Virtual Reality Football, in the Service of Humor

Just over a year ago we observed an experiment that managed to expose the consequences of lag through virtual reality. However, what we have here today is slightly different. A Norwegian television program decided to organize a small football match in which players wear virtual headsets. The feeds from these headsets are supposedly free of lag, but the simple change in perspective was enough to turn the encounter into something very comical...

A Virtual Football Match

It's logical that virtual headsets require some adaptation time. After all, they are much more than a pair of glasses. A good portion of users feel dizzy when using one, and there's always the factor of lag, especially when the transmission is high resolution. Even so, there are analog solutions like the headset Fat Shark Attitude V2. From a technical point of view, the Attitude V2 is more of an “FPV headset” than a virtual reality headset, but the effect is similar depending on the situation. A humor program on Norwegian television called Golden Goal decided to organize a football match and give each player one of these headsets, with the only visual reference being (apparently) a single camera installed as an eagle's eye. Here is the result.

Fortunately, the program's intention is not to mock football, but to use the sport as a medium for humor, and I think they have achieved it by a wide margin. Moreover, the show's own hosts take part in the game, experiencing this virtual chaos firsthand. The players' movement is erratic throughout the match, but it still ended 3-2, with an own goal included. Other matches organized by Golden Goal include one in which players used electric shock straps (the video is below), and another with giant inflatable spheres, which allowed some fouls worthy of a direct red card.

What conclusion can we draw from this? Beyond paying attention to the adjustment and calibration process for virtual headsets and FPV headsets... none. It was never a technical demonstration, but rather exploring an unusual path for virtual reality such as humor. Still, I find the electric shock match more satisfying...

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