Oculis Rift preorders are up Jan.6th

ochadd said:
I tried ordering for hours off and on to find the ship date is May. I thought it would be fun to be an early adopter but now I'm just going to wait for the controllers and see how it all shakes out :(
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"Fun" and "early adopter" don't generally go together. :D
 
Personally I already backed a project a augmented reality project a while back called CastAR, they are refunding me my money as an early backer and then sending me the released commercial version of the product for free :). So I have no real interest in the current VR sets at the moment.

Personally the big issue I have is I don't want to have multiple headsets laying around just like driving wheels and flight sticks. They should come up with an open standard for what features it needs to support and then come back and sell to consumers. I want a single VR headset that is usable on ALL my devices by just plugging it in. I don't want one made specifically for every console, device or PC. Only then would I probably jump in. I am DONE with format wars. I don't mind if they have to sell an add on processor box for each of the weaker console, as long as the headset itself is universal because that will probably the most expensive part.
 
Stiler said:
I don't get it.

They are backed by the VERY deep pockets of Facebook.

They surely want VR to "take off" and get as many people behind it as possible.

600 bucks? Good luck with that, they priced themselves right into staying a "niche" product.

All the forums I read and news posts you can tell.

The vast majority of people are now waiting for Vive and Playstation VR instead, and if those are priced like this I really do not see VR going anywhere.

This was just an incredibly stupid price point imo. I mean surely they understand that they need to get a good early adoption and install base if they want VR to take off and developers to actually MAKE GAMES for it right?

They should have used facebooks deep pockets to eat some of the cost (like many console makers do) to ensure that the "normal person" can afford it and that it has great early adoption and gets a good sized install base ASAP.

From this price point it's going to be a wait and see for many people, which means the install base won't be huge, which in turn means many developers will also take a "Wait and see" approach which means less games and we end up with another Virtual Boy all over.
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You need a PC that can get a solid 90 fps at 2160×1200 for it to be a good experience. The Oculus website recommends a NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater video card.

A "normal person" doesn't even have the hardware to adequately run a Rift. Most hardcore gamers don't even have the hardware.
 
I am really interested in all this VR stuff, but not for $600. That's too much. Any it may be an appropriate price for the tech, but that doesn't mean it's an appropriate price to gamble on. Someone earlier compared it to the price of a quality G-Sync monitor, which I have. The difference is, before I'd owned a G-Sync monitor, I new I wanted to upgrade. Even if for some reason I didn't like G-Sync, or didn't notice a difference, I was still getting a much improved monitor (bigger, better resolution, better quality, etc). I wasn't risking $600 if I hated it, I was risking somewhere around $200 versus what it would cost for a non-gsync equivalent to my monitor. That's an easier risk to take. But with this... what if I don't like it? What if it gives me headaches? Or makes my head to hot? Or causes too much eye strain? Or I can't use it for long periods? It could be great, but it could also be a $600 paperweight if my eyes don't agree with it.

For now, I'll sit tight. I'll wait for some competition to arise. It would also be nice to see Oculus release a stripped down version. I already have an X1 controller, I don't need a second. I also don't need their likely crap headphones. Scrap those and drop it by $100 and it becomes at least more interesting to me.
 
things like eye strain, nausea, headaches etc can't be accurately explained in a review because they are unique to each individual...so I'm wondering if you almost have to demo this somewhere before buying...will people who don't react well to 3D automatically not be suitable candidates for VR?
 
Viper87227 said:
I am really interested in all this VR stuff, but not for $600. That's too much. Any it may be an appropriate price for the tech, but that doesn't mean it's an appropriate price to gamble on. Someone earlier compared it to the price of a quality G-Sync monitor, which I have. The difference is, before I'd owned a G-Sync monitor, I new I wanted to upgrade. Even if for some reason I didn't like G-Sync, or didn't notice a difference, I was still getting a much improved monitor (bigger, better resolution, better quality, etc). I wasn't risking $600 if I hated it, I was risking somewhere around $200 versus what it would cost for a non-gsync equivalent to my monitor. That's an easier risk to take. But with this... what if I don't like it? What if it gives me headaches? Or makes my head to hot? Or causes too much eye strain? Or I can't use it for long periods? It could be great, but it could also be a $600 paperweight if my eyes don't agree with it.

