General VR discussion thread

[igor_kavinski]

I have read somewhere that psvr2 would only work on select PC games.

That would be a dumb move on their part. It has to be at the very least fully SteamVR compatible.

 

[CP5670]

I would love to use the VIsion Pro for PC and SteamVR, but it seems unlikely anyone will find a way around the Apple DRM.

As it stands I plan to keep using the G2, nothing else is truly a significant upgrade and there is not enough new PC VR content to justify buying a better one.

 

[sze5003]

For the G2 do not update your windows 11 to the 24H2 update as that removes windows mixed reality making the G2 obsolete. But I suppose you are safe on windows 10.

I agree something like the vision pro for PCVR would be great. I always want the best resolution for flight sims.

Sounds like there will be a quest pro 2 coming out early in 2025, made by LG. If the lenses are still pancake style, increased resolution, and OLED, eye tracking, with AV1 encoding, I'll probably get it day 1.

The quest pro is great for flight sims as it can use dynamic foveated rendering with eye tracking, has great colors, and local dimming so an improved second gen device would be welcome.

 

[CP5670]

I'm still on 22H2, the 23H2 upgrade kept failing for some reason. I don't see any reason to upgrade anyway.

 

[manly]

Didn't realize stuff like the Quest 2 was at $250 and Quest 3 was at $500 with passthrough PCVR (what I'm really interested in).

For a $1000 my curiosity can go unsated but at $250 it's an easy b-day gift from the wife and if it's a really meaningful upgrade $500 for Q3 is easy as well.

Any thoughts on what a first timer should go for, is Q3 really 2x the price better if we completely ignore the native apps and focus only on PCVR passthrough?

Q2 is now $200:

Quest 2 — Advanced All-In-One Virtual Reality Headset — 128 GB - $199.99

Amazon has Quest 2 — Advanced All-In-One Virtual Reality Headset 128 GB with free shipping for $199.99 https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-Quest-Advanced-All-One-Virtual/dp/B099VMT8VZ

slickdeals.net

And the deal gets better (Meta clearing out excess Quest 2s?):

128GB Meta Quest 2 VR Headset + $50 Meta Quest Credit $199 + Free Shipping

Walmart has 128GB Meta Quest 2 VR Headset + $50 Meta Quest Credit on sale for $199. Shipping is free, or select free store pickup where stock permits. Thanks to Deal Editor SlickDealio for ...

slickdeals.net

 

[gorobei]

TechAlter did a nice breakdown of the optics and display tech in the visionpro.

the pancake lenses seem like they arent worth the trouble. having to go to micro led to get the necessary nits to compensate for the loss in luminance from the pancake just to be a bit thinner at the cost of eating up battery and generating more heat which will shorten the life of the display elements. this seems like a juicero level of excessive spending.
the 4.5x increase in resolution needed for 60ppd @120deg seems a decade away from being affordable.
but goddamn the meta holographic lens tech is sexy.

 

[Heartbreaker]

TechAlter did a nice breakdown of the optics and display tech in the visionpro.

the pancake lenses seem like they arent worth the trouble. having to go to micro led to get the necessary nits to compensate for the loss in luminance from the pancake just to be a bit thinner at the cost of eating up battery and generating more heat which will shorten the life of the display elements. this seems like a juicero level of excessive spending.
the 4.5x increase in resolution needed for 60ppd @120deg seems a decade away from being affordable.
but goddamn the meta holographic lens tech is sexy.

I coincidentally stumbled on that yesterday. Highly recommend it.

I'm a display nerd and researched all that info to better understand VR displays over many hours, spread over many weeks.

So I didn't learn anything new except for the Holographic lens stuff, but everything else is bang on and it's all in one place, and he explains it better than most other sources. IMO this is the go to resource for understanding VR optics.

He clearly did tons of research to nail down all the details like that, when so many other lazy YT "creators" just use their assumptions and opinions.

On Pancake lenses, I was also disappointed when I first discovered how much light was blocked by them. When I first heard the term, I thought they were like Pancake camera lenses which are just small, simple lenses, but in the VR context they are folded optics, partially mirrored, and polarized lenses, that can block up to 90% of the light.

