[Guru3d] Oculus Rift Pre-Order $599/€699

[moonbogg]

This is virtual reality here. This is supposed to be the big deal that everyone dreamed about. The first commercial unit? We're lucky the damn thing doesn't cost $10,000.00. We're lucky regular people don't have to wait 5 or 10 years before it becomes affordable. We're lucky that we aren't reading about what rich people think of their first experience with VR. No, instead we can have it ourselves. Why? Because $600.00 is stupid cheap for something like this, that's why.
They could have really worked this hard and charged the crap out of people for this thing, but they didn't. They want it to sell and catch on, so they offered a fair price. If it was $300 I would have no interest in it at all. Anything like this that cost $300 HAS to be a piece of cheap crap and I don't want it. Not now, not ever.

 

[fleshconsumed]

A thought occurred to me, how would playing portal look and feel in VR? Would anyone be able to stomach the crazy jumps and teleportations? :awe:

 

[Nashemon]

This is virtual reality here. This is supposed to be the big deal that everyone dreamed about. The first commercial unit? We're lucky the damn thing doesn't cost $10,000.00. We're lucky regular people don't have to wait 5 or 10 years before it becomes affordable. We're lucky that we aren't reading about what rich people think of their first experience with VR. No, instead we can have it ourselves. Why? Because $600.00 is stupid cheap for something like this, that's why.
They could have really worked this hard and charged the crap out of people for this thing, but they didn't. They want it to sell and catch on, so they offered a fair price. If it was $300 I would have no interest in it at all. Anything like this that cost $300 HAS to be a piece of cheap crap and I don't want it. Not now, not ever.

Agreed. $600 is not expensive. However, it is expensive to the people who thought it would be $300-400. Granted that's everyone who has been following it closely over the past year, and I understand that completely. It's ok to be upset that their PR sucked.

In the grand scheme of things though, $600 is a low price compared with today's tech. People drop $600+ on a new phone every year. The good smart watches start at $350, which likely will need replacement every year or two due to OS updates slowing them down. People are buying crappy headphones for $300, and good ones even higher. Drawing pads start at $350 for the reasonable sized ones. I'm not even mentioning monitors and video cards because this is a gadget. It's not a required component.

It's freaking VR. In your home. 50 years we've been waiting for this. $600 is a bargain.

 

[moonbogg]

People are buying crappy headphones for $300, and good ones even higher.

I have $300 headphones and find your comment highly offensive. Check my sig.

 

[pj-]

I don't know why I can't shake the feeling that it's overpriced, especially since my current primary monitor alone costs more.

I guess the DK2 price combined with Palmer's "ballpark of $350" statement put me in the wrong mindset.

 

[2is]

I'm not quite understanding why people are calling VR dead because of this early adopter price point. LCDs started at $20k. 4K started sky high. I think the price is high compared to the dev kit, but I was expecting that. Because the launch unit is $600 doesn't mean VR will always be out of reach. I can see it easily dropping to something more in line with an impulse buy in time for Christmas. Next year these will likely be down in the $299 range, at least to start.

You can't compare a product for the masses to a product catering to a small niche market and then take into account the demographic for that niche market and whether or not they are willing and able to spend that kind of coin.

 

[Madpacket]

I didn't preorder an Occulus but I'm fine with the price given the tech included. The issue was Palmer set expectations incorrectly so everyone thought it would debut much cheaper.

I've personnally used a DK1 for a month or so a few years ago and knew this "will be very big" one day. Well that and with John Carmack leaving Bethesda to focus on this you knew something good was happening.

The biggest hurdle is the motion sickness, if they can fix that this will have mass market appeal. The price isn't the objective here.

I'm waiting for a head to head with the Vive before I make my mind up on which one to go with.

 

[Snafuh]

The biggest hurdle is the motion sickness, if they can fix that this will have mass market appeal. The price isn't the objective here.

Content creator have to take care of motion sickness. It's a big problem for "traditional" game concepts. A first person shooter like Battlefield will never work well in VR because you have to use a controller/mouse to rotate your body. This causes motion sickness. We have to adapt controls and gameplay to VR for a good experience.
Stationary games like flight/space/drive sims work almost perfectly out of the box.

 

[maddie]

I didn't preorder an Occulus but I'm fine with the price given the tech included. The issue was Palmer set expectations incorrectly so everyone thought it would debut much cheaper.

I've personnally used a DK1 for a month or so a few years ago and knew this "will be very big" one day. Well that and with John Carmack leaving Bethesda to focus on this you knew something good was happening.

The biggest hurdle is the motion sickness, if they can fix that this will have mass market appeal. The price isn't the objective here.

I'm waiting for a head to head with the Vive before I make my mind up on which one to go with.

If we're trying to have realistic expectations here, I think this will be a persistent problem for quite a fair % of the population even if the simulation is perfect.

In the real world, many of us have motion sickness tendencies. Why would we expect better in the VR world? It might be worse due to the eye/ear disconnect.

 

[Madpacket]

If we're trying to have realistic expectations here, I think this will be a persistent problem for quite a fair % of the population even if the simulation is perfect.