For now, I'll sit tight. I'll wait for some competition to arise. It would also be nice to see Oculus release a stripped down version. I already have an X1 controller, I don't need a second. I also don't need their likely crap headphones. Scrap those and drop it by $100 and it becomes at least more interesting to me.
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I'm guessing Microsoft made some sort of deal with them to bundle the controller so I doubt that is actually increasing the price. They built in headphones because regular headphones don't fit well around the headset hardware, so you can't really cut costs there either.

I totally agree with you on the risk though. I tested out a DK2 and the resolution was way too low for me. Everything looked very pixelated and there was a prominent screen door effect. I know they improved the resolution but I'm doubtful it will be enough for me.

I'm definitely waiting it out to see my options, and I'm going to try them out to be sure they're good enough before I consider buying them.
 
polonyc2 said:
things like eye strain, nausea, headaches etc can't be accurately explained in a review because they are unique to each individual...so I'm wondering if you almost have to demo this somewhere before buying...will people who don't react well to 3D automatically not be suitable candidates for VR?
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Pretty much, as of right now, there's no way to accurately gauge your ability to use an HMD like the Rift without strapping it on and finding out. There's also a level of acclimation most users have to go through. Not many people can strap this on and play for hours without experiencing some sort of negative effects. Initially, I could only do about 20-30 minutes before a slight nausea kicked in, nothing like wanting to go vomit my brains out...just like I ate too much or something. After 2-3 sessions of that I was able to bump it up to a about an hour or two. I've probably used my DK2 about 20 hours over....a long time...a year? My problem, which is probably the reason for the adverse effects is 1, both my eyes have slightly different vision so I can't get an HMD to focus perfectly on both eyes, and 2, I have a hard time seeing the image and not focusing on the individual pixels. It takes real effort to keep my eyes from refocusing on the pixels. This last issue isn't an issue with the Gear VR paired with an GS7 Edge+ so it should be remedied with the Rift as well.
 
USMCGrunt said:
Pretty much, as of right now, there's no way to accurately gauge your ability to use an HMD like the Rift without strapping it on and finding out. There's also a level of acclimation most users have to go through. Not many people can strap this on and play for hours without experiencing some sort of negative effects. Initially, I could only do about 20-30 minutes before a slight nausea kicked in, nothing like wanting to go vomit my brains out...just like I ate too much or something. After 2-3 sessions of that I was able to bump it up to a about an hour or two. I've probably used my DK2 about 20 hours over....a long time...a year? My problem, which is probably the reason for the adverse effects is 1, both my eyes have slightly different vision so I can't get an HMD to focus perfectly on both eyes, and 2, I have a hard time seeing the image and not focusing on the individual pixels. It takes real effort to keep my eyes from refocusing on the pixels. This last issue isn't an issue with the Gear VR paired with an GS7 Edge+ so it should be remedied with the Rift as well.
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so then demo'ing won't really work either because of the adjustment period...if a good number of people feel some adverse symptoms for the first few hours of use then it's almost destined to fail as most people aren't going to be willing to continue using something that makes them feel sick hoping it might get better
 
Gabe Newell walks on stage and starts speaking

"Valve has just completed our purchase of HTC. The Vive will live on. Goes on sale this May 3rd. Pricing is $333, and it comes with Half Life 3, Left 4 Dead 3, and Portal 3 with full Vive support. I CAN count to 3."

Drops mic, walks off stage, internet explodes
 
If Oculus VR needed to see profits from Rift, they would have to price it at over $1,000. Luckily for them, they are backed by Facebook and are instead attempting to create an install base with heavily subsidized hardware - a la game consoles. And just like game consoles, one can reasonably expect to see Oculus VR create a digital storefront and attempt to become profitable via the sales of exclusive movies, TV shows and apps. That is if Oculus VR can sell enough Rifts to create a large install base in the first place.

