Dive was at CES 2014 showing off their recently-launched virtual reality accessory built for smartphones 5 inches and smaller. Besides having adjustable wide angle lenses and the proper straps and clamps in place to make everything work, Dive also has an SDK so developers can make their 3D apps stereoscopic and formatted to work with the accessory.
I still can’t decide if this is so bad it’s good, so bad it’s bad, or crazy enough that it might just work. While my reaction to wearing the Dive headset wasn’t quite as explosive as our demonstrator’s here, I was able to get a decent 3D effect, barring a bit of light leakage where the lens sliders are set. I also got to try out the latest Oculus prototype, which obviously blew Dive out of the water when it came to app quality and overall experience, but it’s also still very much in a pre-release state.
The $89 price point also makes this a highly palatable option for those that want to get in on the virtual reality resurgence, but can’t afford the $300 Oculus Rift development kit. The more affordable price point makes this an easy choice for consumers too, provided an ecosystem actually forms around the Dive. The apps that I tried at the show weren’t especially compelling, though they were responsive.
For developers interested in working on the Dive, the Unity plug-in can be downloaded here, while end-users can buy one now from here.
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