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My most anticipated VR titles for the first quarter of 2020

ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
Hopefully this is ok. None of the titles are MMOs but my hope is that with the growing interest of VR, an MMO will come with soon. Considering the amount of time developers need to make a AAA MMO, it may not be terribly soon but a man can dream. Even making an existing MMO VR capable would be awesome. Regardless, Q1 is going to be pretty fun.

Here's my list for the first four months:

Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. Releases Jan 23. This seems like a gritty,  open world survival type game. I hope it is as tactile as the next game on the list. So far, it looks like it is.

Half-Life: Alyx. Expected to release in March. I'm excited the venture into a fully tactile world, not to mention the story line. This game has so much hype, the Valve Index is currently on back order going into March.

Lone Echo 2. Release date Q1 2020. Just going off how great Lone Echo was, this has to be a great game. The story and polish of the original Lone Echo was solid.

Horizon. Release date Q1 2020. Facebooks first real attempt at "The Oasis". A customizable and expandable world. The Wii style avatars are a little off putting but I believe they will be customizable in the near future.



Enjoy and thanks!
Phaserlight
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Comments

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,823
    Not bothered yet with VR, can you give us your appraisal of how VR games have developed over the last couple of years. Are they moving into new genres, sticking to games which emphasise the VR nature of the gameplay and so on?
    Kyleran
  • fyehu43fyehu43 Member UncommonPosts: 34
    I got my hopes up for Alyx, but buying a whole new piece of machinery just for it seems odd...


  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,435
    VR to me seems much like 3D movies.

    On rare occasion, say with a movie like Avatar, 3D really enhanced the experience and brought the world to life.

    Usually however, most of the 3D movies I've seen are more like Friday the 13th 3D, which has, as my son said to me after seeing it together,  "annoying 3D" where its mostly used to have sharp instruments or blood coming out of the screen and into your face.

    Point is, does VR really add that much to the actual game experience to make it worth the time and trouble?

    I know FO4 and Skyrim have VR now,  but reviews I've read are mixed with many saying it was kinda cool, but didn't really add much to their original experience.

    Pretty much how I feel about 3D movies, and being an eyeglass wearer it makes watching them annoying which I also fear would be true with VR.

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

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  • MaridMarid Member UncommonPosts: 128
    Hehe...stumbling around your house - kids, china cabinets, and glass everywhere - with a box strapped to your face that completely impairs your vision...what could go wrong? :open_mouth:
    ultimateduckPutrefee
  • Asm0deusAsm0deus Member EpicPosts: 4,389
    edited January 2020
    VR like hotas is niche and yes it greatly increases immersion in those circumstances for example I will never play Elite dangerous with only keyboard and mouse or console type gamepad..it's joystick or hotas or I wont play it.

    I can see some fps games working really well too, just need  to see how alyx does and if they get it right.

    Take arizona sunshine I would never play this game on a traditional flat screen and would say the game is kinda meh, not bad but nothing great...play it in VR however and the game is amazing fun and not the same experience as you would have on a flat screen.



    I get how it wouldn't appeal to some people and that's okay I get it but some people just have no clue or experience with VR and just repeat the same opinions being spouted without actually trying it for themselves.

    Like for example the whole walking around in your home knocking shit down etc etc.. lets be real if you are set up for non seated VR then you have that taken into account and have a space for it, including those borders that show up in game to let you know if you become too immersed and step out of bounds so to speak.


    Here's another I am keen and hoping will be pretty good, clearly they have take a Elite:D approach to the vehicle dash.




    VR surely isn't a budget option right now but then gamers are not known for always going for the budget options are they...lol

    I mean how many of you have spent 60$+ buck on a mmo mouse, 150$+ on keyboard etc etc where a sub 50$ one of either would easily have done the trick?  Also consider these are just simple peripherals unlike VR which is more akin to a monitor where peeps will pay 500$+ for a gaming monitor and that not even high end ones to boot.

    I think VR is worth it if you have the spare cash and can afford it and you play the type of games that work well with it.
    Post edited by Asm0deus on
    ultimateduck

    Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.





  • KajidourdenKajidourden Member EpicPosts: 3,030
    You guys know you can go demo a VR headset right?  I get not wanting to drop the money on the hardware without trying it first, but the amount of ignorance surrounding VR simply because people are trying to convince themselves that it's not worth the money with zero knowledge/experience is hilarious.
    maskedweaselAsm0deusultimateduck
  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    Scot said:
    Not bothered yet with VR, can you give us your appraisal of how VR games have developed over the last couple of years. Are they moving into new genres, sticking to games which emphasise the VR nature of the gameplay and so on?

    I purchased the original Rift when it was released in 2016. It was initially released with an Xbox controller for games and a thumb pad to navigate through some of the experiences. The games that were available were almost demo like. Really cool experiences with very little dynamic gameplay. The only actual games that stood out were driving games like Project Cars and Dirt and flying sims like Eve Valkyre. Games that were made for the PC, but modified for VR.

