My opinions on VR in it's current state, should YOU buy into it?

[i_build_nanosuits]

In this thread i want to give you my views and opinions about Virtual Reality gaming on PC in it's current state.
I would also love to read you guys opinions or feelings about it...and maybe answer the questions or concerns some of you might have in regard to VR!
So feel free to post as well!

 

Little bit of my story first...i'm 35 years old now, father of a 4 years old boy.
I've been into tech and PC gaming since i was about 12 years old, and of course before that i was gaming on console.
When i was born my dad had an Atari 2600, at age 2 i was making my first steps into gaming...then we got a Sega master system, a super nintendo etc.
and then i bought most consoles with my own money, nintendo 64, PS2, PS3, wii, wii U and some portables...so yeah, i LOVE gaming since...forever!

 

When i first saw the new generation of virtual reality headsets for the PC i was VERY interested, and i knew i would be getting one someday...
but it was too expensive, and i tought i would wait out till the 2nd generation before i commit to it.

Then, it's been anounced that the 2nd generation wouldn't be out for at least a couple more years, and Oculus had this summer sale going on so

i decided i waited long enough and i bit the bullet, 3 months ago i ordered my own Rift + touch bundle for 549$CAD (nearly half the launch price)

To say i was 100% convinced about this purchase would be a lie, i've read a lot about it and i was prepared for pixelated and ugly graphics,
performance issues, software bugs, etc... and while some of it is indeed true, some of it is mostly irrelevant.

 

Let's start with the elephant in the room, what i feared the most: Resolution
People reporting that the resolution is low and that you can see every pixels and stuff...it's true that you can see the sub-pixels when you focus your eyes
on them, but there is a thing that i discovered to fix most of that: Super-Sampling.
Oculus has this Oculus tray tool that you can download it's a small software that you install and in there you can pick your Super-Sampling level:

i have a GTX 1080 and i use 1.5x super-sampling for most stuff...you can also create profiles for every games you have and use different SS factor

for each games: easy to run stuff you can set to 2.0X for example, and more demanding stuff (racing sims for example) you can use 1.3x or 1.4x

and tune the settings accordingly. (Vive users can also do this in the Steam VR options)

 

With that, the resolution is great...it's NOT perfect, the screen resolution would need to be improved a bit of course, but it's clear and perfectly fine...

and i come from a 1440p 144hz Gsync monitor as well. While it's not as sharp as your standard monitor, it's clear enough, and the fact that it's all around

you in full 3D as opposed to a small 2d screen in front of you MORE than makes up for it. Combine that with a 90hz refresh rate and you'll love it...

especially if you game on a 60hz monitor you'll see that it's A LOT smoother...and faster.

 

About tracking and controlers, the rift + touch bundle comes with 2 sensors but for flawless 360 tracking from floor to ceiling you need to get a 3rd sensor

(60$US/80$CAD), also to add to the cost for most people is some entension cables (USB3 and HDMI) to extend the rift cause the included cable is a bit too

short for most setups (20$US/30$CAD) i bought them on Amazon (there are specific ones that are known to work well with the VR headsets, google it and

you'll find easily.) I should point out though that i used my rift for about a full month before making these additionnal purchases so if you're short on money

you can very well buy the bundle and consider those upgrades for later.
The Oculus touch controlers are wonderful, i love them they work perfectly all the time.

 

Now, Softwares and performance:
I want to say it first, forget about their minimum recommended specs...if you want to take full advantage of your VR headset you want more than a 970/390...

quite a bit more actually especially if you are doing Racing simulators and more advanced games and you want to use some super-sampling and get

clear images. I would recommend at least a GTX 980ti or GTX 1070...and ideally a GTX 1080/1080ti (yup!)

See, while most games and experience aren't very demanding or very advanced, the most fun ones and the upcoming ones ARE...for example project cars 2

that just came out, with my overclocked GTX 1080 i use 1.4x super-sampling and mostly medium settings...it still looks amazing, and in the headset the

difference between medium/high/ultra is very hard or impossibleto notice anyways.

