Virtual reality is here......almost

[stephenb]

Anyone else order CV1 of the rift or am I going to be pioneering the waters for good folk of the GTX? Delivery currently estimated to be sometime in April. To amuse myself in the mean time I've been having a good laugh at all the people acting as though a) Oculus killed their first born and b) that the HTC Vive is going to be their saviour (cheaper) :lol:

[Yw-slayer]

I've ordered, but I'll only have it in June.

As for those guys, yeah. :lol: HTC haven't exactly been on top form recently. It does make more sense to wait, but then again, it almost always does.

[Jason]

What's all the noise about the Oculus? I don't understand?

[Yw-slayer]

The co had said they'd wanted or estimated a price of $350. Actual price ended up being $600. People got butthurt.

[Jason]

Ah... I don't know how to gauge the price on something like that, but it doesn't seem ridiculous to me.. I assume it's two high quality screens a bunch of computer hardware, and limited production all in one making the price that high?

[Yw-slayer]

Probably the first few things you mentioned, not sure about the last. IDGAF what those guys think, this is meant to be leading edge technology and a lot of work has come into it. They might say they scrimped and saved to get a high end PC that can run it and it's "unfair" that it doesn't now fit onto their budget, but in that case they should probably take up another hobby, or wait.

[stephenb]

YW :cool: Perhaps we can catch a film together when you get yours? Quite looking forward to see what other uses and experiences this can be put to use on.

[Yw-slayer]

Oh, you can do that? I suppose it's possible, although the time difference may cause some issues. Still, I'm sure we can manage that.

For the record, I agree with:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/oculus-rift-price

http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/07/the-oculus-rift-made-you-forget-what-the-first-iphone-cost/

Most of those whiners are probably fucking entitled loudmouth losers with no life. Put up or shut up, mofos.

[Kchrpm]

Part of the "problem" was that at least one the development kits was $350, furthering the notion that the final product could/would hit that price. The guy had actually said in an interview previously (I assume near the beginning of development) that $600 specifically was too much for consumers, so when it came out at $600, there was backlash. He apologized and admitted they should have done a better job preparing people for it.

http://www.geek.com/games/palmer-luckey-admits-he-poorly-handled-messaging-of-oculus-rifts-price-1644060/

Edit: Found interview from 2013 with $600 quote - http://allthingsd.com/20130606/oculus-co-founders-luckey-and-mitchell-on-the-rifts-progress-price-and-limitations-qa-part-one/


Luckey: I’m one of the few people where it’s different. I would spend whatever it was. Gamers are not known to be the most affluent population of people. If something’s even $600, it doesn’t matter how good it is, how great of an experience it is — if they just can’t afford it, then it really might as well not exist. We’re going for the mainstream, but time will tell what the market is.

[Yw-slayer]

Don't care. New shit is expensive. If gaming in VR is THAT important to them then they'll find a way to make it work. If they can't, then maybe they should re-evaluate their priorities in life.

[Kchrpm]

#1percent #getonmylevel #YOLO

For serious, though, gaming in VR *isn't* that important to them. That's the point. For Luckey, it is, so he has bought several expensive and wonky solutions. He claimed to be making a good cheap one that the average gamer could/would get, not just ones for people who are obsessed with VR like he is. Hence the price goal/claims.

[Reynard]

If either of you two wear prescription lenses, be it glasses or contacts, then I'm very interested in hearing what your experience is like with it.

[Yw-slayer]

It's a good, relatively affordable kit. It's not cheap. I consider usd600 to be the upper edge of mainstream. Really, a fucking iPhone costs around the same amount and this is The Next Big Thing. I'd rather it be higher end and properly done than half-arsed and put people off, like the old VR solutions.

I'm sure Stephenb wears glasses, and being AzN, of course I do, too! Will let you guys know.

[Jason]

I guess the question is.. what is the average gamer?

To me, a gamer is someone who buys all the systems, has a PC gaming rig, buys a game every week, etc etc. So to me, they spend a boat load of money already and $600 doesn't seem crazy to get another cool experience.

A good TV or even a really good monitor will get you close to that $600 price. And this is supposedly a display tech on another level from either of those.

But then it also comes down to profit... were they looking to make much of a profit off of the dev kits? Or were they looking to just get them out there so developers can get on board? I'd think it'd be more the latter, and it was probably priced in a way so they weren't actively losing money. The final kit though, high profit margins, especially to start, to make up more R&D costs, to further invest in the company, to provide support for the general public, and well, to make some money for themselves.

I don't know... maybe I'm out of touch. I mean, I'm interested, and I'd love to see it be cheaper... but I'm also not offended by the price.

[stephenb]

/snip/
I'm sure Stephenb wears glasses, and being AzN, of course I do, too! Will let you guys know.
Good memory :) I'll be testing it with and without them. With the focal point being into the distance I'm curious if this will make any difference to a regular monitor where you are focusing close up.

[Yw-slayer]

Well, I do also have the benefit of those photos of us in that pub in Brighton with the artwork and mirrors. ;)

[stephenb]

:lol:

[MR2 Fan]

A bit late, but I finally ordered the Galaxy Gear VR for the Note 4 that I was going to buy 6 months ago :p

I know it's outdated now with the newer versions but I don't like the newer Samsung phones.

I'll post my thoughts once it arrives next week.

[Kchrpm]

Oh, uh, I have Cardboard and have watched a couple videos with it. Pretty cool. I haven't looked to see if there are games or anything for it, just been checking YouTube basically.

[MR2 Fan]

Ok, brief overview of my Gear VR after a couple of hours of playing around with it.

First, overall it's pretty cool. I've watched several videos and viewed 360 still photos and also tried the Oculus Cinema mode which makes you feel like you're in a big movie theater all by yourself, or in a home theater, or on the moon....or the size of an ant.

It's also nice that I can use it to view all of the 360 youtube videos that people are posting now.

I haven't tried many games yet, partially as I don't have a wireless game controller that a lot of them require.

I will say that you do get the "Screen door" effect on it, since you're zooming in so close to see the RGB "pixels(?)" on the phone.

Also, I did get nauseous after the first 20 mins but after that I tried for an hour with no issues, I'm sure it depends on the application.

There's one included 360 video where you're in a musician's loft/studio while he's playing and it's quite surreal.

Overall I like it so far, though more of a "that's cool" gadget than something I'd use all the time. If these VR experiences eventually become the size of regular glasses, I think we'll see more adoption....but you still need a free place not to crash into anything when using them also.

