Rift S

Any reports/reviews for those who already purchased one? Thinking about jumping on one, but I wanna hear some reviews first
 
I like mine. Clarity is great, love not having to worry about USB ports (cable nightmare with my home cinema built around the PC), comfort is also great for me with glasses which I did not expect at all. I'm not even thinking of getting lens inserts this time around.

I don't play a lot of active games, mostly sims or seated stuff but tracking is flawless for me even when there is only a single very dim light turned on in my room.

I'm coming from the OG Rift and I am fine with the upgrade for the price. The screen is much better but the SDE, while greatly reduced, is still very noticeable and annoying to me whenever I look at things a bit further away in the game world (as a simmer imagine how much I do that). Godrays are mostly forgettable because they are quite subtle now, it's like a 75% reduction in intensity or thereabout. Text readability is pretty good and colours are fine, the blacks are really not that bad.

However some games/apps were clearly tailored for OLED screens that weren't allowed to display true blacks (because of smearing) so at times you run into gray washed out blacks. This is fixable by software so I remain cautiously optimistic. See here:
The Index interests me but it's still a low resolution headset, LCD, and it'd cost me over 1k with the stations and controllers. Plus availability in my country is like late September so most likely I'll wait for next gen and stick with the Rift S.
 
I upgraded to the S. I think overall, it's a good upgrade. It has some ups and down, but I think people are putting way too much weight on the downs. But since people want to hear the bad, the biggest downside so far in my opinion is the sound quality...just the quality though. The WAY that the sound is made is better as your ears are totally unobstructed and you can hear the outside world, and the sound actually sounds more natural since it's interacting with your ear structure and not just a speaker playing straight into your ear canal. However, I did plug in an old pair of over ear JVC headphones that are very low profile and the sound quality was much improved due to more bass and volume. So I imagine someone is going to release some headphones that clip on to the Oculus Rift S. The other downside is that other people can now hear what you are doing since the sound is blasting out the side of the Oculus.

The cable is about 2 feet longer and about 50% thicker. So it has more slack and seems less prone to crimping. The cable on my 1st Rift was pretty beat up with lots of creases and bends, I was looking to replace it ($50).

The visual quality is vastly improved. The screen door effect is all but gone. You will only notice it now if you are looking for it. The god rays are nearly non-existent now. Text and fine details are much better.

Controllers are a little smaller, maybe 15-20% smaller. This works well for my small kids who use this the most. The youngest that plays on this is 6 and she had a hard time getting her hand totally over the top of the 1st gen. This one is way easier.

Tracking hasn't shown any issues for me so far. Remember that the 3 camera set up was never really an official solution and was treated as beta, plus the cameras placement was much more finicky when you went to 3+ cameras. This doesn't have any of that problem. Very easy to setup and very stable. The system also adjusts far better for the height difference between me (6'3") and my small kids. It was a hassle to switch height on the Rift 1G. I haven't played in the dark yet, so I can't comment on tracking in the dark. I didn't have any issues with the 3 cameras, but it WAS a hassle....I bought a $100 dedicated USB 3 card to deal with all the USB requirements.

The HMD is much more comfortable. Lots of padding on the pressure points. I also notice no one has the racoon eyes anymore after extended play sessions.

The nose piece seals out light better.

The "pass through" system is great. The view is distorted as hell and the depth is off, but you can very plainly see real life around you for when you need to interact briefly with the real world.

I like what Oculus has done. They have made a much better product, that didn't require substantial hardware upgrade. More resolution isn't the answer to making things look better. It helps, but it also increases the hardware requirements. My 1070ti is still sufficient to play games. $1000 VR setup, plus a $700 video card just isn't in the cards for many people.
 
Just ordered my first oculus S (first since the DK2). Comes in Tuesday. Super excited but have no idea what games are amazing.
 
no idea about the games? why'd you buy it then...

