thoughts on oculus go?

[hypertek_s30]

Hey guys, curious about this thing as i havent really heard much buzz around it. I got a rift for home use (racing sims is my fav).. but i travel for work every week, so im only home on weekends.. but thinking that I fly alot and stay in hotels alot, would the oculus go be pretty good in that regards if i can wear it on flights? what else is it capable of? watching movies?

 

[IRSmurf]

I like mine a lot. There are oodles of games for Go. And, they're much cheaper than the ones on Rift. The screen and lenses are better, so it's a lot better for images and video. And the fact there's no cable attached makes it much more welcoming. I didn't touch my Rift for nearly two months after I bought the Go.

I recently took a few flights. I wore my Oculus Go while waiting at the airport and while I was on the plane. You can be a little limited while sitting in a non-swivel chair. Some apps only allow you to rotate with the headset's sensors. So, plan ahead. I was going to start recommending games to play while on the plane, but I realized the list would be too long. (I got as far as Darknet, Bait, Gun Club 3 VR / SWAT Academy, Ultrawings, Claro, and They Suspect Nothing before giving up on the list.) I've acquired 120 games and apps for the Go. There really is a lot of good stuff out there. The game library is more mature than one may expect, since its runs most of the games made for Gear VR over the last three years. And Oculus/FB is pouring money into game development.

IMO splurge on the 64GB model. I hate having to uninstall games every time I want to add a new one. There's currently no way to back up your save games. Also, regarding video, you're currently limited to internal storage and DLNA. USB OTG support is coming "soon," Oculus says. Until then, I'm streaming videos via DLNA off my ad-hoc Wi-Fi-connected WD My Passport Pro.

 

[Cylocybin]

is it as immersive as rift? can you explain the experience with watching movies too

 

[IRSmurf]

No, 3DOF Go isn't as immersive as 6DOF Rift. But for things that don't *need* 6DOF, where a gyroscopic pointer is just as good, Go is better. The screen and lenses are just better in every way. The screen door effect is largely eliminated thanks to RGB LED and the image looks sharper. And it's very nice to be free of the power / display cable. The soft headband is a big step up from 6DOF VR, since you can comfortably rest your head on a pillow, recliner, couch, etc while watching movies and browsing the web. A few days ago, I was watching a race from bed, on my TV. They kept stopping for safeties. I slipped on the Go and went through my blog run (hardocp, anand, ars, etc) with my head buried in a pillow, under the covers, without holding a phone up to my face. The controller is only 3DOF, so you don't even need to move your arms, just your wrists. Ridiculously lazy, just the way I like it.

Movies look good but not great. No VR headset is going to compete with your monitor or 4K TV for 2D movies. But I watched Thor Ragnarok and some comedy specials. It's 720p, but, again, you can watch anything in the laziest position possible. The built-in speakers are surprisingly good. I also use mine at work, during lunch. Wearing headphones and watch a TV show in your private theater is pretty great.

Basically, this thing blows Gear VR out of the water due to ease of use and lack of screendoor effect. This thing has different experiences than the Rift, while not eclipsing the Rift in every way. The Go is better for everything that doesn't need intricate input. Shooting games feel better on Rift, due to 6DOF. But the quality of some of the 3DOF shooting games on Go is very high. And the prices on the Go are very low.

Basically, it boils down to this: Don't sell your Vive/Rift for a Go. Ideally, you're going to want to own both. If you *must* choose between 6DOF and 3DOF, you have at least a 7'x5' VR play area, and you have money for expensive (comparatively) PC games, get Vive/Rift. And, if you want to experience much of what VR has to offer on a much more affordable platform OR if you want a portable game console and private theater experience, get the Go.

 

[Greg Watson]

I definitely do not like mine as much as I did my Rift but it is a great alternative for someone who cannot / will not spend the money for the rift.

 

[BababooeyHTJ]

No, 3DOF Go isn't as immersive as 6DOF Rift. But for things that don't *need* 6DOF, where a gyroscopic pointer is just as good, Go is better. The screen and lenses are just better in every way. The screen door effect is largely eliminated thanks to RGB LED and the image looks sharper. And it's very nice to be free of the power / display cable. The soft headband is a big step up from 6DOF VR, since you can comfortably rest your head on a pillow, recliner, couch, etc while watching movies and browsing the web. A few days ago, I was watching a race from bed, on my TV. They kept stopping for safeties. I slipped on the Go and went through my blog run (hardocp, anand, ars, etc) with my head buried in a pillow, under the covers, without holding a phone up to my face. The controller is only 3DOF, so you don't even need to move your arms, just your wrists. Ridiculously lazy, just the way I like it.

