Question for JH (Register VR Guru) and Anyone Else That Understands All This

Started by Cyrano, May 12, 2018, 12:06:41 PM

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Cyrano

My son very much wants a VR set.

I inquire:

1.  Oculous or Vive?  Not too worried on price.

1.a.  With either, what kit is essential?

2.  As a practical matter, how much space do you need to make it work and how much is good to have if the latter is different?

3.  And, I suppose, the hardest one, is there some big coming thing I should be waiting for or is buying now as good as any time, given that whatever you get today is outdated when you take it out of the box?

Thanks for your thoughts.

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bbmike

Don't forget that wireless models are supposed to be coming out soon!
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Jarhead0331

Quote from: Cyrano on May 12, 2018, 12:06:41 PM

1.  Oculous or Vive?  Not too worried on price.


This is a very much "Chevy" or "Ford" question. They are both great systems. Right now, some could argue that Oculus is the better buy. Its a couple hundred bucks cheaper and has touch controllers available. Some feel that the touch controllers are more versatile than the wands currently available for Vive, but personally I like the wands. They have weight and with the type of games I play that is important.

If price isn't an option, you could get the standard vive, or even the Vive Pro that was recently released. It has much sharper resolution and by all accounts provides the "best" VR experience available on the commercial market. Additionally, the vive "knuckles" are soon to be released which are new controllers that will track all fingers independently. I think once these controllers are available, the vive will have a significant advantage over any other VR system.

Quote from: Cyrano on May 12, 2018, 12:06:41 PM
1.a.  With either, what kit is essential?

Other than what comes in the box, there is no essential hardware. There are some peripherals, like headphones, mics, gun systems, etc. but none of them are necessary.  As a practical matter, all you really need is a rig capable of running the software.

Quote from: Cyrano on May 12, 2018, 12:06:41 PM
2.  As a practical matter, how much space do you need to make it work and how much is good to have if the latter is different?

There are two different set-ups for the vive. Desk and room. Desk is a setup if you don't have room to stand and move around. Room requires 2m x 2m to use safely.

Quote from: Cyrano on May 12, 2018, 12:06:41 PM
3.  And, I suppose, the hardest one, is there some big coming thing I should be waiting for or is buying now as good as any time, given that whatever you get today is outdated when you take it out of the box?

There are no totally new systems that are on the horizon that I am aware of. A number of other companies are jumping into the VR/mixed realty market, but I think Vive and Oculus will control the industry for the foreseeable future. As noted by bbmike, Vive and maybe even Oculus are going to be releasing wireless models soon, but The wires don't really bother me, so I'm not sure I would hold off for that. Other than that, the only big release coming up are those knuckle controllers I mentioned for the vive. I think they are going to re-revolutionize the system for me. Its going to be a big leap forward in immersion.

Let me know where you land.
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James Sterrett

IMO - if you wear glasses, get a Vive.  I tried both first and had a lot of trouble getting a Rift on and off.

If you have bifocals:  Get a pair of computer glasses - a single-focus lens set at about the distance of a computer monitor.  This turns out to be roughly the focal distance of the screen.  (Even though it is centimeters from your eyes, the effective focal place is at about 6 feet.)  Neither lens of my bifocals is any good in the headset.

Space:  More is better (Jarhead's estimate is a good minimum.)  As soon as you are roomscale and in games that require, say, swordplay...   you will want to avoid smashing the controllers or your hands into objects at the edge of the room while still giving yourself room to maneuver.  (VR games with swords kick in all of my fencing reflexes.  This also means sweat band can be really handy, or you wind up with sweat in your eyes and the face mask cushion get soaked.)

