A lot of people are thinking that virtual reality is a new concept and that it's something that has been conceived in the later generation. Well, you're gravely mistaken as VR was already a thing in the past and one of the pioneering VR equipment gives us a glimpse of what VR gaming actually looks like in the early days of technology.
In the picture above, Ravi Abbott from the Retro Hour Podcast had the chance of playing one of the first VR systems in the early 90s. The VR concept was believed to have started way back in the 50s but due to the fact that the technology was not yet available back then, the idea remained to be a concept until the early of 2015.
One of the early devices that make use of the virtual reality concept is the Series 1000. Based on the picture, you can clearly see how massive the VR platform is, having multiple nubs for controls and a seemingly futuristic chair where the main computer of the system is in stored. The Series 1000 is powered by Amiga 3000 which at that time, has very limited software support. Nonetheless, the platform has some few games on it. Here is the full list:
Battlesphere
Flying Aces
It was believed that back in the early 90s, the Amiga 3000 was the forefront of games and graphic technology with their famous flagship, the Commodore Amiga 3000 fully powering the classic VR platforms; including the Series 1000. But most of the early developers deemed that it was too early to have VR systems and with the lack of technology and software support, the concept of VR gaming has come to a sudden halt.
It was not until Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus, that made significant bold steps towards VR gaming that the technology has been fully developed of what it is now known today. Nonetheless, it's still fascinating to look at the past and see the early concepts of the modern technology. It gives us a sense of understanding and appreciation of what we are currently enjoying today.