[LHutton]

Some stuff on VR at 1:21.00


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTVeZlwn9W8

[Kchrpm]

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition has some VR videos this year, but my phone is not supported :(

[Yw-slayer]

Buy a new phone to complain about vr sharpnknees, duh

[Yw-slayer]

HTC Vive costs more than the Rift. :lol:

[Kchrpm]

The Vive is a more complex setup that includes a system for "scanning" your room with base stations and tracking your movement, so you can walk around and it scales the experience and/or warns you about getting to extremities. It also has dedicated controllers. The people that have used it have generally said it's better than the Rift and similar stationary experiences (which it can also do).

[Yw-slayer]

It is more of a reference to the fact that butthurt interwebz people thought the Vive would be their saviour since the Rift would be so expensive.

I also doubt it'll work as well in North Asia, where people usually live in small apartments.

[Kchrpm]

It is more of a reference to the fact that butthurt interwebz people thought the Vive would be their saviour since the Rift would be so expensive.
Ah, I hadn't seen that out there. Yeah, no.


I also doubt it'll work as well in North Asia, where people usually live in small apartments.
It also has a setup where you can just stay in place, standing or seated, and use the controllers (which are reportedly very good). But yeah, without the space to experience spacial stuff, the extra cost is worth less.

[Yw-slayer]

No, sure. Don't get me wrong. I hope it does as well as the Rift (or maybe even slightly better). I want VR to succeed, and more importantly, I actually want HTC to live. But I'm just LOLing at the foolz, as stephenb did at the start of this thread.

[LHutton]

Omnidirectional Treadmill

http://www.virtualrealitytimes.com/2015/04/09/list-of-omnidirectional-treadmills-under-development/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBpFx-ixBiM

[21Kid]

Eight Of The Best Oculus Rift Games I've Played (http://kotaku.com/eight-of-the-best-oculus-rift-games-ive-played-1765265437)

:|

Are there no more than 8? Those are some pretty bad looking games. I'd probably only try 3-4 of those. And I don't know if I'd buy more than 2 of them.

[Yw-slayer]

I think 4 of those look immediately attractive. I'm buying it mainly for EVE, but The Climb certainly looks worth it.

[Rare White Ape]

Apparently the pre-order rates for Gran Turismo Sport went up by over 500% on Amazon after the big PlayStation VR announcement yesterday. Not many PSVR compatible games interest me though. War Thunder is one of them, as-is Project Cars and GT Sport. I spied SW Battlefront III VR Experience (whatever that is… :/) in the games list as well.

Of the games I mentioned, the only one I don't already own is GT Sport.

But am I really that interested in a peripheral set that costs more than an entire PS4 console and has limited use? And makes you look like a giant dork? Time will tell.

[Yw-slayer]

Dork, well, anyone playing video/computer games looks dorky anyway. Save maybe for Rock Band. Wait, no. I guess that's arguable.

The other arguments against buying it are better. I'll have a Rift anyway #pcmasterrace :hard:

[stephenb]

Rift teardown :up:

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Oculus+Rift+CV1+Teardown/60612

[stephenb]

My Rift arrived yesterday. First impressions were very positive before I ran into a problem updating the sensor firmware after an update to the Oculus app. Didn't have any problem wearing it with my glasses (which are within the size guidelines issued by Oculus) :up: The first few experiences you get once the setup has completed will probably stay with me for quite some time.

[21Kid]

Nice. :D I hadn't thought about using it with glasses. Do you lose any detail on your peripheral vision? I'm not sure how wide the field of view is with the Rift.

[Yw-slayer]

My Rift arrived yesterday. First impressions were very positive before I ran into a problem updating the sensor firmware after an update to the Oculus app. Didn't have any problem wearing it with my glasses (which are within the size guidelines issued by Oculus) :up: The first few experiences you get once the setup has completed will probably stay with me for quite some time.

So, you jacked it a few times?

[stephenb]

^^^Not sure I understand what you're getting at YW but that T-Rex is pretty scary!

In other news, this VR thing is truly remarkable. I've spent the last 4-5 hours in Project CARS and Assetto Corsa. The biggest grin on my face the whole time :D Videos will never even come close to doing this justice. You have to try one for yourself.

[Yw-slayer]

Stephen: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2014/03/26

Still waiting, mine should be here in a few weeks.

[stephenb]

Ah, OK. They seem to be delivering a week or two ahead of schedule at the moment so shouldn't be long for you to wait.

[novicius]

Sounds fantastic! :D :up:

[stephenb]

For a bit of fun I recorded my brothers first time in the rift. First up Oculus Dreamdeck followed by a spot of Project CARS - watch the volume at the start of the second one.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcR5TU7cxrk


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_ja0DGinRk

[Yw-slayer]

So the MFs at Oculus cancelled my order without explanation, but a bit of searching shows that they probably thought I was trying to circumvent launch region restrictions (which is entirely correct as I was shipping it to a forwarder in the US).

Then again, no big loss as I haven't even finished DOOM E1M2.

[Rare White Ape]

I bought a PSVR :D

GT Sport is phenomenal. I’m dying to try a ‘real’ sim in VR now, with more than one car on the track. For now, solo hotlapping is just fine. GT’s VR showroom is fantastic; 1:1 scale racing cars in your living room!

Wipeout Omega Cillection in VR is just insane. They really pull no punches here - no limits to the detail or how many vehicles are on track like in GT; the full game is here and available in VR. You can limit your FOV and restrict other sickness-inducing settings if you want to, but all these comfort measures are buried in an options menu. The default setup is pretty much how they intend it to be played and it’s the craziest. Even the menus are a firehose to the senses. It’s easily a must-have VR game.

I’ve also had a go at a few demos (Last Guardian is awesome) and mini games, but by far the coolest is the Star Wars Battlefront X-Wing VR Mission. 12 year old me is just endlessly creaming himself until he shrivels up like a sultana when he hops in the cockpit and goes shooting TIE Fighters that are suddenly as big as houses.

In the not too distant future I’ll be picking up Rez Infinite, Dirt Rally VR, Tetris Effect and, erm, Drunkn Bar Fight on the PlayStation Store.

[Tom Servo]

If you can, spend some time with GT Sport getting acclimated. Dirt Rally VR was one of the first things I fired up on my Rift and I nearly vomited after about 15 seconds of it. I'm fine with it now, but that was a rough intro.

[balki]

Does it work for old people? If I hold my phone's screen a few inches away from my eyes it's all a blur

[Rare White Ape]

Yeah Swervo, I’m taking baby steps at the moment. There’s been one or two times where I stopped *just* in case! I’m waiting for Dirt Rally to go on sale again so there’s plenty of time.

Edit: I just checked the PlayStation Store and Dirt Rally and it’s VR add-on went on sale TODAY… ho-hoo, ha-haaa! *nervous laughter*

I did about 6 laps of off-roading in GT, flying over jumps and performing lurid Scandinavian flicks, and it seemed fine. Negotiating tight corners while looking thru the driver’s side window is great fun! And hot damn, you can be so much more accurate. It’s incredible how much it improves your driving.