    Later in 2016 Oculus released the Touch controlers and with it, a game called RoboRecall. These controllers were the beginning of VR legitimizing. They allowed not only grabbing and squeezing, but hand articulation with touch sensitive thumb, pointer finger and middle finger buttons and arm articulation (extension, pronation and supination). Robo Recall was incredibly polished and allowed you to shoot opponents, gab and tear off limbs, use these lims as weapons to beat opponents, catch projectiles, etc.

    Then came the development lag. After seeing what VR was capable of, it took developers a couple of years to create games. In the mean time, games like Elite Dangerous and Skyrim were made fully VR capable. Fun games like Beat Saber and Gorn were released along with a plethora of "wave killing" games, where you stood in a small area and killed waves of opponents, story driven games like Lone Echo and coop shooters like Arizona Sunshine.

    2019 was the beginning of the beginning. Oculus released the Rift S and the Quest. Both had inside out tracking, which meant no more tracking cameras spread around a room, no more need to have 4 free USB3 ports. The Rift S was light, comfortable and had an incredibly crisp image. The Quest was a stand alone that could play a limited, but decent amount of games from the Oculus store and could also be tethered to a gaming PC to access the full Steam and Oculus library. Valve announced their HMD to the market, the Index. A high end HMD, with a high end price and the precision of Lighthouse tracking. You could now fully get into VR for $399 ($999 for the Index).

    Games like No Mans Sky, The Forest, Asgard's Wrath, Stormland, Boneworks and more were released. It seemed like 2019 ended the developer lag and we were getting flooded with quality games that showcased what VR was truly capable of. VR sales increased from a few hundred thousand (total between all HMDs) to millions. Playstation released numbers showing five million HMDs sold in 2018 and 2019. By mid 2019 Oculus, who doesn't release it's numbers, was shown to have sold over five million Rift, Rift S and Quest HMDs (by tallying the HMDs sold in retail stores). By the end of 2019 both the Rift S and Quest were on back order until Feb of 2020 and the Valve index was on back order until Mar of 2020.

    2020 is hopes and dreams for us VR people. The HMDs were on back order for a reason. Valve released news that they will be making the next iteration of Half Life, Half Life: Alyx for VR only. The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, a survival game based on the television series, releases today. Facebook announces their effort to create their version of "The Oasis", an open and fully customizable world, with Horizons. The list of AAA games is expanding almost daily.

    When I first put on the Rift in 2016, I couldn't get it out of my head. The potential was incredible. I kept saying to my wife "I really want one of those Oculus things". She would laugh and call me a dork (I kinda am). After a few days, she finally say "just buy it, it was cool". Fast forward 3 years and she plays Beat Saber and Dance central almost every night. I'm currently playing Stormland and looking to pick up Walking Dead when I'm done, all the looking forward to Half Life. The line up of games is finally surpassing my ability to get through them, but if I did, there are a lot of games that I didn't mention that are worth playing in the meantime.

    VR is for real and it's worth it.
    Asm0deus
  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    You guys know you can go demo a VR headset right?  I get not wanting to drop the money on the hardware without trying it first, but the amount of ignorance surrounding VR simply because people are trying to convince themselves that it's not worth the money with zero knowledge/experience is hilarious.

    There's a "Guardian" system that starts to form a grid, almost like a slowly forming chain link fence, as you get closer to the boundaries of your play area so you don't destroy your house. Most of the funny videos you see, the Guardian system isn't set up or is turned off for immersion.
    Asm0deus
  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    Asm0deus said:
    VR like hotas is niche and yes it greatly increases immersion in those circumstances for example I will never play Elite dangerous with only keyboard and mouse or console type gamepad..it's joystick or hotas or I wont play it.

    I can see some fps games working really well too, just need  to see how alyx does and if they get it right.

    Take arizona sunshine I would never play this game on a traditional flat screen and would say the game is kinda meh, not bad but nothing great...play it in VR however and the game is amazing fun and not the same experience as you would have on a flat screen.



    I get how it wouldn't appeal to some people and that's okay I get it but some people just have no clue or experience with VR and just repeat the same opinions being spouted without actually trying it for themselves.

    Like for example the whole walking around in your home knocking shit down etc etc.. lets be real if you are set up for non seated VR then you have that taken into account and have a space for it, including those borders that show up in game to let you know if you become too immersed and step out of bounds so to speak.


    Here's another I am keen and hoping will be pretty good, clearly they have take a Elite:D approach to the vehicle dash.




    VR surely isn't a budget option right now but then gamers are not known for always going for the budget options are they...lol

    I mean how many of you have spent 60$+ buck on a mmo mouse, 150$+ on keyboard etc etc where a sub 50$ one of either would easily have done the trick?  Also consider these are just simple peripherals unlike VR which is more akin to a monitor where peeps will pay 500$+ for a gaming monitor and that not even high end ones to boot.

