While this was not my first time experiencing the VR gear stocked up in the Innovation Lab, VR never ceases to amaze me. I was lucky to be in Prof. Pacheco’s class last semester, which allowed me to play with all the gadgets and get a taste of what VR has to offer. This time around, I took a backseat, helped my fellow classmates with the equipment and enjoyed their reactions, as they stood captivated and visibly moved by something that was taking place in another reality.

Whether you are a journalist or a gamer, story is always the hero. VR can add new dimensions to the way we tell and experience these stories. I felt that the story of the little Syrian girl who takes you on her journey as she flees death is extremely powerful, as it transports you from your comfortable reality to the disconcerted consciousness of this little girl. From my limited experience, I think first person narratives work very well for this medium.

Also, I saw a lot of my classmates experience the pull of gravity as they skydived virtually. Most of them were thrilled by this simulated event, thankfully, no one threw up.

As I put on the HoloLens, I was greeted by a bunch of characters. While the unicorn and the elephant are cute, I thought their animation was comical and the size of these creatures was not proportional to their actual counterparts.

I’ve quickly come to realize that the resolution is of prime importance. For the story to feel real, it needs to look real. Further, the sound too is just as crucial, if I move my head, the sounds need to move with me and need to originate from the right source in the scene.

The head tracking should be smooth and shouldn’t feel jumpy or jittery which could potentially ruin the VR experience.

After trying the HoloLens, I could make out the difference between this and Samsung Gear VR. Wireless gear allows fluidity and range of movement, which creates, allows the reality to be truly immersive. With Samsung Gear VR, I felt that the quality was slightly poor with blurry graphics in places but provided the complete spherical range of vision.

Apart from this, my favorite though was painting with the HTC Vive and seeing all the colors and strokes come to life, although the graphics for Tilted Brush could definitely be upgraded.

All in all, it was a great first lesson, preparing us for all the fun that is coming our way in the future.