VR Gaming

Get off the damn computer, and play with your TV, it misses you!

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Winnow
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

I don't think there's one person that actually believes the dualshock joystick placement is ergonomically superior to the asynchronous configuration of the Xbox controller.(I mean seriously believes not the bullshit answers Ill get on this forum) For todays games, with movement controlled by the left joystick, it makes much more sense to have the joystick in the primary position.

Sony admitted they only kept their controller configuration for tradition as opposed to it being superior ergonomically.

Even the Xbox Controller is a stop gap solution until Oculus has their touch controllers ready. Xbox Controller also allows for familiar controls for all of the current games that will have VR support.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

Tested (Jamie & Adam) always have the best reviews of tech gizmos. They are informed and ask great questions

Here is their coverage of the Oculus Rift CV1 from E3: (in depth 40 minute interview with Nate Mitchell and Palmer Lucky and hands on)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asduqdRizqs&hd=1

Really looking forward to using the Half Moon (Oculus Touch) input controllers. By all accounts, they appear to be very intuitive input devices.

CV1 takes care of a lot of the setup issues from previous Rift releases. There's a manual IPD adjustment now (adjust distance between your eyes) that moves both the lens and the dual screens at the same time to give each user the perfect sweet spot. Looks like they've put a lot of thought into the 3D audio as well which works excellent with the built-in (detachable) headphones.

It's another day one/pre-order for me.

These guys will cover Morpheus and Steam Vive as well.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Aslanna »

One of the best VR games shown at E3 was for Morpheus. And made by Guerrilla (not Gorilla) games. Winnow's head is going to explode.

Even with VR Sony is crushing it!
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

eh, FPS isn't going to be the primary use for VR at least in the beginning.

VR game of the show wasn't really a game. It was the toy box environment that Oculus used to show off the capabilities of it's new Touch Controllers. New VR controllers will be critical in taking full advantage of the VR environment.

It was good to see Sony's strong support of Morpheus (outside of their own conference) with lots of game demos on the show floor. The most impressive Morpheus game wasn't available to all show goers was code named "Kitchen". It's a horror game that Sony showed a select group of people.

Here AngryJoe discusses the scary "Kitchen" demo by Capcom :

https://youtu.be/If3uvCKenoQ?t=7m38s

I bookmarked the part. I find him mostly annoying but anyway he had it as his 5th best game of the entire show.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Aslanna »

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Winnow... Is that you?
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Funkmasterr »

:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

Age 22, rich and doing what you love, working with legendary programming genius John Carmack among others? I wish! That picture is missing Palmer's trademark flip-flops. I'd love to have the CV version of the Oculus Rift right now.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

Some thoughts on the upcoming VR headset releases next year.

Virtual Reality is going to blow your mind. It just will. That's a given. Field of view (FoV) and higher display resolutions that reduce Screen Door Effect (SDE) are the two first things that most will think of when it comes to a quality VR experience. Next up is motion blur and presence. (the motion sickness reducing factors). After that you have how you interact with the virtual world (controls) and how you hear the virtual world. (3D Audio)

There are two primary VR headsets to consider. Steam's Vive and the Oculus Rift. I'll address the primary factors above between these two VR platforms.

FOV: (Edge Vive)

Vive has the edge here. According to user experiences, Vive has the wider FoV (which gives you less of a "looking through goggles into the world" feel). While not a deal breaker, when it comes to VR, larger FoV certainly helps with immersion.

Resolution and SDE (Edge Rift)

Both will be using dual panels and similar resolution. Rift has the edge when it comes to SDE. This is due to two things. A smaller FoV requires less spreading out of the pixels to cover the FoV and the Rift has better optics (lenses). Rift uses custom hybrid Fresnel lenses to help cut down on the Screen Door Effect which combined with the smaller FoV creates a smoother image. This is slightly more important to me then FoV as I plan to watch movies, etc in VR theater so the less SDE the better. For gaming, it's probably not a deal breaker.

Presence: (Edge maybe to Vive with caveat)

Presence encompasses a lot of things but the bottom line is it's what determines if you are immersed in the Virtual Environment. John Carmack has done wonders to reduce motion sickness with the Rift but the Vive also has managed to reduce or eliminate this issue so there is no advantage here. One difference with presence though is that the Rift is a seated or stand-on-one-place experience while the Vive allows you to walk around in a 15/15 foot area. So this is the caveat. Do you have a 15 foot by 15 foot open space you can use your VR in? Probably not, at least most won't. I'll probably convert a bedroom into a VR space in the future but it's asking a lot for people to have an empty room right off the bat. I'll address controllers next but being able to walk around freely in VR certainly adds to presence. On the flip side, I doubt most will want to move around too much and most humans are overweight so the stand/sit-in-one-place experience will work. Hell, I doubt most will even want to stand up for very long.

Controllers: (Edge Rift with caveat)

When the Vive was introduced, the motion controllers that come with it were clearly better for dedicated VR games than the console controller Rift has been using. Now, keep in mind, during the initial introduction of these VR platforms, many of the games will be converted from standard games which use Xbox/PS controllers. Soon after Vive's introduction, the Oculus Touch controllers were introduced which are a step beyond what the Vive has. The caveat is that the Touch controllers will arrive 3 months after the consumer Rift is introduced while the Vive's controller will release at the same time as the headset. (All Rift's will come packaged with a wireless Xbox One controller).

The importance of motion controllers are being able to see your arms and hands inside the virtual world you're in. Reaching to pick up, or catch things can't be done with a standard controller. While the Vive's controller will work well, the Oculus Touch controller is more intuitive and natural.

3D Audio: (Edge Rift)

Vive hasn't announced their plans for audio so this is default win for Rift. Audio is extremely important in VR for presence. Rift will come with headphones tuned for 3D Audio. Spacialization is extremely important. When there's an avatar talking to you in VR, the audio needs to come right from the direction of the source or it will throw you and your sense of presence off. The Oculus team has done a great job nailing this down. It remains to be seen as to what the Vive ends up with.

Price: Most likely Vive will be more expensive. Pricing hasn't been announced for either. Guestimate is $350 for the Rift.

OVERALL

For those that can only afford one VR platform or only plan to get one, it's going to be a tough choice. Vive has the 15 foot space (If you have that available) while Rift will eventually have the better controllers. As I opened up with, either VR headset will blow your mind but as for blow jobs, Rift's oculus touch will probably make it easier for you to hold the person's head giving you a blow in VR and feel more natural while Vive maybe will be more comparible to wearing mittens on you hands. Vive's ability to move around in an area is certainly cool but keep in mind, you will be completely immersed in the virtual world. Even sitting at my desk, using the DK2, I bang my head on objects and knock shit over with my hands reaching for things in VR so you will need to be sure you have an open space if you plan on actually walking around.

Steven Speilberg's movie adaptation of Ernest Cline's Ready Player One book will be released in 2017. In it the OASIS, a massive virtual world that everyone uses on a daily basis, will give a great vision of what's to come.