[Rare White Ape]

Does it work for old people? If I hold my phone's screen a few inches away from my eyes it's all a blur

These headsets have lenses in them that make the screen appear as though it’s a few feet away from you, so don’t worry. They’re compatible with glasses, too.

PSVR will look blurry, but that’s because it’s a single 1080p screen shared across two eyeballs, and you’re only directly seeing about 50% of that (the rest is filling your peripheral) so all images are massively scaled down.

Blur might be intrinsic to VR devices for now, but it has nothing to do with ‘old people’ vision or how far it is from your face.

[dodint]

Picked up a PSVR for the meet last week. Tried it out and formed the opinion that although interesting, the resolution is just too low for any kind of meaningful immersion. The best way I can describe it is that it looks like watching a 4k TV through the viewfinder of an old digital camera. Scan line city when you try to look at objects on the horizon. I didn't share this opinion with Phil and asked him for his evaluation and he said the same thing, so I don't think it's me seeing something that isn't there.

The idea is cool but it isn't here yet, it feels a lot like a beta product. Going to sell off or return the headset while I can.

[Alan P]

The low resolution is often compared to looking through an old screen door. SDE, Screen door effect. I can't say I thought the Oculus Rift CV was bad for it. I think I noticed it when I first put the headset on but quickly managed to see beyond it.

Obviously the PS4 has lower graphical capabilities compared to a gaming PC and this shows in the resolution of each headset:
Display Resolution:
PSVR: 960 x 1080 per eye (single 1920x1080 screen)
Oculus Rift: 1080 x 1200 per eye (two screens, combined 2160 x 1200)
HTC Vive: 1080 x 1200 per eye (two screens, combined 2160 x 1200)

[Kchrpm]

The issues I have with current virtual reality headsets are that they lack peripheral vision, and can't simulate the ability for you to change your focus point.

Having experienced an HTC Vive on a powerful computer, the resolution was less of an issue than Nate's experience.

[mk]

Those old classical blurred 3D pictures.

I can watch easily around them and they are small and my screen is low res.

[Rare White Ape]

Super Bunnyhop just put out a good video on ghetto-rigging a PSVR to work on a PC.

I feel his pain in using Trinus, as I’ve given up trying. The rest seems like “fun”, if not solid entertainment for the rest of us.


https://youtu.be/pwgYgid6T6Q

[dodint]

Swerv, or anyone smarter than me with VR (everyone).

Would you consider a used Oculus Rift CV1 w/Xbox controller and no touch controls for $200 shipped a deal worth taking? It would be almost exclusively for iRacing.

My system:
460W PSU
i7-7700 Processor (4-Cores, 8MB Cache, Turbo Boost 2.0, up to 4.2GHz)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5X
16GB DDDR4
256GB SSD


Will this run iRacing substantially better than PSVR runs GT:S?
Do I even need the touch controls if I'm using a G27 anyway?

[Tom Servo]

That's *almost* exactly what I've got right now, the only real difference is the PSU. I can't really compare with GT:S on PSVR as I've not had the opportunity to play with it, but I think iRacing on the Rift is awesome. The immersion totally makes up for the graphics hit, IMHO. The biggest issue I have with the graphics on the Rift is that it makes it hard to read the braking markers, but that's not really much of an issue.

You won't need the touch controls at all for iRacing, controls will be the same as what you're currently using (presumably keyboard + mouse for menu navigation and the wheel for the driving).

That said, the price isn't *great*, especially if you think there's a chance you'll want the touch controls in the future. Buying those separately will run you $100, and the whole bundle for the Rift, sensors, and touch controllers is currently $350, so you're basically talking about only $50 off if you do end up getting touch controllers. If you don't think there's any chance you'll want them, then that's a pretty nice deal since I don't think you can buy the rift without them anymore.

You'll need two USB3 ports (one for the sensor, one for the headset) and an HDMI port, so if you're short on either of those, that'll be a dealbreaker.

[dodint]

I *believe* I do, but great suggestion. Thanks.

[Tom Servo]

Oh yeah, there's a compatibility check tool that Oculus has, I think it'll make sure all the ports are up to snuff. https://ocul.us/compat-tool

[Alan P]

IMO that's not such a great deal TBH. It comes with the sensors too? Considering the touch controllers are actually really intuitive and knowing that someone has worn the headset (and you can get quite sweaty with it on) I'd go for a new one. At least you then get warranty too.

[dodint]

It was a deal that popped up on another forum. The guy is near blind in one eye so the thing didn't work out for him. Was going to take a shot on it but someone else beat me to it. He listed it back in September for $250+ship and it wasn't a sweet enough deal. Dropped it to $200 today and he got 4+ offers to purchase.

I'm not upset, I wasn't going to use it until next summer anyway. I'll look and see what the market is doing then. In fact, I boxed up my pedals, steering wheel, and button box the other day because I got tired of hearing it calibrate every time I started the computer to do homework. :(

[Rare White Ape]

Will this run iRacing substantially better than PSVR runs GT:S?

Absolutely. It’ll do 90fps with 20 cars on the track and not break a sweat. GTSport does 120fps but maxes out at… two cars.

The PSVR headset refreshes at 120hz, but that doesn’t mean the actual frame rate is 120.


Do I even need the touch controls if I'm using a G27 anyway?

Nah. Your inputs are all handled by the wheel and m+kb.

[dodint]

In a new development, it turns out it made the guy that bought it nauseous. He put it back up for sale on the same forum so I bought it. $209 out the door, I am happy to get in at that price point.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181215/32dbcf070b351e67b6fbe457a9abd8f3.jpg

Finals are done Monday, looks like RDR2 is getting kicked to the curb and the iRacing box is getting fired back up over break.

If I hate it I know where I can sell it for cost, too. :lol:

Thanks for the opinions, folks.

[Tom Servo]

The nausea is definitely a thing that happens. I had *huge* issues with it when I first got it and my initial thought was that I had made a terrible mistake. Thankfully I listened to people who said not to try to power through it but just take it a bit at a time until it stopped bothering me. Now it's basically a non-issue, except if I ever have to reverse. That instantly sets it off for me, but then I just remind myself if I drive better, I shouldn't ever have to reverse.

[dodint]

I didn't have issues with PSVR and tried a bunch of different kinds of games, and demos for other racing games. We will see.

[dodint]

I have the CV1 setup. When I launch a race in iRacing my PC screen moves around with my head.

The CV1 screen is in a giant white room with screen trying to get me to buy stuff, and there is an iRacing icon at a bottom menu bar.

I don't have any controllers; can't figure out how to get it to open in iRacing. I launched iRacing from the Rift app and it flashes in the headset for a moment, then goes back to the white room.

Unless I'm missing something simple here, this blows.

[dodint]

Nevermind, I'm a halfwit.

