Why isn't anyone here talking about virtual reality?

[em2nought]

This free VR ride along on a Lancaster over Berlin looks cool for somebody with virtual reality gear. I thought I'd mention it here as it might not get seen in a thread I started. LOL

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5134 ... lin_Blitz/

[AWS260]

I have now tried VR for the first time. For his birthday, we took my kid to a VR arcade in our area. He mainly played Minecraft (of course) and Job Simulator (hilarious). I tried Richie's Plank Experience (very fun) and Beat Saber (which is basically Guitar Hero).

I had a good time, but now that I've tried it, I have no desire to invest in VR gear for my home. The games are fun, but not any more gripping or engaging than a good non-VR video game.

[Paingod]

I had a good time, but now that I've tried it, I have no desire to invest in VR gear for my home. The games are fun, but not any more gripping or engaging than a good non-VR video game.

I agree that I don't have much use for virtual gaming as well. Despite not showing any great enthusiasm for it, my wife picked me up the stand-alone Occulus GO unit, which is basically a self-contained gaming console with WiFi access. The games aren't anything to write home about, but some of the content I've downloaded has been pretty nice, and I have to admit that for $200 it's hard to beat the immersion you can get with movies on a big screen in front of your eyes. I sometimes just chill with the VR headset on and watch Netflix in the virtual theater. It's kind of neat to be able to lay down and watch a movie without craning my head and neck. It's not HD or 4K viewing, but it's fine for what it is.

[wonderpug]

Oculus Rift S announced

• $400 and coming pretty soon
• Inside out tracking (no sensor cameras needed)
• better resolution
• reduced/eliminated screen door effect and god rays
• slightly better field of view
• but non-adjustable lenses now, LED instead of OLED, questionable change to audio arrangement

[jztemple2]

Oculus Rift S announced

• $400 and coming pretty soon
• Inside out tracking (no sensor cameras needed)
• better resolution
• reduced/eliminated screen door effect and god rays
• slightly better field of view
• but non-adjustable lenses now, LED instead of OLED, questionable change to audio arrangement

I was looking through the web site via your link and I saw that one of the recommended requirements was "3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port". Do you know why so many? Just wondering.

[wonderpug]

Oculus Rift S announced

• $400 and coming pretty soon
• Inside out tracking (no sensor cameras needed)
• better resolution
• reduced/eliminated screen door effect and god rays
• slightly better field of view
• but non-adjustable lenses now, LED instead of OLED, questionable change to audio arrangement

I was looking through the web site via your link and I saw that one of the recommended requirements was "3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port". Do you know why so many? Just wondering.

Really not sure -- another article said it only needs 1 port. I'm guessing the 2.0 port is if you want to hook up a wireless Xbox controller, but I don't get what the extra two USB 3.0 ports would be if there aren't any sensors to hook up anymore. Maybe you have the option of plugging in more than one to give the headset more bandwidth?

[coopasonic]

Guys, please remember... we're NOT talking about Virtual Reality!

[jztemple2]

Guys, please remember... we're NOT talking about Virtual Reality!

Well, we're not talking about VR, we're posting about VR

I haven't as of yet had a chance to even try VR, I wish I knew someone who has a set so I could try it, but my neighbors don't game at all and I don't relish the ideal of standing in a GameStop dealing with some clerk.

[wonderpug]

Come on over to Albuquerque!

[coopasonic]

I haven't as of yet had a chance to even try VR, I wish I knew someone who has a set so I could try it, but my neighbors don't game at all and I don't relish the ideal of standing in a GameStop dealing with some clerk.

Yeah I need to see how it feels with my glasses... Or just keep playing games the old fashioned way. I mean I have a curved monitor, that's basically VR.

[rittchard]

While I'm generally a huge fan of new technologies, I just don't see home VR taking off unless some major hurdles can be overcome. The devices are way too clunky and all the wires far too prohibitive. For me it would have to be something lightweight and definitely wireless to really be useful. Having all the cables and crap attached to me just makes me feel really uncomfortable, no matter how cool the VR environment is. Of course if you believe the hype for "real" 5G, it's all possible. I'd guess another 5 years or so off still.

[Punisher]

There are plenty of wire management options available now AND the HTC Vive does have a wireless adapter/add-on that works. I have it and it DOES make a big difference without the wires. I can get about 2 hours of play out of it and it looks like some 3rd party battery options work.

[wonderpug]

For me it would have to be something lightweight and definitely wireless to really be useful. Having all the cables and crap attached to me just makes me feel really uncomfortable, no matter how cool the VR environment is.