--------- (going a little off topic below)

Think on the timeline of the iPhone. It was introduced in 2007 with no app store and sluggish but cool touch interface. 8 years later it (and even Android, etc) do amazing things with 100's of thousands of apps and much much better CPU, screens, etc . Virtual Reality will explode just as fast IMO. If this board is still around. I'll update how things are in 2022. (that's half the time that Everquest has been around) In my lifetime music has gone from records, to 8-tracks, to cassettes, to CDs, to MP3s, to streaming. From no computers, no internet, no cell phones to what we have today. Technology advancement over the past 50 years has been incredible and the advancement gets faster every year. I recall when I was young reading about the last person alive during the Civil War dying. (prob born around 1855) That's a long fucking time ago. Imagine the technology around when they were born compared with today's, just two generations. Horse and Buggy to Human designed probes having left the Solar System. Take any 50 year period prior to 1800 and jack shit happened. 1800-1850 some stuff...1850-1900 industrial revolution...1900-1950 much higher rate of advancement...1950-2000 assloads of change, 2000-2050 = holy fucking shitballs. If I'm fortunate and am only halfway though my life, considering the amazing changes that have happened since I was born, I'm not sure we can even picture what 2050+ will be like. Not sure anyone had any idea of how huge the internet, communications, etc would be. (I know Arthur C Clark and others predicted things in general but not close to specifics)

The most amazing thing to old people would be our access to almost any information instantly no matter where you are. For me as a kid, it was a brick and mortar library and using the dewey decimal system to look up books and a fucking typewriter to write papers. Prized possession for a family would be a calculator that could add/divide/subract that was bigger than your head and sucked down 9-volt batteries in a couple hours.

My guess is that we will be jacked into whatever version of the net is in the future without needing a headset at all. Most likely some small implant. I also think that we are one generation short of health/rejuvenation immortality, We (the 40+ crowd) will miss it but the next generation will be around a very long time (barring being shot, etc).

Virtual Reality > Reality, within 15 years. What I mean by that is that even if a person is right in front of you, you'll want to spend time with them in VR instead of IRL. That also includes sex. You'll have sex IRL with your partner in your bed, but you'll both be having that sex on a beach, or somewhere else in your heads. Of course senior citizen couples still sexually active will be looking like 20 year olds in VR...because why not? "The beauty of the buad", as it should be, people will become attracted to others for their minds with physical appearance mattering less and less.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

Hololens has some better examples of what to expect in it's first generation.


This example of Netflix looks pretty good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hp0PA_qHqI

Streaming Halo 5 to hololens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enaCPYuYXps
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

Image

Ordered Consumer Version of the Oculus Rift within 5 minutes of it going up for sale. Was hard to get through to the order page.

Expected delivery: March, Nice. I was thinking it would be April.

Next up: Vive!

Edit: Ship dates already estimated for April for new orders. Only first few minutes of orders got March I guess. Glad I've got mad F5 skillz.

I think I got Rift order #1,730. they're now over 80,000 after 30 minutes.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

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Nice portable storage case it comes with.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Aslanna »

$600. Pass.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Funkmasterr »

Aslanna wrote:$600. Pass.
:vv_yeahthat:
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

It will come down into your price range someday. Should probably try one sometime so at least you know what you're missing or not missing. (not a lame cardboard or Gear VR headset)
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Funkmasterr »

Once there are a good handful of quality triple a titles, I'll consider paying whatever it costs. But I'm not paying $600 to play a bunch of tech demos and shitty games that I'll be done with in a day or two.

I actually see that being a major hurdle in the way of success for these VR headsets. To pull in the majority of gamers, they need big titles - but they probably won't get the backing for the big titles without a big install base.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Aslanna »

VR still has many hurdles to overcome before it truly becomes mainstream. I'll let others spend their time and money on that in the meantime. If I have no real interest in it why would I care what I was "missing"?

So back to my original verdict: Pass. And it really has nothing to do with it being in my "price range" . I simply want value for money and at this point I don't think it is there.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

It will be in your "value" price range soon. lol

Only a fool would not know by now that VR at least needs to be experienced to have a fucking clue how it is.

So that's 100% correct. You don't know what you're missing until you try it whether you end up liking it or not. VR isn't something you can describe and get an accurate visualization of the experience. Find the umpteen articles that say the same thing.

If I was waiting for "value" I would never have bought a Commodore 64 and plenty of other things that changed my life. Keep waiting on that new tech value.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Aslanna »

I bought a $1400 laptop, even if I did return it, so a $600 VR headset I wouldn't even sweat. Not sure why you're harping on that particular point. Enjoy your Rift it matters not at all to me. However it's not a product for me at this point in time.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

Sony's PlayStation VR price leaks online: Amazon page accidentally reveals the headset could cost $800

Price appeared on an Amazon Canada listing that has since been removed
Sony's head-mounted device features a 1080p HD resolution display
Headset sensors track a wearer's motion in conjunction with a PS4 camera
The virtual reality device is expected to go on sale in the first half of 2016
I'll field this one for the rest of the people on this forum:

Pass!

-----------------------------

Oculus (and Vive) will require GTX 970 minimum and recommended GTX 980. I agree it's for high end gamers as I'll need to upgrade my system to use it.

For those that already have a system capable I think the value is there. For those (which is most) that don't have the specs, it might take more thinking.

As for Playstation VR. Who the hell is going to spend 800 on an inferior experience for the PS4? Somehow I bet most on this board will buy it before a Rift or Vive. a 1080 screen paired with the MUCH weaker GPU in PS4 compared to a desktop GTC 970/980 isn't going to give anywhere hear as good an experience or resolution. As with all Sony products, it looks flashy though. Got lots of blue lights n stuff.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Animalor »

I'd be shocked by this. It was most likely a placeholder price. Even with the weak CDN dollar, twice the price of the console would be outrageous.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

Animalor wrote:I'd be shocked by this. It was most likely a placeholder price. Even with the weak CDN dollar, twice the price of the console would be outrageous.

I feel for you Canadians. A few years back your dollar was worth more than a U.S. dollar, now $1 US = ~ 1.40 CAN ouch.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Only Winnow can turn "could cost $800" into Playstation VR will definitely be $800.

Having said that, no way PS VR will be $800. Guaranteed. Anyone who thinks that's the case is a moron. They've already said it will be priced similarly to a console. I'd say $500 at most.

I am going to pass on PS VR also. And it has nothing to do with whatever the price ends up being.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Funkmasterr »

Yeah, again it will be a pass for me until there are games I really want. I realize that there are other applications for VR than gaming, but quite honestly they don't interest me.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

Oculus Has Already Sold All of the Rifts It Has Made and Will Make Until March

Luckey said as much talking to Engadget during its live stream for the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada this week. “We’ve been building stock up for a long time,” he explained. “Back in September we showed a picture of the first Rift to come off the assembly line and we’ve been working on manufacturing ever since. But we sold all of the units we’ve made so far and will make until our March 28th release date really, really fast. I can’t talk about it for financial reasons and disclosure and stuff but I’m super stoked.”

That’s a lot of Oculus Rifts, especially considering the company will also be sending out a free unit to every Kickstarter backer that pledged enough to purchase the first development kit (DK1) version of the device back in 2012, with this orders pushed to the front of the queue. The Oculus Rift costs $599 USD and will come with a number of extras including – for those that pre-ordered- CCP Games’ EVE: Valkyrie. Lucky’s Tale and an Xbox One controller will also be free with the device as will the Oculus Remote.

Looks like more than enough demand to sell every Oculus Rift they can produce. No numbers yet but appears to be a substantial amount. I think June is the estimated delivery date now but may by July now.