Movies look good but not great. No VR headset is going to compete with your monitor or 4K TV for 2D movies. But I watched Thor Ragnarok and some comedy specials. It's 720p, but, again, you can watch anything in the laziest position possible. The built-in speakers are surprisingly good. I also use mine at work, during lunch. Wearing headphones and watch a TV show in your private theater is pretty great.

Basically, this thing blows Gear VR out of the water due to ease of use and lack of screendoor effect. This thing has different experiences than the Rift, while not eclipsing the Rift in every way. The Go is better for everything that doesn't need intricate input. Shooting games feel better on Rift, due to 6DOF. But the quality of some of the 3DOF shooting games on Go is very high. And the prices on the Go are very low.

Basically, it boils down to this: Don't sell your Vive/Rift for a Go. Ideally, you're going to want to own both. If you *must* choose between 6DOF and 3DOF, you have at least a 7'x5' VR play area, and you have money for expensive (comparatively) PC games, get Vive/Rift. And, if you want to experience much of what VR has to offer on a much more affordable platform OR if you want a portable game console and private theater experience, get the Go.

The lenses are my largest gripe with the rift. I have to ask. Is it as much of a foggy sweatbox?

 

[Hagrid]

The lenses are my largest gripe with the rift. I have to ask. Is it as much of a foggy sweatbox?

I guess I do not get the fog since I live in the Phoenix area and it's dry as hell.

Maybe use a anti fog cleaner?

 

[TheSmJ]

My Rift's lenses can be foggy for the first ~5-10 or so minutes after putting it on. The fog goes away once the headset warms up.

 

[Dew]

No, 3DOF Go isn't as immersive as 6DOF Rift. But for things that don't *need* 6DOF, where a gyroscopic pointer is just as good, Go is better. The screen and lenses are just better in every way. The screen door effect is largely eliminated thanks to RGB LED and the image looks sharper. And it's very nice to be free of the power / display cable. The soft headband is a big step up from 6DOF VR, since you can comfortably rest your head on a pillow, recliner, couch, etc while watching movies and browsing the web. A few days ago, I was watching a race from bed, on my TV. They kept stopping for safeties. I slipped on the Go and went through my blog run (hardocp, anand, ars, etc) with my head buried in a pillow, under the covers, without holding a phone up to my face. The controller is only 3DOF, so you don't even need to move your arms, just your wrists. Ridiculously lazy, just the way I like it.

Movies look good but not great. No VR headset is going to compete with your monitor or 4K TV for 2D movies. But I watched Thor Ragnarok and some comedy specials. It's 720p, but, again, you can watch anything in the laziest position possible. The built-in speakers are surprisingly good. I also use mine at work, during lunch. Wearing headphones and watch a TV show in your private theater is pretty great.

Basically, this thing blows Gear VR out of the water due to ease of use and lack of screendoor effect. This thing has different experiences than the Rift, while not eclipsing the Rift in every way. The Go is better for everything that doesn't need intricate input. Shooting games feel better on Rift, due to 6DOF. But the quality of some of the 3DOF shooting games on Go is very high. And the prices on the Go are very low.

Basically, it boils down to this: Don't sell your Vive/Rift for a Go. Ideally, you're going to want to own both. If you *must* choose between 6DOF and 3DOF, you have at least a 7'x5' VR play area, and you have money for expensive (comparatively) PC games, get Vive/Rift. And, if you want to experience much of what VR has to offer on a much more affordable platform OR if you want a portable game console and private theater experience, get the Go.

Hmm. This has not been my experience with the Go. The Go was my first VR experience and I'm sorely disappointed. Screendoor is crazy bad, text is a complete nightmare with shimmering rgb edges. Everything not directly eyes front is blurry. I used it for about five hours, and its been sitting in a box ever since.

 

[Hakaba]

I rate it top notch as a media consumption device.

Sure as hell won’t replace my Vive in gaming.

 

[Cylocybin]

i was thinking of buying the hp mixed reality one on amazon tomorrow for $160 is it as good as the go?

 

[TheSmJ]

i was thinking of buying the hp mixed reality one on amazon tomorrow for $160 is it as good as the go?

The Go is an all in one headset. MR headsets connect to a PC like the Rift and Vive.

 

[Youn]

• The screens are about the same (close enough)
• the game library and controllers are better on HP Mixed Reality
• the ease of use and PC requirements are better on the GO (it only requires a smartphone/wifi to help set up/install)
• the freedom of head movement is better on the GO (it's 100% wireless, no tether to a PC)
• I think the GO looks nicer, and is probably more comfortable and maybe more reliable

 

[Cylocybin]

after much research im gonna wait.. again..