Pay attention to the recommended hardware.  Run the free test packages and pay attention.  If the framerate drops, it creates a soupy feeling that leads people to get sick.  Dropping below 90 FPS really, truly, makes a difference.  (I have a Vive.  I want a Vive Pro.  I need to upgrade my baseline computer to make that work.  Sigh..... )


In my experience, VR is spectacular for you-are-there experiences such as first person games (which means room-scale and its space requirement) and flight sims.  Don't let your son have all the fun.  :)

ArizonaTank

The wife became very interested in Oculus Go, so for Mother's Day, I bought her one. 

I also have a now "old fashioned" Oculus Rift rig as well...and I have to say in comparison, IMHO the "Go" is the future, just still not the "present".

The "Go" price is just right...I paid $245 for a "Go" with 64GB of memory.  It is stand alone, it does not need a PC...just a good wireless connection.  One of the big barriers to VR so far, has been not only the cost of the VR system itself, but the cost a system that can run it.  My "Rift" set up cost about $2500 in January 2018 by comparison.

The quality of the "Go" VR experience is pretty good.  Sound is good.  The VR experience in the "Go" is responsive, and the graphics are certainly equal, if not slightly better than the "Rift"

The "Go" is highly portable and compact...the "Rift" is just so cumbersome, it is a production for me to set up and use. By comparison, one of my co-workers brought his "Go" along on a recent business trip, just threw it in his suitcase.  We had beers and VR at the hotel bar after work.  The "Go" also has no wires...seems like a small thing...but walking around a room with a VR headset on, and trying to keep track of wires coming out of my head is not my idea of fun.

While the "Go" may be the "future," it is still not really the "present."  The current games availabile on the "Go", are just standard shoot'em stuff, and roller coaster demos.  I can't really recommend it now for serious gaming yet.

Some other issues...the "Go" does not support room movement.  So a game like "Onward" where you can physically kneel to get behind virtual sand bags will lose something.  Also it has only one controller, so no hitting with a sword and bashing with a shield. The field of view on the "Go" seems a little more constricted...but you quickly stop noticing.

But I think serious gaming is coming.  IMHO the combination of price and convenience makes the "Go" a 'killer' appliance that the gaming industry won't dare ignore.  IMHO, the day that Steam, or Oculus starts "streaming" games to the "Go" will be a bad day for PC manufacturers.
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Con

I am interested in following up on this and diving into VR as well.  I have been digging around the internet for info on the latest headsets but wanted to see if there are any updates or impressions from actual users.

Price is no problem and I have a computer rig with a GTX 1080ti so I have the graphic horsepower to run one.

It would seem from reading that wireless is better and that there is a new set coming out from Hive in the near future.

Any feedback would be appreciated

Huw the Poo

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 12, 2018, 01:32:11 PM
There are no totally new systems that are on the horizon that I am aware of.

Isn't Valve doing one?  The Index, I think?

Jarhead0331

I picked up the new Oculus a few months ago...the Rift S and I really like it. Its extremely user friendly and does not require the light sensing stations like most other systems do. Resolution and clarity seem better than my HTC Vive.

All of the flagship headsets are all very similar. Some excel in one area, while others excel in something else. Resolution, clarity, performance, FOV, etc.

Valve just released the Index, which is supposed to have the best resolution and FOV than any other headset currently on the market and it also has the knuckle controllers which have been eagerly anticipated. However, early reviews seem to suggest its not so much of an improvement to justify the price when compared to other options. HP's Reverb also seems to be pretty popular with some of the sim crowd.

I will eventually get an index, but for now, I'm really happy with the Rift S.
Grogheads Uber Alles
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"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Skoop

The Physical aspect that Sterret mentioned was interesting.  Didn't think of the hack n slash gameplay that could be had with a VR headset, imagine Kingdom Come Deliverance in VR with all that sword play.

Jarhead0331

Quote from: Skoop on August 09, 2019, 03:37:40 PM
The Physical aspect that Sterret mentioned was interesting.  Didn't think of the hack n slash gameplay that could be had with a VR headset, imagine Kingdom Come Deliverance in VR with all that sword play.

This game is awesome...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/629730/
Grogheads Uber Alles
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"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18