By far, the majority that have actually tried/demoed a high quality VR headset like DK2 (or more recently CV1) and Vive know what's up. It's an amazing experience and isn't just geared toward gaming. Gaming is the focus due to the expense but the immersion in videos, etc is amazing, especially the social aspects of VR.

I remember the first time I walked into the virtual movie theater and there was bunch of geeks in there already watching a movie. Feels exactly like you're in the theater sitting in a seat looking around. You could "res" a coke or popcorn. You're mind knows it's not real but you really want to take a drink out of the straw.

Just the calibration setup on the DK2 is enough to convince you it's not a gimmick, Crawling around over and under virtual desk, leaning over a pyramid made of cards looking at it from front/behind, etc.

What i would emphasize is this isn't just for games so the value comes other places as well. The first time I used virtual desktop and pulled up a big folder of files it drove it home. My list didn't end at the bottom of the screen, it went what seems like a mile down into the abyss since there's no end to the screen in VR.

It's the real deal. Hopefully everyone will get to try one of the consumer ready headsets (not PS4) but Rift or Vive so see what real VR is like.
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Re: VR Gaming

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As someone who wants VR to go mainstream I don't see the whole point of you shitting all over Sony's VR version. Even the other companies in that space (omg can't believe I just used that word) know that to be true. Other than you're a massive troll but that's pretty much already established. Like what you like and get the fuck over it already and stop being a douche on every fucking topic for a change.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Here's an article from TIME magazine about someone's introduction to VR and their thoughts.
I Finally Tried Virtual Reality and It Brought Me to Tears

Trying VR at CES made me feel more connected to my 18-month-old son

Prior to this week, I had never used VR. Frankly I wasn’t all that excited to try it. But after my first experience, I was hooked. Hosted by a company called YouVisit, I used the Samsung Gear VR headset to explore a collection of 360-degree experiences. In 20 minutes, I was able to explore Paris, tour a Carnival cruise ship, take in a catwalk view of Russia’s fashion week, and even enjoy an EDM concert (okay, “enjoy” may be the wrong adjective).

Most importantly, the experience helped me see VR as more than just a gimmick. It’s a technology that can bring people places they might not otherwise reach. A high school senior can tour a college without trekking across the country. A wheelchair-bound music fan can get in the front row at a rock concert. And a relocating home buyer can view a new house from the comfort of their old one.

My next VR experience, however, took me to a place I never imagined I’d ever visit: The deck of a shipwreck. An experience on the HTC Vive headset, Blue teleports people to the depth of the ocean floor. There, a computer animated whale, apparently the same scale as a real one, swims past. It’s a quick hit in a simple environment, but a stirring one. The whale looked me in the eye and seemed to grin slightly. I couldn’t help myself from smiling back. It was a beautiful moment, but an isolating one.

But there’s also a feeling of community among people who have enjoyed the same VR experiences. Wandering around CES this week, I watched dozens of people with VR goggles on. Before I put a pair on my face, I looked at these people and snickered over how goofy they looked from the outside, flailing about nonsensically. But after trying virtual reality myself, I found myself focusing on their smiles instead. Then, all I felt towards them was a genuine happiness. “Look at how much they’re enjoying themselves right now,” I thought. It’s dopey, but true.

For my money — and it will take a lot — the HTC Vive is the most engrossing virtual reality experience you can try right now. That’s mostly because the rig lets you walk around in a limited area to better explore a virtual space. Its users also hold a pair of joysticks, each resembling half a PlayStation controller. But the shape of the controllers is irrelevant once you strap on the Vive, because the computer tricks your mind into believing your hands are whatever appears on the screen.

In Job Simulator — an absurdly fun game despite revolving around mundane workplace tasks — your hands are a pair of blocky Hamburger Helper-like gloves. And because of this, the act of picking up a coffee mug or plugging in a computer is both novel and delightful. And though I was dropped into an environment that looked like an early ‘90s PC game, I couldn’t help but think about my son. At 18 months old, he’s just starting to make sense of the reality we all take for granted. Pushing buttons and opening drawers in Job Simulator was so delightful that it helped me understand why he loves opening and closing that one cabinet in our real life kitchen that I haven’t managed to safety latch.

But the VR experience that moved me to tears was Toy Box on Oculus Rift. A virtual sandbox where you can play with all kinds of toys, this game lets two players interact in the same virtual space simultaneously. Each player wears their own Oculus Rift headset and headphones, with a controller in both hands. From there, anything goes: You can take target practice with a laser gun, get in a firefight with one another’s toy tanks, or pull apart a robot doll and wear its parts.

Then my playmate, Erin, shot me with a shrink ray. Suddenly, not only were all the toys enormous to me, but Erin’s avatar was looming over me like a hulking giant. Her voice even changed as it poured through my headphones, entering my head with a deep, slow tone. And for a moment, I was a child again, with this giant person lovingly playing with me. It gave me such a profound perspective on what it must be like to be my son, that I started to cry inside the headset. It was a pure and beautiful experience that will reshape my relationship with him moving forward. I was vulnerable to my giant playmate, yet felt completely safe.

Virtual reality isn’t all illusions and epiphanies. As fun as Toy Box was, it included some toys that concerned me. Within the experience, you can play with a virtual zippo lighter and fireworks. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun as heck. But if there’s one thing everyone knows it’s that you don’t play with fire. Well, not everyone knows this — children may not yet understand the real world consequences of dangerous objects, and this game certainly won’t help. Erin lit firecrackers and threw them at me. I launched Roman candles at her. And when I was done lighting the fuses, I would often just leave my lighter on the table, open and burning away.

That’s just one way VR could be problematic. It makes me wonder how more violent VR titles, like the zombie hunting game Arizona Sunshine or the Matrix-like first-person shooter Bullet Train, will affect children’s perception of reality.

But casting fears aside, this new medium is simply fascinating. One reason the world is fascinated with millennials is that they never knew a world without the Internet. Post-millennials, like my son, will never know life without virtual reality. Because they can live in someone else’s virtual shoes, will they be more empathetic? Forget Job Simulator — will playing the victim in a bully simulator become mandatory for schoolchildren? Will gut-wrenching, first-person films like Chris Milk’s The Displaced help them understand the world? Will they stop watching and reading the news in favor of experiencing it?

After days of immersion into the technology and being knocked off-balance by sleepless nights, my understanding of the real world started to wobble and shift. While being herded through a crowded casino, I wondered if I could step aside, mentally, into another virtual space, even without the equipment. I started to think of this reality (if Las Vegas can even be considered real) as a trick not unlike VR. Eventually, I made my way back to my hotel room. There, I stared out the window at the famous Strip as I considered selling furniture to finance and make room for my own VR setup. Meanwhile, my hotel room’s windows lit up with waves of colors slowly crawling across. I realized that, to the parade of tourists and taxis below, my hotel was a giant display, and I was nothing more than a pixel. All I wanted to be was on the other side, looking in, wrapped in light. This is what addiction feels like, I was sure of it. In Sin City, I finally found my vice. And it’s escape.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

So I did some initial prep for the Rift.

I have a GTX 670 which won't cut the mustard for VR specs.

Image

Since I'll be upgrading my system soon I went with the best (besides Titan) video card out there. The GTX 980 Ti:

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Installed-Ba ... 774&sr=1-1

I did check to see it's performance while paired with my original i7 920 CPU and it still gets well beyond the 9000 3dbench Fire Strike 1.1 numbers it needs to meet the VR specs. This one has some extra cooling features which I need in the desert and it's also quiet. No coil whine as well from some of the comments I read.

