Virtual Reality? Microsoft Has Something Bigger Planned

Why go virtual when you can go augmented?

So I’m one of those people who firmly believe that this new wave of virtual reality is a fad, and the gimmick will die down soon (hey guys, remember the 3D gaming wave from a few years ago?). Having said that, it exists right now, with Oculus Rift leading the way, and Sony getting in on the action with its Morpheus headset, planned for the PlayStation 4.

Obviously, Microsoft wants in on some of that action, but it’s going a totally different route entirely. You see, instead of doing another Virtual Reality headset, this project that Microsoft’s research team has floated is an augmented reality concept, that turns your entire living room into a video game. It’s called RoomAlive, and you can see it above.

There are a few things to keep in mind as you watch this video- that this is not a product developed for the end consumer (even though it seems to have been designed for ease of use and scaleability), that this is probably still very early in development, and that this isn’t even an Xbox product, it’s something Microsoft’s research team did on the side.

Still, though, it looks suitably cool. What do you think?

augmented realityMicrosoftmorpheusOculus RiftroomaliveVirtual Reality