Virtual Reality Paradise!

[Gizmo j]

I've never seen anything like it!

 

[Kaido]

 

[Captante]

Personally I had enough of "cutting edge" (lol) consumer VR after about 20 minutes. (plus a nice headache!)

Seriously ... the absolute BEST "virtual reality" is still anything but "real looking" once you put it in 3-dimensional motion. I'm not interested at all until it gets exponentially better at... you know... looking EVEN SLIGHTLY "real". (being "immersed" in a "Hanna-Barbera" level animated game-world isn't ANY kind of "reality" aside from "harsh")

VR gaming is NOT "ready for prime-time" by any stretch and contrary to popular belief (plus media-hype) it's still a fairly good ways away from being viable for the "mainstream" gamer and/or really complex 3D environments.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If I could try out VR I'd try it, but it's not really something I'd really bother investing money into. Kinda like 3D TVs. They were kind of cool if you found content for it, but it's not really something I ever wanted bad enough to buy a new TV.

 

[Captante]

The difference is 3D TV tech is mostly abandoned at this point. (and with good reason) Consumer VR tech is JUST beginning to get interesting and isn't going anywhere.

Just because it's still pretty lame right now (and it is!) says nothing about 10 years from now.

 

[WelshBloke]

 

[Red Squirrel]

The difference is 3D TV tech is mostly abandoned at this point. (and with good reason) Consumer VR tech is JUST beginning to get interesting and isn't going anywhere.

Just because it's still pretty lame right now (and it is!) says nothing about 10 years from now.

Yeah I can see VR lasting longer, but they do need to come up with a standard and actually keep the content coming. The issue with 3D TVs is that each TV used it's own standard as far as I understand and there was not all that much content. If with VR they can standardize it and keep offering content I can see it stick around.

 

[Kaido]

The difference is 3D TV tech is mostly abandoned at this point. (and with good reason) Consumer VR tech is JUST beginning to get interesting and isn't going anywhere.

Just because it's still pretty lame right now (and it is!) says nothing about 10 years from now.

I like 3D TV...but I don't want to wear glasses at home to watch a 3D movie lol. I just stick with watching stuff like Avatar 3D in theaters.

 

[Kaido]

Yeah I can see VR lasting longer, but they do need to come up with a standard and actually keep the content coming. The issue with 3D TVs is that each TV used it's own standard as far as I understand and there was not all that much content. If with VR they can standardize it and keep offering content I can see it stick around.

Exactly right...VR is amazing, but it's lacking content. I wish Meta had spend their billions on the Metaverse on content instead...release a new AAA game every month, do special celebrity-director VR-only films & TV shows, etc. Maybe Apple can figure it out, but not a lot of people are going to be able to swing $3,500 for a personal headset, let alone multiple headsets for their entire family!

 

[Kaido]

If I could try out VR I'd try it, but it's not really something I'd really bother investing money into. Kinda like 3D TVs. They were kind of cool if you found content for it, but it's not really something I ever wanted bad enough to buy a new TV.

The Quest 2 is a really amazing piece of hardware. Like really, really incredible for what you pay for. But eventually you kind of run out of content. I've been using it since 2016, which is when the HTC Vive & the consumer Oculus Rift came out:

General VR discussion thread

The Oculus Rift launch thread was starting to derail, so I created this one for generic VR stuff discussion. I've captured some basic links & info on my wiki: http://catch42.pbworks.com/w/page/104034609/VR I'm very interested to see what happens in the VR space over the next few years...

forums.anandtech.com

Lots of good times, lots of good experiences, just has kind of been stagnant lately as far as content goes. I wish there was more cool stuff available, but there's only so many times you can play the same game before it becomes a rerun!

 

[Captante]

Don't get me wrong.... current VR tech is really cool in a "gee whiz" kinda way.

The potential is unlimited.

 

[igor_kavinski]

The only VR that has impressed me so far is Playstation VR (yes, the PS4 one).

It's relatively easy to use and I can get inside a virtual world in literally minutes. The only time I got a headache was when I tried to view some poor quality 360 degree Youtube video. There's a free VR music video on the PS store that I never tire from watching. It's mesmerizing.

PC VR is just a headache to set up and configure.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Personally I had enough of "cutting edge" (lol) consumer VR after about 20 minutes. (plus a nice headache!)

Which VR experience did you have?

 

[snoopy7548]

Exactly right...VR is amazing, but it's lacking content. I wish Meta had spend their billions on the Metaverse on content instead...release a new AAA game every month, do special celebrity-director VR-only films & TV shows, etc. Maybe Apple can figure it out, but not a lot of people are going to be able to swing $3,500 for a personal headset, let alone multiple headsets for their entire family!