Plus, I get Rise of the Tomb Raider PC version for freebies on Jan 28th as part of a promotion.

So there's a little over 700.00 with tax...hmmm more than the Rift costs. Rift is cheap!

Next, my ancient 2009 motherboard doesn't have USB 3.0. Need 3 X 3.0 USB and 1X 2.0 USB for Rift to work:


1 x USB 3.0 Port for the HMD
1 x USB 3.0 Port for the Tracking Cam
1 x USB 3.0 Port for Touch Controls
1 x USB 2.0 Port for the Xbox controller transmitter

So I got this:

Image

http://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspee ... B00FPIMICA

7 x 3.0 USB ports 5 external, 2 internal.

Also picked up a DisplayPort to HDMI 10 foot cable since 980 Ti has 3 X DisplayPorts 1 HDMI and 1 DVI, leaving me short a cable for one of my TV/Displays.

Nice thing is I'll be able to have my three monitors plus 2 x Display Port Rift all connected to my 980 Ti at the same time. I guess you can only have 4 active displays at once so at least one of my monitors will be shut down during Rift time (not that I'd see them anyway).

Finally, it all arrives tomorrow (Saturday, after ordering it around 9PM tonight), free shipping because Amazon Prime is awesome as usual.

You can squeek by with a 970 which is a lot cheaper, or standard 980, for the rift spec but I'm looking longer term and will start checking out 4K TVs I can use as displays now that I have a card that can drive one.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Aslanna wrote:As someone who wants VR to go mainstream I don't see the whole point of you shitting all over Sony's VR version. Even the other companies in that space (omg can't believe I just used that word) know that to be true. Other than you're a massive troll but that's pretty much already established. Like what you like and get the fuck over it already and stop being a douche on every fucking topic for a change.

Unlike with consoles, I'm not taking sides with VR headsets until things shake out a bit. I'm glad Sony is coming out with a VR headset for the PS4.

Quality VR is very demanding. Vive and Rift have improved their screens while Sony is limited to the power of the PS4 which is going to allow for some lower res VR games, videos etc but the minimum spec graphic card alone for Oculus (and I'm sure the Vive) costs more than an entire PS4 for a reason.

You need to drive a total resolution of 2160x1200 split between two displays at 90Hz in order to provide true presence and also avoid nausea. Oculus (and Vive) have custom screens and high end hybrid Fresnel lenses in order to prevent SDE (screen door).

Sony's resolution is more like the DK2 I have which isn't good enough. You see pixels too easily. While it was enough to convince me that VR is awesome, it wasn't enough to keep me in there for long periods due to nausea. Sony has been very good at reducing what they can as much as possible and using what they have to provide a good experience but it won't compare to the PC versions of VR.

People seem upset about the 599 price tag for the Rift but I have to agree with Palmer Luckey that you can't half ass VR. It will remain for the high end gamers and hobbyists for awhile. Think of it like a high end gamer that wants 100 FPS and High resolution in an FPS game. VR though, unlike that Shooter FPS, can't still be played at 60 fps and lower res and be enjoyed like is possible on a non VR display.

My concern with Sony's Playstation VR is that while the low priced ($99) GearVR, that allows you to experience VR using Samsung Phones, has a high res screen that allows you to see high res 360 photos and videos, Sony won't even have that with it's 1080 screen.

I do think Sony's VR will be cool and probably convince users of VRs potential but if it's north of $400 it's really a band-aid and maybe overpriced simply due to the platform being too old.

If the next round of consoles has graphics power equal to the 980 series video cards, then it can really take off everywhere and not just with PCs.

The future is catching up to us quickly. Wireless 60Ghz tech capable allowing VR headsets to be wireless was demonstrated at CES this year. Light Field Optics (like Microvision that I always talk about) is close to having high enough res screens to allow VR companies to get rid of screens altogether providing a more of a sunglasses type VR wearable instead of the more bulky ones currently needed. But that's not now. I don't really feel like waiting for the next big thing anymore. I'll take what's available now and keep taking as new tech is introduced.

Anyone remember when 30Hz was the normal refresh rate on monitors? The flicker was headache causing god awful. 60Hz made a HUGE difference. With VR 90Hz is the key.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Winnow wrote:Since I'll be upgrading my system soon I went with the best (besides Titan) video card out there. The GTX 980 Ti:

I did check to see it's performance while paired with my original i7 920 CPU and it still gets well beyond the 9000 3dbench Fire Strike 1.1 numbers it needs to meet the VR specs.
I don't think your 920 will cut it. At least according to the recommended specs which lists an Intel i5-4590. Guess you should work on getting that system upgrade done sooner rather than later!
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater
CPU: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
Memory: 8GB+ RAM
Video Output: Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output
USB Ports: 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port
OS :Windows 7 SP1 64 bit or newer
It's costs like these, for the average consumer, not counting the $600 price of the headset itself, that wont make the Oculus a huge hit at this point in time.
Next, my ancient 2009 motherboard doesn't have USB 3.0.
Since you need a CPU upgrade anyway I would have have just went with a new motherboard/CPU instead of a stopgap solution like that.

You might want to run the checker tool thingie from them. Here's my results:
X Processor
Your Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770K CPU @ 3.50GHz processor doesn't meet our recommended specification, which is an Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater.

X Graphics Card
Your AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series graphics card doesn't meet our recommended specification, which is an NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD 290 equivalent or greater.

+ Memory
You have 16 GB of RAM, which meets or exceeds our recommended system specification.

+ Operating System
You're running Windows 7 SP1 64-bit, which meets or exceeds our recommended system specification.

? USB
Some of the hardware that powers your USB ports is incompatible with Rift. Here is the hardware that is incompatible:

ASMedia XHCI Controller
ASMedia XHCI Controller
My system is from 2012 and it's not cutting it. So good luck with that 920. Although I don't think they compare very well since according to this my CPU is better than their recommendation so yeah there's that.

Basically for me to use the Oculus I'd need to upgrade my computer and graphics card. So, yeah, once again: PASS. I have better things to spend my time and money on.
Finally, it all arrives tomorrow (Saturday, after ordering it around 9PM tonight), free shipping because Amazon Prime is awesome as usual.
A service that you pay money for doesn't equate to "free shipping"! That's like saying Netflix has free movies and TV shows.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Aslanna wrote:
Winnow wrote:Since I'll be upgrading my system soon I went with the best (besides Titan) video card out there. The GTX 980 Ti:

I did check to see it's performance while paired with my original i7 920 CPU and it still gets well beyond the 9000 3dbench Fire Strike 1.1 numbers it needs to meet the VR specs.
I don't think your 920 will cut it. At least according to the recommended specs which lists an Intel i5-4590. Guess you should work on getting that system upgrade done sooner rather than later!

The 920 will be ok. I'm compensating for the CPU with overkill on the GPU side. Don't forget it's an OC'd CPU as well.

Download the Fire Strike 1.1 3dbench. If you score 9000+ then you'll be ok. The nVidia 9xx cards to have some VR specific updates that help. No need to get a new MB just for USB 3 ports. The USB card is powered which is actually a good thing. Some people are trying to use USB hubs which won't do it since the headset/audio etc draws a lot of power. The USB card I got was specifically recommended by Oculus.