There is an XBox controller and a regular controller in the box under the panel where the sensor was stored. REALLY glad I looked before contacting the seller.

[dodint]

I'm fortunate in that the nausea thing doesn't seem to be a factor for me at all. I fussed with it for about two hours, ending the evening doing Mustang donuts in the Road Atlanta runoff and didn't have a hint of a problem.

I'm looking forward to learning more about how to best make the Oculus work for me. Because right now it does some peculiar stuff that will be dissatisfying if they persist. Like, the only way I can get iRacing to work is if I launch it from the Oculus application. This isn't ideal because their iRacing portal isn't nearly as well organized as the actual iRacing portal. Would be nice if I could just launch my session and then put on the headset.

The other thing that is probably more disturbing is that if I'm using the headset, then slide it up onto my forehead to look at something on my keyboard, many times when I slide it back down the screen goes black and won't turn back on. The moment it clicks back into the right space for my eyes it just goes out and the only way to get it to work again is to shut down iRacing and then relaunch it from the Oculus app.

Similarly, the Oculus app keeps trying to setup the headset. It's like there is a handshake problem with the headset and it cycles, then the app wants to reconfigure it as if it were new.

There are probably aftermarket solutions to these issues as the Oculus app looks good but doesn't seem to function well.

[Tom Servo]

That's weird. My iRacing app will ask me on startup whether I want to use the Rift or not. There should also be something in your Documents\iRacing\rendererDX11.ini file in the [Oculus Rift] section where you can set "AutoSelect" to 1, and it'll just automatically use it.

The thing about the rift turning off when you put it back on seems like something wrong with the headset. I believe it's got a proximity sensor a lot like most phones have. I can usually get the Rift to turn the screens on just by putting an object up near where that amber light is.

I'm hoping you didn't get a not-quite-working-right headset, 'cause none of those issues happen for me.

[dodint]

I try to keep it really tight for light discipline as my nose is shaped in a way that doesn't fill the foam very well. When I loosened it up it helped some, I'm not sure if I was rubbing against that sensor (or button?) next to the LED inside the headset.

I had already modified rendererDX11.ini to AutoSelect "1" before ever putting the headset on so I never get prompted, it just jumps right into it. I'm thinking of saving that .ini under a different name and having the sim put the default one back in and play with that. If it doesn't affect anything I can always delete it and rename the modified one back. I might have changed too many variables before learning the baseline behavior.

This is what my file has changed/added:

[Oculus Rift]
RiftEnabled=1
PixelsPerDisplayPixel=150-200 (Can't remember what I chose from that range)
AutoSelect=1
AutoCenter=1
UIScreenSize=150
UIScreenDistance=80
MirrorEnabled=1

I might turn Mirror Enabled to 0 so the image isn't still on the monitor. I'm not having framerate issues but maybe it'll better force the signal to the headset.


Unrelated, but when initially installing the Oculus app I changed the default directory it wanted because it chose an SSD that I only use for storage of media. It ultimately failed to install later, had to restart that 5GB download and it go where it wanted. Fickle.

[Tom Servo]

Huh, mine's pretty diffierent:

[Oculus Rift]
RiftEnabled=1
PixelsPerDisplayPixel=116
AutoSelect=1
AutoCenter=1
PrevVirtualMirrorWidth=1116
PrevVirtualMirrorHeight=216

I've also got issues with a little light leaking in around my nose. You can swap out the "facial interface" (read: the foam border), you might be able to find one that fits better. I've been wanting to find one that works better with my glasses - it's mostly fine, but whenever I take the headset off it takes my glasses with it.

[dodint]

Neat, I'll keep a lookout.

I'm also lucky that despite being almost legally blind in my left eye, the near vision is good so I can use the headset without glasses at all. The Rift is a much smaller headset than the PSVR from what I can see, which is good.

[Tom Servo]

Wow, really? I haven't actually used a PSVR yet, but the Rift didn't seem small. A little smaller than the Vive that I tried once, I can't imagine how big the PSVR is.

If I'm going in for something that's going to last more than a few minutes, I throw contacts in and that fixes the problem. The heat coming off the screens tends to make my glasses fog up after a little bit. Then again, maybe that helps with the screen door effect, everything gets a nice little soft-focus blur.

[dodint]

Yeah, it's substantially larger. And the design of the strap part is higher quality and has more heft to it.

http://nathangess.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/vr-compare.gif

[Tom Servo]

Good lord.

[Rare White Ape]

I haven’t tried any VR other than PSVR, and I find it to be utterly competent given its price and expected performance. The weight of the unit is a non-issue for me, though that could easily change if I was to try one if the pricier PC VR options.

[dodint]

I didn't think the PSVR was too heavy or anything. It's certainly better build quality.

[Rare White Ape]

I figure that it weighs a fraction of what a helmet weighs, and sim racing is all about immersion, so… a heavy headset enhances the experience!

[stephenb]

Good lord.

Those measurements are rather misleading in my opinion. If you measure the actual screen/visor part of the headset as they have done for the Rift there is nothing in it. Those measurements for PSVR include the strap/forehead mount, which as a glasses wearer I can tell you is a far superior solution to the Rift. I have custom lens inserts for the Rift which make this a non issue for me.

While I'm here I might as well provide some updated thoughts now I've had more time with my PSVR (http://gtxforums.net/showthread.php?30-PS4&p=130106&viewfull=1#post130106).

SDE + overall image quality:
I'm going to back track on SDE. Further time has shown its not as impressive as first thought but I still don't regard it as any worse than the Rift. Overall image quality, mura aside, is still very impressive and going back to the Rift I'm really grateful in their choice of lenses and consequent lack of halo effect.

Unfortunately it looks like my headset may have a fault. Anytime I'm using the big screen functionality, e.g. in the dashboard, the screen in front of me will slowly start rotating, to one side, around the Z axis. Calibrating the headset tracking has done nothing and looking around it seems this is a hardware fault. Not been a problem so far in actual VR games but will probably open a support ticket with Sony in the new year, rather then going back to the retailer where I bought it, to ensure I get a fully working replacement.

Games:
Completed Astro Bot, lots of fun, loads of creative ideas and makes great use of the DS4. Picked up Wipeout, Rush of Blood and Resident Evil 7. Wipeout is everything you'd hope for, they chose a terrible track for the demo. Loads of comfort options, as with RE7, so should be good for most people. Rush of Blood, jump scares everywhere. Highly entertaining and the roller coaster parts really make you feel as though you're on the real thing. RE7, scary as ****. Started playing the other night and stopped almost right way when I came across the same kitchen as used in the infamous demo :eek:

[Rare White Ape]

That tracking issue is pretty common. It can be greatly helped by sitting closer to the camera.

