new Xbox console with VR support. Sony is rumored to be working on a new Playstation 4 console, too, because VR is going to be awesome.

This year, gamers will have to choose between using a VR headset or experiencing the higher visual fidelity of their games on a flat-screen monitor. Hopefully, upcoming VR technology will make that tradeoff meaningful.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.