    I think VR is worth it if you have the spare cash and can afford it and you play the type of games that work well with it.

    Low-Fi looked good, but I couldn't get a solid release time frame. I also couldn't get a real solid feel for the gameplay. The world seems like it would be amazing to venture around in.

    As far as the cost? I would like to say I spent more on my ultra-wide curved monitor than I did on my VR HMDs, but I bought into the Rift when it was $499 and the Touch controllers came separate, at a later date, at $199. But... I did spend more on my monitor than I did my wife Rift S. :p

    PC gamers are nuts with money. We will spend $1k on a new video card and look for a budget monitor. As you mentioned, $100 gaming mouse, $300 keyboards, multiple $60 games... and complaining that $399 is too much for an HMD. It's kinda funny.
    Asm0deus
  • CaffynatedCaffynated Member RarePosts: 753
    edited January 2020
    VR gaming is still a crappy gimmick at this point and shows no signs of being a good platform for gaming in the near future. I don't feel any more like I'm interacting with my environment with VR controllers than I do with a mouse. I almost want one just because Beatsaber is a lot of fun, and I think it would be a nice flight sim upgrade, but that's just not worth $400+ to me. 

    I did pick up an Occulus Go after trying out several options. As a portable big screen TV it's actually quite nice. It made my 4 hour stay at the DMV go by much more quickly. Being able to store multiple movies on it and watch them anywhere on a 100"+ screen is a nice experience worth the $150 price tag (I picked it up for $120 from Amazon if you're willing to wait on sales). 
    Post edited by Caffynated on
    ultimateduck
  • KajidourdenKajidourden Member EpicPosts: 3,030
    VR gaming is still a crappy gimmick at this point and shows no signs of being a good platform for gaming in the near future. I don't feel any more like I'm interacting with my environment with VR controllers than I do with a mouse. I almost want one just because Beatsaber is a lot of fun, and I think it would be a nice flight sim upgrade, but that's just not worth $400+ to me. 

    I did pick up an Occulus Go after trying out several options. As a portable big screen TV it's actually quite nice. It made my 4 hour stay at the DMV go by much more quickly. Being able to store multiple movies on it and watch them anywhere on a 100"+ screen is a nice experience worth the $150 price tag (I picked it up for $120 from Amazon if you're willing to wait on sales). 
    If the only thing you've played is beat saber and you're using an oculus go......you're doing it wrong.  Not surprised.
    Caffynatedultimateduckmaskedweasel
  • CaffynatedCaffynated Member RarePosts: 753
    VR gaming is still a crappy gimmick at this point and shows no signs of being a good platform for gaming in the near future. I don't feel any more like I'm interacting with my environment with VR controllers than I do with a mouse. I almost want one just because Beatsaber is a lot of fun, and I think it would be a nice flight sim upgrade, but that's just not worth $400+ to me. 

    I did pick up an Occulus Go after trying out several options. As a portable big screen TV it's actually quite nice. It made my 4 hour stay at the DMV go by much more quickly. Being able to store multiple movies on it and watch them anywhere on a 100"+ screen is a nice experience worth the $150 price tag (I picked it up for $120 from Amazon if you're willing to wait on sales). 
    If the only thing you've played is beat saber and you're using an oculus go......you're doing it wrong.  Not surprised.
    Where did I say I've only played Beat saber or that I even played it on O Go? I've had plenty of opportunities to try it out in stores, at expos and friends' houses. After getting some experience with it and having the initial "wow neat" effect wear off, I had no interest in spending money on it for gaming. 

    I bought the Go last month for use as a portable TV and have never tried to game on it.
  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    VR gaming is still a crappy gimmick at this point and shows no signs of being a good platform for gaming in the near future. I don't feel any more like I'm interacting with my environment with VR controllers than I do with a mouse. I almost want one just because Beatsaber is a lot of fun, and I think it would be a nice flight sim upgrade, but that's just not worth $400+ to me. 

    I did pick up an Occulus Go after trying out several options. As a portable big screen TV it's actually quite nice. It made my 4 hour stay at the DMV go by much more quickly. Being able to store multiple movies on it and watch them anywhere on a 100"+ screen is a nice experience worth the $150 price tag (I picked it up for $120 from Amazon if you're willing to wait on sales). 

    The games they are coming out with now are much more interactive than they were even six months ago. With a few exceptions, games have gone from navigating through a world by taking a very specific path with very specific interactions available to being in an open world where you can interact with almost everything. I think it took developers a bit of time to catch up with the capabilities of VR... but they are definitely catching up.

    Flight and driving sims aren't my thing. I enjoy them on a small scale playing maybe an hour or two every month, mostly because they are neat to experience. That said, if they are your thing there is no comparison... as you seem to know.

