vr Can we have a "Major" VR section? Alongside Monitors, Processors, etc perhaps?

[magic]

VR is no doubt about to get very popular with the advent of HL:Alyx and all the games/mods that will spawn with Source 2 SDK. (Not to mention this is only 1 of their 3 promised flagship VR games)

 

I think it's worth having a section for:

 

1. VR - General
2. VR - Hardware nested under general
3. and VR - Games/Software nested under general

 

What do you think? I know I'd like to discuss it here at LTT :) 

 

I'd also like to help people out with budget VR setups that aren't shit!!!!

 

(for those in the UK, look at CEX for used Windows MR headsets, or used Oculus CV1s, no joke they're cheap as fuck! and work so well. Windows MR tracking got massively improved since it was first released. I use a Lenovo Explorer myself)

[Firewrath9]

I agree, I think a VR section for VR games, VR headsets, etc. would be nice. I got a Odyssey+ for 229$

[WereCatf]

I actually just got PSVR for the PS4 for my birthday two days ago. It was my first ever experience with VR and the effect was very impressive, though I get sick within minutes.

 

Anyways, while there probably isn't all that much to discuss about when it comes to VR at the moment, I would also kinda lean towards it becoming more and more important over time and a separate section might be a good idea.

[Spotty]

5 hours ago, magic said:

I think it's worth having a section for:

 

1. VR - General
2. VR - Hardware nested under general
3. and VR - Games/Software nested under general

I'm not sure if there is currently enough demand to warrant a dedicated VR section. Definitely not enough to warrant 3 forums for general VR discussion, VR hardware, and VR gaming.

Quick look in to it and there have been 45 posts in the past month with VR in the title. The majority of those were asking for help choosing PC parts for a system that is capable of playing VR in the New Builds & Planning section. Even if there was a VR section, those types of posts would still be best suited for New Builds & Planning since they are asking for help on building a PC. There's really only been a couple of threads in the past month asking about VR games or VR hardware that would fit in to a dedicated VR section. Not enough discussion at the moment to warrant a dedicated section, though things may change if/when VR becomes more popular and there is more discussion about it.
 

If the forum were to have a dedicated VR section, I think the Video Games section (alongside PC Gaming, Console Gaming, Mobile Gaming, etc) would be more suitable than the Computer Hardware section. Much like with the Console Gaming section where you would ask for help with selecting console hardware, you would still be able to discuss VR hardware and peripherals in the Video Games section.

[Zeric]

On 12/4/2019 at 6:19 AM, Spotty said:

I'm not sure if there is currently enough demand to warrant a dedicated VR section.

This is a valid concern, but at the same time there is no obvious place to discuss VR. And as such VR specific discussion is not encouraged. This leads to a chicken or egg first situation.

[Dedayog]

On 12/3/2019 at 9:20 PM, magic said:

VR is no doubt about to get very popular with the advent of HL:Alyx and all the games/mods that will spawn with Source 2 SDK. (Not to mention this is only 1 of their 3 promised flagship VR games)

 

I think it's worth having a section for:

 

1. VR - General
2. VR - Hardware nested under general
3. and VR - Games/Software nested under general

 

What do you think? I know I'd like to discuss it here at LTT

 

I'd also like to help people out with budget VR setups that aren't shit!!!!

 

(for those in the UK, look at CEX for used Windows MR headsets, or used Oculus CV1s, no joke they're cheap as fuck! and work so well. Windows MR tracking got massively improved since it was first released. I use a Lenovo Explorer myself)

VR is a thing like an OS or a Application.  It's made up of all the major categories like CPU's and GPU's, like a PC is.

 

I can see it getting a forum like OS.

[Semper]

4 hours ago, Zeric said:

This is a valid concern, but at the same time there is no obvious place to discuss VR. And as such VR specific discussion is not encouraged. This leads to a chicken or egg first situation.

Something else that needs to be considered, however is what @colonel_mortis has said here:

Quote

We already have a lot of subforums, and it already means that ones lower in the list are less likely to be noticed, so we don't want to add more without good reason. Also, the more specific we make each section, the less often a topic will cleanly fit into one of them, although looking at the topics in Liquid and Exotic Cooling at the moment I don't think that will be an issue in this case.