 

[gorobei]

a little bit more info on disney holotile

looks like each disk can spin and tilt like a swash plate. there is going to have be a max speed you can move at based on the torque of each motor and the weight of the individual.
you would probably need a 12x12 foot area for one person to be able to jump/dodge/roll/jog in 360deg plane. the power cost for that, the lidar sensors and processing, plus the vr game integration, will likely put this in the $2/min range of theme park entertainment. home installations would probably be unfeasable for non 1%'ers.
the additional tech required to create terrain elevation changes is daunting to think about. sloped hills and stairs would be out of the question or outside what anyone would be willing to spend (add in insurance and liability costs).

 

[Aapje]

New headsets from Pimax announced: https://pimax.com/frontier/

The Crystal Light seems to make sense as a Reverb G2 successor.

 

[manly]

New low price for the Quest 2:

128GB Meta Quest 2 Advanced All-in-One Virtual Reality Headset + Active Pack $176.50 + Free Shipping

Amazon has 128GB Meta Quest 2 Advanced All-in-One Virtual Reality Headset + Meta Quest 2 Active Pack for $176.50. Shipping is free. Thanks to community member thedarsts for finding this deal.No ...

slickdeals.net

Mine is gathering dust, of course.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

While I stand by what I have said in the past about VR, it is cool, the equipment required to use it is far too expensive and far too isolating and far too dorky looking.
I have to say when someone says “gaming” Facebook is near bottom of the list.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

New low price for the Quest 2:

128GB Meta Quest 2 Advanced All-in-One Virtual Reality Headset + Active Pack $176.50 + Free Shipping

Amazon has 128GB Meta Quest 2 Advanced All-in-One Virtual Reality Headset + Meta Quest 2 Active Pack for $176.50. Shipping is free. Thanks to community member thedarsts for finding this deal.No ...

slickdeals.net

Mine is gathering dust, of course.

-This just means I should be able to get a practically new used headset for $100.

Ebay is just littered with these things but people still think they can ask $150 for them...

 

[Kaido]

Oh snap! Playstation VR2 support for Steam!!

PlayStation VR2 players can access games on PC with adapter starting on August 7

With the PlayStation VR2 PC adapter, players can expand their game library with thousands of SteamVR titles.

blog.playstation.com

 

[DAPUNISHER]

-This just means I should be able to get a practically new used headset for $100.

Ebay is just littered with these things but people still think they can ask $150 for them...

I have the OG and the Quest 2. 2 is better for media like Prime VR. OG is still perfect for virtual sports like beat saber and Thrill of the Fight. My OG Quest will be 5yrs old this December. I added 3rd party headgear to the Quest 2 with an integrated battery pack. I guess I'll be living those song lyrics - "Your hair's on fire, you must have lost your wits." someday. 💀

 

[Kaido]

I have the OG and the Quest 2. 2 is better for media like Prime VR. OG is still perfect for virtual sports like beat saber and Thrill of the Fight. My OG Quest will be 5yrs old this December. I added 3rd party headgear to the Quest 2 with an integrated battery pack. I guess I'll be living those song lyrics - "Your hair's on fire, you must have lost your wits." someday. 💀

Yeah, I have a 1 & a 2. I'd like to go with the 3 for AR, but I'm in no rush. I added aftermarket headgear to both & it's SO MUCH BETTER! Plus you can get a Quest 2 for like $200 these days brand-new from Amazon, which imo is an insane price.

As always...just wish there was more good content! I've love to use mine more, I just want more fun stuff to play!!

 

[Aapje]

The visual improvement of the Quest 3 is really significant. The Quest 2 always felt like there was vaseline on the lens, never sharp, but the Quest 3 is quite a bit step up. Of course, it does depend on the game taking advantage of it.