Here you go!



The Oculus Go is completely standalone: no PC needed, no wires. Now it can't run everything the regular wired VR headsets can, but it does look like the industry is working towards VR needs like yours.

[rittchard]

OK, how about also something that doesn't make me look/feel like a whacked out cyborg lol? I'm tempted to draw some eyes on that photo so he looks like Bender.

[Hyena]

Has anyone played some of the more in-depth games, like Fallout or Skyrim on VR? In all honesty, I would go buy one now if they were worth the price of admission. Those games are the ones that really get me excited about VR. There's one archery game that looks halfway decent, too, but I haven't actually played it. Until they can do a decent job with that style game, I'm not sure I want to fork over half-a-grand for cutting glowing boxes in half or whatever graphic-lite games I've seen.

[DOS=HIGH]

Has anyone played some of the more in-depth games, like Fallout or Skyrim on VR? In all honesty, I would go buy one now if they were worth the price of admission. Those games are the ones that really get me excited about VR. There's one archery game that looks halfway decent, too, but I haven't actually played it. Until they can do a decent job with that style game, I'm not sure I want to fork over half-a-grand for cutting glowing boxes in half or whatever graphic-lite games I've seen.

Fallout/Skyrim are really good in VR with some caveats:
- Bethesda didn't put much effort into the VR aspect other than making it work. So nothing is interactive and it's the same exact game as the regular versions. Not really a big deal if you're into replaying the game though. DLCs aren't supported but I think they will work with mods/tweaks.
- It's going to take some tweaking and mods to work well, Fallout more so than Skyrim. It is a Bethesda game after all. Some people complain about performance with even high end systems. I have an i7 @ 3.5GHZ and a GTX 1070 and I'm ok with the performance and graphics because the immersion level is amazing.
- Using the Vive controllers takes some getting use to but it works fairly well once you get the hang of it. The game wasn't made for the Rift so the controls don't work as well, some people found it unworkable. I haven't kept up with the mods and tweaks so there may be a better work around now.

Skyrim is a bit better in VR since the graphics/performance seem better and the game world is visually more impressive than a post-apocalyptic wasteland. If I'm going to replay either game I'd would definitely play the VR version over the regular.

I'm away from my VR set up during the winter so I haven't been paying much attention to what's out there for the past 5 months, but there is a bunch of cool stuff available depending on your tastes. Arizona Sunshine, Dead Effect 2 VR, and John Wick Chronicles we're all good but not necessarily very long. Pinball FX2 VR is really good if you're into pinball. Google Earth VR is a big time sink for me. My nephews are gun nuts and they can play Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades all day long. I can also vouch for Elite Dangerous and American/Euro Truck Simulator working really well in VR but aren't my type of games.

[Montag]

I will say again, Subnautica is awesome in VR despite it being an afterthought. Being in an underwater environment with fish, plants, and structures at different depths make VR shine. There are flaws in the implementation, but it is a great experience.

[Hyena]

I will say again, Subnautica is awesome in VR despite it being an afterthought. Being in an underwater environment with fish, plants, and structures at different depths make VR shine. There are flaws in the implementation, but it is a great experience.

Yeah, no. That ain't happening. I almost pissed on myself the first time I saw that Leviathon coming at me through the murk. I might actually shit myself to death if I saw that in VR.

[coopasonic]

I will say again, Subnautica is awesome in VR despite it being an afterthought. Being in an underwater environment with fish, plants, and structures at different depths make VR shine. There are flaws in the implementation, but it is a great experience.

Yeah, no. That ain't happening. I almost pissed on myself the first time I saw that Leviathon coming at me through the murk. I might actually shit myself to death if I saw that in VR.

...and now I need a VR setup.

[Hyena]

I will say again, Subnautica is awesome in VR despite it being an afterthought. Being in an underwater environment with fish, plants, and structures at different depths make VR shine. There are flaws in the implementation, but it is a great experience.

Yeah, no. That ain't happening. I almost pissed on myself the first time I saw that Leviathon coming at me through the murk. I might actually shit myself to death if I saw that in VR.

...and now I need a VR setup.

Might I suggest some NASA diapers?

[Isgrimnur]

I will say again, Subnautica is awesome in VR despite it being an afterthought. Being in an underwater environment with fish, plants, and structures at different depths make VR shine. There are flaws in the implementation, but it is a great experience.

Yeah, no. That ain't happening. I almost pissed on myself the first time I saw that Leviathon coming at me through the murk. I might actually shit myself to death if I saw that in VR.

