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How many of you think VR is the next "BIG THANG?"

How many of you think VR is the next "BIG THANG?"

  • YES, been there, done that, and it rocked.

  • NO, I am fine with my desktop thank you!

  • DUNNO, because I have not experienced it. Please come show me!

Results are only viewable after voting.
FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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How many of you think VR is the next "BIG THANG?"

Please feel free to add your comments. Not that I thought you would not.
 
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Before I tried it for myself, I never thought in a million years that I would buy one at current prices. A few months after I got to demo a Vive and now I have one.

You really can't judge it until you try one. It's actually pretty mind blowing. You are actually inside of a video game world. It's tough to explain the immersion to someone who hasn't experienced it.

Now, is it still early tech? Yes, but still worth investing in IMO.
 
I want to try it but the main issue I have in terms of mainstream acceptance is;

A: cost
B: cost to do it well (PS4 I'm looking at you with shifty eyes)
C: what the cost will be to the VR ecosystem if PS4 fucks it up (looks like it's always in reprojection..)
D: comfort - still not hearing good things about long play sessions
E: I can be very productive on a shiny new 4k 40"+ screen which is a better investment for now...
F: next year I'd expect this VR scene to be on the way to win or not
 
VR is not just for games is probably the main reason it will stick. The use and applications that would be enhanced using VR is utterly incredible. Some examples
  • Engineering field
    • Concepts to full demonstrations of new products and designs
    • Architecture walk through of planned buildings
    • Actual visually orientated physics testing while you are inside of an object
  • Scientific
    • Gather some scientist in the same room even if they are across the globe and start running experiments or using real experiment data (even in real time) using VR
    • Visual experience of actual tests or images like from a microscope/electron scope or just from a spaceship or robot on another planet where you are virtually there
  • Training
    • Endless possibilities here
  • Military
    • Training virtually could really pay off
    • Control of drones or robotic soldier
  • Entertainment
    • Movies where you are there and can look around at a given location (being able to move around would be awesome but I don't see how for movie context)
    • Of course games (driving force at this time)
It will be very interesting to see how this develops - the potentials are immensely huge.
 
it can be the next BIG thing but the same obstacles remain as with 3D- the clunky glasses/interface...people don't want to wear a giant device on their head for hours...this has been proven time and time again...I actually have had a 3D TV for years and actually liked 3D as a gimmick but I preferred traditional 2D...same will probably apply to VR...VR does have potential if implemented correctly but I don't see how it would work in any games besides simple point and click/exploration types...
 
I have a 3dtv and a htc vive, there is no comparison. Movies are generally worse in 3d and even when they're not, the effect is whatever.

VR makes even the most simple games way more fun and as more content is released, I expect I will spend the majority of my gaming time in VR
 
It's definitely something you have to try in order to really understand what it's all about. It seems like everyone who's tried it in the 90's and early 2000s wants to dismiss it without giving the current tech a fair shot. I'm glad all three of the big players in this space are making hardware demos easy to find.

That said, it'll be another 1-2 years before developers learn how to make truly groundbreaking VR games and another 3 or more before AAA developers get involved.
 
Agreed with most of the comments. We've certainly got a little ways to go until the technology and the software that pushes it gets good enough to make regular old Joes start buying it.

That said, the cool stuff is happening right now. In Chicago, the VR Meetup is just filled with cool stuff. We had a Consumer Version kickoff party to show off all the different headsets and see what other people are making. You see retail as a huge application for this already, since as opposed to multi-million dollar stores in the middle of nowhere, Walmart can now just send you a Google Cardboard and get you to tour it virtually, while still getting the same thing done. Business is going to adopt this far faster than consumers, I believe, and that'll be great for when our average Joes come along and already have the content ready for them.
 
VR is one of those things that's eternally "5-10 years away".

And it has been for most of the last 30 years.

I also think the goggles-based VR is path that's been tried (and failed) many times.

Because even though humans are visual creatures, we still are used to receiving a lot of sensory input via other avenues, auditory, balance, proprioception, touch.
This is part of why people using goggle-based VR have a tendency to get ill after protracted periods of use. Because they're receiving input information from their eyes that isn't lining up with what's being give to them by their other senses. Leading to disorientation.
 
Chas said:
VR is one of those things that's eternally "5-10 years away".

And it has been for most of the last 30 years.

I also think the goggles-based VR is path that's been tried (and failed) many times.

Because even though humans are visual creatures, we still are used to receiving a lot of sensory input via other avenues, auditory, balance, proprioception, touch.
This is part of why people using goggle-based VR have a tendency to get ill after protracted periods of use. Because they're receiving input information from their eyes that isn't lining up with what's being give to them by their other senses. Leading to disorientation.
Click to expand...

But, the gap is getting smaller. Humans haven't really changed evolution status in the past few 1000 years...however, tech has been moving at stupid rates still in comparison. Hell, even in the past few yeras massive strides have been made in terms of sensory disruption. Secondarily, before it was just a few small players in the VR arena...now you have big dogs. Even if VR phases out a bit again, massive strides have still been made. I think VR has longer legs than 3D ever did or will have.
 
