HTC Vive...let's try this VR stuff..

HTC Vive...let's try this VR stuff..

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Discussion

born2bslow

1,674 posts

135 months

Wednesday 18th October 2017
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Jackarmy100 said:
Thanks for that informative reply. I will try and find somewhere to try it out. Just looks like the future of gaming. Alien isolation even if in 2d on a huge screen should be interesting!
If you like Star Wars, Star Wars Battlefront 1 has an x-wing mission VR tech demo...they so need to release that as a full game. I giggled like a 6yr old all the way through it, childhood dreams fulfilled I flew a X-Wing fighter woohoo! Anything cockpit based will be ok. Star Trek Bridge Crew is good fun but a bit linear and you can learn how to navigate through the missions. As long as you can reach your lap you should be ok.

Avoid driving games for now, DriveClub was horrible in PSVR, the resolution was appalling to achieve stable FPS, could hardly see the road ahead.

Jackarmy100

513 posts

204 months

Wednesday 18th October 2017
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born2bslow said:
Jackarmy100 said:
Thanks for that informative reply. I will try and find somewhere to try it out. Just looks like the future of gaming. Alien isolation even if in 2d on a huge screen should be interesting!
If you like Star Wars, Star Wars Battlefront 1 has an x-wing mission VR tech demo...they so need to release that as a full game. I giggled like a 6yr old all the way through it, childhood dreams fulfilled I flew a X-Wing fighter woohoo! Anything cockpit based will be ok. Star Trek Bridge Crew is good fun but a bit linear and you can learn how to navigate through the missions. As long as you can reach your lap you should be ok.

Avoid driving games for now, DriveClub was horrible in PSVR, the resolution was appalling to achieve stable FPS, could hardly see the road ahead.
Love Star Wars, so that's on the list. As you say, growing up pretending to be an x wing pilot, it must be amazing to finally think your doing it!

SturdyHSV

10,101 posts

168 months

Thursday 19th October 2017
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I'd definitely recommend trying one out first. The massive screen is nice and all but you're just making the resolution of the game you're looking at even lower, so I'm not sure how well it would work as a replacement for a big TV.

Actual VR games though, you will be blown away. It's very much a 'Matrix' thing, you can't be told about it, you genuinely have to see it for yourself.

Cockpit style games are very well suited to VR, especially if you have appropriate peripherals (wheel / joystick etc.) but for driving games resolution is important so that you can actually make out track detail in the distance. With that in mind, I'm not convinced I'd be able to deal with the PSVR, I found the Oculus DK2 screen door effect too distracting, whereas the CV1 has been a pleasant surprise, it's great.

Guvernator

13,164 posts

166 months

Thursday 19th October 2017
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I have a PSVR, while it isn't quite up to Vive\Rift specs it's more than good enough. Sure you get a bit of screen door but once you are in a game, playing, that really doesn't matter too much at all as you are so immersed, you soon forget.

The problem with the PSVR isn't the hardware specs as such, the problem is that it has no real killer apps. It has maybe half a dozen decent-ish titles and then a whole load of dross, some of it really overpriced £60 for a VR experience that might last 3-4 hours at best is poor value IMO. Add in the fact that it is a real faff to setup, you have about 8 different cables to plug in to various bits and with no truly great games to give me incentive, it's ended up gathering dust in my cupboard for the last 6 months.

Shame as the initial experience of VR really blew me away, it really is the future of gaming, unfortunately Sony haven't been able to keep the momentum going to keep bringing me back.

PS Using it with none VR games isn't ideal because you still have to go through the faff of setting it all up plus the actual cinema screen experience isn't that great as the res is too low. Difficult to explain but it's not just slip on the headset and it's a big screen version of the game, it's like you are sitting in a badly drawn dark room sat about 2 feet from a low res cinema screen and it's really not a replacement for a decent TV in it's current guise.

Jackarmy100

513 posts

204 months

Thursday 19th October 2017
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Hmmmm interesting hearing real world opinions. I'll try and get over to game or currys to try it out. Seems it might not be quite what I hoped!

snuffy

9,802 posts

285 months

Thursday 19th October 2017
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Matt1977 said:
That's why so many of us are torn. On the one hand it's amazing. Your jaw will hit the floor, but the downsides are hard to ignore.
I think you're hit the nail on the head there. I'm the same. I was amazed by the GearVR I bought, but after a few days I lost interest.

But now I'm more tempted by Microsoft MR. It seems to have much more gong for it. No sensors to set up. Only a single wire. No Facebook involvement (Rift). Native W10 support.



130R

6,810 posts

207 months

Friday 20th October 2017
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snuffy said:
But now I'm more tempted by Microsoft MR. It seems to have much more gong for it. No sensors to set up. Only a single wire. No Facebook involvement (Rift). Native W10 support.
No sensors has potentially serious disadvantages too though, I'm not sure how well tracking works when you are not directly looking at something. Upcoming SteamVR support should mean a decent number of games though.

Guvernator

13,164 posts

166 months

Friday 20th October 2017
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Don't get me wrong, that first time you put it on is like nothing else in gaming you will ever try, the immersion is just unreal and for the first few weeks I was hooked. It's just that a combination of lack of software, a faff to setup and ludicrous game prices "because it's VR" have somewhat curbed my enthusiasm.

