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Ask HN: Working in a VR Headset?

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Re: Ask HN: Working in a VR Headset?

#202

Don't only consider VR headsets; also check out AR glasses. The newest generation of AR glasses are surprisingly practical as portable displays e.g. Nreal Air.[1] However neither VR headsets nor AR glasses have reached the resolution sweet spot to compete with monitors in permanent workspaces [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDekX4vrSsA

The Nreal Air looks cool, but it only offers a 46 degree FoV[1]. That's less than half the FOV of the Quest 2, which makes it hard to see all of your windows/workspace. (To be fair: the tradeoff is excellent PPD within its narrow FOV). [1] https://www.nreal.ai/specs/

I have the Airs. For the purposes of working, 46 FOV is more than sufficient. I find myself straining my eye to read the corners.

On the Nreals, the small FOV means the pixel density is much better than the alternatives.

Re: Ask HN: Working in a VR Headset?

#203
I've experimented with the Meta Quest 2 for work and for gaming. Despite continual adjustments and trying with or without glasses/contact lenses and using the glasses spacer, I was unable to comfortably use this device for any use case without experiencing headaches at approximately 30 minutes per session.

I've never figured out whether this was a user issue or if this hardware is simply crap. In the end, it makes sense that OSHA guidelines suggest that your monitor should be at least half a meter away from your eyes.

Because of this experience, I'm quite pessimistic about VR as a whole, and the Quest 2 is sitting in its box on my bookshelf. I'd like to sell it or give it away, but that would require me putting it back on and de-linking my Facebook account, and I can't be bothered to do that.

Re: Ask HN: Working in a VR Headset?

#205

I’ve been thinking about this lately (as are many people, I’d imagine, with all the Metaverse hoopla) and I think the adoption line for VR is text resolution. Once a headset is in play that can match out of headset text resolution, rapid adoption, tooling, etc. will follow. Something I’ve been thinking about is tooling, though. Like if I had a browser and file storage in an environment with infinitely scalable window…

So, you might be interested in https://github.com/SimulaVR/Simula . There have been a few examples of VR windows managers on Linux which don’t require an entire OS rewrite.

Is that the solution Meta will go w/? almost certainly not. But replacing a WM for a different “view” of your OS is a pretty common thing on Linux. (For some distros like Arch, replace isn’t the right word. You have to install whichever one you’d like from the beginning)

Re: Ask HN: Working in a VR Headset?

#206
post #68

There is a company called Simula that makes a headset specifically for work. I know about them because Meta subpoena'd them a month ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x293SiEdv4M

The headset doesn't look very ergonomic.

Might still be worked on at the phase they're at. I do wonder about the lack of an overhead strap in the design.

In the pictures and video, the headset the guy is wearing is probably light and without a display to vertically align his sight on.

I imagine they're trying to avoid the strap to make it more stylish to enable its use in public settings, but if it ends up being uncomfortable or hard to focus through, that would really hurt all other values it offers. It's meant primarily for work, so one should be able to stay on it for hours. Wonder how things will turn out.

Worst-case though, adding a strap is probably not too difficult of a mod.

Re: Ask HN: Working in a VR Headset?

#208

I’ve been thinking about this lately (as are many people, I’d imagine, with all the Metaverse hoopla) and I think the adoption line for VR is text resolution. Once a headset is in play that can match out of headset text resolution, rapid adoption, tooling, etc. will follow. Something I’ve been thinking about is tooling, though. Like if I had a browser and file storage in an environment with infinitely scalable window…

The good news is that you "just" need the window manager/display environment of an OS.

The bad news is that it is still a lot of hard work to nail down that kind of experience

I imagine some apps will be VR-optimized and others just flat

Re: Ask HN: Working in a VR Headset?

#209

I'm currently visiting family abroad and working remotely. I bought my work machine (A Mac M1) and a quest 2 with me. So far I've done one week of 9 hour days and on one of those days I used Immersed VR until I got a battery warning. The experience was flawed but many things worked surprisingly well. I was getting fed up with just having one screen and having four low-resolution screens was really useful for some thi…

Do you mind clarifying your multi monitor setups’ tech specification?

Never really thought about being one to many along.

Thanks!

Re: Ask HN: Working in a VR Headset?

#210

I'm currently visiting family abroad and working remotely. I bought my work machine (A Mac M1) and a quest 2 with me. So far I've done one week of 9 hour days and on one of those days I used Immersed VR until I got a battery warning. The experience was flawed but many things worked surprisingly well. I was getting fed up with just having one screen and having four low-resolution screens was really useful for some thi…

> I bought my work machine (A Mac M1)

did you have to use windows to get VR to work in a mac? Steam vr does not work on a mac natively afaik.

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