 

Another consideration is that when a section doesn't get much activity, it can start a downward spiral where people stop checking it, so fewer topics get answers, resulting in the section becoming even more dead. If the sections were split, there would still be a handful of topics per day in each, so I think it would be ok in that respect, but it is difficult to predict before any changes are made.

Which I believe is a valid concern. It presents the (potential) issue of the entire sub forum and discussion within the sub forum to cannibalize itself.

VR is still fairly unrealistically expensive for many people. It has a relatively low adoption rate (for a number of reasons, a few that come to mind: entry price, motion sickness, lack of adequate space, and the general understanding that VR is still in it's infancy, it's rough around the edges, and in the middle, and the top, and bottom). I don't think there's a substantial enough community around it to self-sustain a dedicated sub-forum to it, yet. Perhaps some day, but not right now.

Edit:
I've just realized that this topic is near four months old, Necro-post is necro.

[minibois]

15 hours ago, Zeric said:

This is a valid concern, but at the same time there is no obvious place to discuss VR. And as such VR specific discussion is not encouraged. This leads to a chicken or egg first situation.

Don't think anyone was ever discouraged for posting something, just because there is no sub forum for it The wording of the 'General Discussion'  sub forum is (in my opinion) set up, so everyone is encouraged to find a sub forum better suited for their topic, but if there is nothing; post it in general instead:

Quote

Come hang out and discuss tech related content! Please check other subforums before posting.

^ This to me signals, that people would be checking out if there was a relevant sub forum (or they wouldn't bother) and if not; make a thread here instead.

 

So I really don't think this has to be a chicken/egg scenario.

In my opinion, VR discussion can be had in six different sub forums, depending on what you are doing. Sub forums I am talking about: Peripherals, PC gaming, Console Gaming, Programs, Programming or Troubleshooting.

The first one would be for general VR stuff, PC+console gaming for specifically gaming related stuff, Programs for software that is not specifically a game, programming when you have questions about (for example) programming your own game and it incorporates VR and Troubleshooting for - of course - troubleshooting.

That is not even mentioned all the sub forums where 'crossover' topics can be posted (like VR news in Tech News, New Builds and Planning for your new VR PC, etc.)

 

In my opinion, introducing a new sub forum would take VR away from these other (popular to not-so-popular) sub forums and you would in turn make it so there would be less eyes on a topic, than there could be.

Because my general disinterest in VR currently, I would never look at this sub forum. But if there were questions I could answer about - for example - programming, I would still answer such a question in the programming sub.

 

But that is just my opinion/stance on this already kinda old topic. 

[Tristerin]

I only read the title and OP - as a daily user here way to much there is absolutely to little VR questions to require a subforum.  My 2 copper coins.

 

[orbitalbuzzsaw]

9 hours ago, Tristerin said:

I only read the title and OP - as a daily user here way to much there is absolutely to little VR questions to require a subforum.  My 2 copper coins.

 

One will note the presence of a "hobby electronics" subforum. Especially after the launch of the Quest and HL: Alyx, I'd be somewhat surprised if there were fewer VR headset users than electronics hobbyists here

[Tristerin]

8 hours ago, orbitalbuzzsaw said:

One will note the presence of a "hobby electronics" subforum. Especially after the launch of the Quest and HL: Alyx, I'd be somewhat surprised if there were fewer VR headset users than electronics hobbyists here

Personally I would assume when Arduino and stuff like that first became popular, a hobby electronics forum was all the rage? Ive been on the forum for maybe 1.5 years or so.  

 

My personal insight to it was the lack of VR related questions in any section based on my time spent on the forum.  Though if that was the weight and measure we could have a RX 5700XT driver issue subforum I guess

[orbitalbuzzsaw]

6 hours ago, Tristerin said:

Personally I would assume when Arduino and stuff like that first became popular, a hobby electronics forum was all the rage? Ive been on the forum for maybe 1.5 years or so.  

 

My personal insight to it was the lack of VR related questions in any section based on my time spent on the forum.  Though if that was the weight and measure we could have a RX 5700XT driver issue subforum I guess

The forum has only been around since 2012 so I don't think that's it. But also I think if there was a VR subforum more posts about VR and VR games would magically appear (build it and they will come kind of thing)