 

[mnewxcv]

Any recommendations for apps or games for the go? I got one last week.

 

[TheSmJ]

Any recommendations for apps or games for the go? I got one last week.

Anshar Wars 2, and/or Anshar Online

 

[SetoTj]

I hear on reddit a lot of good stuff about it. But it is missing a lot of features. Which I consider a deal breaker.

 

[TroyTalksNoMore]

Remember, this was created as an entry level Product for peOple who are mainly inteRested vr coNtent & casual games.

 

[mnewxcv]

Remember, this was created as an entry level Product for peOple who are mainly inteRested vr coNtent & casual games.

It's fantastic for that use!

 

[Cylocybin]

after much research im gonna wait.. again..

finally picked up a rift. ive only played "in death" so far.. cool as hell even though its more or less the same thing over and over.. when they get up close to you the feeling of immersion is strong..give you the chills.. and using your shield to block incoming arrow attacks is cool af.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

I bought the Oculus Go when it first hit - wanted something that was a bit more mobile as to watching NetFlix in VR. Tried it out for a weekend and really wanted to like it, but ultimately ended up returning it. While the optics and screen were better than the Rift, the facial interface on it for some reason was much less comfortable for me... nothing like the comfort of the Rift. But what really was the deal breaker was the lack of 6DOF. When you are used to that in VR, not having it is very jarring. I'm hoping the Quest will fill the mobile VR niche for me as to home/travel use. My Vive and Rift setup more than fill my home gaming needs, but it would be cool to load up the Quest with a bunch of Netflix downloads for viewing when traveling or even being able to use it for light VR gaming away from home.

 

[gsilver]

I blame the Oculus Go for making me buy a Vive Pro.

The Go looks better than the base-level Vive, and it annoyed the heck out of me to have this little $200 headset that looked better than my full Vive setup (at least as far as the screen and lenses were concerned; I know that the graphical horsepower is far behind)

I still pull out the Go now and then to watch 3D video.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

Yup, like I posted earlier, I tried and skipped the Oculus Go. The Quest coming out early next year look far more interesting to me. I just couldn't stomach the Go's lack of 6DOF. As to the Vive Pro and Odyssey+, while a nice incremental step up as VR gen 1.5 products, they just don't seem worth upgrading to at this point for me, so I'm sitting tight for Gen 2 VR, which I reckon is now roughly a year out. But I do plan to pick up an Oculus Quest for portable VR and stuff like Netflix when it hits next year.

 

[Hagrid]

Yup, like I posted earlier, I tried and skipped the Oculus Go. The Quest coming out early next year look far more interesting to me. I just couldn't stomach the Go's lack of 6DOF. As to the Vive Pro and Odyssey+, while a nice incremental step up as VR gen 1.5 products, they just don't seem worth upgrading to at this point for me, so I'm sitting tight for Gen 2 VR, which I reckon is now roughly a year out. But I do plan to pick up an Oculus Quest for portable VR and stuff like Netflix when it hits next year.

I think the price of the Vive pro really turned people off. Yeah, it was more a 1.5. The quest does look interesting!

 

[BladeDancer314]

I think the price of the Vive pro really turned people off. Yeah, it was more a 1.5. The quest does look interesting!

Heck, the price of the original Vive was what made the choice to go Oculus Rift that much easier.

Also, the touch controllers were badass

 

[bobzdar]

If you have an amd video card you can use it for 3dof pc vr now, if you pick you pick up an old kinect you can also get some 6dof, though only front facing.

 

[TheSmJ]

If you have an amd video card you can use it for 3dof pc vr now, if you pick you pick up an old kinect you can also get some 6dof, though only front facing.

Or save yourself all the trouble and buy a Rift for $300.

 

[bobzdar]

Or save yourself all the trouble and buy a Rift for $300.

Sure, but rift isn't exactly portable. The pc vr is more of an additional feature for the go rather than it's sole purpose, unlike the rift.

 

[Youn]

The new virtual/remote desktop app looks cool... wonder how long it'll be till we see support for Shadow, maybe there's a way to upload visual data in pieces and have go do the final movement updates and re-assembled render to get reasonable latency...