I did use that tool. It's not perfect. It's off on the CPUs and also gives a warning on USB if you have multiple USB with only some of them being valid.

Any i7 and the newer i5 intel CPUs will be ok as long as the GPU is up to snuff. Its more GPU intensive than CPU. 980 Ti goes way over the benchmark. My 920 bottlenecks it but not enough to be below the requirements. 920 has been an awesome CPU. Everytime I consider upgrading all I see are how much people still love the 920. I'll be going Skylake when I do upgrade but I don't need to rush. I'll be getting a new MB with USB c/3.1

Your CPU would be fine but you'd need to upgrade your video card. I'll run the benchmark after I install my new card later. If for some reason it's not above 9000 then I'll work on upgrading MB/memory etc over the next few months.

Note: I was incorrect on needing two ports for the Rift display. It just needs one apparently so I can have all 4 displays active at once.

Here's a good hype video for Playstation VR. Sony will be able to get 90Hz (their display is rated for 120Hz) for simple stuff, Sony's headset will be smooth and look good with the high refresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HhIJQ15QX8
A representative from Sony working closely with PlayStation VR confirmed to Road to VR that the new 90Hz display mode does not come from a new display, but rather new firmware. The rep told us that they expect the 60Hz rendering + 120Hz reprojection mode to be a “very popular choice,” though the native 90Hz and 120Hz options will be there for developers who want to push the limits; it also affords good headway for future growth as game developers get increasingly adept at optimizing their virtual reality experiences for the PS4.

So you may be wondering, as we did, whether or not developers would be able to mix and match display modes: for instance, render at 60Hz and reproject to 90Hz, or render at 90Hz and reproject to 120Hz.

It turns out that going from 60Hz » 120Hz reprojected has no downsides over going from 60Hz » 90hz reprojected, so a 60Hz » 90Hz reprojected mode isn’t supported. As for 90Hz » 120Hz, the reprojection technique works best when using exact multiples of frames (like 60Hz to 120Hz), so 90Hz native display is actually preferable to 90Hz » 120Hz reprojection, according to the Sony rep.

By our understanding, that leaves three display modes for developers working on PlayStation VR:

60Hz rendering » 120Hz display reprojected
90Hz rendering » 90Hz display
120Hz rendering » 120Hz display
Sony's been working on this for awhile so what they do end up with should be well thought out and max the capabilities of the hardware they have available.

I do like that Oculus Rift has a very good sound system integrated and includes the headphones (which have received very positive reviews for their directional audio and soundstage). With developers knowing exactly what the end user will be listening with, they can focus on great audio experiences with audio being part of the SDK.
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Re: VR Gaming

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How much is the consumer version of the Rift going to cost?

Luckey: The current developer kits are $300. We don’t know what the consumer version’s going to cost — it could be more, could be less. But we’re looking to stay in that same ballpark. We’re not going to be charging $800 or something. We have to be affordable. If you’re not affordable, you may as well not exist for a huge segment of the market.

I guess you would know, since you have the world’s largest private collection of VR headsets.

Luckey: I’m one of the few people where it’s different. I would spend whatever it was. Gamers are not known to be the most affluent population of people. If something’s even $600, it doesn’t matter how good it is, how great of an experience it is — if they just can’t afford it, then it really might as well not exist. We’re going for the mainstream, but time will tell what the market is.
Whoops! Hit the nail on the head though. As cool as it may be... At that price, and those PC requirements, it's not going to be anything but a niche market.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Aslanna wrote:
Whoops! Hit the nail on the head though. As cool as it may be... At that price, and those PC requirements, it's not going to be anything but a niche market.

They can't make enough Rifts. They've been making them since September and have sold every unit planned to be made through March already. People can keep quoting Palmer or see what's actually taking place.

Rifts will sell out for the foreseable future months in advance and they're pumping them out at 100 per hour someone quoted possibly. It's highly doubtful Vive will reach their April goal of selling their VR headset. They didn't even have their final product at CES, still need to integrate audio. Oculus was making headsets 4 months ago. Playstation who knows. Probably this fall.

Oculus is having no issues selling out of the Rift at 599 and that won't stop with expected delays from Vive, except that those that were counting on the Vive won't be getting a Rift anytime soon either if they didn't pre order since expected ship dates are already out to July.

Palmer mentioned they could have made a Rift 100-200 dollars cheaper but that would have cut corners. With CV1 being expected to be the only Rift for the next two years, it needs to be good because this Rift will eventually be the entry Rift a few years down the road so it's good to have a base model that performs without compromise.

For reference, my Futuremark Fire Strike 1.1 score with GTX 670 and i7 920 is 5682. 980 Ti is about 2.5 Xs better performing than a 670. Will see how that translates into my next score. Need to get +3318 out of it!
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Re: VR Gaming

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Winnow wrote:They can't make enough Rifts. They've been making them since September and have sold every unit planned to be made through March already. People can keep quoting Palmer or see what's actually taking place.

Rifts will sell out for the foreseable future months in advance and they're pumping them out at 100 per hour someone quoted possibly. It's highly doubtful Vive will reach their April goal of selling their VR headset. They didn't even have their final product at CES, still need to integrate audio. Oculus was making headsets 4 months ago. Playstation who knows. Probably this fall.

Oculus is having no issues selling out of the Rift at 599 and that won't stop with expected delays from Vive, except that those that were counting on the Vive won't be getting a Rift anytime soon either if they didn't pre order since expected ship dates are already out to July.
All of that is irrelevant until you actually know their production capacity. They should give numbers instead of just saying 'backordered until July' or whatever.

Anyway. apparently you missed the point of Luckeys quote. I even bolded it for your convenience! You may want to reread it and try digesting it from a perspective other than your bubble where money doesn't matter.

Nobody is saying that initial numbers wont be good. I'm sure the early numbers for the Wii-U, and even the XBO (ha!), were initially successful.
Wii U sales surpass 400,000 in launch week, Nintendo says console 'sold out' at retail
Sold out! Just like the Rift! I'm sure that means the Wii-U will be a success.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Aslanna wrote:
Sold out! Just like the Rift! I'm sure that means the Wii-U will be a success.

Of course the numbers will be lower than a console launch from a known commodity. PS3 probably sold well as well but that sucked too.

The point is, they aren't having any issues selling as many as they can make. Price is not preventing them from selling way more than they estimated. Poor people whine because they can't afford it. They wouldn't whine if they didn't want it. They're all bent out of shape because they can't have one. There are enough people with enough money that it doesn't matter.

I know where you're coming from. You're the mass consumer that wants 1000 games at your fingertips before you do anything. That's not a lot of people though. I come from pre PC days. I was fucking excited about every development as time went on. It's cool. I understand that type of mentality. There are more people like me than you think though that enjoy getting in and going along for the ride from the start, especially those that have actually experienced VR. Those that have experienced it and can't afford it are making the biggest noise complaining about the price. Others are just on the sidelines quoting things but don't really know what's going on since VR is a have or have not type experience.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Winnow wrote:The point is, they aren't having any issues selling as many as they can make. Price is not preventing them from selling way more than they estimated. Poor people whine because they can't afford it. They wouldn't whine if they didn't want it. They're all bent out of shape because they can't have one. There are enough people with enough money that it doesn't matter.
Yep. You're definitely a Republican.
I know where you're coming from. You're the mass consumer that wants 1000 games at your fingertips before you do anything.
I didn't say it. Luckey did.
Others are just on the sidelines quoting things but don't really know what's going on since VR is a have or have not type experience.
Uh. These aren't random quotes. They are from the creator of Oculus itself. Pull your head from your behind and use your brain.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Not sure why you're so hostile to VR. You'll have one someday and understand. Just need that extra special "value" price to kick in.
As Oculus founder Palmer Luckey tweeted last month, "VR will become something everyone wants before it becomes something everyone can afford."
Palmer is 22. You might take a minute to grasp that and remember the assinine things you said at that age (ah yes, of course you didn't). It's not the end of the world. He's a big dreamer and learned a little about the manufacturing process along the way. No, I won't go around and pull up stupid quotes Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and others said when they were young.

