Just Buy One

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BecauseScience

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
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I sat on the sidelines reading of SDE, lack of 4k per eye, and the usual gripes. I figured I'd wait for second gen. My interest was restricted to driving sims and maybe sit-down RPG. I had less than zero interest in room scale, thinking it was a gimmick.

The Rift Touch bundle dropped. I figured what the hell... I can resell for no loss if it's crap. I was late to the party so there was only one left locally. I picked it up.

Was it a PITA to get working. YES

Is SDE always noticable? YES

Does the resolution look like something from 2007? YES

Is it absolutely incredible and totally worth buying? YES!!!

Within two minutes of firing up Oculus First Contact I was 100% sold on VR & room scale. I was absolutely blown away by the end. I played Toy Box, Invasion, Ghost In the Shell, MISSION: ISS and I was in awe. I can't remember the last time I've been so mesmerized by a new technology.

I ordered parts for a dedicated VR build the next day.

TL;DR Just buy one.
 
Welcome to the club! Yep, it’s pretty much impossible to convey in words how VR tech isn’t a gimmick but a complete shift in how you interface with a computer. One really just has to experience it first hand, and then it really hits home. It is a game changer... literally! VR feels like you’ve shifted into another place and games like Lone Echo are just the tip of the iceberg as to what is possible... Consumer Gen 1 hardware is actually pretty good... perfect? Hell no, but by the time Gen 3 arrives, we really won’t be needing PC monitors anymore... not when you can configure and arrange as many monitors around you in VR as you like, both in shape and size... Big Screen and Virtual Desktop are two VR apps that really show off this potential as to possibilities - they are just somewhat hampered by Gen 1 resolution. I can also see VR eventually displacing TV’s to some extent as well, at least when it comes to the solo viewing experience.
 
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One of my most awkward friends (you cant tell him anything) had a go on my Rift while he was round.
But there was no need to see it because he has phone VR and isnt bothered.
He has now bought his son a PS4 Pro with VR.
I guess its not really for his son lol.
 
Here, here. Good show old bean. I fully concur with your recommended course of action.
 
Thanks guys.

I finished my Ryzen 1700 + GTX1080 VR build. I downloaded every free VR title on Steam and Oculus and have been playing through them. I've only made a small dent in the list. So far, two titles stand above all others for wow-factor.

Robo Recall: Wow. Just wow. I thought it would be 3-4 years before we'd see titles this good. Another huge revelation is that I'm ok with teleport locomotion. Before Robo Recall, I was convinced teleport-only titles would lack immersion and completely suck. My opinion was based on watching Youtube videos. Teleport in VR is a completely different experience than as watching it on a 2d video.

Nvidia VR Funhouse: Absolutely blows my mind. The graphics, physics, and immersion are unbelieveable.

What other titles are in the same league as these two?


My biggest issue with VR today is the cable. TP-Link for Rift can't come soon enough. Screen door, god rays, and FOV don't bother me nearly as much as the cable. God Rays come in second. SDE and FOV aren't even on my radar.

The Rift Touch controllers are genius, so very well done from a design/engineering standpoint. Build quality is a little cheap but they're good enough. The only upgrade I can imagine is full VR gloves.

I have zero regrets about buying my Oculus and VR PC despite the cost. I can't wait for gen 2 devices. I feel the same as I did when I first saw the original DOOM. PC gaming hasn't been this exciting in a long time. What a fun ride it'll be as VR matures over the next ten years.
 
Gah, the brain wants but the wallet says not yet. Thanks for the wealth of thoughts, vr is on my radar firmly now.
 
GoldenTiger said:
Gah, the brain wants but the wallet says not yet. Thanks for the wealth of thoughts, vr is on my radar firmly now.
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The cash outlay is big if you can't repurpose an existing gaming machine. The PC I had in my VR room was an i5 3570 with GTX680 and 4GB of ram. Surprisingly, it was enough to go through the Rift intros and play video-only things but it wasn't going to cut it long term. Tracking was jittery in places and the fans on the 680 sounded like they were going to take flight.

Once mainstream GPUs hit 1080ish levels and low-end HMDs decrease to $200 PC VR will be unstoppable. I don't see non-VR 3D PC games being a thing in ten years. There'll be VR and 2D titles. That's it.

