Technology is fast evolving. In a snap of a finger, we get to read, watch, and listen to things we would never be able to experience in real life. We get a glimpse of the world with the help of different gadgets. And sometimes, we can get a lot more than that.
One thing that we can all agree on is that space travel is not something that an everyday Joe gets to experience. Typically, you’d have to finish a four-year course and then get years of experience before you can board a space shuttle and go bouncing off the milky way. But now, thanks to technology, the VR to be exact, we get to experience living out the dream of being a space traveler in the comfort of our own homes. Now, if you want to get try all of this out but don’t know where to start, here are some of the applications that you may want to consider that’s sure to give you an out of this world experience.
- Space Dream VR
Australian game developer and 3D artist Justin Davis single-handedly created the VR game called Space Dream. The story revolves around Jason, an astronaut who, after two years, wakes up from cryosleep, which is a process in which an astronaut is put into a state of suspended animation using a drug or a chamber or something very cold. As the main character, your mission is to find and study an alien aircraft which has been detected on an unknown planet, but of course, it’s not going to be that simple because the unthinkable happens and you wind up in a world full of sound and beauty. If you’re a gamer and are also into music, then you’ll be sure to enjoy this game since it will allow you to play music in the background. What’s more is the in-game environments that you’re in will react and dance to the music.
- Overview
Based on SpaceEngine, Overview is an educational app for the VR. There are two parts to the story. The first part focuses on a virtual tour through space. The six chapters come with narrative speech, like a planetarium documentary, which as of now is only available in English and French. With this app, you won’t need any controls. You simply need to rotate your head to look around. You can also use room-scale tracking to walk inside the scene. The second part of the story is called “Explore.” This allows you more freedom. And here is where you will also need your controllers for simple actions like zooming out of Earth to different galaxies or even flying around the Solar System. According to the creators, new chapters will soon be available for free.
- International Space Station Tour VR
Another app that helps give you the feel of being an astronaut. This time, you’re accompanied by an actual astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti from the European Space Agency (ESA). In this application, you’re given a virtual tour inside the International Space Station. There are eight modules which will show you over 40 key areas of the space station. You will be able to see the area that serves as the living quarters and even the science laboratory for an international crew of astronauts and cosmonauts (a Russian astronaut). With the help of this tour, you can experience what it’s like to live and work inside the longest continually inhabited space station to orbit Earth.
- Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Who hasn’t heard of Star Trek? Well, this time you can experience being a part of their team thanks to this VR game. As a player of the game, you are taken on board the U.S.S. Aegis. Your mission will be to explore an uncharted sector in space known as “The Trench,” with the hopes of finding a suitable home for the Vulcan population. The Klingon Empire is also present and is against the Federation’s plans. You will have the option to create your team of 4 players in the Co-op. The game also features an “Ongoing Missions” mode, wherein you will get countless hours of Solo and Co-Op adventure. Here, teamwork undoubtedly plays a very vital role in getting through the missions.
- Space Pirate Trainer
In this game, you are put in a world where you have to fight off an endless wave of droids with all the weapons and gadgets available to a Space Pirate. Here, you not only have to use your shield for protection against incoming lasers, but you also have to make sure that you dodge them to land you a spot in the top rankings. If you do well enough, you might even be included in the Space Pirate Trainer hall of fame.
- The saga of the Void: Admirals
This game is sure to give you the thrilling experience of how it is to command massive space battles either by yourself or with your friends. The game allows you to scale yourself over 400,000 times life size. You can command your fleets from above, or you can choose to scale back down to life size and watch the towering ships duel around you. You can also enjoy full cross-platform multiplayer which allows you to play against and with other gamers from all around the globe. You can also make use of full bot support to allow Co-op matches and a full campaign ladder with missions that get harder and harder as you go along. And lastly, you can use any of the 12 ships in more than 50 ship battles of up to 5 players and bots at a time.
Final Thoughts:
With the world of VR continuously advancing, there is no limit on the different types of real-world experiences its user can have. There’s no telling what’s next to come. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But before all that, make sure that you don’t get left behind on this amazing experience– the experience of being a VR astronaut.
References:
https://veer.tv/blog/top-9-virtual-reality-space-travel-experiences/
http://spaceengine.org/news/blog180302/
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1834223926601207/
http://www.vudream.com/best-9-virtual-reality-vr-space-games-on-htc-vive-oculus-rift/