Oculus Home is nice, and oculus rift works flawlessly with Steam VR as well so with the rift you can play anything...not sure if the vive can play oculus

exclusives, there might be a hack, i don't know for sure. There is A LOT of free content for you to try and have fun with, and even some really good full games

you can play for free in case you're a bit broke after your purchase of the headset...also, if you want to try games for free before you buy them (obviously)

there is always skidrow...i'm against piracy but sometimes you have to do what you have to do...most games are available online so you can try them

BEFORE YOU BUY THEM.

 

Motion Sickness:
This has been WAY overblown on the internet, yes SOME games or experiences might make you feel uncomfortable at first...but it goes away so quickly.
I had issues with roller costers and the first time i didn't felt well, i stopped about 5 minutes in, and it was already too late...took 1 hour to get well again.
The second time i tried it i played for 20 minutes and it was fine...your body learn VR very quickly, the trick is to stop quickly when you feel something wrong,

and then come back to it later, and after 2 or 3 times you'll be fine forever after that. Now i can do anything, Flying, racing, roller costers etc.
They are now also making lots of games with free locomotion instead of teleportation, for example Onward or Pavlov and that is perfectly fine as well...

takes about 10 minutes to get used to. So online shooters etc. it's all possible now.

 

So, overall...if you have 500$ laying around, and you already own a nice gaming PC with a good GPU (or maybe you have a 970 or a 1050ti or whatever

but you plan to upgrade in a few months or something) then i think it's really worth it...especially if you like 1st person shooters which takes a whole new level

when you have to physically hide around corners and point and shoot with your hands and manually reload your weapons and trow grenades and shit, it's SO

much fun. Even more if you like racing simulators...if you have even only a remote interest in cars, it's worth getting a racing wheel and a rift just for that,

i SWEAR you won't regret it! Flying in VR is also an amazing feeling.

 

VR takes gaming to a whole new level, it puts you INSIDE the game instead of you watching it happen on a screen in front of you...

it's the new way of playing and since i got my rift i havn't played a single game on this 900$ gaming monitor, which i don't even need anymore...

yes, it's THAT great!

 

Thanks for reading

 

 

EDIT:

Some extras i would like to add that i forgot to talk about:

 

Multiplayer:
Those VR devices are equipped with a good quality microphone, so the games that have multiplayer have voice support so you
can talk with others and it's really nice...for example in pavlov and onwared on your left shoulder is a talkie-walkie, you
raise your hand to your left shoulder and press the trigger and it goes ''Bip'' and you talk to your mates...and if they are close
to you, you can talk to them directly and the 3d sound positioning in these is also flawless.

 

Physics:
I have been blown away by the level of physics simulations in those games, if you drop stuff of trow stuff around it react and sound
and feel exactly like they should in real life in many instances...which is very impressive in VR.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Morgan Everett]

Is there any reason I, as a non-gamer, should buy a VR headset?

[i_build_nanosuits]

Just now, Morgan Everett said:

Is there any reason I, as a non-gamer, should buy a VR headset?

porn and movies i guess? porn is great...

[werto165]

SLR app all I'm gonna say.

[Morgan Everett]

What's the benefit of watching a film on such a headset versus watching one on my monitor?

[The Benjamins]

1 minute ago, i_build_nanosuits said:

porn and movies i guess? porn is great...

What is the 2D and 3D movie experience like?

[iamdarkyoshi]

-Thread Moved To Member Reviews-

[VegetableStu]

5 minutes ago, Morgan Everett said:

What's the benefit of watching a film on such a headset versus watching one on my monitor?

simulate a 18.5-foot widescreen?

[huilun02]

VR is on the path to kill itself if it isn't already dead

Why? High cost barrier to entry for a good experience (headset and computer), limited applications (in terms of both games and general use)

Most importantly the headset developers are all seeking to monopolize the market by making content exclusive

Your wet dream of physical enactment in playing a VR shooter will remain a wet dream because of mobility restriction with the headset on.