I’m not sure what causes it, but my best hypothesis is that there’s a mis-match between gyroscope data from within the headset and position data from the camera. You might stop turning your head but the camera data doesn’t agree so it slowly keeps rotating.

[stephenb]

Caved and picked up Beat Sabre. Lunch with the family tomorrow so thought I'd take the PSVR for some entertainment afterwards. Of course I had to check it out to make sure everything was good. My word it is seriously addictive, it should come with a health warning. Must of played close to two hours straight, and that was coming right after a stint in Super Hot VR.

[stephenb]

PSA:

Beat Saber is addictive as hell. Stay well away. You pop it on thinking 'I'll just progress the campaign mode a little' and three hours latter you've forgotten to stop for a drink as you try and perfect that next track. Thinking to yourself just one more go as you ignore the fatigue in your arms and shoulder which feel ready to drop off :lol:

[Rare White Ape]

I haven’t played Beat Saber because I know it’s just a Trojan horse for nerds to get fit.





Says me, a nerd who covers about 15 non-workplace kilometres a week playing Pokemon Go.

[Tom Servo]

VR is useful in ways you wouldn't expect.

https://i.imgur.com/AVy5it6.gifv

[dodint]

I couldn't find it, but at some point in the past I told Brian that triples was better than VR. I was wrong. Very wrong.

When in iRacing I hold my breath in challenging sectors, just like I do on real tracks. It's a habit my HPDE coach pointed out and got me to work on, something that translates to VR that didn't happen with triples. The immersion factor is just so good.

VR still feels like it's in the walk not run stage, but I am so excited to see what's next.

[dodint]

Oh, my headset had a bad cable connector port. Despite not having a proof of purchase Oculus sent me a new one at their cost. Very cool.

[Tom Servo]

Glad to hear you had a similar experience to me. I'm more than willing to trade the resolution for the immersion, at least with the higher-end PC headsets (still haven't tried PSVR). It's really the first time I've played a sim where I felt like I could really judge distances, like I feel like I'm less likely to drive up the back of someone in a braking zone, or misjudge my braking distances.

[dodint]

Yeah, agreed. I'm a lot more comfortable in traffic now.

I'm also fortunate that I don't get sick from it. I did an hour long run with the Solstice at Okayama and started to feel a little bit, but nothing bad at all. The only time I get any kind of dizziness from it is when I come to an abrupt stop. Just something about that motion makes me twitch; like when you walk up a flight of stairs and think there is one more stair and there isn't, feels like that. Just weird.

Another weird thing I do in VR that I don't do in triples is when I'm about to smash into the wall in an open wheel car I take my hands off the wheel. As if my G27 is going to break my wrist. :lol:

[Rare White Ape]

(still haven't tried PSVR)

It’s just like PC VR but you gotta put one of these between your eyes and the screen :p

https://www.google.com/search?q=fly+screen&rlz=1C9BKJA_enAU745AU745&hl=en-GB&prmd=simvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwimk6ns8pPgAhXFtI8KHVkyBNEQ_AUoAnoECA4QA g&biw=1024&bih=659

[Tom Servo]

Heh, I was mostly saying that the drop in resolution when going to the Rift is acceptable for me, I can't speak if the drop in resolution for the PSVR would be worth the trade off for me, as Nathan definitely made it seem like it wasn't worth it for him.

[dodint]

I'm a notable curmudgeon though. ;)

[Rare White Ape]

Well PSVR is the lowest resolution of the main VR platforms, but it’s built to a price and pushing the limit of a lower-spec hardware config. It does have its caveats, that’s for sure. But the trade-off is that the average consumer can experience the bread-and-butter VR games for under $500. That’s significant.

In terms of the screen door effect, I’ll put it this way: PSVR gave me the oddest feeling when playing Ace Combat. The first mission takes place over a huge ocean with dotted islands, so it’s got a very uniform rich blue across the sky and the water below. Looking out the cockpit at the view, it felt like I was standing about four feet away from a giant cinema screen, but it had depth to it.

I’ve heard that the OLED screen in the PSVR has a sort of dirty texture to it called the mura effect, which you can see when the screen is black. It’s intrinsic to OLEDs apparently, something to do with how they can’t go below a certain black value. It’s totally not noticeable when it’s displaying anything other than black, but may be what gave me that feeling when looking at the sky in Ace Combat.

[Rare White Ape]

If anyone’s not tried Tetris Effect yet there’s a limited time demo available this weekend on PS4. It’s playable in flat and VR modes.

[Freude am Fahren]

I just tried my first real go at VR. Holy crap is it cool. GT:S, GT3 RS at the 'ring. If this is entry level VR, I can't wait until I can experience AC, iRacing, DCS, etc. with a better rig.

[Rare White Ape]

:D :up:

[Dicknose]

Can you do VR and a wheel?

I do have wheel, dont have VR but got a mate who has it.

[Freude am Fahren]

I know you can on PC, not sure about GT:S, but I don't see why not.

[Rare White Ape]

Yeah you can. It’s all compatible and it’s the ultimate way to do hotlapping.

[Freude am Fahren]

There's a new Rift coming, the Rift S. It's not a Vive Pro, but rather slightly upgraded Rift. It does feature built in tracking, which is pretty cool. It'll also be priced more like the current Rift at $399.

[Tom Servo]

I'm hesitant to call it upgraded, it really seems like a sideways move. A bit higher res, and the lenses are supposed to be better (supposedly eliminating god rays and the screen door effect, but they basically have said that about every headset that's come out so far), and the lack of required sensors is nice (and frees up at least one, likely two, possibly three USB ports). However, refresh rate drops from 90hz to 80, it goes from separate LED displays to a single LCD (which means you can no longer adjust the distance between lenses to fit with your eyes as well as meaning you don't get as dark blacks, though the Rift kinda muddies blacks anyway), and it loses the integrated audio, so you have to throw your own headphones on over the Rift S. I also hear that the inside-out tracking w/o sensors is not quite as good as the outside-in that the Rift has now, but that could just be grousing from the Oculus fanbase.

Given the price and lack of sensors, this seems like a good fit for people who don't necessarily want to invest in everything that's needed for the current Rift, but it doesn't seem at all worth it to upgrade. It does mean that we're still waiting for something more like the Vive Pro with no actual coming product in sight.

The one thing I want is one with an integrated camera on the front that you can activate by hitting a button somewhere. It'd be really nice to be able to see what's happening around you without having to take the headset off, sometimes you just want to figure out what you're bumping into and how to stop doing that.

[Rare White Ape]

With built-in tracking t might be a good cheap headset for racing sims, where you don’t tend to move your head as much.

[Yw-slayer]

If it's as accurate as the current Rift with 2 sensors then it's a great deal. Finding space for the sensors is a real pain.