The question should be whether the Oculus Rift is worth 599 or not. It definitely is. People can be upset by the price but it's worth the price. I spend more than that each year on iPads. People didn't think those were any good either...it's just and oversized iTouch! blah...blah.....blah.

but but but Palmer said!!1!11 Who cares! I said Obsidian Guard was great before I said it sucked. Things change. Palmer and his team figured out that the minimum required specs would cost more than the original estimate. Those original developer kits were off the self parts. Sure, you can have another 400 Rift with pieced together parts but at some point, you need custom shit. Generic scotch taped together stuff won't cut it. The whiners are hilariously ignorant. Don't want to spend 599? I get it but crying about that price isn't worth your time. The majority of people that have tried VR know it's worth it.

Just sit back and relax. Circle your calendar for 2017 or 2018 and come back then to VR when the official number of games quota has been met (even though that's going to end up being less than half of what it's used for by most people)

Why we think the Oculus Rift is still the best VR headset (hands-on)
Much stink was made this week of the Oculus Rift's US$599 price, and it is on the higher range of what we were expecting (we predicted something in the $500-600 price range). Hey, we get it, it ain't cheap at all. Especially when you factor in the cost of the PC you'll need to power it, which will set you back roughly another $900-$1,000 (Oculus' partners will also be offering Rift/PC bundles in the $1,500 range).

Just remember to keep things in perspective. Virtual reality may seem established, because we in the tech and gaming press have been blabbering on about it for years now. But this is just the very beginning – and being an early adopter has never been cheap (remember, the first iPhone launched at $499, and that was with a two-year contract!). From where we stand now, the Oculus Rift does exactly what first-generation products need to do: it provides a premium, uncompromised experience that's going to blow people's minds when they try it.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Winnow wrote:
For reference, my Futuremark Fire Strike 1.1 score with GTX 670 and i7 920 is 5682. 980 Ti is about 2.5 Xs better performing than a 670. Will see how that translates into my next score. Need to get +3318 out of it!

Futemark Fire Strike 1.1 scores:

GTX 670 with i7 920 @ 2.67 Ghz: 5682

GTX 980 Ti with i7 920 @ 2.67 Ghz: 10627

Oculus Recommended Score: 9000

Whew. Looks like I'll be able to take my time on the full PC upgrade.

Note on EVGA GTX 980 Ti. The version I purchased with the added metal backplate and mods for extra cooling seems to work as advertised. The fans don't even turn on for most general use. If they came on during the Futuremark test I didn't hear them. No coil whine so far that I can hear. My last card had some.

When I eventually update my MB and add an i7 Skylake 6700K it will make a big difference. Scores for that combo are in the 17500 range (i5 is around 13500). I don't think I'll OC my current CPU since I meet specs with a decent amount to spare.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Winnow wrote:Not sure why you're so hostile to VR. You'll have one someday and understand. Just need that extra special "value" price to kick in.
Who said I was hostile? I just have no interest in it at this time I'm not sure what's so hard to understand about that. However you fanboy ever. single. thing. so that's to be expected.

Again, the price has nothing to do with it FOR ME so I don't know why you keep going there. It is obvious you know nothing about me or my financial situation. $600 is peanuts. I can afford it. I just don't WANT IT. Why would I pay $600 (plus PC costs) for something I don't want? I was talking big picture the same as Luckey was. If you want to get this out and mainstream you have to get it out there at a price many people can afford. A $600 headset and $900 computer isn't that price point. Sure lots of people will buy it. But lots of people also buy Nvidia Titans. There will always be those out there where cost is no factor. Great, they sold out of the 10,000 or whatever they have already made. That's the easy part. Get back to me in a year if they are still backordered by months.

Good luck debating with yourself, or just patting yourself on the back in your bubble, because in that regard I also have better things to do with my time.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Aslanna wrote:Great, they sold out of the 10,000 or whatever they have already made. That's the easy part. Get back to me in a year if they are still backordered by months.
10,000? I'd bet it's more like 200,000. Estimates are they already had about 100K and have sold the next three months worth as well already.

Didn't say you couldn't afford it. It's all about this special "value" assignment. Should probably try VR out sometime before determining you don't want it. You may very well determine 599 is a steal. Yes 599 is peanuts for most people with a job that aren't in high school or college. With most on this board pushing 40 or over, an full gaming system should be peanuts.

I don't care who buys it or doesn't but do kind of chuckle when people go "nope!" or "pass!" without having tried it. I respond to that attitude more than someone saying they aren't interested in virtual reality. A price value judgement is particularly hard when it comes to VR.

Simple example would be a C-64 back in the early 80's. C-64 was $200.00. Monitor was $200.00. (that's about $1,400-$1,500) in todays dollars. Most on this forum: Nope! Pass! Thankfully my dad, although didn't use it at all himself, had some vision about the future and bought two of them, one for myself and one for my brother, even with floppy drives (+$200). I did some incredible things with that PC without having a clue what I'd do with it to begin with. Learned to code, figured out the world of BBS's and phreaking, met new people from across the city I would have never known and still know to this day. All that, and played games. Number of games available: probably could count them on one or two hands.

Some things are worth it even if they aren't "established". VR, unlike most stuff, has had an intense public 3 years of development with huge developer and enthusiast support and is an actual new way to experience things. Don't want it, fine. Worth it? Hell yes. VR is maturing at an incredible rate and is valid from day one for at least Rift and Vive offerings....mosty Rift which has the most established core apps being released along with the 2 free games.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Palmer Luckey is answering a bunch of questions on Reddit. Here's one of them that might help explain decisions behind the first Rift.

Question:
The initial hype around the Oculus was that it was meant to be this affordable and disruptive piece of VR technology that would put VR into the hands of a lot of people creating a cascade effect. At what point in the development process did the shift from being the "cheap, functional, and disruptive," VR headset that would change gaming, to "THE premium VR experience," occur? Why did it occur?
Palmer's response:
The goal never changed, but the timeline of achieving that goal did. I still want to make VR cheap, functional, and disruptive, but it takes a certain amount of quality to do that. Three years ago, I thought a good enough headset could be built for $300 and run on a decent gaming PC.

Since then, we have learned a lot about what it takes to induce presence, and the landscape of the industry has changed a lot too - we are no longer the only players, and the burden of bringing good VR to everyone is no longer solely on us. The best way to make a technology mainstream is not always as simple as making a cheap product as quickly as possible, that is what lead to the last VR crash! Tesla is a good example - Elon Musk had to convince the public that electric cars could be awesome before he could build the technology that would actually make electric cars mainstream. If Tesla had tried to make a $35k mass-market electric car back in 2008, they would have accomplished little. Instead, they made the Roadster and Model S, proved that electric cars could be awesome, invested heavily in R&D, and now have a clear path towards their ever-present long term goal, making electric cars mainstream.

