Downloaded a cool little VR "app" last night for my Gear VR. It's an Avengers Age of Ultron interactive. You are in Avengers mansion, looking out of the window. You are Iron Man as your head movements make Iron Man's head in the reflection move. Your HUD shows Jarvis warning you of an attack. As you look around, you punch your left hand into your right palm and turn to fight. As the interactive progresses, you destroy several Ultron robots with your repulsor. The camera then pans over to Thor who throws his hammer. His hammer passes Cap as he tosses his shield. As hammers and shields are demolishing robot lackeys, the camera takes you on a close "fly-by" of the Hulk as he is viciously dismembering a robot. It all culminates as Ultron himself with Loki's staff in hand turns to look at you. During the interactive, you can turn 360 to see all kinds of things going on. Such as after Thor throw Mjolnir, if you turn around to your right, you will see him stepping on a shelf to jump higher into the air. It's all pretty dramatic and cool and really shows off VR. On a re-watch, I kept my eyes on Hulk as he angrily grimaced at me. The entire time, debris and destruction are happening on a major scale around you.
Of course with VR, it's not real life. You know that. There is that "screen door effect" you hear people talk about. In case you don't know, it's basically that your eyes are so close to the screen, you can make out individual pixels. This is the reality of current technological limits to displays. And considering that this is a little sub-$100 kit that Samsung actually gave me for free, it's forgivable and frankly - pretty friggin' cool. And when you are playing a game, or immersed in the middle of an interactive or passively watching a movie...for a minute your mind forgets you are in a virtual environment and you find yourself reaching for that virtual remote on the virtual couch you are sitting on. Even something like Temple Run when you screw up and run head-first into an obstacle will make you flinch. Riding in a virtual roller coaster at Six Flags will make you lurch.
I guess I am saying give it a try when you can. Whether it's Gear VR, Oculus, Rift, PS VR, etc. It's not gimmicky (at least IMO) like motion controls or 3D. It's pretty damn sweet.
Ok...done being a VR evangelist for the day! My apologies for the wall-o-text.
