I probably didn't word it very well but me thinking it's a gimmick and thinking I will probably have health issues with it were two separate points. I don't think it's a gimmick because of that, I think it's a gimmick for the same reason I think all previous attempts at VR headsets are a gimmick.
I'd certainly be willing to try it out but I don't see this as the future of gaming as some people are hailing it.
Oh, OK, but why are VR headsets in general gimmicks? Genuinely curious. If it's because all the others were effectively crap and sometimes born of cynicism, I might agree. Although the lack of functionality was only really a problem because the technology wasn't there then - the cynicism will return if Rift is a success, of course. It definitely is a
component of the future of gaming, but I don't think anyone believes it will displace all other forms of interaction. The fact that Valve has taken an interest in it after dedicating a lot of time into its own "wearable computing" research and that it converted and effectively captured the previous VR hopeful-but-sceptic John Carmack (who's experimented with every generation of VR tech himself) might say something, too. Ultimately, the "future" is messing with neurons directly, but until then...
Things like high density, high clarity displays are a good start (although the devkits are not there yet themselves, the right panels, in terms of spec, not tech, don't exist yet), and the biggest improvement over previous attempts is the reduction in latency and increase in accuracy of position and acceleration, which, in combination with the displays, is probably largely thanks to the boom in hand-held mobile computers. The general increase in pixel pumping power in the last 20 years means the optics can easily be pre-corrected in the pictures sent to the displays, so you don't have to live with lens distortion any more, either. It's also not as bulky nor as heavy as previous attempts (the devkits are larger than the final items will be), because of smaller manufacturing processes and reduced power requirements.
But the proof of the pudding, of course, is in the scoffing. I can't wait to be able to try it myself, no longer having room for multiple monitors and, having tried headtracking as a replacement, I might as well see if I can take that a step further.
Demo vids will look "weird" because your monitor / phone / TV / whatever doesn't move with your head like the Rift does, and your head is probably stationary anyway. It's the visual correspondence to what your inner ear is feeling that is what's (apparently) so convincing, and why the latency was so important - you won't get that watching a video of it!