Lone Echo is pretty universally liked, and robo recall, beat saber maybe

for newbies though, it might be better to start with simpler/classic games, like Job Simulator, The Climb, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (with a friend), Superhot, then gradually get into the more intense/amazing games
 
I upgraded to the S. I think overall, it's a good upgrade. It has some ups and down, but I think people are putting way too much weight on the downs. But since people want to hear the bad, the biggest downside so far in my opinion is the sound quality...just the quality though. The WAY that the sound is made is better as your ears are totally unobstructed and you can hear the outside world, and the sound actually sounds more natural since it's interacting with your ear structure and not just a speaker playing straight into your ear canal. However, I did plug in an old pair of over ear JVC headphones that are very low profile and the sound quality was much improved due to more bass and volume. So I imagine someone is going to release some headphones that clip on to the Oculus Rift S. The other downside is that other people can now hear what you are doing since the sound is blasting out the side of the Oculus.

The cable is about 2 feet longer and about 50% thicker. So it has more slack and seems less prone to crimping. The cable on my 1st Rift was pretty beat up with lots of creases and bends, I was looking to replace it ($50).

The visual quality is vastly improved. The screen door effect is all but gone. You will only notice it now if you are looking for it. The god rays are nearly non-existent now. Text and fine details are much better.

Controllers are a little smaller, maybe 15-20% smaller. This works well for my small kids who use this the most. The youngest that plays on this is 6 and she had a hard time getting her hand totally over the top of the 1st gen. This one is way easier.

Tracking hasn't shown any issues for me so far. Remember that the 3 camera set up was never really an official solution and was treated as beta, plus the cameras placement was much more finicky when you went to 3+ cameras. This doesn't have any of that problem. Very easy to setup and very stable. The system also adjusts far better for the height difference between me (6'3") and my small kids. It was a hassle to switch height on the Rift 1G. I haven't played in the dark yet, so I can't comment on tracking in the dark. I didn't have any issues with the 3 cameras, but it WAS a hassle....I bought a $100 dedicated USB 3 card to deal with all the USB requirements.

The HMD is much more comfortable. Lots of padding on the pressure points. I also notice no one has the racoon eyes anymore after extended play sessions.

The nose piece seals out light better.

The "pass through" system is great. The view is distorted as hell and the depth is off, but you can very plainly see real life around you for when you need to interact briefly with the real world.

I like what Oculus has done. They have made a much better product, that didn't require substantial hardware upgrade. More resolution isn't the answer to making things look better. It helps, but it also increases the hardware requirements. My 1070ti is still sufficient to play games. $1000 VR setup, plus a $700 video card just isn't in the cards for many people.
What games do you play? The biggest for me is the controller working all the time at prone position to standing up and reaching behind your back.(Onward) I love my 4 sensor setup.
 
no idea about the games? why'd you buy it then...

Lone Echo is pretty universally liked, and robo recall, beat saber maybe

for newbies though, it might be better to start with simpler/classic games, like Job Simulator, The Climb, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (with a friend), Superhot, then gradually get into the more intense/amazing games
Well, what I meant, they all have seemed amazing so far from what I've seen of youtube. Got myself Skyrim VR, Hellblade, Pavlov, Robo Recall, Beat Saber, and Superhot VR for when it comes in. I've played robo recall and I think that game alone would be worth the price of the VR headset...to me anyway.
 
What games do you play? The biggest for me is the controller working all the time at prone position to standing up and reaching behind your back.(Onward) I love my 4 sensor setup.

I haven't played it that much, to give enough assurance about the tracking. I play the usual games like Lone Echo & Space Pirates. I mostly live through my kids now, them playing it, makes me feel good about my purchase. I played The Climb, and I think I remember forcing it to get lost by pulling my hands in. But in normal operation I haven't noticed a problem. I always had some major tracking problems in Elite Dangerous...just with my head, I don't play with Touch controllers on that game. I haven't retried with the Rift S to see if that was a game anomaly or hardware anomaly.
 
