New VR technology could remove nausea

Sony's 'Project Morpheus' Virtual Reality Headset — A visitor tries Sony's "Project Morpheus" virtual reality headset at an exhibition stand during the Gamescom 2014 fair in Cologne August 13, 2014. Reuters/Ina Fassbender

Virtual Reality, or VR, sets have been a big innovation in gaming since the debut of the Oculus Rift. Developers worldwide have been taking advantage of the technology by creating games that sum up to a vast library, composed mainly of first-person shooters.

The developer Cloudhead Games is currently working on their first title, “The Gallery: Call of the Starseed.” Its debut title is specifically designed for VR devices. It is geared to utilise the techonology behind Valve’s own VR headseat, the HTC Vive. The video seen below explains how the new VR technology will remove the nausea induced by VR gaming.

One of the main proponents that promise to remove nausea is a new feature called blink VR locomotion mechanic, which shows non-intrusive in-game visual positioning cues around a player. Basically, it allows gamers to play in various areas while standing up, as opposed to current VR models that require the player to be seated for safety precautions.

Furthermore, the system focuses on the player's ability to move around virtual spaces, which then projects the user’s virtual volume and creates new boundaries. With the players' ability to move around, they have less chance of being nauseous since the body itself is in motion.

The blink system can be broken down into three other sub-systems: Cinematic Blink, Precision Blink and Volume Blink. Cinematic Blink is an instant blink forward that follows the direction the user is facing. Precision Blink, on the other hand, is a visual representation of the user’s current viewpoint, while Volume Blink is a combination of the two.

Road To VR reports that “Call of the Starseed” is set for a 2015 release, but no details have been revealed for the game yet. It added that the HTC Vive will be released along with the game. Gamers can only hope that the new technology will further advance the current state of VR headsets.