    The Go is cool for the price point. I would have gone with the Quest. Same portability and access to games. My wife loves Beat Saber. I almost bought her a Quest so she could watch movies on the plane and play Beat Saber at the hotel, but she doesn't travel for work much anymore.
    Caffynated
  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    We've learned something very important in the gaming industry over the past few years.  Accessibility and convenience will beat out full featured experiences every time.

    VR right now is very inconvenient no matter the platform. It's essentially a peripheral in most cases, and one that has very few use cases. You could.. but shouldn't wear VR sets while traveling on trains or buses. When you're out with friends the last thing you want is to be closed off from them.  

    My wife likes VR for more immersive feelings, and when I introduced her to it, she wanted to play for a week, and her favorite experiences weren't games at all. She liked the "fear" based "games" where you are on a building or flying over a mountain range and you look down at everything. 

    Those are experiences that feel different in VR for her... but she doesn't ask for the set any more. 

    I know that there will be more inclusive HMDs over the next few years that will be easier to present similar experiences, but I don't believe they'll be VR sets. I feel like VR in its current iteration will forever stay niche.  

    It isn't the cost of ownership, or the lack of interesting content (though I haven't found any long lasting content I come back for myself), it's that it's simply inconvenient. 
    ultimateduckPutrefeePhaserlight



  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    edited January 2020
    We've learned something very important in the gaming industry over the past few years.  Accessibility and convenience will beat out full featured experiences every time.

    VR right now is very inconvenient no matter the platform. It's essentially a peripheral in most cases, and one that has very few use cases. You could.. but shouldn't wear VR sets while traveling on trains or buses. When you're out with friends the last thing you want is to be closed off from them.  

    My wife likes VR for more immersive feelings, and when I introduced her to it, she wanted to play for a week, and her favorite experiences weren't games at all. She liked the "fear" based "games" where you are on a building or flying over a mountain range and you look down at everything. 

    Those are experiences that feel different in VR for her... but she doesn't ask for the set any more. 

    I know that there will be more inclusive HMDs over the next few years that will be easier to present similar experiences, but I don't believe they'll be VR sets. I feel like VR in its current iteration will forever stay niche.  

    It isn't the cost of ownership, or the lack of interesting content (though I haven't found any long lasting content I come back for myself), it's that it's simply inconvenient. 

    I could never wear a VR HMD in public. I don't get how people can... but people do. Then again, I don't like gaming in public (other than playing crossword on my phone) but I see a lot of people sitting with their laptops doing it.

    The convenience of gaming with VR at home is easy if you're allowed to shut everything out. My wife and I have worked out how we communicate this...lol. I will say "I'm going into the office if that's ok" which means, I will be in the office with the door closed wearing either headphones or my VR HMD and I won't hear anything you say unless you walk in and yell at me.

    The VR "experiences" are neat, but they don't sustain a persons need for something to do in VR like games do, so I can see where she gets bored. I mostly use the "experiences" for someone wants to try my HMD to see what it's like, but I don't want to have them start an entire game because we will be there for at least 30 minutes.

    I think in terms of gaming, iterations of the HMDs we currently use will be around for a while. AR will probably grow but more so in the mobile market and not for pure gaming. I think for gaming, this will be it for the foreseeable future. 

    I play about an hour a night on VR and I have games lined up in my que, which wasn't the case this time last year. Recently, developers at the GDC2020 were asked which platforms are they using to develop their next software. VR was only about 5% behind Xbox X, PS5 and Nintendo Switch. The content is there now and only seems to be increasing. Unless you are one of those gamers that puts in 4 or 5 hours a day, I doubt you will run out of things to do, Even then, that's a lot of gaming and easily worth $399 in my opinion.

    When I did run out of VR things to do in the past, I would just play my standard PC games but I was always looking forward to the next VR game. My standard PC games turned into something I did between VR. Now my game time is almost exclusively VR.
  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    We've learned something very important in the gaming industry over the past few years.  Accessibility and convenience will beat out full featured experiences every time.

    VR right now is very inconvenient no matter the platform. It's essentially a peripheral in most cases, and one that has very few use cases. You could.. but shouldn't wear VR sets while traveling on trains or buses. When you're out with friends the last thing you want is to be closed off from them.  

    My wife likes VR for more immersive feelings, and when I introduced her to it, she wanted to play for a week, and her favorite experiences weren't games at all. She liked the "fear" based "games" where you are on a building or flying over a mountain range and you look down at everything. 

    Those are experiences that feel different in VR for her... but she doesn't ask for the set any more. 

    I know that there will be more inclusive HMDs over the next few years that will be easier to present similar experiences, but I don't believe they'll be VR sets. I feel like VR in its current iteration will forever stay niche.  

    It isn't the cost of ownership, or the lack of interesting content (though I haven't found any long lasting content I come back for myself), it's that it's simply inconvenient. 

    I could never wear a VR HMD in public. I don't get how people can... but people do. Then again, I don't like gaming in public (other than playing crossword on my phone) but I see a lot of people sitting with their laptops doing it.

