Virtual Reality? advice and info requested

[Hilton]

I know a few locals have talked about VR stuff in the past.
Wondering if anyone can share a crash course on what is out there? What you have and like/dislike?
What is coming?

Is it worth buying now and if so what?
Is it better off to wait on the next big thing to come and what/when will that be?

I appreciate any insight.

I am sure I could go research on many websites, but I appreciate the insight of the community here and people that will have some genuine knowledge.

[ralphwiggum]

There are two avenues for VR.... Those who are somewhat computer literate, and those who aren't. If you are in the latter, I would suggest going the Playstation VR route. https://www.playstation.com/en-us/explo ... tation-vr/

If you are computer literate there are several options out there. Most of the people that go the computer route already have hardware that is close to what is needed (higher specs), but if you don't the cost of entry is going to be higher going the PC route as opposed to the Playstation route. You really can't miss going either way, the last 2-3 years of VR have evolved really quickly. Hardware prices are coming down, and resolutions are going up.

[Hilton]

what about Occolus?

[1337atreyu]

I own an Oculus Rift. In my experience, it is the more comfortable option between the two mainstream options (HTC and Oculus). Oculus is a bit lighter, fits pretty snugly, and in my estimation, has the more comfortable controllers. The touch controllers feel very natural and are super easy to manipulate.

Whether using Oculus or Vive, you'd need a pretty beefy computer to run it. Probably in the 800 dollar range to get minimum specs. 1200-1300 for average performance, and over 1500 for highest performance. Those costs can go down if you are willing to dig and search for your own components.

Oculus also offers the Oculus Go, which is a stand-alone headset, but does not allow for room-scale tracking, hand tracked controllers, or visually impressive games/experiences. Next year, they are releasing the Oculus Quest, which will operate more similarly to the current Rift. It is wireless, doesn't need to connect to a computer, and uses cameras built into the headset to track the motion controllers as well as your position within your playspace. Who knows how good it will look when all is said and done, but it seems like a cool idea.

The Vive, on the other hand, is a bit more robust, offering a headset with integrated cameras which can show you your environment while wearing the headset. Also, the lighthouses used to set up the play space seem to be a bit better for tracking in 360 degrees. The HTC Vive also has the Vive Pro variant, which allows for a higher resolution as well as wireless connectivity.

Both can use each others' game libraries without issue, so software support is not really an issue.

The PSVR is the third option. I have not used it myself, but it's supposed to be very good. With this, there are some very cool exclusive games such as AstroBot, but for the most part, the limited library on the Playstation seems like a harsh trade off if you already have a PC that can run an Oculus or a Vive anyway.

If you'd like, I can bring my setup with me on Saturday so you can check out the Oculus.

-Jordan

[Hilton]

thanks very much for all the info.

If it is not too much trouble, it would be amazing to check out! My wife would love that also as she would be part vote in if we get a system.


If it is a PITA, I completely understand.


Definitely in the very early phase of thinking about this so some hands on would be amazing!

[1337atreyu]

Nah, shouldn't be a problem. My PC is about the size of an Xbox. Last year I carried it all the way to MGC from Seattle. I think I can handle a short drive down to your place.

[ralphwiggum]

If you are comfortable with computers, that is the direction I would go. If you arent, the Playstation is plug and play.

I have been holding off on grabbing a Rift because I am not sure how much I would actually play it. You have to play in a stationary space. The Nintendo Switch has brought me back into gaming. The portable nature of it is a game changer.

I have collected consoles my whole life. I havent been super excited about the last generation of consoles, but was super excited about VR. For now, the Switch is eating up any free time I have at night. I am a little ashamed to admit I am really enjoying Pokemon Lets go Pikachu.

[1337atreyu]

Just got a Switch for Christmas. Been playing some Diablo 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on it. What a cool system!

That will also probably be coming with me to Hilton's

[ralphwiggum]

Just got a Switch for Christmas. Been playing some Diablo 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on it. What a cool system!

That will also probably be coming with me to Hilton's

Congrats. I grabbed a Switch about a year ago, and had been pretty disappointed with the game catalog because everything that was released was just a port over from the WiiU (which I have almost every title for- WiiU is like a junior switch in the making)... Over the last couple of months the new release Switch titles are coming out, and they are really good.