Well, what I meant, they all have seemed amazing so far from what I've seen of youtube. Got myself Skyrim VR, Hellblade, Pavlov, Robo Recall, Beat Saber, and Superhot VR for when it comes in. I've played robo recall and I think that game alone would be worth the price of the VR headset...to me anyway.

Skyrim VR is fascinating. Lone Echo also is. Elite Dangerous and that other space flying game are also fun since you get the real effect of size and depth.

Also....no joke...Google Earth is amazing! Street View is really cool.
 
So the headset i bought from kyle has been great, but now its starting to get annoying. I was in iRacing the other day, leading and poof....headset goes black and I get the oculus has lost connection to the headset. I've had this issue for a while now. Cable has never been twisted, looks pretty much brand new. Used some electrical tape to try and keep the connector from actually moving as that's what seemed to do it the most. Debating between an S and just spending the money for the Valve Index.
 
Well, what I meant, they all have seemed amazing so far from what I've seen of youtube. Got myself Skyrim VR, Hellblade, Pavlov, Robo Recall, Beat Saber, and Superhot VR for when it comes in. I've played robo recall and I think that game alone would be worth the price of the VR headset...to me anyway.

Those are pretty solid gaming choices. Should keep you occupied for a while. :)
 
What games do you play? The biggest for me is the controller working all the time at prone position to standing up and reaching behind your back.(Onward) I love my 4 sensor setup.

I caved last week and bought a Rift S. Waited until one showed up in a retail store next to me, because I fully expected that I would be returning it and didn't want the trouble of posting it. Just like you I have a 4 sensor Rift setup and didn't think the Rift S would be any sort of upgrade. My honest first impressions were the following.

1. The Touch controllers didn't feel as good as the old touch controllers. I hated them at first.
2. The headset felt great to wear, really comfortable. Didn't have an issue with the build quality.
3. Audio, wasn't as bad as I was expecting based on what I was reading on various forums, but, not nearly as good as the Rift.
4. Tracking. It was ok, again, better than what I was expecting, but no where near as good as a 4 sensor setup.
5. Oculus games worked better than Steam games. Steam games had worse tracking and worse audio.
6. Setup: So easy, I mean so easy. Drawing the Guardian boundaries is simplicity itself.
7. The Picture. WOW, just wow. So clear. Everything looked amazing. How was I going to go back to the Rift?

OK, those were my first impressions after my first day of use. After thinking about, I decided I would play with it for a week and return it inside the 7 day window. I was really going to miss the improved visuals. But, 2 things happened on day two of my ownership that changed my mind.

First. I didn't realise it, but, Oculus released an update, firmware 1.38. My headset updated to it when I went to play that day.
Second. Steam also released an update to Steam VR.

The results were fantastic. Tracking much improved and the sound quality also received a boost.

Things improved even more with the 1.39 update that arrived a couple of days ago. Tracking is now nearly perfect. I am keeping the headset, there is no way I could go back to the Rift now.
 
Just ordered my first oculus S (first since the DK2). Comes in Tuesday. Super excited but have no idea what games are amazing.
Man you're in for a treat ;) games I'd say you have to start with superhot, Arizona sunshine, rec room (free and full of kids but if you play later at night it's alot funner), Pavlov, robo recall
 
I caved last week and bought a Rift S. Waited until one showed up in a retail store next to me, because I fully expected that I would be returning it and didn't want the trouble of posting it. Just like you I have a 4 sensor Rift setup and didn't think the Rift S would be any sort of upgrade. My honest first impressions were the following.

1. The Touch controllers didn't feel as good as the old touch controllers. I hated them at first.
2. The headset felt great to wear, really comfortable. Didn't have an issue with the build quality.
3. Audio, wasn't as bad as I was expecting based on what I was reading on various forums, but, not nearly as good as the Rift.
4. Tracking. It was ok, again, better than what I was expecting, but no where near as good as a 4 sensor setup.
5. Oculus games worked better than Steam games. Steam games had worse tracking and worse audio.
6. Setup: So easy, I mean so easy. Drawing the Guardian boundaries is simplicity itself.
7. The Picture. WOW, just wow. So clear. Everything looked amazing. How was I going to go back to the Rift?

