Oculus Rift

[Anteaus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T37NNTxWqSY&list=UU4_bwov47DseacR1-ttTdOg
Ok so I've been watching Boogie2988 play with an Oculus Rift. Am I the only one that has absolutely zero interest in this device? I don't want one for the same reason I refuse to pay extra to see films in 3D. Once you get past the first 15 minutes of cool factor, it becomes gimmicky.

I guess I should wait and see before passing judgment, but if people are going to use it for anything other than FPS or driving games with a controller, how are we supposed to see our keyboard?

What are everyone's thoughts? Does anyone think this will actually become a solid gaming device or are you more like me which see it as an expensive, limited use device?

 

[Red Storm]

It's a solid gaming device that will eventually change entertainment as we know it.

You're comparing it to 3D glasses, which makes it a bit difficult to take you seriously.

 

[Anteaus]

It's a solid gaming device that will eventually change entertainment as we know it.

You're comparing it to 3D glasses, which makes it a bit difficult to take you seriously.

You don't have to take me seriously. I'm just sharing what this thing represents to me. I've used professional level VR for the work I do. We have an expensive facility here that we use for visualization. Initially it was cool, but eventually I just got tired of wearing the gear and resorted to my workstation.

I just can't see someone wearing that thing for casual gaming. Between the weight and inability for the person to interact with their surrounds (food/drink/television, etc), once the cool factor wears off I can see it collecting dust most of the time.

 

[cmdrdredd]

It'll be niche that's for sure. Some of the things Sony was talking about doing with their VR headset on the PS4 Project Morpheus sound much more impressive than gaming. They actually have movie studios interested in putting interactive trailers out where you wear the VR headset and you are literally inside the movie scene as one of the characters able to look around 360 degrees. Also virtual tours for museums and hotels. Imagine being able to move around a hotel room in 3D space before you book it, or taking a tour of The Louvre without leaving your couch. You may never be able to see it for real, but the right combination of technology can bring it to you.

Stuff like that are much more impressive to me than looking around in games where I still have to move a mouse or analog stick to control my aim. If they can put out things like this, I'll be sold.

 

[Unoid]

Read platos allegory of the cave......

 

[Pr0d1gy]

device that will eventually change entertainment as we know it.

You sound like that uberdork developer from Grandma's Boy...lol

Any chance you work for Facebook or Oculus? Just for research purposes, I was wondering.

My name is J.P. I am a robot. I have a robot vagina.

 

[Paul98]

This is nothing like a 3d movie, it is virtual reality. It makes you think you are actually in the 3d world.

For a FPS to work well with it you are going to have to have it work different than how they currently do. You won't be looking around with your mouse, you will have to use your head to look around. Maybe you will have the mouse move where your gun is aiming while your screen doesn't move.

I am really looking forward to see this bring fantasy type games to life in something that we have never been able to experienced before.

It will also be used for much more than just gaming.

 

[cmdrdredd]

This is nothing like a 3d movie, it is virtual reality. It makes you think you are actually in the 3d world.

For a FPS to work well with it you are going to have to have it work different than how they currently do. You won't be looking around with your mouse, you will have to use your head to look around. Maybe you will have the mouse move where your gun is aiming while your screen doesn't move.

I am really looking forward to see this bring fantasy type games to life in something that we have never been able to experienced before.

It will also be used for much more than just gaming.

That's how they demoed it. You can mouse your aim independent from your camera. It seems a little sloppy though IMO, like at times you overshoot your target or move your head slightly and lose your tracking. I dunno how that can be corrected, even if it can.

 

[Red Storm]

It'll be niche that's for sure. Some of the things Sony was talking about doing with their VR headset on the PS4 Project Morpheus sound much more impressive than gaming. They actually have movie studios interested in putting interactive trailers out where you wear the VR headset and you are literally inside the movie scene as one of the characters able to look around 360 degrees. Also virtual tours for museums and hotels. Imagine being able to move around a hotel room in 3D space before you book it, or taking a tour of The Louvre without leaving your couch. You may never be able to see it for real, but the right combination of technology can bring it to you.

Stuff like that are much more impressive to me than looking around in games where I still have to move a mouse or analog stick to control my aim. If they can put out things like this, I'll be sold.

