During quarantine, people have been stuck at home without much to do and nowhere to go. New virtual reality headsets offer the ability to experience different worlds, all while staying in ones own home. Whether it be visiting outer space, going paragliding over the Grand Canyon, petting dinosaurs or watching Netflix, virtual reality offers it all.
The Oculus Quest 2 is a virtual reality (VR) headset that allows users to travel to completely different environments with one click. One game that comes for free with the headset is called Mission: ISS. This game transports users to the International Space Station and allows them to move through the ISS while exploring different features and watching interactive videos. The opening of the game is one of its most incredible features. When first opening up the app, users end up in outer space with what appears to be endless space all around with just the Earth and stars. The ISS then appears and players are transferred into the station. This game allows players to move through the ISS without physically moving anywhere. The game offers realistic views of the Earth from the space station as well as tasks to be completed aboard.
Another game that has become extremely popular on social media is called Beat Saber. Unlike Mission: ISS, Beat Saber costs money, but is extremely worth it. This game is more competitive and traditionally “game like” compared to the previously mentioned Mission: ISS. Like its name suggests, Beat Saber is a game where the player slices through blocks of “beats” using lightsabers. The game is played with songs unique to the game as well as purchasable packs of songs from popular artists like BTS and Imagine Dragons. Also, unlike Mission: ISS, Beat Saber becomes a considerable workout as levels get harder. Later levels on Beat Saber require quick movement, such as crouching and moving side to side while trying to slice through beat blocks. Beat Saber is a much more intense and exciting game that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Along with hundreds of VR games, VR headsets also offer other features to be experienced in virtual reality. One unique experience is watching Netflix in VR. On the Oculus Quest 2, watching this movie app takes viewers to a room in an obscure cabin in the middle of a snowy mountain range. In the cabin, Netflix is projected onto a large flat screen. Experiencing videos in VR is another feature on headsets. Certain apps on the VR allow users to watch different videos as if they were actually in the video. For example, one clip of a man paragliding over the Grand Canyon is turned into a 360° experience.
For those stuck in quarantine, VR headsets offer a special way to experience things unimaginable without going anywhere. Putting on a VR headset and experiencing different worlds in VR is a truly surreal experience that everyone should get the opportunity to try.