OK, those were my first impressions after my first day of use. After thinking about, I decided I would play with it for a week and return it inside the 7 day window. I was really going to miss the improved visuals. But, 2 things happened on day two of my ownership that changed my mind.

First. I didn't realise it, but, Oculus released an update, firmware 1.38. My headset updated to it when I went to play that day.
Second. Steam also released an update to Steam VR.

The results were fantastic. Tracking much improved and the sound quality also received a boost.

Things improved even more with the 1.39 update that arrived a couple of days ago. Tracking is now nearly perfect. I am keeping the headset, there is no way I could go back to the Rift now.
Have you played Onward with it? Putting the controller right near your head/eye, or on the ground and such?
 
Well, what I meant, they all have seemed amazing so far from what I've seen of youtube. Got myself Skyrim VR, Hellblade, Pavlov, Robo Recall, Beat Saber, and Superhot VR for when it comes in. I've played robo recall and I think that game alone would be worth the price of the VR headset...to me anyway.

Lifelite, be sure to also pick up Lone Echo which others have recommended. The VR mechanics, environments and detail in that game are simply amazing. It's extremely polished and really showcases what is possible in VR as to presence/immersion and really placing you inside of a game... you completely forget about where you are in real life. While a few of the puzzles you encounter can become a bit tedious/repetitive, the story itself is really good and the VR "experience" is really incredible. You've also got the horsepower to dial up the super-sampling a bit. Trust me, you won't be disappointed with Lone Echo.
 
Have you played Onward with it? Putting the controller right near your head/eye, or on the ground and such?

Haven't played Onward. But, the controllers now work perfectly when they are beside your face.
 
Haven't played Onward. But, the controllers now work perfectly when they are beside your face.
Touching your face/HMD? How about behind your back? Some games require you grab from a backpack and some its in the back waist high.

EDIT: I just watched a few youtube video's playing Onward and it was not the best. They really need to
have the external sensors as well.
 
Last edited:
I forget which game it was, but interacting with stuff behind you wasn't working at first then the devs made an update and fixed it... could be the case with Onward that they just haven't enabled that bit of logic (using accelerometers to estimate location while in occluded zones)
 
Touching your face/HMD? How about behind your back? Some games require you grab from a backpack and some its in the back waist high.

EDIT: I just watched a few youtube video's playing Onward and it was not the best. They really need to
have the external sensors as well.

Yeah, touching the HMD on the side and in the front now tracks perfectly.

The 1.39 firmware is still only in the Public Test Channel in Oculus. When it gets the final release chances are Onward will probably need an update too.

If they keep improving at this rate then soon people won't be able to tell the difference between a 4 sensor setup and this.
 
Got my rift s. Hooked it up and played an hour during lunch.

I haven't played since the DK2, other than a bit during a best buy demo....the experience is hands down, amazing. Rift S was weird to get situated at first but once everything is setup, it's great.

Played beat saber and superhot....beat saber was a lot of fun, but Superhot was just fantastic. That was the most fun I had playing a game in a loooong time. Reminds me of how it felt playing my first 3D game after years of NES, SNES.

If anyone is on the fence about getting VR...just do it.
 
Got my rift s. Hooked it up and played an hour during lunch.

I haven't played since the DK2, other than a bit during a best buy demo....the experience is hands down, amazing. Rift S was weird to get situated at first but once everything is setup, it's great.

Played beat saber and superhot....beat saber was a lot of fun, but Superhot was just fantastic. That was the most fun I had playing a game in a loooong time. Reminds me of how it felt playing my first 3D game after years of NES, SNES.

