A video from Microsoft’s research labs shows how the new system works using an Oculus, an Xbox One Kinect sensor, a button, and a single trackable box.
Using haptic retargeting, which subtly alters the camera to trick the viewer into thinking they are picking up a new block, Microsoft can use one block to simulate placing and even stacking the pieces.
New virtual reality–based technology from Microsoft can be used to trick players into perceiving false interactions with the physical world, allowing for realistic feedback when placing a block in a game like Minecraft without the need for an excessive amount of trackable bricks.
Traditional methods of placing boxes tracked in VR and interpreted by software would require real-world boxes for each in-game block, meaning that if you wanted to build a castle in Minecraft you’d need hundreds of individual blocks.