14 DAY TRIAL // A number of Oculus Rift packages are now getting into the hands of gamers all over the world, and some of them are disappointed to find that they are having a relatively hard time when it comes to getting access to applications that are not distributed via the official store.
The company states on a support page, "Certain developers may create applications for Rift using the Oculus SDK that are not distributed through the Oculus platform. While Oculus allows this, applications from such developers have not been reviewed by Oculus for security, comfort, content, or health and safety. We term these applications as coming from 'unknown sources.'"
Those who want to get access to applications coming from unknown sources will have to start the dedicated app, then select the gear icon in the upper right and choose Setting, then General, then the Unknown Source section, and use the toggle to activate the feature.
Tim Sweeney from Epic Games is one of the game developers who say that the Oculus Rift treats titles coming from trusted makers like Epic Games and Steam like second-hand citizens, which can create problems in the long term.
He adds that the Android store shows how easy it is to create restrictions by simply requiring that teams receive approval before getting on the official marketplace.
The Oculus Rift is the first VR platform to arrive on the market
The policy about unknown sources might change in the future, but the team working on the Oculus Rift could also keep it in place to make sure that it is relatively hard for apps that have not been approved to get on the device.
It's clear that the Vive, which is arriving in April and is created by HTC and Valve, has a similar approach because gamers will get all content associated with it via the Steam digital distribution service.
Sony is planning to launch its own PlayStation VR solution, which is linked to the PlayStation 4, in October for 399 dollars or Euro.
All platform holders will be eager to make sure that it is relatively hard for users to get access to mature or inappropriate apps for their virtual reality devices.
But the three companies will also have to balance the need to control content with the fact that they will sell more devices as long as they keep the platforms as open as possible to spur innovation.