Virtual reality is actually in an even better scenario. GearVR is already an awesome headset for $99 if you already have a flagship Samsung phone (like tens of millions of other people), and there are other companies entering the VR scene in the near future. Eventually, VR is going to run on every computer sold, and there will be a wide range of hardware at various price and quality points, a lot like televisions or monitors.

The Rift is the first headset capable of delivering presence, the sensation of feeling like you are inside a virtual scene on a subconscious level. As I have said before, VR needs to become something everyone wants before it can become something everyone can afford - I totally understand people who don’t want to spend that much on VR, but this is the current cost of making a really good headset. Much like smartphones, the cost of that quality is going to come down over time - you can buy unsubsidized phones for less than $100 that blow away the best $600 phones from just five years ago, that is what time does to the cost of technology.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Image

No real good way to explain VR but that shows the differences between display technologies.

link if red-x

http://imgur.com/DwUPIIH
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Re: VR Gaming

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Imagine this use of VR to run a D&D campaign.

Dungeon Master would be the big guy overlooking the entire map while the players are mini sized to scale with map.

This is more of a tech demo and not polished but allows you to see the possibilities.

Of course could be used for tons of educational stuff. Imagine a scale version of China's Hidden City. You could view the city from above and then zoom in and switch to scale view at locations you wanted to explore in detail. I can image something like the Pyramids in Egypt. A cutaway model you can view of the three pyramids but then be able to select a room or hall on the inside and then go to scale inside the Pyramid. This would give you the full realistic size/scale of the halls and rooms.

Great stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixb05SjELOQ
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Winnow »

http://www.vrguru.com/the-telltale-proj ... tation-vr/

Telltale developing a game for VR. This is the kind of game that will work really well in this new format. Even on PS4's headset.

http://www.vrguru.com/the-telltale-proj ... tation-vr/
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Re: VR Gaming

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Infinity Ward, Disney, DreamWorks and Sony execs form new VR production firm

A supergroup comprised of games, film and TV veterans has come together to create a new triple-A company dedicated to producing VR content. The Rogue Initiative counts big names from Activision, Amblin Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, Pixar, Disney, Sony Pictures, and MTV Films among its founding members, with Presence Capital and The VR Fund stumping up seed investment to get the project off the ground.
For those that might think VR is a fad...not so much.

Here's a teaser video for the Meta headset being revealed next week at TED:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxwrXacMe6Y

This is similar to Magic Leap's augmented reality headset but is a totally new entry into the field. Similar to Hololens but with a much better FOV.

In other news:
Google reportedly building a completely stand-alone virtual reality headset

On Sunday, it was reported that Google is working on a new VR headset that's far more advanced than Cardboard and closer to Samsung's Gear VR. But Google's upcoming virtual reality plans are in fact even bigger than that, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company is said to be working on a stand-alone VR product — one that wouldn't need to be tethered to a smartphone or PC to function.

The unannounced device "will include a screen, high-powered processors and outward-facing cameras" according to the Journal's sources. It is being designed to provide a "middle ground" experience; so while it may not be as powerful or capable as the Oculus or HTC Vive, it'll offer the convenience of untethered operation.

This would be in addition to Google's rumored Gear VR competitor, which will be introduced alongside a new version of Android that makes VR a core part of the operating system. The Financial Times described it as Nexus-style VR headset which will be a reference point for other manufacturers as they move to embrace Android's deeper focus on virtual reality. Both publications have suggested this product will debut at I/O 2016 later this year.
This is on top of the $.5 Billion + Google has invested in Magic Leap (which now has about 1.4 Billion to get its product launched)

So, biggest company in the world (Google/Alphabet) since passing Apple, is heavily invested in Magic Leap, making their own stand alone VR headset, and advancing their google cardboard to compete with Samsung's GearVR.

In other news:
The evidence is clear: Apple's next big thing will be virtual reality

Business Insider

What's Apple's next big product?

A growing amount of evidence indicates that Apple is developing something with virtual-reality technology. The dream: to immerse viewers in a totally computer-generated world.

VR has been a dream for futurists for decades, but the technology has never been good enough for it to take off. Apple releasing a product would obviously be a big deal for the industry.

Apple is notoriously tight-lipped, but a project of this size is hard to keep under wraps.

Let's run down the evidence:

1. Apple is staffing up

Apple already has a division working on augmented- and virtual-reality technologies, and the team has already been building prototype headsets for months, according to a report by the Financial Times' Tim Bradshaw.

Augmented reality is where computer-generated images appear to be superimposed on the real world, like with Microsoft's HoloLens or Google Glass. It's different from virtual reality, which totally immerses viewers in another world.

LinkedIn profiles and publicly available job listings reflect this hiring trend. For instance, the company has hired Doug Bowman, a researcher from Virginia Tech who studies human-computer interaction, and, specifically, 3D interfaces — the kind of user interface that a new Apple virtual-reality headset would require.

Apple has also recently hired Nick Thompson, who previously worked on HoloLens, Microsoft's augmented-reality headset.

2. Apple has bought at least 4 startups that specialized in related technologies

Although Apple hasn't made a multibillion-dollar splash in the space like Facebook did when it bought Oculus for $2 billion, it's still a major buyer when it comes to VR startups.

Recent purchases include:

Metaio, a German company that made an app that visualizes what digital furniture might look like in your home.
FaceShift, a company that can transform a user's face into a 3D digital cartoon in real-time.
FlyBy Media, a company that had previously worked with both Google and Apple on computer vision, a technology closely linked to augmented and virtual reality. Sophisticated computer-vision technology is needed in order to situate digital objects in their surroundings in a way that convinces the user they're real.
PrimeSense, which it bought for $360 million in 2013. PrimeSense made camera and video-sensor hardware specifically tuned for computer-vision applications.

And those are just the ones we know about.

3. Apple Stores recently started selling a product that turns an iPhone into a virtual-reality headset

Apple's online store now stocks Mattel's new View-Master, a product that turns an iPhone into a virtual-reality headset. It's an indication that Apple knows it can't ignore phone-based virtual reality, which has been primarily pushed by Google so far.

4. Apple is suddenly a regular visitor to Stanford's virtual-reality laboratory

One of the first stops for a Silicon Valley technologist interested in exploring virtual and augmented reality is Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, operated by Jeremy Bailenson since 2003. In the past week, he shared an interesting anecdote:

"Apple hasn't come to my lab in 13 years — except they've come three times in the last three months. They come and they don't say a word, but there's a data point for you," Bailenson said.

5. Rumor has it that the iPhone 7 will include a new type of camera useful in augmented reality

Component makers in Asia are rumbling that there have been some very large orders placed for dual-lens-camera components recently, with some pointing to Apple.

Having two separate lenses and sensors on a smartphone camera can provide a number of advantages, but it might be most important for augmented reality.

The approach would mean that the iPhone could potentially estimate the distance to walls or other obstacles, which unlocks several computer-vision possibilities, and would be essential for a high-quality augmented-reality experience.

6. Apple has filed patents in the space

7. When asked about it, CEO Tim Cook couldn't deny his interest

During an earnings call, Cook answered a question about Apple's virtual-reality ambitions, and his response was clearly not a denial — although it's not a confirmation, either.

