StyM
02-14-2017, 05:02 AM
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/vr-desktop-macos-oculus-rift,33649.html
Apple customers haven't gotten to experience much of the virtual reality (VR) uprising. Mobile VR often requires Android, and popular HMDs like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are currently restricted to Windows computers. Now an app called VR Desktop lets people use macOS in a Virtual Desktop Environment--provided they have either an Oculus Rift developer kit or faith that VR companies will soon embrace those worshiping at Jony Ive's altar.
VR Desktop is much like the big screen simulators used by PlayStation VR and other HMDs to make people feel like they're sitting in front of giant displays or, in BigScreen's case, like they're hosting a virtual LAN party. Whereas PSVR uses this simulation to let people watch movies, though, VR Desktop provides access to the macOS computer on which it's running. This makes VR Desktop resemble Virtual Desktop, Envelop, and other apps.
These apps let people manipulate their computing environments in ways that aren't possible in the real world. People can experiment with different backgrounds to see what helps them focus, split their display into three different parts, and resize each one to just the right proportions. Trying to do that in literal reality (we guess you would call it) would just result in a bunch of confused looks and broken monitors. VR could be a useful productivity tool.
"There?s been many naysayers ruling out Mac as a VR platform," the app's creators said in a blog post. "We?re here to prove that Macs are capable of useful VR applications. VR Desktop works on modern Macs with discrete graphics cards."
Apple customers haven't gotten to experience much of the virtual reality (VR) uprising. Mobile VR often requires Android, and popular HMDs like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are currently restricted to Windows computers. Now an app called VR Desktop lets people use macOS in a Virtual Desktop Environment--provided they have either an Oculus Rift developer kit or faith that VR companies will soon embrace those worshiping at Jony Ive's altar.
VR Desktop is much like the big screen simulators used by PlayStation VR and other HMDs to make people feel like they're sitting in front of giant displays or, in BigScreen's case, like they're hosting a virtual LAN party. Whereas PSVR uses this simulation to let people watch movies, though, VR Desktop provides access to the macOS computer on which it's running. This makes VR Desktop resemble Virtual Desktop, Envelop, and other apps.
These apps let people manipulate their computing environments in ways that aren't possible in the real world. People can experiment with different backgrounds to see what helps them focus, split their display into three different parts, and resize each one to just the right proportions. Trying to do that in literal reality (we guess you would call it) would just result in a bunch of confused looks and broken monitors. VR could be a useful productivity tool.
"There?s been many naysayers ruling out Mac as a VR platform," the app's creators said in a blog post. "We?re here to prove that Macs are capable of useful VR applications. VR Desktop works on modern Macs with discrete graphics cards."