[Morgan Everett]

Just now, VegetableStu said:

simulate a 18.5-foot widescreen?

How good is that simulation, though?

[i_build_nanosuits]

On 10/18/2017 at 10:15 AM, Morgan Everett said:

What's the benefit of watching a film on such a headset versus watching one on my monitor?

 

On 10/18/2017 at 10:15 AM, The Benjamins said:

What is the 2D and 3D movie experience like?

If the movie is not a VR specific movie, if you're watching standard movie with a desktop app or a movie player i guess the only benefit is that you can watch it as if you're sitting in front of a 78 inch TVfor example, or sitting alone in a theater watching a 120ft screen...BUT the resolution is not perfect yet and for that purpose alone it's not worth it.
For full VR movies and VR porn then it's great...you can look around you, you feel as if you can touch stuff, basically you feel like you're there pretty much. This is great but again not really worth the purchase for that alone...not at this price at least...the main reason to buy this device really is gaming.

 

On 10/18/2017 at 10:23 AM, huilun02 said:

VR is on the path to kill itself if it isn't already dead

Why? High cost barrier to entry for a good experience (headset and computer), limited applications (in terms of both games and general use)

Most importantly the headset developers are all seeking to monopolize the market by making content exclusive

Your wet dream of physical enactment in playing a VR shooter will remain a wet dream because of mobility restriction with the headset on.

- Cost is getting better...i think for 549$ CAD the purchase of my rift is worth every penny, i use it every day multiple hours a day and i have more fun gaming on this then i ever had in my whole life with any game or consoles or PC or whatever...it's the ultimate immersion that you've ever dreamed of.

- There is A LOT of games now, many quality titles, lots of very good simulations...you won't get bored with it anymore.

- Rift can play ANYHTING including Steam VR titles there is no exclusive that can't be played on rift and i believe the Vive can play Rift titles as well with Re-vive or somethng like that and 90%+ of the games now support all platforms because otherwise there is not enough buyers for them games

- You are completely wrong about the VR shooters, yes you can't run around but you use the left thumb stick to move, press it down and you are running, raise your weapon to aim and the running stop and you're walking forward while aiming...it's very intuitive and it works flawlessly. You need about 6ft x 6ft area and a 3rd sensor for full 360 degree covering.

[VegetableStu]

Just now, Morgan Everett said:

How good is that simulation, though?

depends on the headset resolution I think? Without going too deep.

It's been a while since I last tried out a Vive, at the time it kinda felt pixelly but somehow it's not as bad as looking at a 22" 1280x800 display.

 

IMO there needs to be more content for VR for anything to move. Not just games, maybe filmboxes like how .fbx was intended. Also once people figure out the player-camera framing thing, like how would one design a stage/stadium/setting and how much walk is expected of the player.

 

I keep bringing up almost-literal-tabletop Starcraft II as an example, to explain the idea of not being limited to the borders of the monitor, but yeah if it's this easy to say and no one has made it yet...

[Princess Luna]

Personally speaking I'm not a fan... I like to lazy up too much so sitting on comfortable chair or sofa or in bed even facing a curved 4k TV with a gamepad and boot up that The Witcher 3 for glorious eye candy is more my deal [:

[i_build_nanosuits]

1 minute ago, Princess Cadence said:

Personally speaking I'm not a fan... I like to lazy up too much so sitting on comfortable chair or sofa or in bed even facing a curved 4k TV with a gamepad and boot up that The Witcher 3 for glorious eye candy is more my deal [:

that's what i use to think as well...until you actually stand up, put it on and become the witcher with the eye candy all around you

 

[werto165]

6 minutes ago, i_build_nanosuits said:

that's what i use to think as well...until you actually stand up, put it on and become the witcher with the eye candy all around you

 

you use vorpx to do that or just take a screenshot in ansel to look at it? 

