MovieChat Forums > Ready Player One (2018) Discussion > Could the OASIS become a reality?

Could the OASIS become a reality?

posted 6 years ago by moviefanman (17)
30 replies | jump to latest

Could the OASIS exist in real life? We have virtual reality headsets - the strangely named Oculus Rift is one of the current products on the market, and online gaming is well established, but could the OASIS - a vast virtual world where you can do anything/be anyone - become possible? And imagine if it were possible, the social ramifications could be huge.

If you think about the power of social media, online gaming, streaming tv/films etc - people are already addicted to their cell phones, imagine what the OASIS would do to so some people. They'd never meet anyone in real life! You could spend your entire life in a virtual world.

One major downside to the potential of virtual reality is the health side-effects. Headaches, severe eyestrain are a common side-effect from using VR. I think this is the biggest obstacle to overcome. No-one mentioned headaches in Ready Player One! "Hi, my name is Wade. I have excruciating headaches all the time because I live in the OASIS."

[–] Renovatio (2990) 6 years ago

People are already living this way... Drunk on video games and shitty comicbook movies... Hiding away from the real world and real human connection...

[–] FifthFreedom (196) 6 years ago

Plot twist: The "real" world isn't real either. We've been stuck inside a simulation for thousands, potentially even millions of years, forced to have our memories wiped and be reincarnated over and over and over ad infinitum.

[–] DracTarashV2 (4475) 6 years ago

To actually FEEL, SENSE like you’re inside a virtual world (another world, period) and be free to roam around and do relatively anything as opposed to simply view images through a headset? That’s the kind of VR everyone’s been waiting for since... forever. I have read some articles regarding this topic and more than few of them express the same sentiment: this could very well become a reality someday. Note—there are some obstacles to overcome, so although it does seem like a possibility, it’s still hard to see something as advanced as the OASIS happening for real. It might take decades but who knows.

I know I wouldn’t mind spending all my time in the OASIS these days, headaches notwithstanding. This level of escapism would be an extraordinary thing to experience, hehe.

[–] maul (1534) 6 years ago

Have you tried an Oculus? Skyrim VR?

[–] DracTarashV2 (4475) 6 years ago

I have tried an Oculus. Granted it was only once, but I will say it was the best VR experience I’ve ever had. And while I hesitate to say it gives the Oasis a run for its money, it does show how much progress has been made.

Skyrim VR? Can’t say that I have. Yet.

[–] Xenopharb (617) 6 years ago

There would have to be a full body suit or a device that could control nerve perception in order to make it feel real.

Visual and audio isn't enough.

[–] DracTarashV2 (4475) 6 years ago

Precisely. And accomplishing something like this isn’t going to be uncomplicated, to say the least. It’s gonna take a while.

[–] Xenopharb (617) 6 years ago

Complicated? Yes

Gonna take a while? Perhaps not

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

There’s already remote controlled virtual reality sexual devices.

One of them involves putting your schlong in a sleeve and a women halfway around the world can “relieve” you remotely.

All it would take is for that tech to include a full body version of such a sleeve.

But for pain sensation in a war zone?

I would think the liability factor would be rather high.

Especially if some wimp died from some form of induced virtual world “pain”.

They’ll most likely experiment with virtual cities the size of London first.

They already do that on TWINITY.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 3 years ago

Cyberdildonic tech is more than 20 years old.

And never assume that the “woman” on the other end isn’t named Bluto.

[–] Blazedemon (1) 6 years ago

It's 2018 give it to 2025 like in the show by then ready player one should be a reality maybe even better

[–] wrecche (631) 3 years ago

We now have devices that attach to our scalps that can sense what we are looking at. Using tricks of course, a specific pattern within an object. But it's getting there. Couple that with consumer EEG devices, that can learn how we feel, we are even closer.

But as to it being a complete virtual experience, we a a long way off. Unless we opt for implants. There is a guy who has an implant as he is colour blind, and it allows him to sense colour.

All of these are so distant from each other and separate, that I don't see it in the short term, but given companies are focusing on ideas, I don't think it will be long before someone makes a break through that is feasible and cost effective.

but as we are now, vr is becoming much more mainstream, and the focus is on immersion. So... who knows.

2025 is a bit soon I think... however.

[–] ExTechOp (2766) 3 years ago

There were a couple companies, most prominently TheVoid, that took VR to a near-OASIS level.

Players wore haptic vests and gloves as well as headsets and, this is the cool part, actually walked around in real rooms that matched the exact dimensions of the virtual rooms. There were even real props (poles for torches, working levers and swinging doors) that synced up with the virtual world.

The game rooms used fans with hot and cold air to simulate things like cold mountain ledges and dragon's flames. They'd even planned circular hallways that the goggles could trick you into thinking were straight.

Unfortunately, COVID happened and they went out of business.

Personally, I suspect they were always going to go out of business, given the expense of the equipment and the humongous licensing (they were running sims of Ghostbusters, Avengers, Star Wars and Jumanji). I just wanted to try it myself before they went.

Oh well.

Point being, that's as close as current tech gets to the OASIS, but it's pretty darn close in my opinion!

[–] wrecche (631) 3 years ago

That is a shame to be honest, that sounds amazing. I know I've seen someone post a video on youtube about how to map his house with the quest and unity, I think. A bit far off from just being able to do it, but I am surprised there has not been a concerted effort to do this. Probably due to liability concerns, someone doing it wrong and getting legal against the company.. idk, I'd still love that.

