New gaming headset recreates the experience of dreaming

Many existing games are currently being adapted to work with the Oculus Rift headset, but the main intention is to move beyond such games to create what Mr Arnott calls ‘video dreams’. He has been working on a game designed to be played with the headset called SoundSelf, which he describes as a meditative trance experience. In this game, players sing a note into the headset, after which the software sings back, shaping visuals in harmony with the music. Players trying out the game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles reported forgetting where they were and feeling bedazzled by the kaleidoscopic visuals. Mr Arnott hopes that the Oculus Rift will encourage game developers to make more non-violent games that are concerned with exploring an environment rather than completing levels. Julian Kantor, another developer working with the Oculus Rift, cites his inspiration as the concept of lucid dreaming. In his game, The Recital, the player moves from a realistic sequence in the role of a pianist getting ready for a performance to a surreal environment of huge, illogical spaces with a soundtrack that adapts to the player’s actions. "When you take off the headset at the end of the play session, it's as though you are waking up from a crazy dream," says Mr Kantor. The Oculus Rift is still in the prototype stage, but judging by the promising demonstrations that have been carried out so far, the dream of a high-quality virtual reality experience has finally been realised.