    The convenience of gaming with VR at home is easy if you're allowed to shut everything out. My wife and I have worked out how we communicate this...lol. I will say "I'm going into the office if that's ok" which means, I will be in the office with the door closed wearing either headphones or my VR HMD and I won't hear anything you say unless you walk in and yell at me.

    The VR "experiences" are neat, but they don't sustain a persons need for something to do in VR like games do, so I can see where she gets bored. I mostly use the "experiences" for someone wants to try my HMD to see what it's like, but I don't want to have them start an entire game because we will be there for at least 30 minutes.

    I think in terms of gaming, iterations of the HMDs we currently use will be around for a while. AR will probably grow but more so in the mobile market and not for pure gaming. I think for gaming, this will be it for the foreseeable future. 

    I play about an hour a night on VR and I have games lined up in my que, which wasn't the case this time last year. Recently, developers at the GDC2020 were asked which platforms are they using to develop their next software. VR was only about 5% behind Xbox X, PS5 and Nintendo Switch. The content is there now and only seems to be increasing. Unless you are one of those gamers that puts in 4 or 5 hours a day, I doubt you will run out of things to do, Even then, that's a lot of gaming and easily worth $399 in my opinion.

    When I did run out of VR things to do in the past, I would just play my standard PC games but I was always looking forward to the next VR game. My standard PC games turned into something I did between VR. Now my game time is almost exclusively VR.
    I've seen people wear VR HMDs in public, I just find it dangerous. 

    My wife likes experiences like roller coasters and fear based things because she doesn't like actual roller coasters.  Loops make her sick, but not when it's in VR. 

    She would never play a VR game that requires controllers in their traditional sense, but when hand capture or glove devices are more common place, maybe then she'll get into it more. 

    I just don't like wearing the headsets for long periods of time. I think they've done better on the newer sets with weight management, but PSVR and Gear VR sets hurt my neck after an hour of use. But I've seen much lighter sets on the horizon.  

    I can't recall who made it, but the new goggle set looked really cool, they showed it at CES. I think in that case, with a much lighter goggle set, it could be a piece of hardware that will fix the weight issue entirely, as long as it doesn't sit too heavily on the bridge.


    I'm always on the lookout for new hardware that will make it more accessible to me, I just don't know if we'll get there in the next few years.  I also think a standardized software would help.
    ultimateduck



  • Panther2103Panther2103 Member EpicPosts: 5,766
    Kyleran said:
    VR to me seems much like 3D movies.

    On rare occasion, say with a movie like Avatar, 3D really enhanced the experience and brought the world to life.

    Usually however, most of the 3D movies I've seen are more like Friday the 13th 3D, which has, as my son said to me after seeing it together,  "annoying 3D" where its mostly used to have sharp instruments or blood coming out of the screen and into your face.

    Point is, does VR really add that much to the actual game experience to make it worth the time and trouble?

    I know FO4 and Skyrim have VR now,  but reviews I've read are mixed with many saying it was kinda cool, but didn't really add much to their original experience.

    Pretty much how I feel about 3D movies, and being an eyeglass wearer it makes watching them annoying which I also fear would be true with VR.

    It's a bit like 3D movies, in the sense that some movies handled it correctly but a majority were just using it as a gimmick to point things at you. 

    I personally love my VR headset, and have used it quite a bit. But I also went in knowing it wasn't going to be my main gaming source.

    I played an MMORPG in it (a township tale), and it felt amazing to just wander around the world and interact with people but at the same time all of the annoying things started stacking up, like the clunkiness of reaching to your belt to grab something, or having to chop trees in a specific way to get them to knock down (I sat there for 15 minutes hitting a tree getting tired as hell just to learn I was doing it wrong). 

    Games like Beat Saber, Pavlov VR and Super Hot I would say provide better experiences than their non VR counterparts just because the feeling of playing them is insane in VR. In Beat Saber, getting a full combo on a difficult song feels so much better than when I would do it in Guitar Hero. In Pavlov it just feels awesome to be playing a team shooter in VR, especially with how the guns control. In Super Hot it's just great to play with how fluid it feels in VR. 

    But 99% of the games coming out are utilizing it like 3D movies did. They are either some boring wander a hall jump scare game, or stand still and interact with crap in a room games. I think with the new Half Life, more companies will start to actually utilize it better. 

    It also is annoying as hell making enough space for room scale VR. I ended up drawing a barrier through my couch so that I wasn't running into the barriers during beatsaber, but when I forgot to change it back I ran into my couch a few times playing other games. 
    ultimateduckPhaserlightCaffynated
  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    edited January 2020

    She would never play a VR game that requires controllers in their traditional sense, but when hand capture or glove devices are more common place, maybe then she'll get into it more. 

    I just don't like wearing the headsets for long periods of time. I think they've done better on the newer sets with weight management, but PSVR and Gear VR sets hurt my neck after an hour of use. But I've seen much lighter sets on the horizon.  