If someone found a way to play any old game in VR, I'd probably get a headset. All those old FPSes like Doom, Duke Nuke, Quake, etc. would be awesome.

 

[igor_kavinski]

If someone found a way to play any old game in VR, I'd probably get a headset. All those old FPSes like Doom, Duke Nuke, Quake, etc. would be awesome.

Doom 1 and 2 can be played, apparently: https://www.briankoponen.com/how-to-run-doom-virtual-reality/

 

[nerp]

I get motion sickness almost instantly whenever I try VR. And I don't like things pressed against my face. Until VR is totally holographic and requires no equipment on my body, it's a total non-starter for me. I think VR is never going to catch on or be mainstream.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I get motion sickness almost instantly whenever I try VR.

Try having a 500mg capsule of ginger before whatever VR experience you want to try. It's possible that you tried something badly designed. I think you need to set the FOV to at least 90 degrees if the app/game allows it and try not to do any quick and sudden turning.

 

[Captante]

I get motion sickness almost instantly whenever I try VR. And I don't like things pressed against my face. Until VR is totally holographic and requires no equipment on my body, it's a total non-starter for me. I think VR is never going to catch on or be mainstream UNTIL IT'S FAR EASIER TO USE AND LOOKS A LOT BETTER.

Fixed.

The potential for VR is limitless (especially for handicapped folks) but right now the crappy IQ and uncomfortable "goggles" required really suck.

Sorry but I've never seen anything actually shooting for "real" look so embarrassingly terrible.

Rather then "holographics" being the answer however, I believe a direct NEURAL interface is the true "eureka" (!!!) technology the industry is waiting on.

 

[NuclearNed]

If someone found a way to play any old game in VR, I'd probably get a headset. All those old FPSes like Doom, Duke Nuke, Quake, etc. would be awesome.

4 words for you: Tie Fighter Total Conversion

Anyone who likes old games, or anyone who likes awesome games in general should look it up. And it supports VR.

 

[Kaido]

If someone found a way to play any old game in VR, I'd probably get a headset. All those old FPSes like Doom, Duke Nuke, Quake, etc. would be awesome.

There are 2 methods:

1. 2D virtual screen
2. 3D conversion (ports)

You can play the games on a virtual (flat) monitor in VR using remote desktop:

Virtual Desktop für Meta Quest | Quest VR-Games

Connect wirelessly to your computer(s) to watch movies, browse the web, play 2D games or stream PCVR games. Virtual Desktop is a highly optimized, native application developed for low latency, high quality streaming. • Connect up to 4 computers (Windows 10 or 11, macOS Catalina or later) • PCVR...

www.oculus.com

They even have custom rooms, so you can have a 3D VR room with a 2D projector screen that streams your desktop PC screen in 2D, it's pretty cool!

There are also 3D ports available. For example, Vivecraft is a mod for Minecraft that lets you play room-scale (walk around your room) or seated (in a chair) in VR: (I will not be answering questions on how many hours I've spent in this lol)

Vivecraft - Virtual Reality Minecraft for SteamVR

Virtual Reality Minecraft for SteamVR

www.vivecraft.org

Half-life: Alyx is available in native VR, but there are also fan-made ports for the older ones:

Half-Life: VR Mod on Steam

A fan-made highly immersive Virtual Reality mod for the classic Half-Life from 1998.

store.steampowered.com

Half-Life 2: VR Mod on Steam

Half Life 2: VR Mod is a fan-made project, which adds full Virtual Reality support to the original 2004 PC gaming classic by Valve Software. Are you ready to become the Freeman?

store.steampowered.com

Lambda1VR HalfLife VR (Meta Quest) on SideQuest Oculus Quest Games & Apps including AppLab Games ( Oculus App Lab )

HalfLife VR on QuestReturn to Black Mesa and experience one of the greatest games of all times as you never have before in Virtual Reality!This release version is for Meta Quest. There is also a version for Pico.Getting started:What version of HL1 do you need? Buy HL1 on steam and then...

sidequestvr.com

Ports are hit-or-miss because there's a lot of tweaks that go into VR games so that you don't get nauseous playing them (framerate, POV, movement, etc.). Games made for VR are a lot nicer...for example, the guy who made Jet Island did a really fun job figuring out how to get you to hover-surf with grappling hooks on a massively-scaled map with huge bosses and it is SUPER fun for a slow-style game: (I've spent a loooooot of hours playing this one!)

Jet Island on Steam

Slide anywhere on your hoverboard at extreme speeds! Explore the massive open world of Jet Island! Learn to skate on any surface, swing from tall buildings, fly in ways you never knew were possible! Defeat the 4 giant boss fights! Get ready to experience complete freedom in VR!

store.steampowered.com