Oculus will do those as well. Movies I don't actually think will work well. Being able to look all around means you'll more than likely miss things that you are supposed to see, and for that reason I just don't see it working with movies. I'm sure the Rift (and good VR in general) will be awesome for gaming, but I personally am much more excited about the non-gaming possibilities of VR. It'll be awesome for education as well. Instead of watching some 1990 VCR quality movie about dinosaurs, you can put on the Rift and be standing right next to a T-Rex. Or experience a deep sea dive, or a walk on Mars. It's very cool to think about what can be done. People who think it's just a gaming accessory really aren't seeing the bigger picture, it's about so much more than gaming.

You sound like that uberdork developer from Grandma's Boy...lol

Any chance you work for Facebook or Oculus? Just for research purposes, I was wondering.

I dunno who that is. I'm just happy to see VR on the cusp of release. And no I don't work for either company or own shares. Odd that you that's the only reason why anyone would be excited about the tech.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

When will we have virtual desktops and virtual Facebook pages? I mean, you walk around your desktop as if you were in a room or entering rooms, same thing for Facebook pages. Maybe your desktop and your Facebook can be the same thing!

 

[Paul98]

That's how they demoed it. You can mouse your aim independent from your camera. It seems a little sloppy though IMO, like at times you overshoot your target or move your head slightly and lose your tracking. I dunno how that can be corrected, even if it can.

There are multiple ways that could be corrected. Its going to take testing to see what works best. But you could have it so the mouse did the aiming and head didn't move the weapon. Or have auto aim to.help keep on target. Could have a click to lock aim to center of screen or so it isn't attached to where you look. Or could be it just will take skill and time to get good. We will have to wait and see

 

[cmdrdredd]

Oculus will do those as well. Movies I don't actually think will work well. Being able to look all around means you'll more than likely miss things that you are supposed to see, and for that reason I just don't see it working with movies.

Not the whole movie, just a trailer. Like if they give you a trailer for Godzilla where people are running like crazy through the city and buildings are falling, you can be one of those people and look around to see the buildings fall around you, the Kaiju fighting in the distance, the panic on people's faces. There's nothing to miss because the whole point is to see the panic and destruction. It would likely be in addition to the official trailer(s).

 

[cmdrdredd]

There are multiple ways that could be corrected. Its going to take testing to see what works best. But you could have it so the mouse did the aiming and head didn't move the weapon. Or have auto aim to.help keep on target. Could have a click to lock aim to center of screen or so it isn't attached to where you look. Or could be it just will take skill and time to get good. We will have to wait and see

You should look up the videos where they demoed it in Team Fortress. You had multiple ways to use it. It could semi lock your aim and where you looked it moved your aim, but you could refine it with your mouse. You move your head and it would bounce the crosshair around a bit because it follows your camera. The other was you can turn any direction and then have to try to catch up with the mouse and often times you will overshoot or miss your opportunity because your mouse was not attached to the camera and you saw the target without having your crosshair in that direction. Neither way seemed like it worked as well as simply flicking your mouse over and hitting your target.

 

[Paul98]

You should look up the videos where they demoed it in Team Fortress. You had multiple ways to use it. It could semi lock your aim and where you looked it moved your aim, but you could refine it with your mouse. You move your head and it would bounce the crosshair around a bit because it follows your camera. The other was you can turn any direction and then have to try to catch up with the mouse and often times you will overshoot or miss your opportunity because your mouse was not attached to the camera and you saw the target without having your crosshair in that direction. Neither way seemed like it worked as well as simply flicking your mouse over and hitting your target.

You will never get it to work as well as that, that isn't the point. You will be looking for something that feels real rather than twitch fire.

 

[cmdrdredd]

You will never get it to work as well as that, that isn't the point. You will be looking for something that feels real rather than twitch fire.

What the hell good is that in a game who's entire point is to shoot someone first? They keep showing this in fps games when fps games will get the least benefit. I don't get that.

 

[Zenoth]

All I want is a proper Holodeck, that's it.

Until that happens Oculus Rift is about as good and interesting as the Virtual Boy, expect that you can look everywhere. Nah, seriously though, not interested until virtual reality doesn't need a physical device attached to my head to be a thing.

With this said, however, Oculus Rift is needed, worthy virtual reality needs a start. It's a step, a "trial", the evolution process will eventually reach real virtual reality (yeah I know how that sounds). I have high expectations though and I watch too much sci-fi maybe, and I'll probably die before I see anything remotely similar to the Holodeck. But one day someone said that mankind would be able to fly (it's figurative, don't get to me with "oh but evolution has yet to give us wings!") and people hearing that thought that the poor man was crazy, also remember when they used "communicators" in Star Trek? Yeah, we have those now (they're called cell phones today, them fancy names).

