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When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

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Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#261

Post by _carbyau_ »

Kiro wrote: post #166
allenu wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's my problem with it as well. You need to have a space set up where you can use it, and you also have to have the VR headset/equipment available to just grab and put on in an instant, otherwise I think it will just languish in the closet. VR is competing with phones, tablets, and TVs today, which are in my opinion good enough and way more convenient. The experience within VR might be amazing, but it has to be so…

For me, the Quest is pretty much like that. It's so small I just keep it on a shelf and I don't need a dedicated space. I'm just playing in the living room or in the office (you paint a Guardian for the play area in AR, and it remembers it unless you put it on another place). Been playing almost every day for more than a year now. I'm still amazed of how low friction it is to start using. I just grab it, put it on my…

Well, "dedicated" means different things to different people. I have a two year old kid. For VR, my space would have to be properly "dedicated" as it were...

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#262

Post by _carbyau_ »

valbaca wrote: post #243
blhack wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And what's worse is that the most accessible version of "VR", google cardboard (or equivalents) is actually a terrible representation of VR. So people will try that, dismiss VR as a gimmick, and not revisit it again. A proper VR rig is likely going to cost you >$2000, and it's going to need a dedicated room of your house. It's really inaccessible. But man when it works... Playing skyrim, or fallout in my vive was suc…

"likely going to cost you >$2000, and it's going to need a dedicated room of your house" Sounds exactly like the requirements of the very first home TVs.

Yeah but a bit more. Toddlers and pets didn't have to be kept out of the TV room. For VR they could wreak havoc...

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#263

Post by mrlala »

dudeinhawaii wrote: post #119

I don't think it's been mentioned enough that VR doesn't fundamentally bring anything new to the -gameplay- table. There are some 'experiences' that are better, like piloting games since they play to the "sit here and look around" model, but that places VR in the same category as a really awesome flight stick, steering wheel, or the Kinect. Mobility is a huge problem that needs to be solved. Until then, VR will be a…

Gorn.

You have absolutely nothing like that in the non-VR space. Being able to physically swing weapons is night and day vs clicking a mouse. Picking up a bad guy and throwing him, etc.

Also, in some FPS type games (like paintball, or Battle Dome).. being able to literally peak around corners is a game changer for the feeling of immersion and it makes a huge gameplay difference.

Finally.. Climby! Being able to have a climbing simulator that you are really using your hands/arms and having a feeling of vertigo. You don't get that with keyboard/mouse & 2d.

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#264

Post by chaostheory »

gonehome wrote: post #133
dougmwne wrote: post #89

I very much think that folks on HN are jaded by the long wait and the unfulfilled promises of VR. I recently picked up a Quest 2 as my first VR headset and I am blown away and convinced it is the future. The thing is, I also recognize that while it is already an incredible achievement, it's still probably 5-20 years from hitting its iPhone moment. By then, my initial excitement will have gone away and I'll have tired…

The headsets are pretty cool - I’ve played with all of them except for the Valve Index. Though there’s something unpleasant about them that keeps me from going back when the novelty wears off. I think it might be because I don’t want to be standing and moving around when playing a game and if you’re not doing that, the motion is kind of unpleasant. I’m not sure this is something it can really overcome. I think an AR…

> I think it might be because I don’t want to be standing and moving around when playing a game and if you’re not doing that, the motion is kind of unpleasant.

I'm the exact opposite. I enjoy that a lot more. It's more immersive, and I've already lost about 15 lbs just playing VR. imo it's a fitness machine disguised as a video game peripheral

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#265

Post by chaostheory »

jnwatson wrote: post #95
dougmwne wrote: post #89

I very much think that folks on HN are jaded by the long wait and the unfulfilled promises of VR. I recently picked up a Quest 2 as my first VR headset and I am blown away and convinced it is the future. The thing is, I also recognize that while it is already an incredible achievement, it's still probably 5-20 years from hitting its iPhone moment. By then, my initial excitement will have gone away and I'll have tired…

Facebook's Quest 2 is an impressive piece of tech. One of the biggest reasons to be skeptical of VR taking off is that Facebook is one of the major players. Between the login shenanigans and their anti-competitive dealings with developers, they have an opportunity to single-handedly tank the industry.

I feel the biggest thing that FB brings to the table is multiplayer and social. Because their device is both capable, inexpensive, and easy to setup; it's the most democratic. I can almost always find others to play with or against compared to Steam, where only a few games have a lot of players.