[Freude am Fahren]

The one thing I want is one with an integrated camera on the front that you can activate by hitting a button somewhere. It'd be really nice to be able to see what's happening around you without having to take the headset off, sometimes you just want to figure out what you're bumping into and how to stop doing that.

The S actually does have passthrough, like the Vive Pro, which I didn't mention, and is kinda important, to some the most important new feature.

[dodint]

I will keep with my Rift unless the resolution and SDE is reported as being substantially better. Even then, as Swerv said, the inability to adjust the lenses might be rough since I have a giant head.

[Rare White Ape]

Tested went to the Rift S announcement. There's a bit of good info here, though not a lot of hands-on content.


https://youtu.be/2vtryRHVg_I

For those wanting a pricier 'Rift 2' to come out, there was there merest hint in the interview that there could be an announcement in the pipeline. If a Rift 2 was to be a reality, I'd imagine that it would have a 4K screen, mechanical lens adjustment (for Nate's big head), and outside-in tracking like the old setup, unless of course they're using the Rift S as a test case for improved inside-out tracking. It's definitely less costly to develop that sort of tracking system than it is to use the old style and have to manufacture the sensors that it would require.

Speaking of costs, this seems like a reasonable step in making a slightly improved product while eliminating a whole lot of unneeded extras, without requiring its users to greatly invest in the hardware needed to get a stable frame rate to run the thing. It will run ok on four-year-old computers, while a higher resolution setup will need an equivalent bump in graphics power - something that a lot of their target market simply won't have access to.

So if you've already got a Rift, don't buy this one as it's not designed to replace your old one. This is for new consumers. The upgrade brigade will have to wait.

[Rare White Ape]

No Man’s Sky is getting full VR support on PC and PlayStation as part of its Beyond update. It won’t be a slice of the game either - the whole thing is going VR. Pretty neat.


https://youtu.be/zUGZYh2HxHM

[Tom Servo]

Palmer Luckey's been on a bit of a tear about the lack of IPD adjustment in the Rift S. He's a nutjob so I'm not sure how seriously to take what he says, but he claims that about 30% of people just won't really be able to use the Rift S due to its lack of IPD adjustment. I guess they're doing a software-based adjustment that tweaks the visuals coming through the lenses, but it sounds like that can lead to some distortion of the final image vs. just being able to move the screens/lenses.

[Rare White Ape]

PSVR has a software-based IPD adjustment and nobody complains about that :/

[Rare White Ape]

Valve is making their own headset and it is called Index.

Not a lot of info is available, but all will be revealed on May 1, as well as pre orders for shipping in June.

[Tom Servo]

Requiring a GTX 1070 as a minimum seems promising. From what I gather, part of the reasoning behind the Rift S being basically a sideways move is they didn't want to increase the already hefty minimum requirements.

[Rare White Ape]

HHHHHNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGHGHHGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1113969503459663873?s=20

[Rare White Ape]

Valve unveils Index. Pre orders open tomorrow, shipping end of June.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-04-30-valve-formally-unveils-index-its-new-gbp919-high-end-virtual-reality-pc-hardware

It’s high-end equipment. Dual 1440x1600 screens at 120Hz, external tracking, hand controllers with 87 sensors for natural open- or closed-hand interaction.

USD$1000 for the full kit tho

You’ll need a couple of gorillas for that and the PC to run it!

[Tom Servo]

It sounds like they're claiming that it doesn't need any more PC than the Rift does. I do like that there's a higher end option, though I'm trying to tell if I think it's ~2.5x better than the Rift to match the price increase.

[21Kid]

High end phones are not 2.5x better than lower grade phones.

Same with premium cars.

Premium cost just get you the little bit of extra oompf at the higher end.

[Rare White Ape]

Tested review of Rift S


https://youtu.be/p5CsGK2uJak

[Tom Servo]

Woot, happy to find out that holding out for Tetris Effect on Oculus has paid off. https://www.engadget.com/2019/07/16/tetris-effect-for-pc-july-23/

Ugh, did just see that it's only through the Epic game store. Meh.

[Rare White Ape]

Worth it tho

[dodint]

Keith posted, in chat, a product from a UK company. They've taken the bits of an Oculus Rift and integrated it into a proper Arai racing helmet. It's at www.helmetvr.com but I can't access it at work to pull a picture.

It seems kind of gimmicky at first; but I'd love to have a Rift setup where I could simply slide the headset on and off my face like that whenever I want. Perfect for iRacing where everything not on-track is browser based.

I can't see how it would get close enough to your eyes to fully work, though.

[Tom Servo]

I've only played through that first three-round level of Tetris Effect on the Rift. It's cool, but at this point I'm kinda feeling like Rez already ruined me on this.

[Tom Servo]

Got through all the rounds on Tetris Effect on the Rift. Still kinda feeling the same way, but part of it might be that Tetris demands some pretty intense attention, so I feel like I miss most of the atmosphere. There were a few levels that were pretty cool, but mostly it was just background imagery that I never had any time to actually take in.

It did get me to thinking about Rez again, and very much enjoyed playing through that again.

[stephenb]

Didn't get the hype around Tetris Effect either, tried the demo on PSVR which had a few levels of the campaign and one of the other modes. Tetris with a fancy soundtrack was my take.

[Tom Servo]

Yeah. I like the idea of the cool visuals, but then the game throws crazy fast stuff at you sometimes just for the fun of it, which makes it hard to enjoy the visuals. I specifically remember the space station one being really neat, but it was one of the ones where I took the time to just let a piece fall slowly and ignore the game for a bit. Doesn't help that you don't get as good of a "grade" when you do that.

I prefer Tetris 99 on the Switch as Tetris experiences go. I'd like to see something like Tetris Effect but with a game that isn't speed/time based. Give me online backgammon with fucking awesome VR environments and I will just demand you take my money.

[Rare White Ape]

I guess mileages vary considerably. Last year Eurogamer gave it their top spot for game of the year, and comments were split 50/50 arguing that it was a good or bad idea - probably the most polarising GOTY result anyone’s ever had. As you might’ve guessed, I’m firmly in the love-it-and-want-to-have-it’s-babies camp. I’m sorry if it didn’t have the same effect on you as it did to me.

For me, the amount of immersion I get playing it is bested only by racing simulators - both VR and flat screen. It feels like I’ve been sucked into an alternate universe and I’m there living out this wild fantasy as some sort of psychedelic Tetris legend. I guess like the movie Tron, but with more falling blocks.

[Tom Servo]

I'm sure you've mentioned this, but just in case you haven't - have you played Rez Infinite?

[Rare White Ape]

OH YES I HAVE!

It's brilliant. I paid, like, $100 to ship the PS4 physical version from Iam8bit.

[Freude am Fahren]

So, I got the HP Reverb recently. Holy crap Flying and racing are crazy fun with it.