[i_build_nanosuits]

Just now, werto165 said:

you use vorpx to do that or just take a screenshot in ansel to look at it? 

you can use vorpX to varying degree of succes depending on the games...i know battlefield games and battlefront for example work really well.

I havn't played the witcher in VR...it was more of a general comment '' you can find similar games that you like that are VR games and those will shit all over everything you've known before'' type of comment...sorry for the confusion.

[werto165]

4 minutes ago, i_build_nanosuits said:

you can use vorpX to varying degree of succes depending on the games...i know battlefield games and battlefront for example work really well.

I havn't played the witcher in VR...it was more of a general comment '' you can find similar games that you like that are VR games and those will shit all over everything you've known before'' type of comment...sorry for the confusion.

ah no problem. I have a rift myself. Just curious if you had used it at all. personally I think VR is best when you're connected with people. My favourite experiences have been within altspace vr but that was the earlier days not sure what it is like at the moment. I really think that valve are slacking with their content. Oculus' stuff has been great. Robo recall was superb(I know not totally oculus but still) . Gave it to my brother though whilst I'm at uni so I'm only going to be able to use when I go home for christmas, but by that time there will be a new oculus home update that looks fucking sweet and I really want to play arkitika 1 and I NEED talos principle VR. If only they could create more content like henry I'd be all over that. Can't wait till pixar and similar get onto VR. 

[i_build_nanosuits]

12 minutes ago, werto165 said:

ah no problem. I have a rift myself. Just curious if you had used it at all. personally I think VR is best when you're connected with people. My favourite experiences have been within altspace vr but that was the earlier days not sure what it is like at the moment. I really think that valve are slacking with their content. Oculus' stuff has been great. Robo recall was superb(I know not totally oculus but still) . Gave it to my brother though whilst I'm at uni so I'm only going to be able to use when I go home for christmas, but by that time there will be a new oculus home update that looks fucking sweet and I really want to play arkitika 1 and I NEED talos principle VR. If only they could create more content like henry I'd be all over that. Can't wait till pixar and similar get onto VR. 

Yeah i agree that multiplayer stuff is very engaging...i play a lot of onward and the guys playing that game are some of the funniest individuals i've ever known i'm laughing my ass off every night...it's great fun! Robo recall was nice, but now there are MANY games similar to that and some that are even better...arktika 1 is one of them i think i'm about half-way through it and it is indeed a superb game, flawless execution...it's stunning.
But for me personally the best is racing sims (project cars 2 runs good and looks amazing and it has so many cars and tracks and solid multiplayer and everything, it's VERY VERY fun) and 1st person shooters online...onward is like america's army was back in the day, army simulation where you die from only a couple bullet and you have to wait for next round, but it's very run and Pavlov VR is that arcade shooter that is like counter strike where you have people playing all kind of workshop maps, many are recreations of well known counter-strike, call of duty or battlefields maps for example....it's also fun, but more relax it's faster and it takes many bullets to die...like in call of duty for example...now, i want the next step up...i wand battlefield VR...with tanks, planes, humvee, etc...that one will be insane.

i don't know how much content there is for people that are more strategy and rpg oriented, i tend to find those games pretty boring so...yeah

 

[Bananasplit_00]

if you have $500 spare and you are on a 1050TI id probably rather upgrade the rest of the system then get a Vive or Oculus.

4 hours ago, i_build_nanosuits said:

porn and movies i guess? porn is great...

yes, even with the cardboard its pretty nice...

 

Whats your opinion on the new Microsoft headsets, starting at $399 with the headset and controllers? havent seen anyone do a review of them and they launched yesterday. from what i remember they are compatible with SteamVR so that would be really nice

[i_build_nanosuits]

4 hours ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

if you have $500 spare and you are on a 1050TI id probably rather upgrade the rest of the system then get a Vive or Oculus.

yes, even with the cardboard its pretty nice...