The Vive is going to cost at least twice as much as the Rift, mark my words. While Valve does in fact have a lot of cash, I don't see them subsidizing the cost of Vive.

The cost of the Rift, and the cost of an appropriately powerful desktop PC needed to game on it, should come at no surprise. It was clear from the very beginning that VR gaming would be an expensive niche for high-end electronic consumers. It may be disappointing to hear, but VR gaming will not be viable for several years, if ever. In my opinion, VR's future lies in entertainment mediums such as movies and TV, and education or occupational training.
Habibus said:
Gabe Newell walks on stage and starts speaking

"Valve has just completed our purchase of HTC. The Vive will live on. Goes on sale this May 3rd. Pricing is $333, and it comes with Half Life 3, Left 4 Dead 3, and Portal 3 with full Vive support. I CAN count to 3."

Drops mic, walks off stage, internet explodes
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No offense, but "le gabe is epic, HL3 confirmed XD" memes are dumb as all hell.
 
Can this be returned if it sucks? I regret my steam controller preorder. Don't want to do the same again with something $600
 
polonyc2 said:
so then demo'ing won't really work either because of the adjustment period...if a good number of people feel some adverse symptoms for the first few hours of use then it's almost destined to fail as most people aren't going to be willing to continue using something that makes them feel sick hoping it might get better
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Exactly my thoughts. I was going to write something in my last post about how they need to get as many demo units into retailers as they can, and before I even wrote it all the way out it clicked that messing around with one for 5 minutes inside Wal-Mart is not even close to sufficient to find out how you will react to this thing. Sure, you can see if it looks cool, or if you can see the 3D effect, but things like eye strain, nausea, headaches, fatigure, etc. are going to take several prolonged sessions to see if your affected at all, and if so, if you can over time get used to it.

Sadly, I don't think there is a good solution to it. But I think VR as a whole is going to face a pretty difficult challenge if the cost to find out is this high.

lee0539 said:
Can this be returned if it sucks? I regret my steam controller preorder. Don't want to do the same again with something $600
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This is exactly what I'm afraid of. Being an avid fan of PC couch gaming, I thought the Steam controller was going to be a game changer for me. When I finally got one, I hated it. I tried for hours to like it. Anything that supported a gamepad was way better with an Xbox pad, and anything that didn't was too cumbersome to make me want to play on my couch versus my desktop. Thankfully, Valve is good about returns. I had to pay return shipping, but I get a full refund including the initial shipping cost. For the cost of $7, I'm happy knowing it's not for me. For that reason alone, I'm inclined to sit tight and wait for Valve's offering. I can't imagine they will switch up their return policy just for the Vive.
 
Yep, Palmer Luckey can suck my ballsack. The Vive could be 700 at this point and be the exact same hardware - I'd buy it over the Rift.

He's a lying sack of shit.
 
polonyc2 said:
so then demo'ing won't really work either because of the adjustment period...if a good number of people feel some adverse symptoms for the first few hours of use then it's almost destined to fail as most people aren't going to be willing to continue using something that makes them feel sick hoping it might get better
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Eh, from what I've read, anybody with serious adverse problems know it from the moment they put the HMD on. "VR fatigue" which is what I was referring to, can vary from person to person but goes after prolonged exposure. VR fatigue is like working a muscle, whereas VR "aversion" is more like an allergy.
 
Maybe I'm out of the loop: why is this bundled with bloat/a controller (yes, I know there is a partnership in place with M$, but that isn't a real reason though artificially bloating the price could be a real reason)? Oculus will be compatible with keyboard/mouse, right?
 
Drudenhaus said:
Maybe I'm out of the loop: why is this bundled with bloat/a controller (yes, I know there is a partnership in place with M$, but that isn't a real reason though artificially bloating the price could be a real reason)? Oculus will be compatible with keyboard/mouse, right?
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you can use any input device you want.
 