If anyone is on the fence about getting VR...just do it.
Man superhot was my wtf how does this even exist moment in VR, it's such a spectacular game. Perfectly simple concept with excellent execution. Like I said before rec room and Pavlov get 90% of my VR time, rec room can be toxic now towards teleporting VR players so I'd suggest either only playing later at night or use full locamotion for movement. Pavlov is the VR equivalent of counter strike and I love it.
 
Man superhot was my wtf how does this even exist moment in VR, it's such a spectacular game. Perfectly simple concept with excellent execution. Like I said before rec room and Pavlov get 90% of my VR time, rec room can be toxic now towards teleporting VR players so I'd suggest either only playing later at night or use full locamotion for movement. Pavlov is the VR equivalent of counter strike and I love it.
Yeah I picked it up...controls are a bit weird until you get the hang of them.

I have hardwoods and standing up to play VR for hours made me realize I need to wear my memory foam house shoes...my back is killing me!

Great workout in a weird way though! Feels like a whole new world of gaming has opened up for me.
 
Yeah I picked it up...controls are a bit weird until you get the hang of them.

I have hardwoods and standing up to play VR for hours made me realize I need to wear my memory foam house shoes...my back is killing me!

Great workout in a weird way though! Feels like a whole new world of gaming has opened up for me.
I bought a big wrestling mat for me to stand on. It's about an Inch or so thick. Good for prone position.
 
I bought a big wrestling mat for me to stand on. It's about an Inch or so thick. Good for prone position.
That's a great idea...it'd also help you tell if you're completely in the play area.

So seeing how the audio is...ok...anyone have recommendations on earbuds for the rift s? I tried mine but the cable is too long and I keep yanking it. I guess a velcro tie could help, but just wondering what others are doing.
 
That's a great idea...it'd also help you tell if you're completely in the play area.

So seeing how the audio is...ok...anyone have recommendations on earbuds for the rift s? I tried mine but the cable is too long and I keep yanking it. I guess a velcro tie could help, but just wondering what others are doing.

There are two solutions out there that people seem to like. Both are using Koss Headphones. The Koss KSC75, which is the solution I am going with or the Koss Porta pro.

The Koss Porta pro is more expensive but you don't need to do any modifications, it fits perfectly over the Rift S.

Here is the Koss KSC75 solution

 
There are two solutions out there that people seem to like. Both are using Koss Headphones. The Koss KSC75, which is the solution I am going with or the Koss Porta pro.

The Koss Porta pro is more expensive but you don't need to do any modifications, it fits perfectly over the Rift S.

Here is the Koss KSC75 solution


Wow, is the sound really that bad of the stock unit?
 
I have tested a few, I will say the Display in the rift S is superior even to higher res and refresh rates out there.
Exception might be car games, but in all other scenario's it's just felt a lot better.
No grid, no black level issues, good colors.
HTC pro owners are even shocked that their expensive kit isn't so superior after all, valve index is next on the test list :)

FOV is a little low, tracking and all that for rift S is really good so all in all I love it hardware wise.

Software is a bit wonky, the filtering and drivers with the tracking when in game is probably one of the absolute best out there.
MY issues are update issues, install issues, no audio, service haven't started, made a psh script to handle service, audio and such but install and updates are beyond me.

The renowned static issue is a bit annoying, what's most annoying is that we can't get a good statement from them about it... or on update\install issues other than "we're working on it".
Static issue is not gamebreaking at all, I don't even loose my concentration in beatsaber expert+ runs.

I have few but some tracking issues, Tape on the battery so it doesn't get pushed down by the force of fast swings fixes that issue which is one you get to on expert songs.
Doing consistent 100% full combo S ranking 87% on expert with a rift S :)
Expert +, above head tracking is my only sometimes issue, I record to verify it's not something I just think :)
 
Wow, is the sound really that bad of the stock unit?

Nope, it's been pretty good for me, brilliant positional audio, just lacking a bit of bass.

Well, I should actually qualify that 'Nope' I think it depends entirely on the shape of your head and what the position the straps end up.

