Has anyone already played Asgard's Wrath? The reviews sound good, but they also sound kinda generic, as if the reviewers were happy enough to have a VR game with good production values that's longer than a couple of hours.
I played it at PAX. The gameplay looked interesting, with elements of Moss mixed with elements of Gorn. But at the time optimization was terribad. Lots of video lag whenever physics was going on. I wouldn't pick it up without a demo, or at least confirmation that it's been improved.
After waiting ages to dive into VR, I'm kind of pondering it, especially with Black Friday and Boxing Day (Canadian style!) sales coming up.
But, what to get?
I've got a PS4 Pro, and a 4 year old desktop PC (i7-5820k, dual 970 GTX, 16 gigs of DDR4 @2133 RAM) that are my gaming machines. I get that going with a PS4 rig would likely be more affordable, and also be backwards compatible with the PS5, though I don't at all intend to be an early adopter on that one. I don't feel the PC is woefully out of date just yet, especially looking at some of the requirements out there on Google, but thought I'd give context all the same.
Currently, Beat Saber is the real killer app drawing me in. Played it at a friend's place, and it'd be super fun. From what I've read, the PC vs PS4 choice is practically a no-brainer, where the PC edition seems to have massive advantages in simply countless songs being constantly put out by the community for download, versus just getting some DLC packs here and there.
But glancing at Best Buy, a Rift S or Quest is going to cost like $200 more than a PS4 bundle on a minor sale, and that's before the major holiday stuff is upon us. I glanced at the Vive pricing and my wallet nearly shat itself, so I think that's out of my price range unless it sees a major holiday drop or my bonus is way bigger than previous years.
So, I'm not itching to dive in right this moment, but figured I'd start doing some research and asking around. I'd love to do a PC upgrade sometime sooner rather than later, but after tidying up a minor snag of 'not upgrading the motherboard firmware... ever' earlier this year, it's still holding pretty strong. Might get away with a minor upgrade to the RAM or something, but if I'm going to get much more involved than that, I'd begin to start leaning towards a full system anyways.
I've read of some people managing to get their PS4 headset working on PC just for looking around and stuff, but for now I'm ignoring that aside from an 'oh, that's neat' aspect.
Another small angle is that while the Index isn't yet available in Canada (from Valve direct, at least), there's a part of me that's more inclined to future-proof against Half Life VR over worrying about the console end of things. Realistically, this would be mostly a Beat Saber accessory for a while (and yeah, I'm sure there are dozens of games that are amazing which I don't have yet, but steam sales are plentiful enough that's easily correctable over time).
Thoughts? Input? Suggestions?
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
0
The_SpaniardIt's never lupinesIrvine, CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
After waiting ages to dive into VR, I'm kind of pondering it, especially with Black Friday and Boxing Day (Canadian style!) sales coming up.
But, what to get?
I've got a PS4 Pro, and a 4 year old desktop PC (i7-5820k, dual 970 GTX, 16 gigs of DDR4 @2133 RAM) that are my gaming machines. I get that going with a PS4 rig would likely be more affordable, and also be backwards compatible with the PS5, though I don't at all intend to be an early adopter on that one. I don't feel the PC is woefully out of date just yet, especially looking at some of the requirements out there on Google, but thought I'd give context all the same.
Currently, Beat Saber is the real killer app drawing me in. Played it at a friend's place, and it'd be super fun. From what I've read, the PC vs PS4 choice is practically a no-brainer, where the PC edition seems to have massive advantages in simply countless songs being constantly put out by the community for download, versus just getting some DLC packs here and there.
But glancing at Best Buy, a Rift S or Quest is going to cost like $200 more than a PS4 bundle on a minor sale, and that's before the major holiday stuff is upon us. I glanced at the Vive pricing and my wallet nearly shat itself, so I think that's out of my price range unless it sees a major holiday drop or my bonus is way bigger than previous years.
So, I'm not itching to dive in right this moment, but figured I'd start doing some research and asking around. I'd love to do a PC upgrade sometime sooner rather than later, but after tidying up a minor snag of 'not upgrading the motherboard firmware... ever' earlier this year, it's still holding pretty strong. Might get away with a minor upgrade to the RAM or something, but if I'm going to get much more involved than that, I'd begin to start leaning towards a full system anyways.
I've read of some people managing to get their PS4 headset working on PC just for looking around and stuff, but for now I'm ignoring that aside from an 'oh, that's neat' aspect.
