Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an exciting new medium of entertainment for gamers. It offers a truly immersive experience that can transport gamers to faraway places. But one common question many people ask when playing with VR headsets is: can I actually move around in these games?
Implementing VR locomotion poses a major challenge since it requires users to be within an enclosed space. Therefore, stationary sensors or light sources must be employed in order to track the user’s movement.
There are various methods that can be employed to enable walking around in VR. Some involve using a device with stationary sensors, while others utilize wheels that rotate when the user puts their foot down.
These devices are being created in order to enable gamers to experience virtual reality (VR) without being physically present in a room. For instance, an American company called Ekto VR has developed a pair of boots that allow users to walk around within VR without touching anything real-world.
This is an ideal option for anyone wanting to move around in a realistic environment, though it can be challenging to control and navigate with it. Furthermore, the boots may slip and cause injury so it is recommended that these shoes only be worn while playing a game with VR support.
Another way to move around in VR is via teleportation, where the player’s physical body remains at rest while another device transports them to another location within the virtual world. While this solution offers some potential benefits for some individuals, some may experience motion sickness from this method.
One of the best ways to experience VR is through SLAM, or game world mapping. This method has already been employed in Half-Life: Alyx and it is likely that other VR games will follow suit with this capability.
Other methods exist for making it possible for players to move around in VR, though each has its own drawbacks. A moving platform can help solve the space issue, and some developers have created games where you control your ship from place to place within the virtual environment.
Fisherman’s Tale is an excellent example. It offers scale-based puzzles where the player must lift up a model of a lighthouse and its miniature self will start to move, mimicking every move made. The physics are superb and the gameplay addictive.