My crappy USB ports aren't compatible. Those things gave me so much trouble, had to buy a hub to alleviate some of their problems. I have two case USB 3.0 ports too, but those caused my computer to BSOD sometime back and I just won't use them.

Maybe in a year or two, I'll be able to afford a decent tower for VR. Just copy someone else's working build.
 
So anyone have answer on return policy or if it can be cancelled anytime?. I want to see if three is enough content to make it worth price
 
so mainstream movies like Star Wars, Avatar 2 etc aren't viable for VR and these movies will have to be specially made more as an interactive viewing experience?...I don't see any good VR movies being anything more then elaborate tech demos
 
polonyc2 said:
so mainstream movies like Star Wars, Avatar 2 etc aren't viable for VR and these movies will have to be specially made more as an interactive viewing experience?...I don't see any good VR movies being anything more then elaborate tech demos
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Except porn.. I grt this feeling this will take off in the porn industry first
 
polonyc2 said:
so mainstream movies like Star Wars, Avatar 2 etc aren't viable for VR and these movies will have to be specially made more as an interactive viewing experience?...I don't see any good VR movies being anything more then elaborate tech demos
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The only thing VR will be for when it comes to actual theatrical movies would be for trying to recreate that movie theater experience with friends that might not be in a local area around you to actually go to the movies.

So you could have a online Virtual Movie Theater with seats and you can choose where you sit and have some friends join in on the experience as well and enjoy a movie together, with it looking like its being projected on a screen in front of you ect.

I use Rabb.it with people all the time to stream netflix or my plex server and we can chat and watch the same thing and its all synced up nicely, so i could see something like an actual movie theater experience working well for people. Tho one of the perks about that is you basically get to choose who can enter your own personal movie theater so there would be no kids or other annoying people, unless all your friends are annoying to begin with lol.

I do not see hollywood embracing VR since it doesnt benefit the movie theater crowed in the slightest, unlike 3D where its something simple like glasses to get the experience.
 
Wildace said:
The only thing VR will be for when it comes to actual theatrical movies would be for trying to recreate that movie theater experience with friends that might not be in a local area around you to actually go to the movies.

So you could have a online Virtual Movie Theater with seats and you can choose where you sit and have some friends join in on the experience as well and enjoy a movie together, with it looking like its being projected on a screen in front of you ect.

I use Rabb.it with people all the time to stream netflix or my plex server and we can chat and watch the same thing and its all synced up nicely, so i could see something like an actual movie theater experience working well for people. Tho one of the perks about that is you basically get to choose who can enter your own personal movie theater so there would be no kids or other annoying people, unless all your friends are annoying to begin with lol.

I do not see hollywood embracing VR since it doesnt benefit the movie theater crowed in the slightest, unlike 3D where its something simple like glasses to get the experience.
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Err, you do know they are making VR movies right?

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-martian-vr-20160104-story.html
http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/26/7919177/oculus-lost-virtual-reality-film-sundance


There's also cameras for full 360 degree filming.
 
Oh wow...just checked out the site. When everyone said "controller" included I thought they meant that two-handed Oculus motion controller. Having it just be a standard XB1 controller makes the price even more of a joke.

Also, now that we have 144 Hz, G-Sync, etc...why would I spend $600 on a display with (presumably) none of that? I also already have a TrackIR, so I'd basically be paying for 3D (though I could get a 3D monitor if I really wanted) and having it attached to my face.
 
MavericK said:
Oh wow...just checked out the site. When everyone said "controller" included I thought they meant that two-handed Oculus motion controller. Having it just be a standard XB1 controller makes the price even more of a joke.