Another small angle is that while the Index isn't yet available in Canada (from Valve direct, at least), there's a part of me that's more inclined to future-proof against Half Life VR over worrying about the console end of things. Realistically, this would be mostly a Beat Saber accessory for a while (and yeah, I'm sure there are dozens of games that are amazing which I don't have yet, but steam sales are plentiful enough that's easily correctable over time).
Thoughts? Input? Suggestions?
Another thing to consider is if you'd ever want to take your VR on the road with you. The Oculus Quest is pretty damn amazing as portable VR, and they are going to be releasing an update that allows you to plug it into your PC and use it as a PC VR headset as well. You'd get a nice double whammy with that one, while it won't be quite as nice or have the controllers from the Index, you will have the same really nice controllers that come with the Rift S. Though it you are going to be a strictly home VR user and want the best of the best, Index all the way.
Another thing to consider is if you'd ever want to take your VR on the road with you. The Oculus Quest is pretty damn amazing as portable VR, and they are going to be releasing an update that allows you to plug it into your PC and use it as a PC VR headset as well. You'd get a nice double whammy with that one, while it won't be quite as nice or have the controllers from the Index, you will have the same really nice controllers that come with the Rift S. Though it you are going to be a strictly home VR user and want the best of the best, Index all the way.
It hadn't even occurred to me to take it anywhere. I imagine this will be an item that stays in my home until I move or have to replace it.
Nearly half a year in and there doesn't seem to be a target date for when (or even if) the Index will be available in Canada, and prices I'm seeing online are in the $1,500 range for the full kit, or about 2.5 times what I'd pay for a Rift S or Quest).
I appreciate the thought, but while comfort and quality are important, portability isn't currently high on the priority list. My PS4 Pro hasn't moved since I bought it 2 years ago, and my PC is a full tower that only moves when I change apartments. :-P
Damn but do I hope the Index becomes available and drops in price, but with those two factors in play, I think I'll have to aim more in the Oculus/PS4 range of things.
Though it sounds like I really should start google'ing the differences between the S and Quest revisions, as BestBuy's website is... not super helpful.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
Another thing to consider is if you'd ever want to take your VR on the road with you. The Oculus Quest is pretty damn amazing as portable VR, and they are going to be releasing an update that allows you to plug it into your PC and use it as a PC VR headset as well. You'd get a nice double whammy with that one, while it won't be quite as nice or have the controllers from the Index, you will have the same really nice controllers that come with the Rift S. Though it you are going to be a strictly home VR user and want the best of the best, Index all the way.
It hadn't even occurred to me to take it anywhere. I imagine this will be an item that stays in my home until I move or have to replace it.
Nearly half a year in and there doesn't seem to be a target date for when (or even if) the Index will be available in Canada, and prices I'm seeing online are in the $1,500 range for the full kit, or about 2.5 times what I'd pay for a Rift S or Quest).
I appreciate the thought, but while comfort and quality are important, portability isn't currently high on the priority list. My PS4 Pro hasn't moved since I bought it 2 years ago, and my PC is a full tower that only moves when I change apartments. :-P
Damn but do I hope the Index becomes available and drops in price, but with those two factors in play, I think I'll have to aim more in the Oculus/PS4 range of things.
Though it sounds like I really should start google'ing the differences between the S and Quest revisions, as BestBuy's website is... not super helpful.
You'll be fine with that PC hardware. Using the HTC Vive, my 970 is plenty for most VR games. Beat Saber, Super Hot, Pavlov VR, and Star Trek Bridge Crew run at full speed. Games that have a VR mode bolted on (e.g. Subnautica) often don't get the kind of optimization you need to run on a 970 and are borderline unplayable even on new hardware.
The Vive itself is still really good; over the years I added on the deluxe audio strap and Index controllers, and I'm totally satisfied. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it for new buyers, because HTC is still pricing it like it's new without updating the base package. 499 USD *without* the deluxe audio strap, *without* thumbstick-style controllers, *without* any resolution or sub-pixel updates? That just doesn't make sense against the competitors that are out today.
The just-released HTC Cosmos is on par or better than other current systems, but they're still aiming high on that price (699 USD!). I'm willing to save up and pay a premium to make sure Facebook doesn't get my money, but HTC isn't make it an easy choice.
Another thing to consider is if you'd ever want to take your VR on the road with you. The Oculus Quest is pretty damn amazing as portable VR, and they are going to be releasing an update that allows you to plug it into your PC and use it as a PC VR headset as well. You'd get a nice double whammy with that one, while it won't be quite as nice or have the controllers from the Index, you will have the same really nice controllers that come with the Rift S. Though it you are going to be a strictly home VR user and want the best of the best, Index all the way.
It hadn't even occurred to me to take it anywhere. I imagine this will be an item that stays in my home until I move or have to replace it.