I think it has a good chance at being the 'next big entertainment platform'. Even if PS VR isn't a huge success (I think it will do great and mark the mainstream 'birth' of VR), I believe VR will find success at some point.

It's the evolution of electronic entertainment, no screen is bigger than a VR headset, and mobile gaming is changing what 'social gaming' is. Read: not a shared big screen TV, but a online multiplayer experience closely integrated to social media.
 
Chas said:
VR is one of those things that's eternally "5-10 years away".

And it has been for most of the last 30 years.

I also think the goggles-based VR is path that's been tried (and failed) many times.
Click to expand...

The technology to do what the Vive and the Rift are doing was just not possible until recently. I remember those old "VR" goggles from way back in the 90s that made it supposedly look like you were watching a huge screen. That wasn't really VR, it was a simulated movie screen and a poor one at that.

Today we have full immersion, room scale, motion controls in real space. It's a huge leap forward from what has been possible, and the technology can only get better.

Right now I would say the biggest flaw is resolution. But we need massive GPU power to drive VR at a higher res, so hopefully VR will drive GPU manufacturers to start pushing the limits again. I think it's only a matter of 3-5 years before we have AAA graphics in VR.
 
I think once it matures it will be. I would love to try out the ones now but I am not paying for new tech.
From the reviews it still needs some work so I will wait.
 
I have the Samsung Galaxy VR and like it, I think that VR will certainly have a place in entertainment but it's got a long ways to go.
 
No. Only because its only actually worth it for simulations like flight or racing. I can't imagine very many main stream games where it'll be worth the hassle.
 
OEM said:
I can't imagine very many main stream games where it'll be worth the hassle.
Click to expand...

What "hassle"? Getting into a VR game is already about as easy as putting on a baseball cap (for the Rift, anyway).
 
TheSmJ said:
What "hassle"? Getting into a VR game is already about as easy as putting on a baseball cap (for the Rift, anyway).
Click to expand...

For one you can't see anything outside of the game, need to maintain a constant 90FPS etc.
 
Voted yes. I saw a story in which VR was helping paralyzed people regain some function, even with walking, though it was only in trial stages. Don't know how it works, but anything that might help my best bud (spinal injury, uses wheelchair) live a better life is hella cool in my book. (y) (y) (y)

bloodhawke83 said:
i want get into VR but too busy chasing girls. :D
Click to expand...
If VR gets good enough, we might not need girls! ;)
 
I usually hold off to gen 3 before taking the plunge. By then they should have worked out the majority of the kinks, improved FOV and video cards should be powerful enough to drive a significantly better VR experience.

If it's still popular in 2019 I'll jump on board.
 
No interest whatsoever in VR. If it is fun for U then great. Much more interested in Holographic technology, but that seems to have taken a back seat lately.
 
Most people like to sit and game. Most people don't like standing up and flailing around their living room to relax. It'd be fun for a while, but not something you could do for hours on end.

I think VR headsets will be great, but I'd much rather wear one on the couch with controller in hand, or at a desk with keyboard-mouse.
 
I say no, but just not at this time. I still dont think we have the GPU power to do it correctly.
I want screens that wrap around my entire peripheral vision(no black bars, per se), with a resolution high enough that I can't see pixel blocks, zero flickering. Also, I don't wanna turn down settings to make it work. So, like 4k in an HMD basically.
 
OEM said:
No. Only because its only actually worth it for simulations like flight or racing. I can't imagine very many main stream games where it'll be worth the hassle.
Click to expand...
Have you actually used it for racing OEM ? What is the hassle, especially for seated gaming?

DrLobotomy said:
No interest whatsoever in VR. If it is fun for U then great. Much more interested in Holographic technology, but that seems to have taken a back seat lately.
Click to expand...
Guess you have not seen all the buzz around Microsoft HoloLens lately? They are already selling to devs.
 
Bandalo said:
Most people like to sit and game. Most people don't like standing up and flailing around their living room to relax. It'd be fun for a while, but not something you could do for hours on end.

I think VR headsets will be great, but I'd much rather wear one on the couch with controller in hand, or at a desk with keyboard-mouse.
Click to expand...

Who says videogames need to be relaxing? Overwatch isn't relaxing, it's stressful as hell. And who says you need to sit to relax? I have a pool game and a minigolf game in VR that are not strenuous at all and are very chill experiences.

There's nothing wrong with VR being physically active. You don't have to play it for 8 hours straight to have a satisfying experience. 1-2 hrs a few days a week is where I'm at and it's great. Seated VR is fine but it is not nearly as immersive as standing/roomscale, outside of cockpit games.
 
Does it work for all current games or do they need to be developed especially for VR. I haven't had a chance to see one in action yet. They are for sale in New Zealand though.
 
Kyle said>>> Guess you have not seen all the buzz around Microsoft HoloLens lately? They are already selling to devs.

Hmm. I guess I did not understand what that product was actually. $3k...ouch.. Thanks for the heads up though..no pun intended.... Checking out your article/discussion now....
 