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#266

Post by chaostheory »

binarymax wrote: post #7

Technology is not the problem. Flashback to 1995. I'm a 17 year old PFY invited to beta test a VR headset from a local company. My Uncle was an investor and I was technically savvy and the target market. I had a copy of Descent that supported VR, and while it was a bit of a hassle to get setup, I got it working. The experience was incredible. After the first use I said to myself "this is the future". I had permission…

It depends on the game. There are asymmetric games like Acron and Takelings

https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2345082335516570

https://takelings.com/

You can also stream the VR game to your television if it's a single player experience.

You're also discounting the fact that we have the internet now and we can do multiplayer online.

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#267

Post by farias0 »

gonehome wrote: post #133
dougmwne wrote: post #89

I very much think that folks on HN are jaded by the long wait and the unfulfilled promises of VR. I recently picked up a Quest 2 as my first VR headset and I am blown away and convinced it is the future. The thing is, I also recognize that while it is already an incredible achievement, it's still probably 5-20 years from hitting its iPhone moment. By then, my initial excitement will have gone away and I'll have tired…

The headsets are pretty cool - I’ve played with all of them except for the Valve Index. Though there’s something unpleasant about them that keeps me from going back when the novelty wears off. I think it might be because I don’t want to be standing and moving around when playing a game and if you’re not doing that, the motion is kind of unpleasant. I’m not sure this is something it can really overcome. I think an AR…

Hypothesis: The reason having to stand up (or more generally put physical effort) on games turns you off is because you're looking for a different thing in games, probably just turning off your brain.

The appeal, unarguably I believe, is in being immersed in the fantasy, which I think is a different kind of appeal from what you seek. I actively dislike "abnegation" type games, but the idea of being transported to somewhere else, exploring different realities, amazes me (I'm dying to try Myst on VR), and putting physical effort on it adds to the fantasy. So maybe VR isn't for you, simple as that.

I've seem lots of people (online, yes, but still) keep coming back for Pavlov, Population One, Half-Life Alyx, Star Wars Squadron, VR Chat... I really think there's something there.

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#268

Post by chaostheory »

medium_burrito wrote: post #34
lo_fye wrote: post #3

It started to take off in October, with the release of the Oculus Quest 2, which is out of stock all over the place. It has nearly doubled Oculus' userbase on Steam in just 2.5 months despite their various other headsets having been out for years.

I have a Quest2 and motion tracking is great, but the resolution/blurriness bothers my eyes a lot, to the point where it gives me a headache. Now it could be with not wearing glasses, but I tried it with contacts and it still bothered me. My wife meanwhile has no issues. Is this a common issue?

You might need a VR headset with better IPD adjustments. Going that route is more expensive and complicated and requires a PC. It also requires wires which kill the immersion.

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#269

Post by chaostheory »

stevebmark wrote: post #67

I don't think the current incarnation of VR will ever take off. It's too inconvenient to need to block out everything around you with a headset. It's fundamentally incompatible with human behavior. Until VR is as convenient as picking up a phone or tablet, it's not going anywhere.

> Until VR is as convenient as picking up a phone or tablet, it's not going anywhere.

It is now with the Oculus Quest. Put it on your hands and head and you're good to go. You should try it. For me this was the biggest game changer. I use this multiple times a day for my workouts / game sessions.

Prior to that, it was really annoying with PCVR. It felt like a ritual setting up PCVR prior to playing and it was a chore cleaning up.

Re: When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet

#270

Post by ipsum2 »

an_opabinia wrote: post #159
Impossible wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft has a good track record with making games, but yes all of FAANG is terrible at this. I have a little more hope for Facebook now that they've started acquiring studios and letting them run independently, instead of the previous combination of publishing\funding and having few internal game teams (which generally doesn't work in big tech anyway). This could lead to a model that looks more like Microsoft Game…

> I have a little more hope for Facebook now that they've started acquiring studios and letting them run independently The reality is, the acquisition of best VR game of any objective measure, Beat Saber, set back VR for all game developers because it will rob other VR platforms of a doorbuster title (i.e. Beat Saber 2). Also, it enables Beat Games to keep using unlicensed music by fiat of Facebook's legal might, a c…

> Also, it enables Beat Games to keep using unlicensed music

Huh? All BeatSaber music are originals or licensed.

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