    I can't recall who made it, but the new goggle set looked really cool, they showed it at CES. I think in that case, with a much lighter goggle set, it could be a piece of hardware that will fix the weight issue entirely, as long as it doesn't sit too heavily on the bridge.


    I'm always on the lookout for new hardware that will make it more accessible to me, I just don't know if we'll get there in the next few years.  I also think a standardized software would help.
    Hand tracking is a ways off. Oculus is working on hand tracking and 3rd party haptic gloves are available, but I don't know how supported they are. Unless your wife is a heavy gamer, which it doesn't seem like she is, the Index with 5 finger articulation is the only real option, but that's $1k for a full setup... not cheap.

    I don't know what HMD you tried, but the Rift (S) are about 1lb total and it's a fairly balanced 1lb, especially with the halo strap. The Quest is heavier and all of the extra weight is in the front, which is the biggest complaint. The difference in comfort is night and day.

    It's a bit like 3D movies, in the sense that some movies handled it correctly but a majority were just using it as a gimmick to point things at you. 

    I personally love my VR headset, and have used it quite a bit. But I also went in knowing it wasn't going to be my main gaming source.

    I played an MMORPG in it (a township tale), and it felt amazing to just wander around the world and interact with people but at the same time all of the annoying things started stacking up, like the clunkiness of reaching to your belt to grab something, or having to chop trees in a specific way to get them to knock down (I sat there for 15 minutes hitting a tree getting tired as hell just to learn I was doing it wrong). 

    Games like Beat Saber, Pavlov VR and Super Hot I would say provide better experiences than their non VR counterparts just because the feeling of playing them is insane in VR. In Beat Saber, getting a full combo on a difficult song feels so much better than when I would do it in Guitar Hero. In Pavlov it just feels awesome to be playing a team shooter in VR, especially with how the guns control. In Super Hot it's just great to play with how fluid it feels in VR. 

    But 99% of the games coming out are utilizing it like 3D movies did. They are either some boring wander a hall jump scare game, or stand still and interact with crap in a room games. I think with the new Half Life, more companies will start to actually utilize it better. 

    It also is annoying as hell making enough space for room scale VR. I ended up drawing a barrier through my couch so that I wasn't running into the barriers during beatsaber, but when I forgot to change it back I ran into my couch a few times playing other games. 

    I agree with 99% of the games utilizing VR poorly. It seemed almost every game that came out was a variant of a wave killer, where you stood in a small area and killed things coming at you. Other games had polish, like Lone Echo, but had very short play times leaving you with little to do after you took the 6 or 7 hours to complete them. Before mid 2019, I would have extended periods of not using my Oculus (a month or two between play sessions). There just wasn't enough to do and what there was, just lacked depth.

    I don't know how long it's been since you've delved into it, but I made this post because there's been such a shift in the types of games available and the ease and comfort of the HMDs available. Stormland is phenomenal. No Mans Sky merged into the VR world seamlessly. Shooters like Pavlov ruin shooters on a flat monitor. Walking Dead is getting incredible reviews. HL Alyx looks to be amazing. World interaction has become so in depth, you will inadvertently waste hours messing with things.


    Post edited by ultimateduck on
    maskedweasel
  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173

    She would never play a VR game that requires controllers in their traditional sense, but when hand capture or glove devices are more common place, maybe then she'll get into it more. 

    I just don't like wearing the headsets for long periods of time. I think they've done better on the newer sets with weight management, but PSVR and Gear VR sets hurt my neck after an hour of use. But I've seen much lighter sets on the horizon.  

    I can't recall who made it, but the new goggle set looked really cool, they showed it at CES. I think in that case, with a much lighter goggle set, it could be a piece of hardware that will fix the weight issue entirely, as long as it doesn't sit too heavily on the bridge.


    I'm always on the lookout for new hardware that will make it more accessible to me, I just don't know if we'll get there in the next few years.  I also think a standardized software would help.
    Hand tracking is a ways off. Oculus is working on hand tracking and 3rd party haptic gloves are available, but I don't know how supported they are. Unless your wife is a heavy gamer, which it doesn't seem like she is, the Index with 5 finger articulation is the only real option, but that's $1k for a full setup... not cheap.

    I don't know what HMD you tried, but the Rift (S) are about 1lb total and it's a fairly balanced 1lb, especially with the halo strap. The Quest is heavier and all of the extra weight is in the front, which is the biggest complaint. The difference in comfort is night and day.



    I have a gear VR setup and a PSVR setup. (Well, I "borrowed" it from my brother because he doesn't use it anymore). I've also tried the vive, and both rift devices, minus the Quest.  I've also tried Hololens. 

    In just about every case, the weight became uncomfortable for me after a while. Maybe it would get better over time, if I used it more often.  

    It's also why I feel like there needs to be a single operating system for HMDs.  Hololens has pretty decent hand tracking at the moment, and its newest iteration makes it easier to navigate and do different things. 