One upside I see regarding the Facebook involvement, PC VR will require a ton of cash to advance in the coming years. Facebook has a ton of cash. Buy 100% of your titles on Steam and smile as FB pours money into improving your gaming experience.
 
I'm on two gtx 970's at the moment and an i7 2600k. It's probably powerful enough but I'm going to do a big upgrade round probably late this year. I'm also hoping to catch gen2 of the vr headsets if I'm lucky.
 
GoldenTiger said:
I'm on two gtx 970's at the moment and an i7 2600k. It's probably powerful enough but I'm going to do a big upgrade round probably late this year. I'm also hoping to catch gen2 of the vr headsets if I'm lucky.
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I scoured the web for gen 2 dates before I bought. The consensus seems to be two years from now but that's based on nebulous statements from Valve/HTC/FB. I don't remember the details. Two years might be too long but I don't see anything on the horizon in 2017. There's the Microsoft thing but it's designed for mixed reality not immersive VR gaming, and its "inside out" tracking isn't as good as the lighthouse approach at this time. For instance, it falls apart if you get close to the floor and look at carpet. No image features to lock onto and track.

There's a HMD on the horizon from a major consumer electronics company. I don't remember exactly who. It has a novel easy "flip up" design that frankly is something every next gen HMD should have but other details are completely up in the air as of a couple months ago. I saw a Youtube video with one of the team members and he couldn't even commit to whether it would be wireless or not. He said they hadn't decided. I don't see that thing hitting the shelves by Q4 2017 if they didin't know the basic feature set a few months ago.

My guess for gen 2 is Q4 2018 at the earliest, more likely 2019.
 
Does VR cause any of you guys to get motion sickness?
 
Wyodiver said:
Does VR cause any of you guys to get motion sickness?
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If you are extremely susceptible to vertigo and motion sickness (like barfing on normal plane rides and not able to ride in the back seat of a car) then certain VR games will definitely make you hurl... With that said though, the Oculus Store has a nice rating system for its games and anything that’s rated “Comfortable” you should be fine with. One definitely does build up a tolerance for certain VR experiences over time though - getting your VR legs as many call it. Most experiences I am fine with, but yes, some can and will induce motion sickness. My rule of thumb is that if you start to feel a bit off or uncomfortable, stop immediately, take off the HMD and go chill for a while, have some water. If you try and power through such an experience, you’ll end up feeling really nauseated for quite a while and recovery is slow. So in summation, VR in general doesn’t make me sick. Poorly designed VR experiences can, but most VR developers worth their salt know what to avoid doing and design around such things in order to prevent inducing motion sickness. Also, having a beefy enough PC to ensure good frame rates and tracking really helps. VR is pretty demanding, but when everything works well, I find that I rarely if ever get motion sick.
 
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Wyodiver said:
Does VR cause any of you guys to get motion sickness?
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I've only played a few things that might cause it and they were short "experiences." I've definitely noticed an off-kilter feeling but I wouldn't call it motion sickness. Maybe prolonged exposure would lead to sickness. I haven't crossed that line yet.

Were you around when the original DOOM was released? Virtually everyone got motion sickness in the beginning because most people had never seen a 3D game before. Our brains weren't used to it. I could only play 10-20 minutes at a time. I stopped until the nausea passed. Today I can play for hours on end on a giant, vision filling 65" display. 3D game sickness isn't a thing anymore because everyone is acclimated to playing 3D games. I expect VR sickness will be more or less the same. Same thing with ships and getting your "sea legs." Brains are adapable.
 
I have had my Rift now for 2 weeks and I have had the odd feeling but I like BS would not call it motion sickness. Really enjoying playing the cheap demos far more than I expected. BecauseScience, where did you find the Nvidia demo?. Like to try that. My wishlist is now Elite, Eagle Flight and The Climb.
 
BecauseScience, Doom never did that to me, but Descent sure did, even on a 14 inch CRT.
 
Vive Video is my newest "wow" discovery. It puts you inside a private movie theater. Use Touch controllers to browse your PC filesystem for videos and play them on the screen. 3D side-by-side and over-under are supported.