 

Whats your opinion on the new Microsoft headsets, starting at $399 with the headset and controllers? havent seen anyone do a review of them and they launched yesterday. from what i remember they are compatible with SteamVR so that would be really nice

havn't seen it yet...i will have to check it out...no idea if it's better than the oculus then i'll get one...upgrading to the latest and greatest VR headset is something i'm looking forward to...very much...i imagine every upgrades there will be amazing

 

EDIT: i checked it and unless i havn't watched the good one, this thing is not a VR headset...it's a mixed reality headset...which is IMHO much less interesting...i love immersion...being taken to other places etc. Mixed reality is virtual objects drawn on top of your real surrounding...not that i don't like my office, but i much rather visit other planets, caverns, beaches, volcanos etc. you know...

 

8 hours ago, werto165 said:

SLR app all I'm gonna say.

Just catched this one...thanks for posting that, i downloaded it and will try it out later...looks amazing.

 

 

[Bananasplit_00]

9 hours ago, i_build_nanosuits said:

EDIT: i checked it and unless i havn't watched the good one, this thing is not a VR headset...it's a mixed reality headset...which is IMHO much less interesting...i love immersion...being taken to other places etc. Mixed reality is virtual objects drawn on top of your real surrounding...not that i don't like my office, but i much rather visit other planets, caverns, beaches, volcanos etc. you know...

you can use them with SteamVR, so its a VR headset. there really dosent seem to be any real reviews that arent complete shit on that part though from what i have looked up.

[kirashi]

On 18/10/2017 at 8:23 AM, huilun02 said:

VR is on the path to kill itself if it isn't already dead

Why? High cost barrier to entry for a good experience (headset and computer), limited applications (in terms of both games and general use)

Most importantly the headset developers are all seeking to monopolize the market by making content exclusive

Your wet dream of physical enactment in playing a VR shooter will remain a wet dream because of mobility restriction with the headset on.

Exactly my thoughts. I won't argue that VR itself is a bad idea or completely dead, however, for the consumer I believe it's headed much the way that 3D TV's and movies went shortly after they were released. The cost is much too high compared to buying a game console, since you can get a PS4, another controller, and 20-30 good games for the same cost as what you need for a VR gaming PC + the VR equipment itself.

 

This is exactly why the VR industry is looking to pull the same exclusivity stunt that Hollywood and the music industry have been doing for years, which consumers are only now speaking out against in order to have access to the content they want, when they want it, on the devices they want, in the format they want it in. It's actually the leading cause of piracy, and now the sole reason I'll still occasionally acquire things via less scrupulous means. Make content available on all platforms at the same price, and your consumer will fork over cash like they buy coffee.

 

However, I do fully support the use of VR in interactive exhibits, such as museums, or for accessibility purposes. Someone in a wheelchair may never be able to walk through the Grand Canyon, or go spelunking, but they'd absolutely be able to experience these things via VR technology.

[i_build_nanosuits]

36 minutes ago, kirashi said:

Exactly my thoughts. I won't argue that VR itself is a bad idea or completely dead, however, for the consumer I believe it's headed much the way that 3D TV's and movies went shortly after they were released. The cost is much too high compared to buying a game console, since you can get a PS4, another controller, and 20-30 good games for the same cost as what you need for a VR gaming PC + the VR equipment itself.

 

This is exactly why the VR industry is looking to pull the same exclusivity stunt that Hollywood and the music industry have been doing for years, which consumers are only now speaking out against in order to have access to the content they want, when they want it, on the devices they want, in the format they want it in. It's actually the leading cause of piracy, and now the sole reason I'll still occasionally acquire things via less scrupulous means. Make content available on all platforms at the same price, and your consumer will fork over cash like they buy coffee.