    I don't feel like it's much of a priority for a lot of companies to accelerate these kinds of technologies. I think if there was a larger audience we would have seen greater strides in hand tracking and more engrossing games on the horizon. 
    ultimateduck



  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    I have a gear VR setup and a PSVR setup. (Well, I "borrowed" it from my brother because he doesn't use it anymore). I've also tried the vive, and both rift devices, minus the Quest.  I've also tried Hololens. 

    In just about every case, the weight became uncomfortable for me after a while. Maybe it would get better over time, if I used it more often.  

    It's also why I feel like there needs to be a single operating system for HMDs.  Hololens has pretty decent hand tracking at the moment, and its newest iteration makes it easier to navigate and do different things. 

    I don't feel like it's much of a priority for a lot of companies to accelerate these kinds of technologies. I think if there was a larger audience we would have seen greater strides in hand tracking and more engrossing games on the horizon. 

    Ahh, the Gear and PSVR are notoriously uncomfortable, even more so that the Quest. Both are very front heavy and rest on your face quite heavily. I can see why you would have reservations. Even my CV1 Rift sits a little heavy on my face leaving the notorious VR face impression. The Rift S does not sit on your face (and leaves no VR impression).

    The Quest has very accurate hand tracking, which will also be implemented on the Rift S (same tracking cameras), but there aren't any applications that really utilize this yet. Given the pace in which developers are getting involved in VR, I don't see it taking long before it's commonplace.

    As for gaming, some things are just needed to game. Hand tracking is neat, but you do need controllers to move and use abilities. Some games added hand/wrist menus, such as in Stormland where, depending on hand placement, a hologram menu appears that you can interact with, but I think gaming like that would be incredibly difficult.

    As much as I love the immersion of VR, I don't want to have to run in place or be forced to buy a VR treadmill to move. That would just be exhausting.
    maskedweasel
  • Panther2103Panther2103 Member EpicPosts: 5,766
    I have a gear VR setup and a PSVR setup. (Well, I "borrowed" it from my brother because he doesn't use it anymore). I've also tried the vive, and both rift devices, minus the Quest.  I've also tried Hololens. 

    In just about every case, the weight became uncomfortable for me after a while. Maybe it would get better over time, if I used it more often.  

    It's also why I feel like there needs to be a single operating system for HMDs.  Hololens has pretty decent hand tracking at the moment, and its newest iteration makes it easier to navigate and do different things. 

    I don't feel like it's much of a priority for a lot of companies to accelerate these kinds of technologies. I think if there was a larger audience we would have seen greater strides in hand tracking and more engrossing games on the horizon. 

    Ahh, the Gear and PSVR are notoriously uncomfortable, even more so that the Quest. Both are very front heavy and rest on your face quite heavily. I can see why you would have reservations. Even my CV1 Rift sits a little heavy on my face leaving the notorious VR face impression. The Rift S does not sit on your face (and leaves no VR impression).

    The Quest has very accurate hand tracking, which will also be implemented on the Rift S (same tracking cameras), but there aren't any applications that really utilize this yet. Given the pace in which developers are getting involved in VR, I don't see it taking long before it's commonplace.

    As for gaming, some things are just needed to game. Hand tracking is neat, but you do need controllers to move and use abilities. Some games added hand/wrist menus, such as in Stormland where, depending on hand placement, a hologram menu appears that you can interact with, but I think gaming like that would be incredibly difficult.

    As much as I love the immersion of VR, I don't want to have to run in place or be forced to buy a VR treadmill to move. That would just be exhausting.
    I have a Rift S and it isn't too bad over longer periods of time. The only thing that gets annoying (which is my own fault) is when I go to itch my nose I slam the controller into the headset sometimes. 

    The hand tracking isn't bad on the S right now, not sure if you mean it will be improved in the future? 
    ultimateduck
  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    I have a gear VR setup and a PSVR setup. (Well, I "borrowed" it from my brother because he doesn't use it anymore). I've also tried the vive, and both rift devices, minus the Quest.  I've also tried Hololens. 

    In just about every case, the weight became uncomfortable for me after a while. Maybe it would get better over time, if I used it more often.  

    It's also why I feel like there needs to be a single operating system for HMDs.  Hololens has pretty decent hand tracking at the moment, and its newest iteration makes it easier to navigate and do different things. 

    I don't feel like it's much of a priority for a lot of companies to accelerate these kinds of technologies. I think if there was a larger audience we would have seen greater strides in hand tracking and more engrossing games on the horizon. 

    Ahh, the Gear and PSVR are notoriously uncomfortable, even more so that the Quest. Both are very front heavy and rest on your face quite heavily. I can see why you would have reservations. Even my CV1 Rift sits a little heavy on my face leaving the notorious VR face impression. The Rift S does not sit on your face (and leaves no VR impression).

    The Quest has very accurate hand tracking, which will also be implemented on the Rift S (same tracking cameras), but there aren't any applications that really utilize this yet. Given the pace in which developers are getting involved in VR, I don't see it taking long before it's commonplace.