Given the problems with HMDs (SDE, god rays, low res) it sounds like it should be worthless but it's not. I used to own a Sony 3D headset that did a similar thing for any HDMI source. I believe it was $1000 at the time. Vive Video blows it out of the water.

Fire up an animated 3D movie and be amazed. It's a better 3D experience than my high-end television with active glasses. Animation seems to look better than live action for some reason. Maybe the live action stuff I have is fake 3D done in post production. I don't know...

Vive Video also plays 180 degree and 360 degree VR videos.

Turn off the lights and maximize the screen size for the best experience.



wikidlad said:
Really enjoying playing the cheap demos far more than I expected.
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Same.

I feel like I could go six months without buying a title. I have 150ish free VR titles in my Steam library right now. Then there are the free titles on the Oculus store. A few of my non-VR Steam titles have preliminary VR support in beta channels too.

wikidlad said:
BecauseScience, where did you find the Nvidia demo?. Like to try that.
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Portal Stories VR looks promising but I'm having issues. I start the game in a strange location up against a wall and my Touch controllers don't seem to do anything. Needs more investigation. It was late when I tried it so I only spent a minute or so banging buttons trying to make something happen.



Wyodiver said:
BecauseScience, Doom never did that to me, but Descent sure did, even on a 14 inch CRT.
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Ah, I forgot about Descent!

Monitors were SMALL in those days. I remember drooling over a 15" trinitron like it was the second coming.
 
Yeah, I always tell my friends and people I know that when it comes to the Oculus (Vive applies as well I suppose) I can sit here and explain it and talk to you about it until I'm red in the face and it won't even approach 5% of what it's ACTUALLY like.

I tell people all the time about "Hotdogs, Horseshoes, and Hand Grenades" and how you can pick up guns and slide the chambers back and load single rounds into a magazine one at a time...all about it's incredible detail and interactivity. One friend was real into me talking about before he actually tried it and despite all I said he was still blown away and couldn't believe his eyes. He said he some idea of what it might be like by me talking about it but in all actuality had no idea.

It's amazing, yes.
 
Wyodiver said:
BecauseScience, Doom never did that to me, but Descent sure did, even on a 14 inch CRT.
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A friend of my Dad's came over one time when he was playing Decent. She fell over when she was watching him play. :)

I know with some things like that it'd be easy to get sick. Or at least dizzy and feel like shit.
 
GoldenTiger said:
I'm on two gtx 970's at the moment and an i7 2600k. It's probably powerful enough but I'm going to do a big upgrade round probably late this year. I'm also hoping to catch gen2 of the vr headsets if I'm lucky.
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if it helps I play on a I5-2500k and AMD 290 and so far every games ive tried has been flawless (robo recall, superhot, surgeon simulator, rec room and eve valkryie)
 
My gaming rig has been readied for VR (dropped in a GTX1080) but I'm very hesitant because I wear glasses and I have been reading that the Rift at least is pretty bad with larger glasses like mine, and they are a general problem with VR headsets. I see at least one place doing prescription lenses for VR headsets but mine are also a pretty brutal prescription and I don't wanna drop hundreds of dollars on yet another pair of lenses.

I don't have any access to VR headsets to try them out with my frames, so it feels like I'm gonna drop the cash and they will either work badly or not fit at all. -.-;
 
So Ill be "that guy" here that says the opposite. I tried it at Best Buy, and could not get it adjusted to fit my head/face at all. Had huge opening area around my nose letting light in. Also I cant stand wearing anything on my head (not even hats or headphones) as it causes me to get headaches. So I was very uncomfortable with it.
As for the experience, none of it wowed me. Granted they were just demos, but still the point of a demo is to wow you and be better then actual content. Until we get to the point where you can play a game like Crysis or any other AAA looking game, and still use keyboard/mouse/controller, and just be able to turn our heads to move where we look while keeping aim with the mouse/stick, Im not interested. Also would need a much smaller/lighter device. AR seems to be more in this direction, and too me what we should look forward to.

I was a huge fan of 3D until it died. I dont mind wearing glasses, but apparently most people do. And counting on most people to be ok with a huge brick in front of their face is kind of silly. VR is going to stay a niche item, and AR wont have a chance until its cordless and built in to glasses (and even then its going to have a battle to fight with the masses).
 