So, yeah, Holodeck, one day guys, one day, mark my words (but only mark them when it does happen though, for now this is irrelevant).

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I understand the point. I'm sure it will be a cool way to see a game world but it shuts you off from your surrounding and that is odd if you live with anyone else. Its like surround sound gaming, I like the idea but reality is wires & speakers all over the damn place plus gaming volume that's obnoxious to anyone in the area.

 

[xantub]

I don't think it'll work well for FPS games (specifically online FPS gaming). Problem is, I doubt it'll work better than KB+M as far as efficiency. Sure it'll be 1000 times more immersive and it'll feel awesome, but when actual kill count suffers because of it, the rest won't matter.

I think it'll work much better for other types of games:
- Flight/Space simulators like Star Citizen.
- First person (maybe 3rd person too?) RPGs like Skyrim and Risen.
- FPS in single player like The Last of Us.
- Adventure games... Remember Myst? Well, imagine Myst with Oculus Rift.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Plus this:

 

[QuantumPion]

I've had the DK2 for a couple weeks now. My experience so far is that it makes monitor gaming completely obsolete - for flight sims. It works perfectly, and for space sims causes no discomfort at all since there are no visual cues of acceleration. I play Eliteangerous for hours and it's great. I cannot play that game on a standard monitor at all after experiencing it in VR - it feels like wearing blinders. Not just for the utility of being able to look all around, but for depth perception VR aspects as well.

Shooters, and any other first person game where you walk around, are another matter. So far I can only play such games for a few minutes at a time before getting queasy. The main issue is turning/rotating. So while they look amazing, I don't think VR will ever replace a monitor for those.

As for movies, VR simulates having a large screen in front of you, but at low resolution with current technology. I already have a big screen at home so I don't find it particular useful for standard movies. For 3d movies, the 3d effect works better than 3d glasses but again the resolution holds it back for serious use. Surround/VR movies I think may have an interesting future although I don't have any to try out yet.

 

[Canbacon]

I've had the DK2 for a couple weeks now. My experience so far is that it makes monitor gaming completely obsolete - for flight sims. It works perfectly, and for space sims causes no discomfort at all since there are no visual cues of acceleration. I play Eliteangerous for hours and it's great. I cannot play that game on a standard monitor at all after experiencing it in VR - it feels like wearing blinders. Not just for the utility of being able to look all around, but for depth perception VR aspects as well.

Shooters, and any other first person game where you walk around, are another matter. So far I can only play such games for a few minutes at a time before getting queasy. The main issue is turning/rotating. So while they look amazing, I don't think VR will ever replace a monitor for those.

As for movies, VR simulates having a large screen in front of you, but at low resolution with current technology. I already have a big screen at home so I don't find it particular useful for standard movies. For 3d movies, the 3d effect works better than 3d glasses but again the resolution holds it back for serious use. Surround/VR movies I think may have an interesting future although I don't have any to try out yet.

This sums it up for me too.

Resolution will be a hard big hurdle past 1080p with current main stream user specs. I doubt we will get a consumer version with 1440p or 4k with the low persistence and low latency any time soon. Let alone the hardware requirements to get the framerate to a constant 60+ at that res for a good experience. For me, if they can get the screen door effect a bit more out of the way and bump the refresh of the panel to 120hz, it would be in my mind consumer ready on the hardware side.

Right now the software side is letting the Oculus down. The SDK is super buggy and reminds me of mid 90's gaming where each game needs to be configured step by step.

 

[SLU Aequitas]

I bought mine pretty much solely for Elite & Star Citizen (+ any other flight/race sims). I may end up buying the new ROG panel to replace my current 27" for FPS...I'm having a really hard time thinking about using a rift in a competitive FPS (pretty sure I'd puke).

 

[Sattern]

I don't think I could imagine myself wearing one of those things while gaming, if someone walked into my room they would probably think I am really weird.

 

[Red Storm]

I don't think I could imagine myself wearing one of those things while gaming, if someone walked into my room they would probably think I am really weird.

When people see you (and me) gaming on our computers, they already think we're weird.

I have Google Cardboard. I let my family try it out (aside from my brother, none of them play any video games or even mobile games), and they thought it was really neat, and they asked when the Rift comes out. Sure you might look funny moving your head around, and there was some laughing seeing them swing their head around, but who cares? Do you often have people sitting there watching you while you play video games?

 

[Squeetard]

How will these work if you wear reading glasses?