I think I'll wait another year or so to dip my toe in again, hopefully by then the ergonomics and faffing will be sorted with wireless headsets and there will be more decent games although I suspect you will always pay a premium for VR games, at least for the foreseeable future.

anonymous-user

55 months

Sunday 22nd October 2017
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I got a rift a few months back and haven't played a 2d game since.

Luckily it came with Robo Recall which is brilliant. I also use it for my main flightsim IL2 Battle of Stalingrad.

Plan on getting Lone Echo and Arizona Sunshine in due course. Resolution might be an issue for some but you get used to it...or not .I never did quite make a 4K monitor so may have helped but its the immersion that is the game changer for me .

Bullett

10,889 posts

185 months

Sunday 22nd October 2017
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PSVR is not in my opinion a replacement for a big screen, resolution issues/SDE for one but even though the Sony HMD is pretty comfortable you wouldn't want to use it for long sessions in that mode. The VR wow is real but you need a killer app which for me are racing games/sims. I don't know what any of the PS racing games are like (I understand GT:Sport supports it) as I sold mine on before xmas last year. Not because it was a bad piece of kit but because I already had a Vive and OR DK2.

I agree with Guv that it still needs killer apps across the board and that set up can be a faff and put you off a bit as its not totally plug and play although mine is set up in a room with plenty of space.

I'm totally sold on VR but you need to be aware of the limitations. I've had all the leading HMD's at some point and have committed to the PiMax.

BGARK

5,494 posts

247 months

Tuesday 31st October 2017
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Ok this arrived a couple of days ago, and I am disappointed to say the least. I will be returning back.

Firstly the resolution is ok but not great, and I cannot get the focus right, trying to read any text unless dead centre to the screen/lense is impossible and makes my eyes hurt.

I think I will wait for something like this to be released before taking an interest again:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pimax8kvr/pim... Pimax: The World's First 8K VR Headset

snuffy

9,802 posts

285 months

Wednesday 1st November 2017
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BGARK said:
Ok this arrived a couple of days ago, and I am disappointed to say the least. I will be returning back.

Firstly the resolution is ok but not great, and I cannot get the focus right, trying to read any text unless dead centre to the screen/lense is impossible and makes my eyes hurt.
Interesting. I liked the look of the MS headset as opposed to the Rift/Vive option.

But I still can't bring myself to buy one. I think I might instead get a 4K monitor.

And this was on the BBC yesterday : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41817469

I do wonder if VR is heading the same why as 3D-TV ?

FourWheelDrift

88,557 posts

285 months

Saturday 4th November 2017
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For those of you playing games needing lots of keyboard commands that you don't have enough buttons on you controllers to use and you don't want to look like a loony shouting voice commands, help might be at hand.

"Logitech is making a virtual reality accessory kit that lets you see its keyboards inside VR, called Logitech Bridge. The Bridge system works with HTC’s Vive VR headset, using a Vive tracking disk, a Logitech G gaming keyboard, and an accessory that connects the two. Once you’ve hooked the tracker to the keyboard, Logitech software positions a 3D virtual keyboard model precisely over the real one."

https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/3/16602674/logite...

red_slr

17,270 posts

190 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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Linus Tech Tips have had a play with dual 4k HMD designed to be plug and play for HTC vive users.

You retain your controllers, light houses etc and just plug and play with the HMD.

3840x2160 per eye. FOV way larger than Vive or Rift.
Possible to add extra options later such as cooling fans.

$499!

Pretty crazy if they pull it off, the preprod unit is a bit heath robinson but I can see it being a good upgrade if it really does happen. .

Bullett

10,889 posts

185 months

Friday 10th November 2017
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Pimax?

I backed the Kickstarter. That was the KS price, it will be more in real life.

red_slr

17,270 posts

190 months

Friday 10th November 2017
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Yes its due out in 4 months apparently but Linus suggests no way needs another few iterations before its ready.
Will be very interested if its PNP with vive hardware. Hopefully will push others on to upgrade their HMDs.
Only down side is you will need a serious machine to run it.

Bullett

10,889 posts

185 months

Thursday 30th November 2017
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fyi - Doom VFR, out tomorrow and £12 on Tesco Direct or Amazon
it's £10 on Amazon if you have prime!

Bargain.

snuffy

9,802 posts

285 months

Thursday 30th November 2017
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Bullett said:
fyi - Doom VFR, out tomorrow and £12 on Tesco Direct or Amazon
it's £10 on Amazon if you have prime!

Bargain.
Steam says you need a minimum of a GTX 1070, and recommends a GTX 1080.

In round figures that's a £400 to £600 GPU.

If that's really what you need I think I've spotted the flaw with VR.

red_slr

17,270 posts

190 months

Thursday 30th November 2017
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VR ideally needs a 1070 or above to run 90fps per eye.
However I run a 970 and not had any fps issues so far.

snuffy

9,802 posts

285 months

Thursday 30th November 2017
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red_slr said:
VR ideally needs a 1070 or above to run 90fps per eye.
However I run a 970 and not had any fps issues so far.
I have a 970 and I bought it at the time (about a year ago) because that was the advertised required spec (or better of course). But it may just be Steam being a bit over the top for the minimum GPU. But if they start doing that it will put people off I reckon.