In this blog, I would like to share my experiences using Oculus Quest and HTC Vive, the head-mounted devices (HMD) for Virtual Reality (VR) based applications.
It was back in 2019 that I saw a “Quest” device closely when one of my colleagues was checking out the uploaded demos before making the client experience it as part of a visit. Back then, I was unaware of what it was or even capable of, and it looked like a scene straight out of a science fiction movie since he was wearing an HMD and making gestures like pinching something out of air. Though I was curious to know more about it, I went about my routine tasks and soon forgot about it.
I performed various roles and finally joined the Infosys Metaverse GTM (Go-To-Market) team this April (2022), and that’s when I learnt more about VR, Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). Even in one of my previous roles, I had grasped the capabilities of our offering “Infosys XR Platform” (which helps to develop AR experiences) and read quite a bit about these technologies, but this role made me get acquainted with these more and more.
Soon, an opportunity arose for me to handle an in-person client meeting, and I had to show a few demos in Quest. I finally laid my hands on the device, and with the help of a colleague, I began to get acquainted with it. My colleague had to drop off from the call after a few minutes, and I was left alone to explore it myself. I must admit I felt awkward handling it. The laser beam was getting transmitted from one of the controllers, and I was unable to move and click on a particular button to go forward with the experience. My eyesight got blurred a bit, and it took me a while to understand that maybe I should try adjusting it, and somehow with minor adjustments to the device, the scene became clear.
After a few more struggles, I told my colleague about the device being heavy, the discomfort while handling it and my blurred eyesight. She acknowledged these as commonly observed concerns where some might even feel dizziness and experience headaches while using a VR device. I was quite relieved to know this!
Slowly in subsequent attempts, I grew used to operating it. However, somehow there was an uneasy feeling about using it, knowing that Covid was still spreading since the same device would be used by other colleagues and clients as well.
After a few days, another opportunity arose for me as the team handling demos on another VR device, HTC Vive, had gone for an offsite visit, and I was supposed to handle the in-person client visits in that duration. Since I had faced certain challenges with “Quest”, I felt curious yet reluctant to try this one out. Choiceless and without assistance from anyone, I handled it successfully in the first attempt. I was overjoyed with this feat, became an ambassador of “Vive”, and helped a few more team members get adept at handling it.
My tryst must have been comical for a few of you, but in hindsight, I noted that although HTC Vive is heavier compared to Quest, maneuverability is easier. Yet experiencing demos on both provided the same feeling personally.
Hardware manufacturers are working on these aspects, and soon we will have lightweight, user-friendly devices to provide comfort and better Metaverse experiences. Till then, we need to make do and get used to these challenges.