...and now I need a VR setup.

Knightshade Dragon is over in Fort Worth, and I have used his. I'm sure he could provide some advice.

[jztemple2]

I will say again, Subnautica is awesome in VR despite it being an afterthought. Being in an underwater environment with fish, plants, and structures at different depths make VR shine. There are flaws in the implementation, but it is a great experience.

Yeah, no. That ain't happening. I almost pissed on myself the first time I saw that Leviathon coming at me through the murk. I might actually shit myself to death if I saw that in VR.

...and now I need a VR setup.

Might I suggest some NASA diapers?

In space Under the sea no one can smell your shit

[Hyena]

I will say again, Subnautica is awesome in VR despite it being an afterthought. Being in an underwater environment with fish, plants, and structures at different depths make VR shine. There are flaws in the implementation, but it is a great experience.

Yeah, no. That ain't happening. I almost pissed on myself the first time I saw that Leviathon coming at me through the murk. I might actually shit myself to death if I saw that in VR.

...and now I need a VR setup.

Might I suggest some NASA diapers?

In space no one can smell your shit

Technically he'd be under water, and that would just make things...swampy. But NASA diapers are supposed to be super-absorbant. So I've heard...

[jztemple2]

I will say again, Subnautica is awesome in VR despite it being an afterthought. Being in an underwater environment with fish, plants, and structures at different depths make VR shine. There are flaws in the implementation, but it is a great experience.

Yeah, no. That ain't happening. I almost pissed on myself the first time I saw that Leviathon coming at me through the murk. I might actually shit myself to death if I saw that in VR.

...and now I need a VR setup.

Might I suggest some NASA diapers?

In space no one can smell your shit

Technically he'd be under water, and that would just make things...swampy. But NASA diapers are supposed to be super-absorbant. So I've heard...

You're right of course, so I went back and fixed it in the original post.

Subnautica is just perfect for VR, a diving mask would seem to have the same FOV as a set of VR googles, err, goggles. Damn it Google, now I can't remember how to spell goggles anymore

[em2nought]

It's funny that VR didn't tie itself to combat flight simulators seeing how those guys aren't afraid to put money into their gear, but then I haven't even bought a Track IR yet.

[DOS=HIGH]

No Man's Sky adding VR support to Playstation & Steam this summer and will be playable with the Online mode with non-VR users.

[Buatha]

Oculus Quest is out this Tuesday (May 21st). For the first time in a while, I'm looking forward to some new technology.

I own both the Rift and Vive, but this will be a nice addition to introducing people to VR. I find myself (and the kids) only doing VR with guests due to the setup of the cameras and re-arranging my living room for the experience. My Rift has found some new life with Fallout 4 VR due to its slightly clearer view and not really needing room scale due to the stick movement.

The kids always want to play Space Pirate Trainer and my other guests don't really get into the longer, atmospheric experiences, so this will become my "Wii-like" VR headset for the less savvy gamers in my life. I hope they stick to it, but reportedly, many of the existing Rift games like SPT and SuperHot won't require re-purchase for the Quest if you already own them.

[Punisher]

Does anyone know if the Quest plays all the games the regular Rift can?
Also, it looks like there are no base stations needed. I wonder if you can play outdoors for a real large play area.
I have the Vive and was thinking of getting a Rift for some of the exclusives, but this may be a better option.

[gbasden]

Does anyone know if the Quest plays all the games the regular Rift can?
Also, it looks like there are no base stations needed. I wonder if you can play outdoors for a real large play area.
I have the Vive and was thinking of getting a Rift for some of the exclusives, but this may be a better option.

It definitely will not play all of the games a normal Rift can, because it's self contained. It's running off of a mobile processor instead of being hooked up to a full blown PC.

[Buatha]

Does anyone know if the Quest plays all the games the regular Rift can?
Also, it looks like there are no base stations needed. I wonder if you can play outdoors for a real large play area.
I have the Vive and was thinking of getting a Rift for some of the exclusives, but this may be a better option.

The Quest will feature some games from the Rift, but will be optimized and simplified for its reduced computing power. It uses an overclocked mobile processor with active cooling to squeeze the most performance, but it's not going to be able to run something like Lone Echo. SuperHot apparently looks unchanged, Space Pirate Trainer has some graphical effects removed/reduced and lower resolution textures. However, with that said, Tested stated they were quite surprised what they were able to accomplish with the Vader Immortal game. Maybe as developers get better with the device, they can squeeze even more performance out of it.

