Setting Up a Virtual-Reality Playroom? Avoid These Pitfalls, By Sarah E. Needleman

How to set up your Oculus Rift, Vive, PlayStation VR or other VR system to maximize fun and minimize bruises

 

 

MY FIRST FEW minutes playing the quirky virtual-reality game “Job Simulator” went by entirely without incident. I’d already strapped on a VR headset that obliterated the real world from view and made me feel as though I was standing in a kitchen of the future. Using the VR controllers I held in each hand, I could reach out to open the virtual refrigerator door, take out a steak and sear it on the virtual stove. I’ve totally got this, I thought.

But then two eggs started rolling away. As I lunged forward to catch them, I attempted to lean on the “counter,” which unfortunately didn’t exist. I ended up falling forward and hitting my head on the very real wall in the non-virtual room.

‘‘You can’t just put VR in the corner of a room like a new TV.’’

Virtual reality is the newest and most immersive way to play games, socialize online, watch video and more. But the real-world bump on my noggin made me realize that setting up a space in your home to best experience the technology requires some careful planning. This isn’t like the game consoles of yore, which called for nothing more than an old couch and rickety coffee table. “You can’t just put VR in the corner of a room like a new TV,” said Paul Bettner, co-founder of entertainment company Playful Corp.

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