I am not very interested in VR for different reasons:
1) I don't think that the current sets are comfortable enough for more than a quick session.
Also anything more complex than using a gamepad is out. Maybe with additional use of
something like Kinect...but than you need free space.
2) Why should I spend so much money for a set and a new pc?
3) There are no interesting games. Yes, they announced this and that but words are cheap
and considering the additional costs for making a standard AND different VR-Versions only AAA publisher
are going that way.
4) There is still the little part about motion sickness.

That said I am still at wait and look. Maybe it's a success like the CD-ROM...but atm NO.
Without the companies setting a standard for VR this round goes to Sony..price sells.

I can address a couple of those. For (1), the headsets are not really that heavy at all and the straps on hug snugly, although one does have to put them on correctly. People say that the Rift is lighter than the Vive, however, it is not as accommodating if one wears glasses. I wear glasses and while I have played sessions that were longer than two hours, never had any issue with the weight of the HMD.

For (2), I ended up buying a new video card (I originally had one of the AMD FX-8350 8-core processor when I acquired my Vive and the CPU was just peachy). I purchased an nVidia GTX 970 for two reasons: a) The Longest Journey 2 almost melted down the two 9800 GT GPUs I had running in SLI and b) The Witcher 3.

For (3), I have to disagree, while there are not yet any AAA titles, there are some really good experiences out there (I tend to find that the games for the Oculus are longer in play), but VR Pool Nation, Neon Retro Arcade, Holoball, Audioshield, No Limits 2, Elite Dangerous, Tilt Brush (yes, not a game), Budget Cuts, Raw Data, The Brookhaven Experiment , The Nest, (I could keep going on) there are already 200+ games available many of them quite fun and have a lot of replay value.

For (4), yes there are some games which do tend to give people VR sickness, however, this is something that has been researched extensively and many developers are doing their best to alleviate this using various locomotion techniques (teleporting to move around is one of them). As long as the refresh rate of the headset is kept at a solid 90 FPS, the player has control over their motion (and not the camera), playing room scale VR games is actually quite engaging and extremely comfortable.

I at least encourage anyone who has access to a VR demo (which are in several countries now) try it out and see for themselves, if anything, just to try the experience. I know I probably sound like I am really trying to sell it, however, I am not making any money from the endorsement. I just think it is something one should not miss out trying.

Ahhh, ok gottcha. I remember similar experiences on a ride or two at the Universal Studio's amusement park in Orlando, Florida many years ago actually. Can't remember the name of the ride(s), but it was very close to what you're describing. And, yeah, even the glasses and technology for the current 3D movies has improved greatly since the red and blue cardboard ones, just doesn't float my boat I guess.

And to the OP, I think it's awesome that you're so enthused about VR, and have taken the time to learn about the tech and tools, and even sounds like you might/ or are getting involved in some type of development. I personally have a hunch that VR will most likely be here to stay, it's just that for me....it just doesn't appeal to me much right now. It's always great to see anyone passionate about something that interests them though, so I in that regard, I wish you and others all the best in pursuing VR for whatever means and ends (or just plain old fun!) XD

My personal preconditions are at least 2-3 blockbuster AAA games on the calibre of Elder Scrolls 6 or Witcher 4 or something like that, at year-or-two-after pricing (ie: $10-30 regular, $5-15 on sale), a decent gaming GPU for $200-250 (no Scrabble/Minesweeper GPUs thanks), and the VR hardware below $400 CAD. That's my baseline, subject to change based on various factors including getting to eventually try someone else's VR and being blown away by it, tonnes of games being available easily and cheap that appeal to me and things that generally ramp up my desire greatly. I just can't see that happening any time soon though.

You're probably right on the Sony thing as far as mainstream mass market VR goes for the next year or two. Longer term I think the Vive will take the cake though. The Rift appears to be positioning itself as the "HD-DVD" of high def shiny plastic disks IMHO. :)

When people here tell that do NOT want to play VR, their statements sounds truly sincere and heartfelt. I get the impression that NOT playing VR has grown to be a vital part of their Gamer identity. But it think it is worth considering what role this VR thing has gotten, since it evoke so strong emotions.

I'm pretty exicted about VR, but I don't want to end up in a camp defending it at all cost. I mean, there is negative aspects as well. I want to acknowledge those.

The BIG problem with VR is that the available porn games looks like crap. What I have seen so far looks totally uninspired and generic, and with graphic outdated by a decade.

Another thing is that a lot of game are traditional games that have just been ported to VR. I would prefer stuff that has been build for this medium from the start. One good trick is too look for games with VR in the title - this indicate that the product is especially made for VR.

Exactly, definitely something to be "concerned" about. I keep hearing/reading on Tv or health magazine about scientist/doctors getting worried about the harmful effects of led lightning on human vision. (some of the most "sensationalist" ones going as far as calling led lighting potentially the next asbestos).

Even though led displays are considered safer than lights, it might no longer be the case when they are, like you said, kept very close to your eyes for prolonged period of time.

Personally until more scientific researchs are conducted I rather let other play guinea pigs with they eyesight. Not that I was very interested by VR in the first place, at least not in it's current state.

