I tried (Oculus) Go by train: New series "Oculus Go! Go! Go!"

It's been two years since 2016, the first year of VR when the three VR families of Oculus Rift, HTC VIVE, and PS VR appeared. Finally, a standalone Oculus Go that doesn't require a smartphone or gaming PC. The serialization that I tried using this started.

Take your Oculus Go and go out into the city. Get on the train and watch a movie. Let's watch the drama.

I have a lot of video subscription services. I watch Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Nico Nico Douga, Netflix, AbemaTV, and GYAO! Every week. At night, I attach the iPhone X to the arm installed at the bedside and watch until I fall asleep.

When I commute, I have enough time to finish watching two episodes of an hour's program on the iPhone X. However, there is a big problem with watching on the train. It's very hard to see because of the lighting inside the car and the reflection of my face. Especially in overseas dramas, dark scenes often continue endlessly, so the high-definition organic EL cannot benefit from it.

I searched for an iPhone case to prevent glare, but there is no suitable one. I can't put on or take off the anti-reflection film, and I don't want to put on the film in the first place. There is no guarantee that reflections will be completely prevented. However, there is a way to completely immerse yourself in the video.

Buy "Oculus Go".

Oculus Go is a wireless VR HMD (Virtual Reality Head Mounted Display) that follows the trend of "Gear VR" that incorporates and uses Samsung Galaxy. There is also app compatibility. The big difference is that you don't have to buy a Galaxy device. A Wi-Fi device that Xiaomi is cooperating in manufacturing and has built-in hardware equivalent to its Android smartphone. It is said to be the first product that can be legally used in Japan with the Xiaomi logo and the technical suitability mark.

And the result of this HMD is very good. Isn't it the best video playback device available for the 20,000 yen range?

A long time ago, Sony's "HMZ-T1-T3" and Olympus "Eye-Trek" were sold as head-mounted displays that did not have a VR function but were specialized for watching videos. The genealogy seems to have disappeared in Japan, but I think it can be used as an alternative.

Many people are paying attention to the high cost performance of Oculus Go, which starts at 23,800 yen, and those who got it early are making various attempts. I also thought about riding this big wave.

So by train (Oculus) Go. I tried it at once.

Go by train!

First, take the Oculus Go from the local Seibu Ikebukuro Line Shakujii Park to the Yurakucho Line Kojimachi where the company is located. Wearing an Oculus Go is easier than wearing a bicycle helmet. With the Oculus Rift, it's difficult to wear glasses while wearing them, and you had to use glasses with a narrow frame to process the inside of the goggles, but with the Oculus Go, that's not necessary. You can wear it as it is while wearing glasses. There is also a report that a fairly wide frame was okay.

It is dangerous to wear it before boarding, so after boarding and sitting down, take out the Oculus Go main unit and remote control from the bag (the size of the open PC bag nano is perfect). Keep the earphones connected from the beginning. Without earphones, the sound leaks from the HMD built-in speaker. For the remote control, wrap the strap around your wrist.

This video shows the first day. Suddenly the train is very difficult, so I rehearsed in a nearby park with few people and boarded after calming down.

However, as it is, it will be offline until you happen to meet a Wi-Fi spot, so you need to take another step. Turn on Internet sharing on your iPhone (or even a mobile router). Once you connect, it will automatically connect, so let's do it somewhere first. Now you can install Oculus Go while connected to the internet.

I was thrilled until I put on the HMD, but it was a moment when I put it on and immerse myself in the content. Launch the Netflix app and play "Sword Art Online". Try yelling "Link start!" Of course, in my heart.

Netflix is ​​the only video streaming service that has a dedicated app. There is also a Hulu app, but Hulu in Japan is like Hulu and not Hulu (domain is also happyon.jp), so it can not be used. So what to do is to use Oculus's built-in web browser "browser".

If you don't have any knowledge, you can only use YouTube with this browser. Other services are not supported. It's considered a mobile device and asked to install the app. It's true that Oculus Go contains Xiaomi's Android unit.

There is a loophole. The "browser" has a button called "Request Desktop". The name of this button is confusing, but it means "PC view" and acts as a browser for desktop PCs. With this button, web-viewable video services such as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu (Japan), and AbemaTV are now compatible with Oculus Go.

So, I actually watched the video. On the first day, I wore an HMD for about an hour on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, Yurakucho Line, and Yamanote Line. I've tried it and found out.

The problem of shifting

Whether it's a Netflix app or a video site you're watching in a web browser, it gradually shifts from the front as the train moves. Acceleration and deceleration of trains, curves, etc. will affect the gyro. It's not such an extreme move, so if you notice it, you can reset it. In the case of a Web browser, you can reset the front by pressing and holding the "Oculus" button on the remote control.

For the Netflix app, there's an even better mode. Click "VOID THEATER" at the top left of the screen to create a VOID theater where you can reposition the screen, zoom in and out, and set the drive mode.

If you set it to drive mode, the screen will not move much. It works a little, but in that case it is better to change the screen position to restore it.

Netflix can magnify the screen to the maximum, so you can have a powerful image with full visibility in your home theater. Pixels in an image cannot be identified without careful attention (to the author). How much does a home theater with such a screen size and image quality cost? That will be realized in the first half of the 20,000 yen range. Moreover, it can be used on the train. My 100-inch screen and projector are likely to be out of play.

It's a waste to keep a device with such potential only in the house. Just as the Walkman once freed music from stereo sets, Oculus Go brings out high-definition content such as movies and dramas for the highest level of experience.

"Kimoi" is a small problem. I want you to remember. It used to take courage to open a laptop on the train. The same is true at restaurants. The flicks on my smartphone also seemed strange. But people get used to it.

Some trains wear masks and others wear HMDs. Just make it everyday. It's not a demo like a flash mob, but the number of people like that is increasing.

So, everyone, please.

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