If you wear glasses the headset is especially important. There was a person on here that did wear glasses and then got lasik. Apparently the experience all over.

Now to get ~$4000k for lasik.
 
Cecil said:
So Ill be "that guy" here that says the opposite. I tried it at Best Buy, and could not get it adjusted to fit my head/face at all. Had huge opening area around my nose letting light in. Also I cant stand wearing anything on my head (not even hats or headphones) as it causes me to get headaches. So I was very uncomfortable with it.
As for the experience, none of it wowed me. Granted they were just demos, but still the point of a demo is to wow you and be better then actual content. Until we get to the point where you can play a game like Crysis or any other AAA looking game, and still use keyboard/mouse/controller, and just be able to turn our heads to move where we look while keeping aim with the mouse/stick, Im not interested. Also would need a much smaller/lighter device. AR seems to be more in this direction, and too me what we should look forward to.

I was a huge fan of 3D until it died. I dont mind wearing glasses, but apparently most people do. And counting on most people to be ok with a huge brick in front of their face is kind of silly. VR is going to stay a niche item, and AR wont have a chance until its cordless and built in to glasses (and even then its going to have a battle to fight with the masses).
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Thats a bit of a shame.
They shouldnt demo it with a bright floor in bright light for the reason you stated.
Some people have a larger gap between their nose and the headset which light can get in.
I have one as well but my room floor is dark and it doesnt matter.

Too many things putting you off and perhaps the headset not set up well (we have to consider that in a store) are sure not to impress.
 
Nenu said:
Thats a bit of a shame.
They shouldnt demo it with a bright floor in bright light for the reason you stated.
Some people have a larger gap between their nose and the headset which light can get in.
I have one as well but my room floor is dark and it doesnt matter.

Too many things putting you off and perhaps the headset not set up well (we have to consider that in a store) are sure not to impress.
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It certainly wasn't an ideal first impression, but I'm just saying for the masses it won't take off. Not in it's current state.
 
Cecil said:
It certainly wasn't an ideal first impression, but I'm just saying for the masses it won't take off. Not in it's current state.
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Yeah, this is the first showdown.
They will get smaller, lighter, more functional, better optics ...
Its sure to evolve but if you want in on the start, it is what it is.
And thats not bad (in the case of the Rift, couldnt stand the Vive).
 
Oh. My. God.

Con: Glasses
Glasses and the style of glasses matter. If you have larger rimmed glasses, you may need to invest in a pair that's smaller and thinner. Mine presses against both sides of the rift. Getting the rift on is not as easy as flipping the rift down on your face. Instead, you've got to insert your face (glasses) at an angle, then slide the back down around your head. The rift presses against my glasses and the glasses into my nose.


Playing Robo Recall was the most fun I've had in a video game in a long, long time. It brings back the magic of Christmas of old where i'd get a SNES or N64 and stay up all day/night playing.
 
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Glasses don't make for a good experience. Why aren't contacts the go-to solution? Disposables are cheap and easy. Work great for me.

SuperSubZero said:
I see at least one place doing prescription lenses for VR headsets but mine are also a pretty brutal prescription and I don't wanna drop hundreds of dollars on yet another pair of lenses.
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There are 3d printable holders that use prescription lenses from a glasses manufacturer. The prescription lenses are very cheap. You can be all-in for $20 if you have a friend with a printer. Here's one https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1602460 Pretty sure there are others.
 
I've tried and failed in wearing contacts. I need larger contacts and I get very figety and anxious when things are near my eyes - even myself. I was trying to fit contacts in for a solid full day without success.

Yeah. More and more I use the Oculus I can see myself not wanting to use it. It's definitely not a good experience if you have them and I couldn't recommend them to any eye glass owner. Unless you have contacts :p
 
RogueTadhg said:
Yeah. More and more I use the Oculus I can see myself not wanting to use it. It's definitely not a good experience if you have them and I couldn't recommend them to any eye glass owner. Unless you have contacts :p
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Or you're nearsighted where one should be okay without corrective vision. That's my situation, I don't wear contacts a id use my glasses for distance though they are bifocals.
 