In the real world, many of us have motion sickness tendencies. Why would we expect better in the VR world? It might be worse due to the eye/ear disconnect.

True, there are many people who get motion sickness even on a regular monitor and existing gear, I'm concerned about us regular gamers who have no motion sickness issues with existing equipment. From the time I played with the DK1 until now they've made tremendous strides in reducing motion sickness but it's still an area of concern.

I can play 3D games all day without motion sickness provided I get at least a decent minimum framerate but with the DK1 I couldn't last more than 10 minutes before almost vomiting.

High resolution, high frame rates but more important a reduction of latency around orientation is key to reduce motion sickness. I haven't tried the DK2 but they supposedly improved it a bunch in these areas. Hopefully the final retail versions have this nailed (Vive or Occulus) but the Vive having the camera's may win me over.

As for price come on..

I've seen Syrian refugees with the latest iPhones. If this tech is good enough the current price will not matter whatsoever.

 

[Subyman]

You can't compare a product for the masses to a product catering to a small niche market and then take into account the demographic for that niche market and whether or not they are willing and able to spend that kind of coin.

The market is only niche now because of the marketing, content and price point, exactly the same as the other technologies I gave as examples during their infancy. They were never meant to be direct comparisons, however, just illustrative. VR is creating an entirely new market, much like VHS did. DVD/BR were iterative technologies in an established field.

 

[Dribble]

This is virtual reality here. This is supposed to be the big deal that everyone dreamed about. The first commercial unit? We're lucky the damn thing doesn't cost $10,000.00. We're lucky regular people don't have to wait 5 or 10 years before it becomes affordable. We're lucky that we aren't reading about what rich people think of their first experience with VR. No, instead we can have it ourselves. Why? Because $600.00 is stupid cheap for something like this, that's why.
They could have really worked this hard and charged the crap out of people for this thing, but they didn't. They want it to sell and catch on, so they offered a fair price. If it was $300 I would have no interest in it at all. Anything like this that cost $300 HAS to be a piece of cheap crap and I don't want it. Not now, not ever.

There were head mounted displays in the late 80's, I was using VR back in the mid 90's, it did cost $10k Don't know where you get the idea this is the "first commercial unit".

 

[at80eighty]

Palmer's doing another AMA at r/PCMR, maybe ask any questions you like

https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterra...palmer_luckey_founder_of_oculus_and_designer/

 

[Grubbernaught]

I think it is reasonable provided the display is a big enough leap from dk2. Resolution is my key complaint.

Well that and including an IR beer holder so I can track my drink in game.....to much spillage is my primary complaint.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Oh, I didn't get it. I think VR has a place and will stay. It's not perfect for gaming but it's nice to showcase products or even watch movies(alone).
Audi announced a VR showroom for their cars. Planning a house with a VR device will be great.

Wouldn't those be the exact usecases for AR?

 

[moonbogg]

There were head mounted displays in the late 80's, I was using VR back in the mid 90's, it did cost $10k Don't know where you get the idea this is the "first commercial unit".

I was too young to notice and didn't have 10 grand anyway, so I wouldn't remember it.

 

[Nashemon]

I have $300 headphones and find your comment highly offensive. Check my sig.

I didn't mean to insult anyone's headphones. Unless they are Beats. If so, please reevaluate your expenditures.

 

[xthetenth]

I didn't mean to insult anyone's headphones. Unless they are Beats. If so, please reevaluate your expenditures.

You didn't insult anyone's headphones. People paying $300 or more for bad headphones doesn't mean all $300+ headphones are bad.

 

[Subyman]

I was too young to notice and didn't have 10 grand anyway, so I wouldn't remember it.

IMO, the spirit of what you said is correct. Tesla is considered the first "modern" electric car manufacturer, but there were tons of them in the early 1900's.

 

[kami]

Here is VR in the simplest terms, for those who still think it's just a 3D display strapped to your head, or like a nintendo virtual boy or something: http://i.imgur.com/DwUPIIH.jpg

Later this year you should be able to see it demoed in some stores, or maybe you'll have a friend who gets one. I think everyone should try it before dismissing it. No doubt it's in early adopter territory right now, but if you ask me $600 for the first "real" VR headset is pretty darn good. Remember, they aren't making any money on the hardware. Their whole business plan is to make money with software and VR media content.

 

[mysticjbyrd]

Surely everyone has been to a 3d movie. Personally I find it to be a waste of money.

 

[steve wilson]

Content creator have to take care of motion sickness. It's a big problem for "traditional" game concepts. A first person shooter like Battlefield will never work well in VR because you have to use a controller/mouse to rotate your body. This causes motion sickness. We have to adapt controls and gameplay to VR for a good experience.
Stationary games like flight/space/drive sims work almost perfectly out of the box.

I think for FPS to work you will need to disconnect the cross hairs from the centre of the screen. So you look where ever, you want but your mouse/touch pointer is free floating. I think it can work well.

 

[Rakehellion]

At $600 they should call it the Oculus Grift.

Heyyyyyyyyy! :awe: