Future of VR in Consoles

[TacoSenpai]

What do you think the future of VR is in the console gaming space?  We know that PSVR has had some success even though the titles are largely demos and mini games that while impressive are still new and need time to be fleshed out.  We can safely assume that consoles will be more powerful than the current PS4 and Xbox One and that with those specs they can run VR respectably.  Then there is of course the Switch and the question of if portable VR will be attempted (save us from the curse of the Virtual Boy).  

 

I think we could potentially see VR being a big focus for the console space given how consoles are typically made to work right out of the box, people already have an idea of how easy it is to work with something like PS VR so its not exactly as offputting as it was before, and then there is the appeal factor of immersion and the "newness" of it.

 

What do you think?

[TacoSenpai]

10 minutes ago, Gamerfiend_ said:

I see where they are going with VR but it seems to me to be a risky move to focus more on that than traditional gaming, I myself don't like the thought of VR all that much and I'm not alone, but there are also many people who love it, I think it will just create another wedge to divide groups of gamers. Saying this however, I love gaming, I like the idea of a change for the better but so far nothing has made me want to sway from the classic controller , eyes & a Tv/Monitor.

That actually brings up an interesting point.  Like how Sony and Microsoft tiered out their consoles with slightly more powerful versions I could potentially see them making their main consoles then making a VR varient.  Of course I don't know how likely that is since the cost of doing so would be pretty large and then you have to develop for both.

[Stefan Payne]

14 minutes ago, LordOTaco said:

What do you think the future of VR is in the console gaming space? 

The same as it is right now.

It might get some traction and will at most be an alternative to the TV. 

IMO its most interesting on mobile Consoles though they don't have the necessary performance for that.

 

But it can not ever replace the TV to 100% as there are some humans incompatible with this technology. And others don't have the space to fully utilize it.

Sad but there is nothing you can do about that...

[TacoSenpai]

1 minute ago, Gamerfiend_ said:

Good point & if the wrong Microsoft/Sony employee sniffed around here it might be a good idea... to them. ha-ha. I hope they don't, but back in the day I never thought they would create a "Pro version" of a console, in my eyes I would of thought they would make one console with it all, not multiple, for people only to regret buying 1 year down the line when they've already sunk £250+ into the previous version

Good point brb gonna delete my post.

 

I didn't think they would start doing the "Pro" thing either just from a cost standpoint.  For mobiles like the DS it made a little more sense because the base platform didn't really change (until the New 3DS) and the changes were largely cosmetic/slim downs.  But in the case of both the Pro and Xbox One X they beefed up the actual internals of the console. 

[TVwazhere]

I'm thinking PSVR will most likely be more successful than PC VR for a time. 

 

• the whole system to run it headset included, costs less than a gaming PC + headset
• Since it's only a few configurations of hardware, games wil be easier to optimize. They might not look as good graphics wise but you're more likely to get the FPS needed
• More people in the US have consoles than gaming PC's, so there's a bigger market for VR in the console market.

[TacoSenpai]

1 minute ago, TVwazhere said:

I'm thinking PSVR will most likely be more successful than PC VR for a time. 

 

• the whole system to run it headset included, costs less than a gaming PC + headset
• Since it's only a few configurations of hardware, games wil be easier to optimize. They might not look as good graphics wise but you're more likely to get the FPS needed
• More people in the US have consoles than gaming PC's, so there's a bigger market for VR in the console market.

That was the biggest thing I was thinking of as well.  While PCs now in days will kick ass at VR thats more hassle than most are willing to deal with.  With PS VR or a equivalent its all out of the box ready to go.  When its put that way its like consoles are going full circle.  First they were like that plug and play with games, then became like PCs with patches os's and so on, now back to plug and play with VR.

 

 

[porina]

I'm not sure PSVR or successor will survive beyond PS5. Not because I expect it to fail, but the form factor will be outdated, and the low cost end of the market will be replaced by self contained "mobile" like HMDs. It's already happening, but they're still too mobile like. Performance in mobile form factors is possibly the biggest growth area, and I think it could rival 1st gen PC VR in not too many years, but at a much lower cost. The other thing they need to work out is full self contained motion tracking, so that room scale wouldn't be out of the question. On the same train of thought, PC VR would go even higher end to have a reason to continue to exist.

[Stefan Payne]

4 hours ago, porina said:

I'm not sure PSVR or successor will survive beyond PS5. Not because I expect it to fail, but the form factor will be outdated, and the low cost end of the market will be replaced by self contained "mobile" like HMDs.

Yeah, Problem with the VR stuff is human compatibility wich isn't as high as with LCD (or CRT) Screens, but also some disadvantages.

Like how do you do a shared/split screen multi player game with VR? Even though that that is a nice, it is still a thing on consoles.

 

Another Thing is the need of space for that. You need to have a bit of free space that is explicitly made for VR where nothing lys around you can step on or fall over with....

 

4 hours ago, porina said:

On the same train of thought, PC VR would go even higher end to have a reason to continue to exist.

Yeah, but cost is also a big Problem for VR as most people don't want to spend 500€ or more on the Headset. The 250€ for PSVR is more reasonable and also a reason why it is more popular, it is also cheaper wich increases the potential customer base by a mile....

So it will gain market share, if they can reduce the price, but not by that much as the motion sickness of the user is an enormous Problem that isn't easily solved...

Also you might want to have a "VR Treadmill"...

 

 

At some point I'd like to try VR at least or maybe even get a Heatset myself. Though I fear that I might be incompatible with that as I was with the Elsa 3D Glasses back in the day...

[porina]

5 hours ago, Stefan Payne said:

Like how do you do a shared/split screen multi player game with VR? Even though that that is a nice, it is still a thing on consoles.

PSVR seems to have an ok solution for now, where you have the VR player, and you can have additional player(s) using the TV.

 

If pricing comes down, maybe each person can have their own HMD.

 

5 hours ago, Stefan Payne said:

Another Thing is the need of space for that. You need to have a bit of free space that is explicitly made for VR where nothing lys around you can step on or fall over with....

I think there will remain two categories, single position VR, and room scale. With my vision of lower cost stand alone HMDs, I should add, untethered, it would increase flexibility on where that space is, and doesn't have to be a fixed space as it has to be right now with the likes of Vive or Rift.

 

5 hours ago, Stefan Payne said:

So it will gain market share, if they can reduce the price, but not by that much as the motion sickness of the user is an enormous Problem that isn't easily solved...

I do get motion sickness, and there are already tricks that get around it. One is teleporting as used in many games to have a bigger area to play in. Another is temporarily reducing field of view during motion. It is the peripheral vision that is used to detect motion, so reducing that stops the brain from getting the disconnect. Another maybe less effective one is to provide a reference frame around the player e.g. inside something when travelling. I've had mixed effects with this, as it more closely mirrors motion sickness in a car.

 

5 hours ago, Stefan Payne said:

At some point I'd like to try VR at least or maybe even get a Heatset myself. Though I fear that I might be incompatible with that as I was with the Elsa 3D Glasses back in the day...

I gambled on the Vive, and it was certainly an experience. Since then I also got PSVR, nowhere near as compelling an experience but still gives a good taste. Either are far better than mobile solutions, for now.

[Stefan Payne]

So in the end, we just have to wait and see how they handle the Problem "Human Incompatibility" like Motiion Sickness and other things.

But also how much they can bring down the price. The PSVR Price seems to me like a decent mid range point of VR Stuff.

 

And last but not least the Performance Requirement but that will get better over time...

 

At the moment we are at the amber CRT Monitor stages with VR (well, OK, a bit further than that) and just have to wait and see and hope for the best.

 

I don't think that VR will fail, just that its not a 100% alternative.

 

My guess for the Market share is, at best, like 25%, wich isn't that bad and could make AAA VR Games worthwhile. Because many Games right now have to take the normal experience into account.

 

For the ones with Motion Sickness there could be a somewhat OKish Alternative. And that would be extremely curved  ultra wide screen ultra wide Monitors. something like 50" that can get you a 180° Viewangle.

[TacoSenpai]

14 hours ago, porina said:

I'm not sure PSVR or successor will survive beyond PS5. Not because I expect it to fail, but the form factor will be outdated, and the low cost end of the market will be replaced by self contained "mobile" like HMDs. It's already happening, but they're still too mobile like. Performance in mobile form factors is possibly the biggest growth area, and I think it could rival 1st gen PC VR in not too many years, but at a much lower cost. The other thing they need to work out is full self contained motion tracking, so that room scale wouldn't be out of the question. On the same train of thought, PC VR would go even higher end to have a reason to continue to exist.

Mobile HMDs huh?  I've seen stuff like the Samsung Gear for phones though I'm not sure I'd want to wear it around in public though it might be a good alternative at home.  Its not too surprising as technology develops it tends to get slimmer and such.  I could see a Switch 2 or Super Switch having some VR on the go that would be something.  But of course you would have to execute it well and not Virtual Boy it.

 

4 hours ago, porina said:

 

I do get motion sickness, and there are already tricks that get around it. One is teleporting as used in many games to have a bigger area to play in. Another is temporarily reducing field of view during motion. It is the peripheral vision that is used to detect motion, so reducing that stops the brain from getting the disconnect. Another maybe less effective one is to provide a reference frame around the player e.g. inside something when travelling. I've had mixed effects with this, as it more closely mirrors motion sickness in a car.

 

I gambled on the Vive, and it was certainly an experience. Since then I also got PSVR, nowhere near as compelling an experience but still gives a good taste. Either are far better than mobile solutions, for now.

Oh thats interesting I've thought about the Oculus plus for my PC though I hear the Vive is better even though more expensive plus you have to set up those sensor things around the room. 

 

This is probably beyond our time but at some point I think you'll be able to not even move but be completely immersed in the game.  Though I'm not sure how I feel about that lol.

[porina]

5 minutes ago, LordOTaco said:

Mobile HMDs huh?  I've seen stuff like the Samsung Gear for phones though I'm not sure I'd want to wear it around in public though it might be a good alternative at home.

If we're talking pure VR, not AR, it would generally have to be a private location to use effectively. AR is another matter...

 

I also think mobile HMDs have to be the way forward for the masses. Simple, self contained, low cost. Just needs to be better than current offerings. At the rate of technological improvement I don't think we have to wait too long, years, not decades.

 

5 minutes ago, LordOTaco said:

Oh thats interesting I've thought about the Oculus plus for my PC though I hear the Vive is better even though more expensive plus you have to set up those sensor things around the room. 

I can't comment on Rift (assuming that is what you meant) as I haven't used it, but I understand with enough cameras you can have a similar room scale experience to the Vive. Room scale to me is basically our low tech version of a Star Trek Holodeck right now. It can only improve.

 

5 minutes ago, LordOTaco said:

This is probably beyond our time but at some point I think you'll be able to not even move but be completely immersed in the game.  Though I'm not sure how I feel about that lol.

The thing that gets me is the lack of self. I expect to see my body, and... there is nothing there. A pair of floating hands isn't quite enough. I want to use my feet too, and some kind of force feedback when interacting with the environment would be nice. Perhaps something for future generations.

 

I had wondered, with existing technology could something like Kinect be used to provide full body tracking, although cameras with enough AI behind it might do similar... but we're firmly in high end room scale usage here, not the mobile ones earlier.