Device is a decent option with a few flaws.
This is a review of the IMMERSE Virtual Reality Headset. I’ve been wanting to try Google Cardboard for a while now, but never found the time to build a viewer for it. The IMMERSE headset gives you a ready-to-go experience with nothing but your smart phone and the headset.
The set is made of plastic that feels durable and has comfortable adjustable straps that hold the whole unit to your face. The goggle portion has a very nice foam pad that makes it very comfortable to wear and blocks out all of the ambient light in the room. Your smartphone (from 3.5″ – 5.7″) fits inside a spring loaded mount on the back of the device. An easy one touch latch swings the smart phone door open. A knockout can be removed if you want to route
your headphones out of the headset. Using the spring loaded mount presented me with my first challenge. I have an LG G3 close to the maximum size supported. It is difficult to operate the mount as both sides of the clamp must be spread in order for your phone to fit inside. Once properly mounted though, it seemed to hold without issue.
My first trial for the headset with Discovery’s VR app from the Play store. I was able to swim with sharks, view a gorgeous sea-side landscape, and visit some really beautiful forests. The app tracks your head position, so you get a real feel for being in the environment as you move around, and the headset’s straps hold it perfectly in place as you do this. Getting this working, lead me to the next problem I had with the device: the focus. I was never able to get a really
perfect view out of the unit. It has 2 lenses that have dials around their circumference. It is very awkward to adjust them while wearing the headset,but you really have to be wearing it to see if your adjustments are correct. I found that using your index finger and inserting it between the goggles and your face to fool with the focus to be the best way. Once you find a decent setting, it is somewhat easy to disturb it and lose focus again. Also, if you are wanting to share it with your friends and family (and they will want to try trust me), they will have to make these cumbersome adjustments for their own eyes.
Any app or video designed for cardboard seemed to work pretty decently. I really liked some of the roller coaster simulations and ride-alongs that are on YouTube through the device. I even found that when the need to interact with the smartphone arose, it was not too inconvenient to swing the door open, make a few taps and shut it again.
In conclusion, if you are thinking of trying google cardboard and like the idea of having something that works right out of the box, this is a decent option. However, I think the flaws with focus limit this device’s potential.
For more information, visit http://www.immerseheadset.com.