Also, now that we have 144 Hz, G-Sync, etc...why would I spend $600 on a display with (presumably) none of that? I also already have a TrackIR, so I'd basically be paying for 3D (though I could get a 3D monitor if I really wanted) and having it attached to my face.
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The price is definitely high, I won't argue that with you but, if you tried VR you'd understand how ridiculous it is to try and compare TrackIR to the Rift. Unfortunately, it has to be experienced to really grasp how much better VR can be over a monitor. I say unfortunately because there doesn't seem to be any widespread attempts to interact with consumers and get them familiar by using store kiosks and what not.

Ya know, with a $600 price point, they should have partnered with Best Buy to be the sole brick and mortar supplier in exchange for in-store demoing.
 
MavericK said:
Also, now that we have 144 Hz, G-Sync, etc...why would I spend $600 on a display with (presumably) none of that? I also already have a TrackIR, so I'd basically be paying for 3D (though I could get a 3D monitor if I really wanted) and having it attached to my face.
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Yeah i can under stand why there is no G-Sync, but it should of really at least have freesync...

seems like something so basic that any modern screen should have regardless if its on your desk or attached to your face lol.
 
Wildace said:
Yeah i can under stand why there is no G-Sync, but it should of really at least have freesync...

seems like something so basic that any modern screen should have regardless if its on your desk or attached to your face lol.
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Because you're not looking at it properly. First, Gsync is a proprietary technology and would require additional circuitry and licensing from Nvidia. People are already complaining about price, why are we wanting to add to the cost AND further reduce the market penetration from any GPU owner to Nvidia only? Second, if we use the open source version in the DP spec (Adaptive Sync), it still requires additional circuitry and reduces market penetration from anyone with a 970/290 GPUs with HDMI (which is already high) to only GPUs with a DisplayPort connection AND it has to be DP 1.2a. I barely meet the requirements now with a 290x but wouldn't using AdaptiveSync because it only has DP 1.2. Also, from what I've read, you can only get Adaptive Sync to work through hacks on Nvidia GPUs. Oculus wants the broadest market penetration they can get and I think they did their best in terms of hardware requirements. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the price...at least not until we see a teardown to see how much it actually costs to manufacture the thing.

Besides all this, the Rift already does something similar through what is called Low Persistence.
 
Won't preorder it. My rule of thumb says not to buy 1st generation of any technology - as it's most bug infested and most expensive version. I'll wait year or two to see if it will catch on or end like 3D TV. Also I'll get something more cheaper and with all the issues (or at least with most of it) removed.
 
MorgothPl said:
Won't preorder it. My rule of thumb says not to buy 1st generation of any technology - as it's most bug infested and most expensive version. I'll wait year or two to see if it will catch on or end like 3D TV. Also I'll get something more cheaper and with all the issues (or at least with most of it) removed.
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It's not REALLY a first generation....thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of DK1s and DK2s were sold with Crystal Cove also being a highly polished prototype that wasn't released to the public. There's already a library of content available for the DKs that I'm sure the devs will update to be functional in the consumer release. There's also AAA titles that will work with the Rift with minimal work and others with native support on the horizon.
 
USMCGrunt said:
It's not REALLY a first generation....thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of DK1s and DK2s were sold with Crystal Cove also being a highly polished prototype that wasn't released to the public. There's already a library of content available for the DKs that I'm sure the devs will update to be functional in the consumer release. There's also AAA titles that will work with the Rift with minimal work and others with native support on the horizon.
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yup, that was a big complaint I always seen "their never going to release a commercial version, they just keep selling newer developer versions". With the commercial version being the 4th iteration that has been publicly sold I'm thinking its going to be fairly refined. Sure prices may come down but I don't see many bugs popping up in the hardware.
 
My friend and I have one each on order, his comes in March, mine in May.
It will be interesting to see if there are any changes made after the first batch.
Chances are we wouldnt know about them, but you never know.

Its a shame to not be in the first batch, but there is a comfy feeling that minor gripes in preliminary production should be fixed.
Cant wait tbh :D

ps has anyone got Witcher 3 running on an OR devkit?
 