But seems to also have improved in the past few years (although I guess it depends on where you watch it, some places may be using older tech). We watched Gravity with active glasses, the kind which switch eyes, and are pretty heavy. Even other movies, which used passive glasses, had them pretty big. The ones we used now were a lot lighter and more comfortable (even over my prescription glasses).

Still, I can understand it not being a huge attraction. Frankly I hardly notice the difference between 720p and 1080p. Some years ago I watched a PAL (576i) movie half way through before realising I made a mistake in watching it through the wrong connection. 3D holds the same place, nice to have but not necessary in any way.

VR on the other hand is a totally different experience, due to immersion. It does need to advance technically, but I don't think it's comparable to a screen watching experience.

Regarding 720p and 1080p.....32" and smaller TV's I see very little difference (although on my 32", I can definitely notice the lower resolution when something is in the SD/576i range). 40' and larger TV's I can definitely see the difference between the 720 and 1080 res's. I think the quality of the TV will also have a bit to do it, as I have noticed differences between brands of the same size, and supposedly same features side by side in appliance stores. No doubt some of this due to the settings of the televisions and technology the tvs/monitors come with (led, plasma, backlighting, ect, and adjustments made). I agree that VR is a whole different animal...

I see the difference, I just don't pay any attention to it if the movie is interesting enough. It's the same with 3D. If the movie is enough to hold my attention, I likely won't notice. 3D or resolution is noticeable when there are deliberate lulls in the story/action to focus on them.

Oh, that sounds just like "Honey, I shrunk the audience" at Disneyland in California. Maybe 1998 or 1999? The cast from "Honey, I shrunk the kids" play up on stage (but it's a recording) and the audience (where you are sitting) gets shrunk, just like the kids were in the movie. Then the dog sneezes on us and...well... It's gross, very gross, until I realized it was just water then it was just gross, sort of gross. Each seat was rigged to provided the variety of experiences up until we are enlarged back to normal size. Fun really, especially if I focused on the feel of the effects and ignore that it's contraptions providing the effects. Wearing the glasses and having the movie be presented as an interaction with the audience itself helped with that immensely.

I wanna do this VR thing, but the hardware gotta work, y'know? I'm near-sighted, and wearing glasses. But I consider getting a laser treatment so there is as little data loss as possible between the LED displays and my optic nerves.

Still, I'm pushing forty, so soon I'm gonna turn far-sighted. The laser-clinic-guy suggested that I should keep one eye somewhat near-sighted, so I had a reading-eye when age started to kick in. Getting laser in your eyes cost $ 3000 here in Denmark.

I saw that at some point. Can no longer remember where or when. (Maybe Disneyland Paris.)

Now apparently many feature movies are made that way (or have that added). When we saw Alice there were trailers for Independence Day: Resurgence and Ice Age: Collision Course (and I think something else I don't remember), and the big superhero movies also show in 4DX. Independence Day in particular had the chairs violently jerking in all directions.

Okay, I finally got my Oculus! After having been a drooling VR fanboy for a while, I was a bit worried about what my opinion would be when I actually, you know, tried it.

But after putting on the helmet, I was sold. The level of presence and immersion fully justifies calling it VR, virtual reality. It truly feels like another reality, offering something unique which can't be archived with an ordinary monitor.

Yet, while truly breathtaking, its resolution sucks. The visuals are fantastic, but the low-res display makes it feel like some cheap toy from a cereal box. I quickly forgot about the resolution - actually, I find it amusing that we at this day and age still has to deal with geniue crappy resolution. It is a strange mix, subpar, yet futuristic and cutting-edge.

I was able to put the Oculus on while wearing my glasses, but only barely. One would think that me being near-sighted would mean that I had no problem looking at those tiny screens a few centimeters from my face. But no dice - the devices optics are set to let me focus on infinity. But I have an appointment with a clinic who are going to fix my eyes with laser, so all is well and good.

Some things irks me - The games are made for x-box controllers, a lot of games are exclussive titles and I'm gently but firmly steered towards Oculus' digital ecosystem. Also, a lot of titles feels a bit like tech demos. All this gives me a feeling that some CONSOLE has invaded my sacred PC space.

When it comes to video games, there has never been as big a game changer as VR. This is the future, but what future exactly?

I just got a grand idea:making the VR thingie a bit more personal with a pair of eyes!

Here's Instructions on how to do this: DIY VR eyes

Wow, you're the first person I've ever heard say that about the production consumer Rift. I've heard many people say that about the DK1 and DK2 developer units before, but they severely ramped up the resolution of the consumer units for the final release (and the Vive matches it as well), so I thought they had the resolution problem sorted out. Can you describe it perhaps a bit more as an experience, how it effects you? I know it's probably hard to describe though.

Also, just as an additional side data point, what resolution is your normal day to day computer display, and how big is it? I presume it is 22-24" @ 1920x1080 as that's the most popular however I'm curious how you'd contrast whatever you're using to the visual experience with the Rift.


I own 2 Logitech game pads that I don't mind using and even prefer to use with certain games (which is why I bought them), however in general I am not a game pad fan. I prefer to use the keyboard and mouse with most of my games, and only switch to the game pad when I play a game that is highly likely to work better with one, such as a platformer game (which I play very very few as I'm not terribly fond of them, but once in a while one is decent). I balk at the idea of being forced to use a game pad for VR though.

LOL!!