We have so many devices that are all part of the puzzle these days, yet not utilised in such a way. Lidar in phones, potential AR in headsets (get your act together oculus, 2 front facing HD cameras is all it takes) and you could have depth of field spacial awareness in VR with a generated world around you.

Maybe when we get the Oculus Quest Pro X2 in 2025...

[–] Strazdas (2328) 6 years ago

mindlash (device that could alternate brainwaves to simulate any effects necessary and take commands by circumventing the need for body movement) would be the only real world to create something like a real virtual world. The device should basically work like a dream, where you would "fall asleep" but inside the virtual world instead of a dream and your body engages the muscle relaxation like in sleep. For fictional examples see: Caprica, Sword Art Online, Surrogates.

[–] ExTechOp (2766) 3 years ago

... and now "Ready Player Two" is another fictional example.

It's a horrible book, but I read it because I couldn't help myself. If you're curious, the next evolution of the OASIS is a direct-to-brain interface that puts your mind into the OASIS while your body just lies around dormant.

An evil recording of Halliday then takes the entire world hostage until Og defeats him in battle.

The story ends with AI versions of all the main characters flying off to the stars in a portable OASIS while Wade and his friends remain behind on earth.

It was a tough read.

[–] Strazdas (2328) 3 years ago

Sounds like an even worse written Sword Art Online. Ill skip that read.

[–] Strazdas (2328) 6 years ago

Im severely underimpressed by current state of "VR" if you can call it that. Its just 3d visuals that replaces your entire field of view. You still need control devices, you still have no feedback, you got loads of problems with replicating motions, you got horrible performance because of processing power requirements. Its nowhere near ready to be called VR. In the 2040s like this movie - maybe.

[–] maul (1534) 6 years ago

Spoken like a person who's never tried it (go ahead, lie), and is generally ignorant of how far it has come.

VR in its current consumable form didn't exist at all just 3 years ago, and now there's tons of highly interactive and immersive games available, not to mention its many other uses and even new artforms being developed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWNo1H2tVhg - drawn in Oculus Quill). It's an emerging and evolving field that is amazing to behold just as it stands right now, but there's many exciting new features on the horizon:

https://youtu.be/kxtt_RJp_QA?t=100
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLjs_PtVyKM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH9xwkTOBEI
(you can already make many hand motions with Oculus Touch - https://youtu.be/ggZvKL3pArc?t=103 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDeco6_S77c)

[–] Strazdas (2328) 6 years ago

I have tried the vive for around 2 hours. Whether you believe me or not doesnt matter.

You are right that it did not exist 3 years ago, but that is not proof of it achieving virtual reality, only in it achieving what is currently available. It doe have some (i wouldnt call it tons) of games available, but itsu nderstnadable that it will pick up as adoption rate picks up. that isnt really the issue. the issue, as i pointed out, is a technological one. It is simply not hardware we need to call it actual VR yet.

[–] ExTechOp (2766) 5 years ago

I recently tried VR, and two things come to mind:

(1) the vertigo I felt at the top of a building was real - it was just a feeling, but it was "real"

(2) after wearing the headset 30 minutes straight, the real world seemed "fake" for a few seconds afterwards

That's just today. The tech will only become more convincing with time

[–] DracTarashV2 (4475) 5 years ago

That’s wild.

I look forward to seeing what the future holds for VR, for sure.

[–] wrecche (631) 3 years ago

Google Earth VR is one of the most surreal things I've ever experienced. Once you let it populate the structures.

[–] rateater (9334) 6 years ago

recroom vr is the early version of oasis.

[–] Strazdas (2328) 6 years ago

It already is a reality

see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori

It will only increase as the abilities to simulate continue exeeding that of real world input. We already have mental disorders being recognized caused by things like instagram skewing peoples perception of reality to the point of depression and suicide.

>imagine what the OASIS would do to so some people. They'd never meet anyone in real life! You could spend your entire life in a virtual world.

Wonderful, isnt it!

>One major downside to the potential of virtual reality is the health side-effects.

The major downside of virtual reality is that it is not virtual reality. Its just 3d screen that takes over your entire field of vision. When we have mindlash technology, then you should expect societal collapse. Or rather i think its likely we will see society shift to something from Surrogates (2009).

[–] dlancer (2036) 6 years ago

Getting the basics of a tactile system is probably the biggest roadblock. If I had to guess, I'd say it'll take about ten years to get the basic tactile response needed for mid-ranged immersion. By then, chances are something similar to a small version of the Oasis will already be in production even with no tactile-touch system. You know there are going to be millions interested in joining that community even if they couldn't physically touch anything. But once they can, humanity will be living more inside VR (those who can afford it) than outside.

[–] ExTechOp (2766) a year ago

Regarding tactile feedback, ever see the "rubber arm experiment"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYQLFl-hgts

If you don't want to watch, subjects "feel" what happens when a rubber arm is hit with a hammer, as long as the rubber arm is where their real arm should be.

In other words, you don't need extensive haptics to simulate "contact" in VR.

Your brain will cheerfully fill in the gaps.

[–] TandyMan (10429) 6 years ago

The Oasis, and later the MATRIX, are where humans END. Our robots will visit the cosmos and we'll become the programs. We're living in the end of days. Make no mistake.

[–] bozo_500 (12343) 3 years ago

Covid is definitely going to fast track the Oasis .. its almost like RP1 already all we need is decent VR

[–] AmeriGirl26 (12472) a year ago

I think it could, but not for another 50-100 years. It looks like the next step up from the internet as we know it, and there are many online gamers that have experienced what Wade did, just not in a virtual form.