Sega VR-1 (Game)

Sega VR-1

GAME » on 1994

A motion simulator arcade attraction released for SegaWorld arcades in 1994. Using Sega VR headsets, it was the first released video game to utilize head-tracking VR technology.

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Overview

In 1994, the Sega VR (Accessory) technology was utilized for the Sega VR-1 motion simulator arcade attraction (see here), which was available at SegaWorld arcades. It was able to track head movement fairly accurately, and featured 3D polygon graphics in stereoscopic 3D. It was a large networked multiplayer attraction with rail shooter gameplay, much like Galaxian 3 (1990).

Dennoo Senki Net Merc

A more scaled-down arcade version, Dennoo Senki Net Merc, was demonstrated at Japan's 1995 AOU (Amusement Operators Union) show, and it used the Sega Model 1 board to produce the game's 3D graphics. The game was not so well-received, with the untextured flat-shaded graphics being compared unfavourably to the Sega Model 2's textured-filtered graphics (see here).

Legacy

The concept of head-tracking VR would not be be revisited again until the rise of motion controls in the 21st century. In 2012, Sega's concept of a head-tracking VR headset was eventually revived by the Oculus Rift. Its developer Oculus VR mentioned Sega's headset as an influence that they wanted to improve on. In turn, the Oculus Rift has inspired similar VR devices from Sony (Project Morpheus), Valve, and Microsoft, in 2014, sparking a revival of VR technology, which eventually led to Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR in an attempt to introduce this technology to a wider audience beyond gaming.

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