[Hilton]

cool and thanks for bringing occulus!

Also, neat to hear you are both liking switch.

I played for the first time this past month at a party and thought it was pretty cool for the party game aspect of it! Also been playing super smash on the big screen over at IO arcade lately. While I have no idea how to win at that game, it is a fun party game for sure!

[Chris K]

The guys said it perfectly here. Oculus or Vive if you are a PC nerd or want room-scale, otherwise PSVR. I have a Rift and am happy with it, although some genres are much more compelling than others in VR. (Racing/flying is FANTASTIC.)

These days I'm playing almost 100% Switch, although I can't stop goofing around with the Mini consoles. Hacking them to load them up with tons of games is fun for me in the way collectibles are fun for some people.

I'm starting to come to the realization that I have more games left than years, and I could just just stop buying games now and never run out.

[epthegeek]

I have both the PSVR and a Vive.

I tried a VIVE at a P-ROC meetup and was amazed at how good 'current' VR has gotten, but I didn't have a lot of money to throw at a rig at the time, so I got the PSVR because I already had a PS4 (and it works fine on the non-pro PS4).

For how much it costs, the PSVR is pretty nice. The tracking on it isn't great. Hell, it's barely good, but it IS enough to get your feet wet on current VR if that's all you want. If you're just interested in a bit of a sample, it would do fine. Most of the gaming experiences are 'seated' as they call it (not requiring you to move around) because of the limited field of the PS camera.

Once I'd had the PSVR for a while I knew I wanted a better quality system (and I wanted room-scale), so eventually I purpose built a new PC and bought a VIVE. I went pretty decent on the computer and went with the 'vive pro' even though it's stupid pricey because it's aimed at the commercial market, but it was still cheaper than most pins!. I went vive over oculus because the tracking is generally better on the VIVE -- not to say that the oculus is terrible, it's still loads better than the PSVR. Love the hell out of it.

The oculus is a cheaper option than the vive, and if you get the 3rd camera it can do full room scale and there are a lot of good oculus exclusive titles (that you can hackjob play on the vive with 'revive').

If you're ever in the area, you're welcome to swing over and try both.

[DeaconBlooze]

I have a Rift. I bought it solely for my racing sim, but I have not yet even set it up for that, yet.

It works much better than I ever expected. I would say that most games do require a pretty large vacant space to be enjoyable - probably at least 8x8. I really don't know how far out the next generation is, but there's plenty to be improved upon - the resolution (at least on the Oculus side), wireless headset, god rays, FOV..

It's really cool overall. Again, I got it because I needed to replace some monitors anyway, and I already had the gaming rig. It doesn't get all that much play. I'd love to hunker down and get back into sim racing or something like Elite:Dangerous (I've played a few hours, and that game is crazy cool in VR), but I have too many other projects for that sort of stuff right now. I agree with Chris that it's probably best for simulation type games. There are plenty of cool things to be done, but many of them outside of that sim space just teeter over the novelty threshold.

Some of the cooler games are Super Hot (probably my favorite), Lone Echo / Echo Arena / Echo Combat, Robo Recall.

Does anyone know of any decent apps that could be used for game room (or any room, for that matter) design? There are some clunky ways to mess around with the Google Paint app, but there's no scaling of objects, which is frustrating. This seems like a really practical use for the hardware, but the available options for anything outside of just making 3d art seem very sparse. I'm looking for something affordable, I'd just like to mess around with room layout without hurting my back.

[DeaconBlooze]

I'm starting to come to the realization that I have more games left than years, and I could just just stop buying games now and never run out.

This is so depressing, and so true. The real depressing part is when I want to revisit some of the classics from my youth, and then a few hours in I wonder what pct of my life I want to spend rehashing a video game experience I've already had..

[Chris K]

Yeah, I fire up a great old game like Zelda 1 or Baldur’s Gate, and halfway through end up wondering why I’m not playing new games that I haven’t tried yet rather than rehash a comfortable old game.

I guess nostalgia is a powerful draw. And it’s easier to find Zelda than a nice Eight Ball Deluxe.