I wonder if this is why I don't find VR as compelling as some people.
I have an extreme and completely unreasonable fear of heights. It is uncontrollable and so bad that I can't even get close (2-3 feet) to the railing on the roof of a tall building without feeling like I'm going to fall off the building.
So, I've watched all these videos of people freaking out with VR on high places, like the plank thing. I figured I'd give that a try since I'm borrowing a friends Oculus Rift.
Fired up a VR experience at the top of a virtual skyscraper. And while the illusion was convincing, it engendered absolutely no fear. I was able to see over the edge no problem. I think it's because I KNOW it isn't real, so no matter how convincing the illusion, it doesn't trigger any primal emotions (like fear) or reactions.
So, things like objects flying at my face in VR while interesting don't make me feel like I need to dodge out of the way or even blink when the object is about to hit my face.
So, now I look with even more curiosity at people that have such extreme reactions to seeing things in VR.
I wonder if maybe a wider FOV would help with things like this for me, but I somehow doubt it as in my mind, I'll still know it isn't real.
I think it would require a multitude of things to get my brain to suspend disbelieve. I'd need physical stimuli to match what I see. For example, if a wind is blowing in game and vegetation is moving in response, I'd need to be able to feel a physical analogue to it which is physically correct to what I see (or close enough). I'd need physical stimuli of walking and more importantly being able to perceive differences in height in reality that matches what I see in VR. IE - perhaps that skyscraper demo thingy would trigger a reaction if when I stuck my foot over the edge and down, my real foot didn't then encounter the floor. I tried the plank thing, but that didn't help much.
In other words, I don't think I'll ever get as excited for VR as many people on these forums do. And I haven't talked with them yet, but I wonder if friends of mine who also aren't as interested in VR (having tried it extensively) as other of my friends feel the same way about it. For example, Resident Evil 7 is very well done in VR. Yet while some of my friends appear to get genuinely scared by playing it, other of my friends don't react to it any differently than when they play it on a regular display other than to appreciate the feeling of presence. The fear factor just isn't there for them as they know it isn't real.
It's something that I find absolutely fascinating when looking at how people react so very differently to things WRT VR.
Regards,
SB