Choosing Virtual Reality Devices Right for Your Employee Training

Designing Digitally

03/26/2019

Employee Training

Virtual reality (VR) is a broad term for a computer-generated immersive experience that allows learners to interact with a simulated environment. It is here to revolutionize the way your employees learn. The VR market is predicted to reach $30 billion by 2020 and 500 million headsets are expected to be sold by 2025.

VR is fast becoming a favorite with corporate learners. The major driving force may be its ability to convey complicated information in a visually attractive and immersive manner. It helps the learners to learn faster and retain better. It is ideal for organizations that are geographically dispersed. Being able to provide them with remote training helps save a lot of money.

Things you need to know about VR devices

VR does not require a sky-high investment. There are a variety of pricing options that make technology affordable to most people. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind before you invest in VR devices.

  • Tethered headsets like Vive, Oculus Rift, and PlayStation VR connect to PCs or gaming consoles. They are priced on the higher side and should be used for high-end gaming.
  • Mobile headsets like Google Cardboard, Gear VR, and Daydream View are less costly because only the lenses are critical here. They are usually under $100. These headsets are wireless and can sync with your smartphone. But you need to make sure that your smartphone has the required hardware specs.
  • The field of view of the headsets is important for the user experience. If the field of view is narrow, it will have a restricted view and may not offer a fully immersive experience. Vive and Rift have a field of view of around 110 degrees whereas Oculus Go has about 100 degrees. Google Cardboard’s view ranges from between 90 to 120 degrees.
  • Learners who wear glasses may have problems using headsets. Oculus, Gear VR, Vive, PlayStation VR – all fits over glasses but users will need to customize the fit.
  • If you wish to use the headset for both – AR and VR – you need to fix a camera outside of it. In case it’s a mobile-based headset, then it needs access to the phone’s camera.
  • It is not enough just to buy a headset. Learners need to be able to control it, too. HTC Vive is said to have the best control system. It allows the users to interact with the virtual environment with the help of sensors and motion-sensitive controllers. PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift are more suited to usage while sitting at one place. Google Cardboard, too, allows limited interactivity. Oculus Quest that is expected to launch in 2019, will have dual motion controller with inside-out tracking. What it means in layman’s terms is that you do not need to mount external cameras to get an immersive experience.

At Designing Digitally, Inc., our talented instructional designers can take your ideas and training goals to the virtual realm. We combine our game development prowess with sound instructional methodologies to create training experiences that foster performance improvement. Together, our team has over a decade of experience developing virtual reality solutions for top brands across the world.

Get in touch with our experts or get a free quote, today.