Virtual Reality (VR) is attracting more and more public attention. The number of people who know little about this new technology is decreasing.
With the increase of VR-focused events and congresses, VR content is attracting more and more public attention. The users habe had access to Google Cardboard for (almost) 2 years, the Samsung Gear VR has been available for a long time and recently the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive have become more and more popular. Not unmentioned at this point is the PlayStation VR.
Considering these things, it`s important to remember that the current generation of VR is still quite early in a development and we still have a long way to go. As developers, creatives and enthusiasts, we should be mindful if we want to further promote the growth of VR.
It`s no secret that some VR experiences are so good or so bad that they cause the user to have multiple reactions to them. Better and better immersion creates more responsibility. We have to be especially careful and caring.
We have made your first experiences with VR possible for numerous persons so far and have participated in events to VR and had there also partly own exhibitions. Regardless of whether you are a developer who makes people familiar with VR, or an enthusiast who wants to take this Gear VR home with him, we have a handful of suggestions for you that simplify the introduction of new users to this technology.
Monitoring and foundation.
This whole article was actually inspired by something terrible we saw in a video games museum. It was first and foremost a place full of retro game consoles and arcade devices. We had just recovered from the pain of playing Donkey Kong when we saw a DK2 connected to a screen. The first thing we noticed was that DK2 was completely unattended. There were no places either, so people played the demo standing up. The extremely questionable demos was an extremely fast racing game.
We stood up and watched a lady play as she wiggled around, her partner grabbed her to calm her down. We thought about intervening, but she took off the DK2 as we approached. She walked away and looked totally dazed.
We hate the thought of someone playing the same semo alone, upsetting and getting a very bad first impression of VR. We probably had nightmares about that. It remains as a prominent example in memory how VR should not be used and presented for the first time.
Please don`t leave people (especially new users and the general Public) alone with VR demos. This is especially important if the demo in question could arouse disinterest. If the game is not designed for a standing feeling, it is recommended to always provide seats.
You should also stay close in case the device crashes or any errors occur. New AR users will not know how to reset or reconfigure it themselves and will probably just give up. Don`t be afraid to ask the user during his experience how it works.
Check the experiece level of the user.
Regardless of whether you are demonstrating a VR experience at an event or at home, make it a habit to ask the user if they have used the device before. In this way, you can assess not only what kind of reaction you can expect from them, but also how much help you need to provide.
We think it`s important to note that although gaming has been mainstream for decades and we are a very technically savvy species, some VR headsets don`t necessarily have to be intuitive. If someone has ever used a Google Cardboard or turned a Samsung Gear VR upside down, they can`t expect to be able to use the touchpad. Trust us, it`s not as obvious as you think. You could assume that your control is limited to head movement because you don`t have a gamepad in your hand.
It`s important that new users also know how to adjust the headset to your vision. Many people probably expect a lack of clarity and won`t bother to look for a way to see things better. We really need to take a step back and try to look at thing from the perspective of someone who is trying VR for the first time. Many of us have been working on this for years and it might be quite easy to forget.
Keeping devices clean.
When we got to an event with headsets, we always have a good supply of baby wipes with us. It can get a little disgusting. Especially for physically active demos that use whole body movements and space scaling, many users sweat. After about 10 people you should clean the lenses and face pads, the baby wipes are ideal for cleaning up excess sweat and stains. Baby wipes are great because they do not contain aggresive chemicals that add things like fragrances. These chemicals can sometimes leave streaks on the glasses and you should be careful not to stratch the sensitive glasses. You can choose a microfiber cloth on the lenses.
Above all, you don`t want to give a new user a VR device that is covered in another person`s sweat, it will immediately have a negative effect on the experience.
The introduction of new users to VR technology requires many repetitions and care. We would argue that it could be difficult to be arrogant with it, but easy to be careless. VR is still new and should be treated with caution if we want to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone.
Thank you for your visit.
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