My choice to upgrade was hastened by my struggles with the 128 GB of my Quest 2 and being able to profit from someone who tried it twice and then sold it on for a very decent price.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Good to read each iterations improves the displays. The Q2 is a good step up from the OG which has some screen door effect. Q2 does a great job with Prime VR, Netflix, other streaming media. That's it's role for me. I do all of my sweating in the OG. I like the headstrap on the OG so have never replaced it.

I have not tried using one with my PC in ages. I think Nvidia VR funhouse and a Spiderman city web slinging demo were the last PC games I played. The racing games look like they are a blast. I guess I should buy a wheel and try one...

 

[lakedude]

We have a Go, Q1, Q2, Q3 and a Valve Index.

Sure the contrast is way better on the Q1's OLED but the subpixels are not full. They are tiny bright dots in a sea of black and laid out in an annoying diagonal pattern. Also the Q1 chipset (Snapdragon 835, same as Samsung S8) is now several generations old and too slow. See attached:



The Q2 chipset is the Snapdragon 865/XR2, same as a Samsung S20 which is much faster. Also the LCD has full subpixels which look a lot better most of the time. At $200ish the Q2 is the value leader.

The Q3 doesn't seem so great when you first slap it on. I mean it is better but not 2.5 times better to match the cost difference. The problem is going back to the Q2 once you have been spoiled by the Q3. The lenses are so very much better and are much less fussy about being in exactly the perfect position. The color cameras are nice as well. If you can afford it the Q3 is very nice.

The VI has cool controllers and great sound but is otherwise obsolete. I hate the cord. It is a bit smoother and there is one sailing game that only works correctly with external tracking but no, save your money.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Also the Q1 chipset (Snapdragon 835, same as Samsung S8) is now several generations old and too slow.

Too slow for new stuff? Okay. It works great for what I use if for. If it makes it to December it will have provided 5yrs of service while I sweat in it. The Mrs. won the Q2 as a prize shortly after it hit the market. For free it is better than good.

 

[Aapje]

I do all of my sweating in the OG.

The aftermarket for the Quest 3 seems a bit anemic, so I'll keep the standard facial interface for now and do my sweating in the Quest 2.

The Q3 doesn't seem so great when you first slap it on. I mean it is better but not 2.5 times better to match the cost difference.

My experience is that it crosses over from constantly noticing the poor quality of the visuals to being good enough, so to me the difference is very significant, in that it really helps a lot with the enjoyment and immersion.

The VI has cool controllers and great sound but is otherwise obsolete. I hate the cord. It is a bit smoother and there is one sailing game that only works correctly with external tracking but no, save your money.

The Pimax Crystal Light seems the new king for those who are into tethered experiences and who don't want to break the bank.

 

[lakedude]

Too slow for new stuff? Okay. It works great for what I use if for.

Hmmm, we thought the Q1 was great compared to the Go, and it tracked good enough that the demo version of Beat Saber worked fine.

As we got better at BS we noticed that the Q2 just worked better/smoother especially going for an FC on hard or expert.

Also the cool magnetic battery covers on the Q1 come loose when you really get swinging.

I actually prefer the Q2 to even the Q3 for BS. I use a claw grip with my fingers through the ring and the Q3 lacks the ring.

 

[lakedude]

Oh the Q3 comes with 2 games, Asguard's Wrath 2 which runs natively on the Quest and Asgard's Wrath 1 which is for the "Rift" and needs a PC. Asguard's Wrath 1 will work with the Q3 using a cable or a fast network connection.

 

[Aapje]

I actually prefer the Q2 to even the Q3 for BS. I use a claw grip with my fingers through the ring and the Q3 lacks the ring.

Do you have hand straps? I find that a huge improvement to comfort.

And the Q3 games bundle was a temporary thing.

 

[lakedude]

Do you have hand straps? I find that a huge improvement to comfort.

And the Q3 games bundle was a temporary thing.

No straps, just use Q2 for BS.

Glad I got the bundle! AW1 is actually "better" than AW2 because AW1 leverages the power and storage capacity of a PC. AW2 is trimmed down to run native on the Quest. Neither are my favorite.

HL Alyx is still the best VR game I've seen.

Beat Saber is still my favorite native Quest game.