It's got great resolution, but seems kinda washed out, and no mechanical adjustments for eye distance. I also order the Valve Index to try it, and I'll return whichever I don't like as much. But it's taking a while, so I might get stuck with the Reverb, which came in 3 days, so it will be too late to return it if I don't get the Index in the next two weeks.

We're not quite there yet, but we're close enough to enjoy it.

[Freude am Fahren]

Well, the index arrived. The hardware feels much better. Love the controllers, as you could probably use flight sim hardware without taking them off.

However, the HMD won't work. I can't get SteamVR to recognize it. :angry:

EDIT: Got it working, apparently only works in one of the two DP ports on my graphics card.

[Tom Servo]

How are the visuals on it? The improved resolution is the main thing I'm curious about.

[Freude am Fahren]

So I've been trying the Reverb and Index back to back. They visuals are really good on the Index, but resolutions difference is noticeable. In flight sims this is especially an issue, as you look for details like airports and the PAPI in the distance quite a bit. Racing not as much of an issue.

At first I was having issues with the Index looking really bad off center, but I think I dialed the fit and adjustments to fix that. I had read the Reverb was bad off center, and Index was good, but not as good as Rift S. I find now I can look at mirrors, or Black Boxes in iRacing at the corner of my view and make out the information.

I'm finding that a lot of trade-offs between the two are kind of making for a fairly even fight overall.

I'll have more detail after I have more time with them back to back, but basically the Colors are much better on the Index. Reverb looks pretty washed out. FOV difference isn't very noticeable (iRacing actually says my FOV is lower on the Index, so maybe I need to fix something.).

FPS surprisingly are higher in most cases with the much higher res Reverb. I've found tracking is pretty even, with both being really good, but controllers getting lost when reaching for buttons in flight sims. I haven't really optimized my lighthouse locations yet though for the Index. Which in its own right is a minus. The Reverb doesn't need all that. Didn't realize the lighthouses had a motor in them too. You can hear it wurring away if you don't have other audio going on.

Index has more comfortable material and design, but that's canceled out by the weight. The nose area for me is a bit better on the Reverb. Reverb does a better job of blocking out light. With it on my head, I see no light at all. Index there is some bleed. The adjustment knob on the back of the Index meant I had to adjust my racing seat, since it was hitting the back when turning my head. But the cable is smaller, lighter and more flexible on the Index and is hardly noticable. The Reverb is a double cable, that is heavier and stiffer and has the connector right near the back of the unit, rather than at the PC end, so you really kind of have to manage it to make it not annoying.

If the Reverb had the Index's color/brightness and controllers, it'd be no contest at half the price.

That was all a bit of stream on consciousness there. I'll try to get something more coherent.

[stephenb]

^ Interesting observations. Still sitting here with an original CV1. Keep thinking about upgrading, the Reverb sounds appealing for someone like me who only sim races on PC, but waiting for more powerful GPU's.

[Rare White Ape]

Valve added a very important feature to Half-Life: Alyx this week: bottle physics.

Specifically, a shader (yes, a shader!) that replicates to motion of fluids inside a vessel. Like beer and wine bottles.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVQNMmnIqMo

I've got real bottles of beer and wine in the fridge. At any time I could simply walk over there, grab one, and shake it about to see how the fluids inside react.

But if I had a PC VR headset and a copy of HL:A you KNOW I would be spending my time in the living room doing this in-game instead of with the real thing.

[Rare White Ape]

I haven't bought a PC VR headset yet and I keep threatening to buy one soon. I was going to get the Oculus Rift S, at $650 AUD. It got a price drop on Amazon last week to $625.

But then this week Oculus unveiled the Quest 2, and it's got a higher-res screen that does 90Hz. The price?

$479 AUD

But it doesn't do PC VR on its own. For that you need an Oculus Link cable for $129, bringing the total price to $608. Better screen, more powerful internal processing... still seems like a complete bargain. What's going on this year? We've got keenly-priced new tech goodies seemingly coming out of every orifice.

Anyhoo, I have one query that I haven't been able to nut out: does the link cable make it playable with every PC VR game? Like, does it turn it into a proper VR headset the way that I expect that it would? Or is it limited to Oculus store content only for some dumb reason?

[Rare White Ape]

I just watched this review:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x6lux6f_6g&ab_channel=AdamSavage%E2%80%99sTested

It's telling me that Oculus Link is sending compressed video to the headset from a PC.

https://i.imgur.com/XDrzfqh.png

[Tom Servo]

Not to be one of those people, but also Oculus are going to start making it mandatory to link a Facebook account to use the Rift. I'm less than thrilled about that.

[Rare White Ape]

I’m ok with it. I already have a Google account, a Sony account, a Microsoft account, an Epic account, a Steam account, a Nintendo account, a Facebook account, a Snapchat account, an Amazon account.

What will they do? Customise ads to be served when I browse the web?

[Tom Servo]

Create a dossier of your taste in porn, obviously.

Seriously, my big problem with that is that it essentially means I can't really ditch my social media profile and still use the Rift. I don't live in a country that has GDPR, but if I did, I'd lose access to my very expensive headset if I decided that I wanted to be forgotten by the likes of Cambridge Analytica for essentially no reason - the platform works absolutely fine without Facebook integration.

100% on board with offering OAuth via Facebook. Not at all on board to require it.

[Rare White Ape]

It is a hurdle for many.

For me, the Rift S is the only option:

The HTC and HP Reverb offerings are double the price, and I can't buy an Index because they're not for sale in Australia.

So therefore I have to be comfortable with the FB account linkup. It's the price I pay.

[Tom Servo]

See, that's how they get ya.

[Rare White Ape]

Yeah, well, I fully suspect that the banging new price for the Quest 2 will be supported by the console-like software delivery platform and publisher licence fees, as well as the acquisition of user data that they can sell to the Trump administration which they will use to rig the next election.

You absolutely know that they will be making a loss on the new hardware, just like Sony and MS do with their consoles in the first few years.

[Yw-slayer]

Or you could, you know, just use normal monitors.

[Rare White Ape]

What, for spreadsheets?

[Yw-slayer]

4 LY43

Also, one of the other good things about normal monitors is that you can, you know, watch many different things at the same time in different Windows.

[Rare White Ape]

4 LY43

Also, one of the other good things about normal monitors is that you can, you know, watch many different things at the same time in different Windows.

Cool

[Rare White Ape]

I feel it would be a relevant discussion if the act of performing productivity tasks could be presented in an immersive, 3D environment with high definition graphics and next-generation spatial audio, to make it really feel like you were really in an office.

The kind of experience you would only be able to get in VR. Or a real office.

[Tom Servo]

"Office" That's a word I have not heard in a very long time...

[Yw-slayer]

Then you obviously haven't been visiting the right sites.

[Rare White Ape]

I just ordered a Rift S.