It's only a $15 mod though, I spent more on that getting adapter cards, extra sensors etc for the Rift.
 
Nope, it's been pretty good for me, brilliant positional audio, just lacking a bit of bass.

Well, I should actually qualify that 'Nope' I think it depends entirely on the shape of your head and what the position the straps end up.

It's only a $15 mod though, I spent more on that getting adapter cards, extra sensors etc for the Rift.
Yeah, but dam the sensors work awesome. I think I have to just look at HMD's with the lighthouses from now on. :(
 
Yeah, but dam the sensors work awesome. I think I have to just look at HMD's with the lighthouses from now on. :(

I think you actually need to try the Rift S yourself. I have a 4 sensor setup and I will never go back to it. I thought I would miss it, but I don't.
 
I think you actually need to try the Rift S yourself. I have a 4 sensor setup and I will never go back to it. I thought I would miss it, but I don't.
It all depends on the game you play. So far from the reviews, I would not get anything without sensors. WAY too many problems still on some games.
I would rather spend the money on awesome tracking instead of just ok, it works on these good, ok, on those, etc.
 
It all depends on the game you play. So far from the reviews, I would not get anything without sensors. WAY too many problems still on some games.
I would rather spend the money on awesome tracking instead of just ok, it works on these good, ok, on those, etc.

All those reviews are before the 1.39 update though but, since it's not out officially, it's no surprise that there are no proper reviews with 1.39.

To put in context of the Rift, It's like comparing the tracking on the rift before the 1.12 update and the tracking after the 1.12 update. Yes, it's that big of jump. I literally have to look for ways to break the tracking. But, any game that I just play, it's flawless. Games that I have played since include, War dust, Sairento, Rec Room, In Death, Wizards, Space Pirate Trainer, Eleven Table Tennis, Thrill of the Fight and Gorn. Also did a run through the Lab on Steam.
 
All those reviews are before the 1.39 update though but, since it's not out officially, it's no surprise that there are no proper reviews with 1.39.

To put in context of the Rift, It's like comparing the tracking on the rift before the 1.12 update and the tracking after the 1.12 update. Yes, it's that big of jump. I literally have to look for ways to break the tracking. But, any game that I just play, it's flawless. Games that I have played since include, War dust, Sairento, Rec Room, In Death, Wizards, Space Pirate Trainer, Eleven Table Tennis, Thrill of the Fight and Gorn. Also did a run through the Lab on Steam.
Yeah, those are pretty much in front of you things. I have played some games where I am on the ground and have to grab stuff and such.
No problem with my sensors since they surround me. I like the immersion and do not want tracking to interfere. I am sure its better, but the sensors just do better.
 
Rift owner with no real complaints, bought a Rift S and am yet to be able to actually use the thing.
Issue is controllers freeze in space, can still tilt/rotate/use buttons, but they will not move from where they freeze at.
I've been going through the usual stuff with tech support and they seem to have run out of ideas. Takes 2-10 minutes
for it to hang up. B450 motherboard, gtx 1080. I've gotta crawl back and plug it into the Intel box that runs the Rift
fine and see what it does there. For the few minutes it works, it seems to work well lol....
 
with the latest PTC, all my tracking issues have been resolved.

Biggest problem I face right now though is the right "grip" button being delayed on release. Makes it really hard to throw/drop things consistently...in pavlov and Contractors I've grenaded myself several times. Weird thing is, removing the magnetic battery cover seems to resolve the issue.

I've been told reinstalling oculus will fix the issue, but I'm avoiding that because I'm not sure if I'll have to redownload games as well, which would be a problem seeing my data cap is always looming over me.
 
Just ordered my Rift s to compliment and maybe replace my rift. I do alot of out of town work and I'm super excited to be able to bring my laptop/rift s to my hotel.

Depending on how it works I may just sell my rift and just swap the S between my laptop and desktop when I get home.
 
Back
Top