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I used to be obsessive about the cinema as a child. There was something truly special in regards to the whole experience – the intoxicating aroma of popcorn, the sheer scale of the screen, the rib-shaking bass that rumbled through your chest.
It was a correct escape from reality, and I loved being transported to other worlds, if just for a number of hours at a time.
These days, that magic has sadly gone. I can count on one hand how repeatedly I’ve been to the cinema up to now eight years or so. And the last flick I saw? The Peppa Pig movie. Not my alternative, I assure you.
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It’s not only that I’m older and busier, although that definitely plays a component. The cinema experience has also modified – and never for the higher. It’s costlier (as most things are nowadays), and there’s no guarantee that what I watch shall be definitely worth the time, money and energy. The lack of a neighborhood cinema also doesn’t help matters.
And that’s all without mentioning Other People.
While I’m sure you’re lovely and considerate, I’ve suffered plenty of people that aren’t. I still vividly remember how Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – the grand finale after years of build-up – was utterly ruined for me by a gaggle of loud-mouthed teens who treated the cinema like their parents’ kitchen at a messy house party.
But despite all that, something strange has happened. My love for the silver screen has been rekindled – but not in the way in which you’d expect.
Virtual Insanity
Dune Part Two feature Blank Screen Video – YouTube
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A rare free evening recently aligned with a decadent craving for a Dominos and a relatively nice bottle of Bumbu rum (other brands of salt-laden pizza and tipple are, after all, also available).
Paired with this nutritionist’s nightmare of a meal was a Blu-ray I’d had knocking about for some time and had delay looking ahead to far too long – Dune: Part Two.
The only snag? I wasn’t particularly thrilled at the thought of watching it on our perfectly average, five-year-old, mid-range Samsung telly. It felt like a disservice, someway. Dune is, in any case, a visible spectacle crafted with the wonders of gigantic screens and booming surround sound systems in mind.
While I enjoyed the primary one on the aforementioned TV, I knew I might have enjoyed the experience way more on the large screen.
And then a thought popped into my head. I actually have a Meta Quest 3 VR headset. What if I could someway recreate a cinema experience virtually?
A fast Google confirmed that the dream was very much doable. I ripped the Blu-ray to my PC and fired up an app called Skybox VR Video Player, which easily let me remotely stream the file from my PC.
My son was asleep. The garlic and herb sauce was open. I used to be ready.
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A non-public oasis
Dune Part Two trailer in VR cinema – YouTube
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Skybox VR gives you a number of viewing environment options. I could have used the passthrough mode to look at it on an enormous floating screen in my lounge (which actually works surprisingly well), but I after all selected the cinema setting.
At the press of a button, I had a complete theatre all to myself. Plush seats, dimmed lights, and never a crumb of stale popcorn in sight. I selected a spot towards the back so I could take every part in. No loud teens. No distracting phone screens. No one kicking my seat. Pure bliss. I pressed play.
The opening credits began to roll. Instantly, and immediately, I had a really specific feeling wash over me. I’m pretty sure there’s no word to explain it. But it’s the sensation I used to have as a child, packed right into a cinema, snacks in hand, knowing that the subsequent few hours could be something relatively special. And they were.
The immersion, combined with the sensation of being in an actual cinema, blew me away greater than I could have ever expected. Even higher, my cat had decided to twist up on my lap, which could be a nigh-on unattainable achievement at a bona fide picture house.
No risk of being caught in thrown-popcorn crossfire here (Image credit: Future)
As for the image? By all rights, it ought to be worse than my 4K TV. The Meta Quest 3’s per-eye resolution is 2064 x 2208 pixels. That’s lower than the 3840 x 2160 of a 4K TV. But despite this on-paper disparity, I used to be pleasantly surprised by the sharpness on offer. At no point did it feel like I used to be taking a significant visual hit or compromise.
Sure, I’d prefer the inky blacks, punchy colors, and contrast of an OLED, but when you’re immersed in the dimensions of the VR experience – the sheer size of the screen relative to your vision, the encircling environment, the darkness – it’s way more of a spectacle than anything a humble TV could serve up.
Witnessing the monolithic might of an approaching sandworm as Paul Atreides got down to ride it for the primary time is burned into my brain as a core cinematic memory that no mere TV experience could have provided.
In fact, as memories go, it’s up there with my favourite big-screen moment as a child – when Michael Jordan stretched his arm across the court to make the winning basket in Space Jam.
The best seat in the home (Image credit: Future)
On the audio front, the Quest 3’s built-in speakers also impressed. They’ve had a notable upgrade over the Quest 2, with integrated stereo drivers offering 3D spatial audio. Dialogue was clear, and every part seemed balanced, though the low-end was, after all, lacking.
Would a correct pair of headphones have sounded higher? Absolutely – especially if you happen to’re hankering for some Michael Bay-level explosions. But even with none extra headphones, the soundstage was immersive enough to attract me in.
I would try some earbuds next time for much more punch and presence – but I also enjoyed the liberty of with the ability to hear the on-screen motion while still being aware of my surroundings. I used to be on childcare duties, in any case.
That awareness, by the way in which, also got here in handy once I desired to top up my drink or pop to the toilet. One of probably the most underrated parts of this whole setup was how seamless it was to pause the film, walk into the kitchen and grab a snack – all without even taking the headset off. The Quest 3’s passthrough cameras are only that good.
With a straightforward double tap of the side of the headset, you may switch between a virtual cinema and your real-world surroundings in a matter of seconds, which makes the experience surprisingly comfortable.
On the topic of comfort, I must also indicate that I actually have a special headstrap (the BoboVR S3) with a built-in fan that helped keep me cool throughout the film’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime.
All in all, it was the most effective film-watching experience I’ve had in years. It delivered all of the immersion and escapism of a correct cinema, but with none of the frustration or financial drain.
And unlike a projector setup or dedicated home cinema room, the Quest 3 is something you may actually afford, store, and take with you wherever you go.
Sure, I’d like to have a correct projector setup sooner or later – a giant screen, blackout curtains, velvet seats, and possibly even a popcorn machine. But immediately, I’ve got something way more achievable. A tool that lets me carry a cinema in my bag.
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