 

[illli]

I'll probably buy the next iteration of the 'go'. Hope the second one has at least snapdragon 845 and SD card slot

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

I'll probably buy the next iteration of the 'go'. Hope the second one has at least snapdragon 845 and SD card slot

I don't think there will be another Oculus "Go" iteration. It's being replaced by the Oculus Quest that's coming Spring 2019. Looks like it will be based on the Snapdragon 835, have full 6DOF/Inside-out tracking, and 2 tracking hand controls similar to Touch. Doubt it will have an internal SD slot, but it may be possible to plug in a USB based SD adapter. More info: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/oculus-quest

 

[TheSmJ]

I don't think there will be another Oculus "Go" iteration. It's being replaced by the Oculus Quest that's coming Spring 2019. Looks like it will be based on the Snapdragon 835, have full 6DOF/Inside-out tracking, and 2 tracking hand controls similar to Touch. Doubt it will have an internal SD slot, but it may be possible to plug in a USB based SD adapter. More info: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/oculus-quest

Oculus has referred to the Go, Quest, and Rift as "the three columns" of VR. That leads me to believe they plan to keep each line of devices going and updating each product every ~3 years.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

Oculus has referred to the Go, Quest, and Rift as "the three columns" of VR. That leads me to believe they plan to keep each line of devices going and updating each product every ~3 years.

Perhaps, but the Go and the Quest are very similar as stand-alone/mobile VR device products. I doubt they'll continue them as two entirely separate product lines three years from now. Much simpler to just sell a reduced price/entry level Quest (minus the fancy hand controllers and simply packaging it with the Go's "puck" controller instead.) We'll see. 3 Years is a long time...

 

[illli]

Are there different ecosystems between the go, quest and rift? I'm asking b/c the controller seems different and since one uses pc hardware, it makes me wonder if there is cross compatibility, or if everything is fragmented.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

Are there different ecosystems between the go, quest and rift? I'm asking b/c the controller seems different and since one uses pc hardware, it makes me wonder if there is cross compatibility, or if everything is fragmented.

Yes. It's fragmented between mobile and PC VR right now. (They are completely separate.) Will be interesting to see how they fit the Quest ecosystem in between them... The Quest shares elements of both. It'll probably share some titles/material from both sides in the form of special ports. As it simply doesn't have the PC/GPU grunt needed to pull off full blown PC titles, it will be simplified ports from that side, coupled with its own custom apps/software and perhaps some beefed up ports from the mobile side. One thing they better get right though is media consumption like Hulu, Netflix, etc. It should rock in that dept. due to screen/display and lens system improvements over both Go and Rift.

 

[Hagrid]

Yes. It's fragmented between mobile and PC VR right now. (They are completely separate.) Will be interesting to see how they fit the Quest ecosystem in between them... The Quest shares elements of both. It'll probably share some titles/material from both sides in the form of special ports. As it simply doesn't have the PC/GPU grunt needed to pull off full blown PC titles, it will be simplified ports from that side, coupled with its own custom apps/software and perhaps some beefed up ports from the mobile side. One thing they better get right though is media consumption like Hulu, Netflix, etc. It should rock in that dept. due to screen/display and lens system improvements over both Go and Rift.

Yeah, the specs looks pretty good. It would be sweet to watch movies anywhere. The tablets are ok, but having to hold them is annoying.
The gpu power will definitely be low. Exciting times!

 

[illli]

Yes. It's fragmented between mobile and PC VR right now. (They are completely separate.) Will be interesting to see how they fit the Quest ecosystem in between them... The Quest shares elements of both. It'll probably share some titles/material from both sides in the form of special ports. As it simply doesn't have the PC/GPU grunt needed to pull off full blown PC titles, it will be simplified ports from that side, coupled with its own custom apps/software and perhaps some beefed up ports from the mobile side. One thing they better get right though is media consumption like Hulu, Netflix, etc. It should rock in that dept. due to screen/display and lens system improvements over both Go and Rift.

This is what worries me, and why I've been more inclined to wait a few years for things to settle a bit. There seems to be too much fragmentation, various systems from different companies (even within a single company).

 

[TheSmJ]

This is what worries me, and why I've been more inclined to wait a few years for things to settle a bit. There seems to be too much fragmentation, various systems from different companies (even within a single company).

The only fragmentation that exists is between and PC as software needs to be rewritten for either Android or Windows. The same Oculus account can be used across all devices seamlessly.

So far all Android devices are cross compatible. So, software for the Go can be used on the GearVR and vice versa. The Quest will also be running Android and it stands to reason it will also work with Go and GearVR software in a reduced capacity (only 3-DOF like the Go and GearVR) but I don't believe that has been confirmed by Oculus.

All PCVR headsets are all more or less cross compatible. The Rift can run software through Steam as well as Oculus Home. Other headsets can run Home software using a 3rd party utility.

 

[bobzdar]

There is also software for running pcvr on mobile headsets, though you lose 6dof. Fine for racing/ flying games and other seated pcvr games.

The absolute most compatible headset would be a gearvr, it can play oculus mobile, daydream and, with relivevr, can play pcvr if you have an amd video card.