"I don't think VR is a niche," Cook replied. "I think it's really cool and has some interesting applications."
So the two biggest companies in the world are heavy into VR. Disney, Dreamworks, Sony etc have formed a VR production Firm.

Oculus is receiving assloads of VR headsets pre orders.

Palmer Lucky was quoted as saying a couple hundred thousand developer kits is nothing compared to what we'll sell this year, indicating they may sell in the millions of units in 2016. And that's just Oculus Rift, not GearVR or Steam's Vive. And of course, there's a lot of cheap ass google cardboard things out there which inspired google to make their own VR gear.

-------------------------------------------------
It's nearly impossible to describe the mind-blowing experience of virtual reality

By Paul Szoldra, http://www.businessinsider.com

February 10th, 2016

I strapped a virtual reality headset and headphones on this morning for the first time ever in my life, and it's almost impossible to describe how amazing the experience is.

"You are completely and totally immersed in another location," said John Riccietello, the CEO of Unity Technologies, in a speech at the inaugural Vision Summit in Hollywood, California. He spoke of the feeling of fear, excitement, and even anxiety when immersed in the virtual world.

And he's right.

"In my opinion," said Riccietello. "What's going on today is nothing short of a revolution."

But perhaps the revolution he speaks of will not be a virtual world that looks like our own. It will be a world in which virtual reality is better than the real world, said Oculus CEO Palmer Luckey, where people go beyond what is even possible.

The common theme among VR professionals is that it's hard to describe. You just can't put into words what it's like moving through and experiencing a virtual space. And to a certain extent, they are correct.

"You have to try them to really understand what it's all about," said Richard Marks, the Director of Sony's Magic Labs.
Everything is accelerated these days. I was in on the ground floor during the PC revolution which was outstanding but while PC's took awhile to mature, Smart Phones did in in 1/4 of the time and VR/AR will be even faster.

DK2 was mind blowing enough for me to happily jump on board from here on out.
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Re: VR Gaming

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Here's an attempt to show how VR is like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-2HRtjV0AY

Basic tools and game but better than those two circle videos you usually see when viewing someone using VR which doesn't help anything.
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Re: VR Gaming

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The HTC Vive VR headset will cost $799
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Re: VR Gaming

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Image

Image

Today they introduced the Samsung S7 using GearVR.

Everyone that pre-orders a Samsung S7 gets a GearVR for free. Last year there were 15,000,000 pre orders for the S6.

Could be a lot of VR headsets out there very soon. While it's not true VR with head/motion tracking, it does a good job demonstrating VR pictures and videos at least.

Then again, most of you think it's just a fad! Infinity Ward, Disney, DreamWorks and Sony execs forming a new AAA VR production company...what do they know. Those fools! Hint: They probably actually tried it out for themselves. Zuckerburg, one of the top 5 richest dudes in the world...he digs it. Google, Microsoft, etc...hmmm maybe there's something to this.

I'll be picking up the Vive right away as well if I can get my order in early next Monday.
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Re: VR Gaming

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I Don't Care What it Costs - HTC Vive Made me a Virtual Reality Believer

Today I tried HTC Vive, and it’s every bit as fantastic as you’ve already heard. I entered the special demo area a sceptic, scoffing at the gaping guy ahead of me, wondering if he knew just how stupid he looked, swinging his arms around clumsily as he reacted to what I could only assume were a bunch of invisible midges.

A roll of my eyes as he removed the headset, let go of the joysticks and banged on about how much fun he’d had. Come off it, you’re an adult. Pull yourself together, I stopped myself from saying aloud.

My turn. Feeling like a Richard Dawkins on his way to meet a nutter who’d claimed to have had a divine experience, I stepped up.

The first thing I noticed when I picked it up is its weight. Despite its size, the Vive headset is unexpectedly light. It’s also easy to strap around your head, with the face padding allowing you to tighten it without the eyepiece digging into your face. It’s so much more comfortable than the Gear VR.

The joysticks are also easy to handle, with a circular cutout at the top ensuring they remain light. They each feature a clickable trackpad, a menu button, a home button and a trigger. A solid start, and HTC told me that an extra ridge will be integrated underneath the trackpad, to stop your thumb from slipping. It sounds like a sensible move.

After the chap controlling the computer the Vive is tethered to slaps a pair of headphones over my ears and hits a few buttons, voila, I’m no longer of this world. I could make out the rough outlines of my feet and the congregating crowd (go away, all of you!), but other than that, I’ve become virtual baby. It's a hell of a lot more immersive than I imagined and found myself smiling like a teenage boy who’d just seen a pair of boobs for the first time.

In an instant, I'm under the sea, stood in the middle of a shipwreck. I’m swinging at tiny fish as they whizz past, marvelling at manta rays and OH MY LORD, THERE’S A BLUE WHALE EYEING ME UP.

It’s incredibly difficult to explain the feeling as the giant virtual animal approaches and glides past. Seriously, I wish I could take pictures inside the headset. I’m stunned, frozen and feeling incredibly insignificant all at the same time. I obviously knew it wasn’t real, but I was in awe, twisting my neck from side to side to drink the whole beast in, and actually leaning forwards to peer under its right fin -- the natural thing to do in a completely alien situation.

In another simulation, I found myself on the edge of a platform, shooting bastard flying robots as they attacked me with their own little weapons. I’m not a gamer, nor have I ever been, but Vive had me ducking and diving, fighting these digital devils with real gusto.

I knew there were people watching -- I could hear their laughter and camera shutters -- but I didn't care how stupid I looked (the state of my hair admittedly didn't help my cause), I was a man on a mission. What happened to me? It was extremely fun, yet I know I’d never ever be into the game if I was using a PC, smartphone or traditional console.

The Vive is unique in this aspect. Being a part of the action is such a powerful draw, it can convert miserable naysayers like me. Seriously, today I gamed like I've never gamed before.

My favourite taste of Vive, however, came through Tilt Brush. It’s essentially a VR, Google-made version of Paint, and I could see myself using it for hours. Using one joystick, you can choose from a range of colours, functions and brushes. With the other, you create.

Within a few minutes, I built a gigantic neon fire, with blue plumes of smoke whirling overhead and a canary yellow ring surrounding the entire scene. A masterpiece, if I say so myself. What’s truly magical, however, is the ability to walk through or around your work, study it from all angles, replay the entire production process and edit as you go. This isn’t simply visually incredible, but opens up the potential for collaborative projects. Google Docs will never be this sexy. Will it?

The HTC Vive is, quite simply, the most breathtaking piece of technology I've had the pleasure of testing, and I can't wait for it to come out.
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2016/02/i-dont ... -believer/

Kinda have to try it. The real thing not Cardboard/GearVR.

A lot mention how dorky people look using VR headsets. After they use them, they don't give a fuck what they look like using VR anymore. Most people are ugly. The minority have Hollywood looks. It's what's on the inside that counts. That's where VR wins big.
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Re: VR Gaming

Post by Funkmasterr »

If I get a Vive, will I be able to use it to replace reality with one where you don't constantly fucking drone on about virtual reality? If so, consider me a believer!
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Re: VR Gaming

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Funkmasterr wrote:If I get a Vive, will I be able to use it to replace reality with one where you don't constantly fucking drone on about virtual reality? If so, consider me a believer!
Don't give a fuck about what you do. You're a lost cause. You've asked for help on this forum to problems that a retarded monkey could figure out.
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