Trepidati0n said:
But, the gap is getting smaller. Humans haven't really changed evolution status in the past few 1000 years...however, tech has been moving at stupid rates still in comparison. Hell, even in the past few yeras massive strides have been made in terms of sensory disruption. Secondarily, before it was just a few small players in the VR arena...now you have big dogs. Even if VR phases out a bit again, massive strides have still been made. I think VR has longer legs than 3D ever did or will have.
Click to expand...

I dunno about "massive strides".

Basically the wearability factor has come down.
And the resolution has gone up, solving some viewability issues.

But VR itself really hasn't "advanced" all that much.

I will, however, see how much of this bleeds over into other things, like augmented reality.
 
Even with the low resolution of current VR I am blown away, imagine what it will be like when you have full HD or 4k resolution (and we will) The tech is only going to get better and its already damn impressive as is.

Bandalo said:
Most people like to sit and game. Most people don't like standing up and flailing around their living room to relax. It'd be fun for a while, but not something you could do for hours on end.
Click to expand...

I sit at my desk in my comfy chair, there is no flailing around involved. Granted I have a Gear VR and not one tied to a console. It works great with a controller.
 
I've watched a few Microsoft HoloLens videos and overall it looks pretty sweet. As for entertainment I think it's a great device. One of the downsides I've seen is the viewable area on the HoloLens is the viewable area. It's been said that if you have a 24" monitor, go back 3-4 feet and that's whats presented to you in the Hololens.
 
I remember when Virtual Reality games first came out, and were though to be the next big thing. You'd pay $10 (or whatever), stand in the middle of some standing area with some hand holds, have a headset put on you and given some kind of movement controller. Those things didn't last very long.

Fast forward 15-20 years, and the technology has finally started to catch up to what people wanted back then. To make it even better, it can be enjoyed in the home. I think this will be a niche for awhile. At least, until a CoD comes out for it and gets millions in sales. then someone in Japan will make a virtual rape simulator, or loli simulator, people will flail their arms, scream "won't someone think of the children!!!" And then nothing will happen.

The problem will be designers needing to create their products for yet another platform. I'm sure a VR CoD will be different for a monitor/TV CoD, even for the same system.
 
It'll be very niche. It has a lot of the same problems 3D movies has. For example some people simply can't use it because it makes them sick.
 
Chas said:
I dunno about "massive strides".

Basically the wearability factor has come down.
And the resolution has gone up, solving some viewability issues.

But VR itself really hasn't "advanced" all that much.

I will, however, see how much of this bleeds over into other things, like augmented reality.
Click to expand...

The biggest advances have been in accessibility. Sure, you could get something fairly similar to an oculus rift 5 years ago, but it would cost you 50 grand. It would also certainly have been much more difficult to create content for. There are ue4/unity tutorials that can have you in a functioning VR game within an hour (..and be selling it on steam in 4 hours judging by some of the stuff I've played). What does it matter if the technology already existed if nobody could use it?

The fact that the only setup is either a camera on your desk for rift, or a couple small boxes in the corners of the room for vive, also adds greatly to the accessibility.
 
I see VR being about as successful as portable DVD players, mini CDs, and Windows Vista.
 
No, but if there are enough killer apps I'll buy a VR headset. It sounds like something I personally might like. But I don't think it will catch on with the masses.
 
Vermillion said:
It'll be very niche. It has a lot of the same problems 3D movies has. For example some people simply can't use it because it makes them sick.
Click to expand...

Proper VR doesn't make you sick. What makes you sick is when the in game camera moves independently of your real world movements.

"room scale" games do not do this and therefore do not cause motion sickness. I get nauseous pretty easily as a car passenger and playing seated VR, but I have yet to experience any ill effects from room scale VR. Aside from that time my PC hard froze in the middle of a game and I almost fell over.. Wouldn't wish that on anyone.
 
pj- said:
Who says videogames need to be relaxing? Overwatch isn't relaxing, it's stressful as hell. And who says you need to sit to relax? I have a pool game and a minigolf game in VR that are not strenuous at all and are very chill experiences.

There's nothing wrong with VR being physically active. You don't have to play it for 8 hours straight to have a satisfying experience. 1-2 hrs a few days a week is where I'm at and it's great. Seated VR is fine but it is not nearly as immersive as standing/roomscale, outside of cockpit games.
Click to expand...

By "relax" I mean enjoy yourself doing something that's not work.

I can see quite a few VR experiences being worth it to get up and move around, but I'm not sure if that appeals to enough people. There's bound to be exceptions, but MOST people do like to sit down and game, and not jump all over the place. That's why the Wii and Kinect never went anywhere IMO.

I'll bet seated VR will dominate any VR market that develops over the next few years.
 
I put I DUNNO. While I think it is amazing, and I really love it, I think that it's still a niche product. It'll make a decent dent with gaming for a bit if it can be refined and made to be great at a lower price. I just don't see it hitting any kind of major market share.

In the tech industry, people are all over it. It's awesome technology. Outside of that, it's neat but it's not something someone would invest any money into.

Now - put in a "killer app", something that everyone enjoys and makes it a huge deal and it may break into the big time. I just don't see that happening.
 
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