RogueTadhg said:
I've tried and failed in wearing contacts. I need larger contacts and I get very figety and anxious when things are near my eyes - even myself. I was trying to fit contacts in for a solid full day without success.
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I had similar problems with my first contacts. The ophthalmologist said I had one of the worst blink reflexes he'd ever seen when he was fitting my trial pair. It often took me 30 minutes to get the damn things in. I stuck with it. It got easier with time. It wasn't that long before I was able to pop them in in seconds.

Sometimes it's good to go outside your comfort zone. You'll find you can do more than you ever thought. Sounds cheezy as hell but it's true.

But yea, contacts are a royal pain the ass in the beginning.

Look into the lasik complications before you go that route. Not worth the risk IMHO, certainly not worth it if your only reason is a more comfortable VR experience.
 
BecauseScience said:
Glasses don't make for a good experience. Why aren't contacts the go-to solution? Disposables are cheap and easy. Work great for me.
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I don't qualify for contacts due to the prescription and condition of my eyes. I like to joke that there are a team of scientists working feverishly a secret underground bunker for the sole purpose of finding new ways to make lenses for me. I had considered LASIK but since my prescription wanders around I also don't qualify for that.

As for the lenses being cheap, I only know my current lenses were $1100. ~I have special eyes~
 
SuperSubZero said:
I don't qualify for contacts due to the prescription and condition of my eyes. I like to joke that there are a team of scientists working feverishly a secret underground bunker for the sole purpose of finding new ways to make lenses for me. I had considered LASIK but since my prescription wanders around I also don't qualify for that.

As for the lenses being cheap, I only know my current lenses were $1100. ~I have special eyes~
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Damn. I didn't know $1000 lenses were a thing.
 
SuperSubZero said:
I don't qualify for contacts due to the prescription and condition of my eyes. I like to joke that there are a team of scientists working feverishly a secret underground bunker for the sole purpose of finding new ways to make lenses for me. I had considered LASIK but since my prescription wanders around I also don't qualify for that.

As for the lenses being cheap, I only know my current lenses were $1100. ~I have special eyes~
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I won't complain as much about losing my glasses again.
 
SuperSubZero said:
~I have special eyes~
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Hey guys, look, I found an actual picture of SuperSubZero:

latest


I suddenly feel very glad that I've had better than 20/20 my entire life. I used to give my brother shit - he got lasik years ago and his vision has been fine ever since

I'm 40 now... figure I have less than a decade till the presbyopia sets in.

Actually on topic though - VR is going to be a very big thing. We're in like the VIC-20/ZX80/TI-99 era. The enthusiasts are starting to get it, and they see what's coming, but we still have a while until Counter-Strike and the iPhone.

Tonight I'm going to spend some more time getting my ass kicked at Echo Arena.
 
Supercharged_Z06 said:
Welcome to the club! Yep, it’s pretty much impossible to convey in words how VR tech isn’t a gimmick but a complete shift in how you interface with a computer. One really just has to experience it first hand, and then it really hits home. It is a game changer... literally! VR feels like you’ve shifted into another place and games like Lone Echo are just the tip of the iceberg as to what is possible... Consumer Gen 1 hardware is actually pretty good... perfect? Hell no, but by the time Gen 3 arrives, we really won’t be needing PC monitors anymore... not when you can configure and arrange as many monitors around you in VR as you like, both in shape and size... Big Screen and Virtual Desktop are two VR apps that really show off this potential as to possibilities - they are just somewhat hampered by Gen 1 resolution. I can also see VR eventually displacing TV’s to some extent as well, at least when it comes to the solo viewing experience.
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This. My wife has never expressed interest in playing games with me; it's not her thing as much as she wants to. I picked up the $400 bundle, played through first touch... Came out of my office, grabbed my wife, and had her do it. She had tears in her eyes. We immediately ordered a second one.
 
I wear glasses but don't need them in VR due to being near sighted. I think I would get Lasik if I had to wear them, at least contacts. No problem wearing contacts except where I work, dusty environment at times, welding etc. Just not the best way to go. I can only imagine what the next Gen VR tech will bring - hopefully HDR, higher resolution, lighter and more comfortable headsets.
 
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