Virtual reality (VR) is exploding faster than anyone thought, and this is only good news for gamers eager to get in on the action. Analysts are pegging VR to have its first billion dollar year in 2016, with about $700 million in hardware sales, and the remainder from content. While VR is eventually going to see both consumer and enterprise applications, video games are the hot ticket for now, with some 2.5 million VR headsets and 10 million game copies likely to be sold by year-end, according to auditor Deloitte Global.
And while big players such as Oculus, Google, WorldViz, and others are generating many of the s in the high-end space, there is plenty of room for innovation and creativity for up-and-comers, especially in the mobile arena. Moscow-based Fibrum LLC is one of them. The three-year old company offers its mobile VR headset, bundled together with proprietary applications. 'Mobile VR' incorporates a smartphone's screen into a special case, enabling the headset to fit snugly on the user's head.
The company's lightweight Fibrum Pro goggle set accommodates both Apple and Android smartphones. Purchasing the goggles allows access to all Fibrum mobile apps for a year. The company currently sports 28 titles, divided into four categories: attractions, games, educational products, and VR video players.
Hot games include Roller Coaster VR and Zombie Shooter VR. All of the titles can be downloaded from Google Play, App Store or Windows Phone Store.
A trial run of the Fibrum Pro system is impressive. The plastic goggles fit snugly and comfortably, and easily accommodate an iPhone 7. The lenses offer a 110-degree field of view and do not need adjusting. After a few minutes spent blasting asteroids and space aliens, it's easy to see why the VR market is projected to achieve meteoric growth.
By end-2016 Fibrum plans to have 40 applications ready and a total of around 70 by end-2017. Some time in the first quarter of next year, it will roll out the world's first VR first person shooting game – a 3D adaptation of the popular PC classic Worms W.M.D.
"We make liberal use of partnerships for game development to take advantage of the diverse power of creativity," says company global sales and marketing officer Ivan Ivanitskiy. "In just the last two years, VR games have become far more complex, helped by advances in hardware capabilities."
The company markets its goggle and one-year game subscription set for under $100, and charges around $50 to renew.
