Virtual Reality with the Durovis Dive

For technophiles who love to get their hands on the latest gadgets, Durovis Dive is appealing. This virtual reality headset not only provides users with a 3D view of another world, but it does it all by relying on their smartphones.

The Dive isn't nearly as well-known as Oculus Rift, the gaming and virtual reality headset that was purchased by Facebook, but the German project is quickly making a name for itself in the VR world.

Ready to Dive...

The device itself is quite simple. Insert your smartphone into the Durovis Dive, launch the app and adjust the lenses for a 3D experience so realistic that you won't believe you're in virtual reality. The design allows for users to still view their actual surroundings.

Developing and Games for Dive

Developers must create games specifically designed to work with the launcher. There are already a number of games available, including the following:

• Dive City Rollercoaster

• Shadowgun VR

• Cardboard Catapult

• Go Show

There are many more games, some by the Dive team and others by third-party developers. There are also apps that allow for movie watching and screen sharing. One app even allows you to feel like RoboCop! You can download these games and other apps from the Google Play Store.

The success of this device is dependent upon consumers getting on board. In order for this product to become a major success and be on the same platform as the Oculus Rift Dive will have to provide enough interesting apps and games to keep up with exciting titles to beat out the competition.

Mobile Device Compatibility

A few issues with a device like this is fragmentation. The more devices that are compatible with the hardware, the more likely some devices will have incompatibilities with the software. It's a common issue with Android phones, which range in quality across the board. While all iPhones meet the form factor requirement, less software is currently available.

Of course, this won't work with any old phone, will it? There are some limitations, including size. Each phone must have a compatible gyroscope, which means Nokia devices don't make the cut. While the website doesn't say what the maximize device size is, tablets/phones like the Note lineup are too large to work with Dive. The Durovis website lists several compatible devices.

Durovis Dive is already available in various countries for less than $100 per unit.