So much for it being in the 300s. If the Rift is going to be $600 I bet the Vive will be close to a $1000. I am going to hold out for the PS VR. I am pretty excited with what I have seen so far. The Move controllers together with the PS Eye camera are already proven to offer awesome depth and sense of 3D space so I think it'll be the better option for me. I just don't have it in me to spend $600 on a headset maybe another $150 for the controllers and then $1k on a VR system. $400 + PS VR (however much it'll be) + $40 camera + $60 for 2 move controllers is a lot more doable.
 
USMCGrunt said:
Because you're not looking at it properly. First, Gsync is a proprietary technology and would require additional circuitry and licensing from Nvidia. People are already complaining about price, why are we wanting to add to the cost AND further reduce the market penetration from any GPU owner to Nvidia only? Second, if we use the open source version in the DP spec (Adaptive Sync), it still requires additional circuitry and reduces market penetration from anyone with a 970/290 GPUs with HDMI (which is already high) to only GPUs with a DisplayPort connection AND it has to be DP 1.2a. I barely meet the requirements now with a 290x but wouldn't using AdaptiveSync because it only has DP 1.2. Also, from what I've read, you can only get Adaptive Sync to work through hacks on Nvidia GPUs. Oculus wants the broadest market penetration they can get and I think they did their best in terms of hardware requirements. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the price...at least not until we see a teardown to see how much it actually costs to manufacture the thing.

Besides all this, the Rift already does something similar through what is called Low Persistence.
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freesync works over HDMI as well, but its really not that hard for a device to have both DP and hdmi connections, and no one in their right mind would want it to have Gsync, which is why i said i understand why it doesn't have that.

as for the bloated price that is totally on Oculus for over charging, and bundling Garbage with it like an xbox controller or Eve Valkyrie to name a few things, as well as un needed features like built in headphones ect which could of easily been optional features to reduce costs for those that do not need them or want them.

Low persistence doesnt sound that great any way, it sounds like it could have strobing effects or other side effects. Having other options like freesync seems like a solid choice and if nvidia wants to keep locking out open standards and hurting their customers that is the customers fault for choosing nvidia it is not a reason to punish the rest of the community.
 
Wildace said:
freesync works over HDMI as well...
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Not yet.
http://techreport.com/review/29404/amd-will-bring-freesync-to-hdmi-early-next-year
There may be a reason why it cant be brought to market, they cant jump the gun.

as for the bloated price that is totally on Oculus for over charging, and bundling Garbage with it like an xbox controller or Eve Valkyrie to name a few things, as well as un needed features like built in headphones ect which could of easily been optional features to reduce costs for those that do not need them or want them.
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It will help you to read editorials and direct quotes.
The addons are being passed on to us at cost.
They hardly impact the price.

We are getting it at cost.
It costs what it does to get the job done right and give everyone the same experience.
 
zamardii12 said:
So much for it being in the 300s. If the Rift is going to be $600 I bet the Vive will be close to a $1000. I am going to hold out for the PS VR. I am pretty excited with what I have seen so far. The Move controllers together with the PS Eye camera are already proven to offer awesome depth and sense of 3D space so I think it'll be the better option for me. I just don't have it in me to spend $600 on a headset maybe another $150 for the controllers and then $1k on a VR system. $400 + PS VR (however much it'll be) + $40 camera + $60 for 2 move controllers is a lot more doable.
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Yar, I'll probably go the PS VR route too. Apparently there's a reported 100 games being developed for the machine, so it sounds like it will have the software to demonstrate the hardware.
 
Nenu said:
Not yet.
http://techreport.com/review/29404/amd-will-bring-freesync-to-hdmi-early-next-year
There may be a reason why it cant be brought to market, they cant jump the gun.



It will help you to read editorials and direct quotes.
The addons are being passed on to us at cost.
They hardly impact the price.

We are getting it at cost.
It costs what it does to get the job done right and give everyone the same experience.
Click to expand...

If you think there's 0 add-on cost for thousands and thousands of xbox one controllers + headsets I got pristine property in some swampland to sell you.
 
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