    As for gaming, some things are just needed to game. Hand tracking is neat, but you do need controllers to move and use abilities. Some games added hand/wrist menus, such as in Stormland where, depending on hand placement, a hologram menu appears that you can interact with, but I think gaming like that would be incredibly difficult.

    As much as I love the immersion of VR, I don't want to have to run in place or be forced to buy a VR treadmill to move. That would just be exhausting.
    At Dave & Busters they have this whole VR setup now with the treadmill and everything.  It's not really a "treadmill" it's a flooring where you wear specific shoes that are very slippery. You then run on the flooring as you're held up by a harness. It's a pretty cool invention, and I think it would work really well for VR games if they could make something similar that was really cost effective.

    I also like that some AR sets can utilize "totems".  Totems are just basic items that mean nothing in the real world but are simulated as something else in the game world. they can be controllers, or magic wants, or a gun, or whatever.  I'd like to see that kind of thing get implemented later on,  but I doubt we'll start seeing full on harnesses being sold.. there's just no way for them to be cost effective and safe. 



  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    I have a Rift S and it isn't too bad over longer periods of time. The only thing that gets annoying (which is my own fault) is when I go to itch my nose I slam the controller into the headset sometimes. 

    The hand tracking isn't bad on the S right now, not sure if you mean it will be improved in the future? 
    LOL, I hook one controller on my thumb to scratch my nose. I've clacked the sensor loop on my HMD too many times. I was talking about hand tracking without a controller. Controller tracking is pretty solid.

    At Dave & Busters they have this whole VR setup now with the treadmill and everything.  It's not really a "treadmill" it's a flooring where you wear specific shoes that are very slippery. You then run on the flooring as you're held up by a harness. It's a pretty cool invention, and I think it would work really well for VR games if they could make something similar that was really cost effective.

    I also like that some AR sets can utilize "totems".  Totems are just basic items that mean nothing in the real world but are simulated as something else in the game world. they can be controllers, or magic wants, or a gun, or whatever.  I'd like to see that kind of thing get implemented later on,  but I doubt we'll start seeing full on harnesses being sold.. there's just no way for them to be cost effective and safe. 


    I think Dave and Busters use HTC Vives, which are also notoriously front heavy and uncomfortable. I think the Vive Pro addressed this but is also very expensive. You can buy those treadmills, but they are pretty costly.

    Never heard of AR totems. Sounds neat but I couldn't find a lot of them. I am interested in how much customization Horizon will allow. Will people be able to make objects in Medium and use/sell them in a virtual world?
  • Asm0deusAsm0deus Member EpicPosts: 4,389
    edited January 2020
    I have a Rift S and it isn't too bad over longer periods of time. The only thing that gets annoying (which is my own fault) is when I go to itch my nose I slam the controller into the headset sometimes. 

    The hand tracking isn't bad on the S right now, not sure if you mean it will be improved in the future? 
    LOL, I hook one controller on my thumb to scratch my nose. I've clacked the sensor loop on my HMD too many times. I was talking about hand tracking without a controller. Controller tracking is pretty solid.

    At Dave & Busters they have this whole VR setup now with the treadmill and everything.  It's not really a "treadmill" it's a flooring where you wear specific shoes that are very slippery. You then run on the flooring as you're held up by a harness. It's a pretty cool invention, and I think it would work really well for VR games if they could make something similar that was really cost effective.

    I also like that some AR sets can utilize "totems".  Totems are just basic items that mean nothing in the real world but are simulated as something else in the game world. they can be controllers, or magic wants, or a gun, or whatever.  I'd like to see that kind of thing get implemented later on,  but I doubt we'll start seeing full on harnesses being sold.. there's just no way for them to be cost effective and safe. 


    I think Dave and Busters use HTC Vives, which are also notoriously front heavy and uncomfortable. I think the Vive Pro addressed this but is also very expensive. You can buy those treadmills, but they are pretty costly.

    Never heard of AR totems. Sounds neat but I couldn't find a lot of them. I am interested in how much customization Horizon will allow. Will people be able to make objects in Medium and use/sell them in a virtual world?

    There better things coming than those "threadmill" type harnes get ups for movement in VR. You can strap sensors to your ankles and thighs to simulate running and walking which you do by either walking in play or running in place.

    Things like walkovr, nalo and cybershoes.




    Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.





  • ultimateduckultimateduck Member EpicPosts: 1,267
    Asm0deus said:

    There better things coming than those "threadmill" type harnes get ups for movement in VR. You can strap sensors to your ankles and thighs to simulate running and walking which you do by either walking in play or running in place.

    Things like walkovr, nalo and cybershoes.

    OMFG that looks exhausting. I thought the face pad got sweaty with my wife playing Beat Saber for an hour. I also imagine it would be quite easy to loose your center and punch your desk or run in to a wall, especially playing Skyrim.
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