It arrives one day before Star Wars Squadrons come out.

Me happy.

[Yw-slayer]

Is naiiiccee

[Rare White Ape]

Well my Rift arrived today, three days earlier than expected.

Super-duper early impressions, well, my impression as soon as I opened the box was that it’s of a much more premium quality than PlayStation VR. More sturdy construction but somehow a lot lighter.

The inside-out tracking is great. Again, much better than PSVR, which loses sight if you’re too far way from the camera. The Rift S doesn't need anything base stations so it’s super easy to set up. Plus you can do that funky thing where you ‘paint’ your safe zone, and it also means you don’t have to stand in a specific part of the house. I’ve got a much more spacious area a few meters to the side of the TV than I do right in front of it, which I plan to use when I start playing Vader Immortal and HL: Alyx.

I’ve got no worries at all playing Assetto Corsa in VR as it runs smooth as silk. But the first piece of software I fired up was Fantasynth, which is a free tech demo music thing available on Steam. The image quality is absolutely outstanding when compared to PSVR. Both the crispness of the screens and the rendering of materials in the graphics engine are amazing.

But then again the Rift S is twice the price of PSVR and it’s hooked up to a 2070.

[Rare White Ape]

For three days I’ve been playing Outer Wilds. I looked up mods for the game and yep there’s a VR mod.

Me ded. The game is 100% up my alley (exploration and puzzles in a mini solar system with simulated gravity fields and seamless travel between planets) and flying my space rocket lander thingy in VR is simply wonderful.

The controls are taking some getting used to, as the mod developer adapted the normal game pad controls to use the wireless motion controls, complete with floating three-fingered alien hands in front of you. But once you’re up and running, the chaos and fear of a close encounter with flying pieces of space debris is astounding.

So there’s this, Flight Simulator, Tetris Effect just had its VR update on Game Pass, HL: Alyx, Squadrons… there’s a GTAV VR mod I’ve been wanting to try, the list goes on and on. VR might still not be mainstream yet but it’s fast becoming an essential piece of gaming equipment for me.

[Cam]

I find watching race streams where the streamers are using VR to be disturbing.

[Rare White Ape]

Ironically it is a Jimmy Broadbent video where he played Project CARS 2 in VR that got me into VR and back into sim racing in a big way.

The discomfort you feel while watching these videos is most likely down to you not being in the headset. In real life your eyes automatically account for the wobble of your head while you talk, and it's the same when you're in VR.

But watching a recorded video feed from a VR headset doesn't allow your eyes to do its automatic smoothing thing. It's just like strapping a cheap action camera to your skull and trying to watch the video back on a screen: all jittery.

I'm not going to try and convince you that VR is a must-have, but if you ever get the chance to give it a go then definitely put a headset on and see if it works for you.

[Freude am Fahren]

I've felt a bit dizzy when playing Alyx or Flight Sims, but never racing.

[Tom Servo]

I'm fine racing forward, but if I have to reverse, I get super dizzy and can get nauseous really quickly. Of course, the way to avoid that is to not spin.

There is an exception to the racing forward part - Dirt Rally is amazing and going over jumps makes me immediately want to puke.

[Kchrpm]

Racing is a convenient parallel to virtual reality: you're stuck in a chair, looking through a heavy thing sitting on your head. I have never experienced issues with VR, but have heard that, in general, racing games are one of the least likely to cause issues.

[Yw-slayer]

Have bought T16000.M HOTAS setup but haven't actually used it in Squadrons, because Genshin Impact.

[Rare White Ape]

Weeb

[Yw-slayer]

Well, I've finally finished the currently released storyline of Genshin Impact, so now I'll go back to Squadrons.

[stephenb]

Just stopping by to give a shout out to Oculus support :up:

Last month the audio in my right headphone stopped working. Opened a support ticket to see if they could offer a repair. My issue isn't uncommon, I think the audio connector within the headset strap can wear out and fail. Bear in mind my headset is 4 years 8 months old at this point and has been well used so I was very happy when they offered to RMA for gratis and send me a refurbished one in its place. Sent my original one off to them last Monday, just the headset with earphones and facial interface removed as requested. Today my refurbished one got delivered looking as good as my original one did when I first unboxed it all those years ago.

Extra bonus was that it came with a brand spanking new facial interface, great news as my original was very warn, plus connection cable and headphones (which means I now have spares of those). Top service :)

[Yw-slayer]

Got busy at work and with family stuff. Still haven't touched Squadrons since Jan. Nor have I used my rift, or my t16000m hotas setup, let alone together, even once.

[Tom Servo]

Got an Oculus Quest 2 for my birthday. It is awfully nice to be able to use it without any wires. Unfortunately, apparently buying a game on the Oculus store for a Rift doesn't mean you bought it for the Quest, so I'm finding that I essentially have none of my library anymore. At least The Climb was free.

I did get an Oculus Link cable, that took a few tries to get working but now it works fine. Haven't tested it much, and it's impressive how much weight it adds to the whole thing. Hoping to get the Wifi "Air Link" going and see how it works with something like FS2020.

[Rare White Ape]

Sony unveiled specs for PSVR2 today, but didn't show off any hardware. The big deal is 2000x2040 per eye, 110 degree FOV, HDR OLED running at 120 Hz. Nice.

PlayStation VR2 headset:

Display method: OLED
Panel resolution:​ 2000 x 2040 per eye
Panel refresh rate​: 90Hz, 120Hz
Lens separation:​ Adjustable
Field of View​: Approx. 110 degrees
Sensors: Motion Sensor: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer)​ Attachment Sensor: IR Proximity sensor
Cameras:​ 4 cameras for headset and controller tracking, ​IR camera for eye tracking per eye
Feedback​: Vibration on headset
Communication​ with PS5: USB Type-C
Audio​ Input: Built-in microphone
​Output: Stereo headphone jack
PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers:

Buttons​:
[Right]​ PS button, Options button, Action buttons (Circle / Cross), R1 button, R2 button, Right Stick / R3 button.
​[Left]​ PS button, Create button, Action buttons (Triangle / Square), L1 button, L2 button, Left Stick / L3 button
Sensing / Tracking Motion Sensor: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope + three-axis accelerometer) Capacitive Sensor: Finger Touch DetectionIR LED: Position Tracking
Feedback: ​ Trigger Effect (on R2/L2 button), Haptic Feedback (by single actuator per unit)
Port: USB Type-C Port
Communication​: Bluetooth Ver5.1​
Battery​ Type: Built-in Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery​

[dodint]

I sincerely hope they do much better than they did with PSVR.

[MR2 Fan]

Hey! Apple made an AR (VR???) Headset! It's only $3,500 and I'm extremely um....unsure about it, other than the price....HOWEVER I have stakes in it succeeding sort of because of the new website I'm working on.