 

However, I do fully support the use of VR in interactive exhibits, such as museums, or for accessibility purposes. Someone in a wheelchair may never be able to walk through the Grand Canyon, or go spelunking, but they'd absolutely be able to experience these things via VR technology.

it's so depressing to read ignorant shit like that, it hurts.

people commenting on things they THINK they know about, have you even tried it?! have you even taken the time to go to Steam and check the boxes for the games that are compatible with rift and vive...i can tell you right now there is 87 pages of games that support VR for both vive and rift and there are new games coming out and being developped everyday and you can buy them either on oculus store or on steam...do you know how many millions of these VR headsets are out in the wild already? do you know how alive and well the multiplayer is for many of these games? well...I KNOW...i play them...and there is no shortage of players or games to play, both single player and multiplayer and both on rift and vive...and there really aren't that many exclusives anymore...all you say is bullshit man...for real!

[kirashi]

30 minutes ago, i_build_nanosuits said:

it's so depressing to read ignorant shit like that, it hurts.

people commenting on things they THINK they know about, have you even tried it?! have you even taken the time to go to Steam and check the boxes for the games that are compatible with rift and vive...i can tell you right now there is 87 pages of games that support VR for both vive and rift and there are new games coming out and being developped everyday and you can buy them either on oculus store or on steam...do you know how many millions of these VR headsets are out in the wild already? do you know how alive and well the multiplayer is for many of these games? well...I KNOW...i play them...and there is no shortage of players or games to play, both single player and multiplayer and both on rift and vive...and there really aren't that many exclusives anymore...all you say is bullshit man...for real!

Apologies, I thought the forums were for open discussion of topics, and did not mean to personally attack you, or directly say that VR is bad as a technology. I just believe that the current state of VR is not yet ready for mainstream consumers compared to the availability and general ease-of-setup of a game console for most non-technical consumers or parents right now. However, like anything technology-related, people will become educated on setup and ease-of-use as time passes, so it's definitely something to watch as we move forward.

• Have I tried it? Yes, both 1st and 2nd gen Oculus, and Vive. I prefer the Vive because of headset comfort level, although neither are really comfortable to me.
• Have I looked at VR compatible games on Steam? Yes, and nothing really stands out. I play racing, RTS, and FPS genres, so I'm not really the right market. About the only game I'd want at this time is the Talos Principle, and even then only because I've seen how well made it is from my brother playing it. Otherwise those types of games aren't for me.
• I do know there are millions out in the wild, however, just like 3D technology, I'd love to find out the percentage of VR headsets that people actually use compared to the number sold. Obviously, I'd love this to be a large percentage, since more games will be developed if the market is larger, and not fail like 3D's attempted take off during the HDTV boom.
• There is a push for exclusives from Oculus, but not so much Vive, which is another reason I'm rooting for Team Vive like I did for the BluRay vs. HDDVD wars.

As soon as the market gets big enough, and barrier to entry for non-technical and non-enthusiast consumers comes down, I'm sure we'll see families switching from purchasing game consoles & media centre PC's over to purchasing $2000 CAD gaming rigs + VR equipment. With all the space they need for VR, they could even save money by not buying a couch!  

[i_build_nanosuits]

4 hours ago, kirashi said:

Have I looked at VR compatible games on Steam? Yes, and nothing really stands out. I play racing, RTS, and FPS genres, so I'm not really the right market.

i'll just answer to this part here because i'm short on time but i'll tell you you ARE the right market...not so much for RTS (i think) but for Racing and FPS these are the 2 where VR really shines...project cars 2 in VR is SUPERB if you have a racing wheel i swear to god it's worth getting a VR headset just for that...and for FPS games there are plenty as well...some of which even use free locomotion instead of teleportation...look at Arktika 1, pavlov, onward, robo recall, Raw Data, Killing floor incursion or Arizona sunshine just to name a few...

 

EDIT: in fact if you search for RTS and select the VR compatibles and VR only titles, there are quite a lot of that as well...

Armor clash VR, Castle wars VR, AirMech command (check this one, looks pretty cool to me) , zombie city defense...there is a lot of cool ones actually.