In a tweet by Valve writer Chet Faliszek, he has confirmed that the brilliant Aperture Science demo used in Valve’s press and public displays of SteamVR hardware at various shows, will not be exclusive to the HTC Vive and will in fact work on “All OpenVR compatible HMDs with tracked controllers”.
Open VR is the initiative underpinning Valve’s SteamVR platform, the component used by them to drive virtual reality experiences. The platform has come under scrutiny recently with suggestions that, although it is on the face of it an ‘open’ system, designed to work well with any VR hardware that support it, performance of systems other than Valve’s flagship VR Headset, the HTC manufactured Vive, was somewhat lacklustre.
See Also: Making Valve’s OpenVR Truly Inclusive for VR Headsets
Now, Chet Faliszek a Valve employee who, despite his official title of ‘Writer’ has been at the forefront of SteamVR’s presentations to the public, has tweeted that one of Valve’s key demo’s highlighting the Vive’s virtues, known as ‘Aperture Science’, will in fact work on any virtual reality hardware that support Open VR. Effectively meaning that, as and when Valve decide to release the Portal Universe themed experience to the public, those with say an Oculus Rift and appropriately tracked controllers can enjoy it too.
PAX Q: What hardware will the Aperture demo work on? A: All OpenVR compatible HMDs with tracked controllers. Not exclusive.
— Chet Faliszek (@chetfaliszek) September 1, 2015
The tweet seems to have been a response to a commonly asked question at the recent PAX Prime show, where the HTC Vive and Valve had a significant presence, demonstrating to attendees of the show.
See Also: This Full Video of Valve’s ‘Aperture Science’ VR Demo is Wonderful and Spoilerific
The demo itself has been incredibly well received by those lucky enough to try it, and of course its attachment to the much loved universe of Valve’s classic Portal franchise means it has a particular significance for gamers. The news that gamers may well enjoy the experience no matter what VR hardware they choose, so long as it supports Open VR, will come as welcome to many.