For instance, you can view a comparison here on Apex on YouTube. You can see lighting and shadows have been reduced or removed altogether. The objective is to keep the experience intact at the expense of some graphic fidelity. Textures are reduced in detail if not completely removed and some environmental debris don't stick around.

It is not recommended to play it outdoors, but larger than recommended areas appear to work if you don't go nuts about it. I don't know if it affects performance if the area it tracks is larger.

EDIT: Some games already purchased will not support cross-buy, like SuperHot and Beat Saber. Damn it.

[em2nought]

Quest needs a good WWI flight sim.

[stessier]

Does anyone know if the Quest plays all the games the regular Rift can?
Also, it looks like there are no base stations needed. I wonder if you can play outdoors for a real large play area.
I have the Vive and was thinking of getting a Rift for some of the exclusives, but this may be a better option.

Ars has a review of the unit and separately a list of games ranked by "try" and "must have" for it.

From the review, it doesn't work in open outdoors, but worked fine where there was a ceiling/roof (parking garage and covered promenade). He said you can map out a space about 4 cars wide. He made it sound really cool.

[Buatha]

It has been better than I expected, but I need more time with it. I watched a YouTube 360 video in 3D on a space station. I consider myself having good VR legs, but when the camera started spinning around...I lost my balance.

I have downloaded SPT and SuperHot along with Robo Recall. I will spend some time with them this weekend as well as trying out some 3D movies. NetFlix worked fine and would be nice while traveling.

[rittchard]

I know I was on the skeptical side of the fence before, but a couple weeks ago I got an email from Kelly Clarkson about watching her concert in VR. I had an Oculus Go sitting around that I had never opened, and it turns out that was one of the devices supported. Long story short, even though the graphics were kind of lacking, I was amazed at how well it worked and how fun the experience was. It's not a game at all, it's literally just her recent concert but you are allowed to view it from multiple angles including standing right on the stage and she just runs around back and forth and right in front of you. I can see room for improvement in a lot of areas, but for the most part it was super cool. The best part though was setup was relatively easy (a few hit and miss steps), no extraneous cables all over the place, and I was able to wear my glasses underneath without too much hassle. I also did not get motion sick. Certainly felt it a little but there are regular games I play that still can have that affect on me if I'm not careful, so I was pleasantly surprised.

I was so impressed I went ahead and ordered the Quest. Haven't had a chance to try it out yet but I think I can finally say I'm cautiously on board the VR train. I can only imagine how good it's going to get as they can take advantage of the next generation of processor and graphics chips which can exceedingly do more with less power. All they need to do is shave off a little more weight (it's actually pretty close already) and tweak to improve the comfort level, etc. and it could be pretty incredible.

[wonderpug]

Well the first episode of the Vader VR game is out, but I'm now discovering that it's a limited time Oculus Quest exclusive. There apparently wasn't enough VR storefront exclusivity going on; they had to segregate even the Rift populations.

[coopasonic]

I was so impressed I went ahead and ordered the Quest.

Well the first episode of the Vader VR game is out, but I'm now discovering that it's a limited time Oculus Quest exclusive.

Well rittchard?

[Buatha]

With the options now to sideload streaming software, you can now play your SteamVR games wireless provided you have a 5 MHz network. They recommend playing in the same room as the router, but it seems to work very well.

[rittchard]

I was so impressed I went ahead and ordered the Quest.

Well the first episode of the Vader VR game is out, but I'm now discovering that it's a limited time Oculus Quest exclusive.

Well rittchard?

Whhhaaaa?? I better get my butt in gear!

I just got the Quest set up last weekend. It was really pretty cool just playing with the demo stuff. It's so stupid how much more fun it is to throw a virtual ball or airplane vs a real one. OMG I grabbed a pencil! I pushed a button!!! Woohoo!! I tried a tennis game demo and the timing was just off a tiny bit but I was still really impressed. I want to try the ping pong game I read about too.

The Quest is a bit heavier than the Go but it's definitely another level of immersion. Unfortunately I got a bad headache later on in the evening but that's not too surprising as even regular games can do that to me sometimes.

[gbasden]

I'll admit, even though it's not what I really was hoping for, the excellent reviews led me to pick one up. I now understand what I was missing with my non-roomscale Rift. The freedom of movement is amazing, and I'm really digging Beat Saber and boxing.

[wonderpug]

Tetris Effect is now available on the PC. From what I've heard, people on PSVR seem to think it's pretty amazing.

It's only available via the Epic Store, but once you install it it apparently will launch either SteamVR or Oculus, depending on your headset.