Nearly half a year in and there doesn't seem to be a target date for when (or even if) the Index will be available in Canada, and prices I'm seeing online are in the $1,500 range for the full kit, or about 2.5 times what I'd pay for a Rift S or Quest).
I appreciate the thought, but while comfort and quality are important, portability isn't currently high on the priority list. My PS4 Pro hasn't moved since I bought it 2 years ago, and my PC is a full tower that only moves when I change apartments. :-P
Damn but do I hope the Index becomes available and drops in price, but with those two factors in play, I think I'll have to aim more in the Oculus/PS4 range of things.
Though it sounds like I really should start google'ing the differences between the S and Quest revisions, as BestBuy's website is... not super helpful.
Is your last sentence asking about the difference between a Rift S and Quest? A lot of people here can describe that if you're wondering.
I think you're going to want a Rift S. The Quest has the pc connection option on the horizon, but I don't think they've given a date for it to come out. PSVR is an inferior option, due to having the worst controllers of any VR setup and not really having true 360 degree tracking. If you end up wanting better performance, grab a new video card. Should still cost substantially less altogether than an Index.
Is your last sentence asking about the difference between a Rift S and Quest? A lot of people here can describe that if you're wondering.
It was more thinking out loud, but if someone would be willing to take the time to share their insights, I'd be happy to hear them!
Didn't want to insinuate I wasn't willing to do the homework on my own, but I'd love to see someone's notes if they have them available, as it were.
It's not so much insights, they're different products achieving different things and which one you want will largely come down to your needs.
In terms of pure headset comparisons, the Rift S is the superior VR experience. It's a purpose-built PC headset. It has more cameras on it for theoretical better tracking, it has access to the full library of PCVR content, including SteamVR titles as well as Oculus titles, has a higher refresh rate display.
The Quest trades off one onboard sensor, a slight refresh rate drop, and access to PCVR games in order to pack in mobile processing power to be able to operate untethered from a PC. It has an extensive library, but the games are less graphically complex and smaller in scope, for the most part. You'll find classics like Beat Saber and SuperHOT on there, but you won't find the new AAA RPG Asgard's Wrath, for example.
If you never plan to be playing VR anywhere but in front of your PC, the Rift S is a no-brainer. It's just a better experience. But if you like the idea of having a completely standalone headset that can be used anywhere in your house, or taken over to a friend's place, or brought on holiday, then the Quest offers that and the Rift S does not.
One thing that does muddle the choice slightly is that Oculus has announced an official adapter that will allow you to tether a Quest to a PC and use it like a PC-based headset. You'll still retain the lower refresh rate (72hz vs 80hz) and the lower tracking sensor count, but it theoretically turns the Quest into a full PC headset. The reason I say it muddles the choice is that nobody knows how well it will work yet. It's unreleased and largely unreviewed, so it could turn out to be crap.
IF the new Oculus Quest tether works perfectly as advertised, then essentially the Rift S becomes largely pointless, since I doubt anyone would argue that 72hz and one less tracking camera is worth giving up the ability to run the headset standalone whenever you want to. The biggest downside of the Quest is its inability to access the larger PCVR software library, and if the tether works as advertised when it is released, that weakness is solved.
Black Friday has come to the frozen wastes to the north. I can definitely wait at least that long to see what the deals are.
Looks like in 2018 it was around 10-15%, which isn't exactly huge, but hey, $50 or so in pocket is better than not. That's a game or two (or five if I wait for the inevitable Steam sale in December).
I appreciate the info, that solves a lot of what I was wondering. Now I just have to patiently wait another month or so for the deals to start landing.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
You might be more likely to get a good black Friday deal on a video card than an Oculus headset. They both just released this year, and I suspect Facebook might already be selling them at, or close to, a loss in order to try and hit a bigger market.
Does anyone here have any VR tweak tips for Dirt Rally (the first one)? It runs okay, but I keep thinking that it should run better on my machine. Are there any obvious settings that can be lowered without having all that much on an impact in VR?
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Well hooray! I'm now 2/2 on "getting decent tech support from companies with dubious track records" on my VR headsets.
I managed to break the cable for my Index. It has a long cable that attaches to a smaller 3-in-1 cable, and unfortunately I noticed that I managed to bend the connecting cable to an 80 degree angle when I was in the process of hooking it up to show my friend that was visiting. Bad timing! Then I remembered I'm dealing with Valve and this was going to entail a ticket with Steam support (you can't buy the cables retail right now), which is when I got a little afraid.
But, it wound up being an easy experience. They got back to me on Monday after putting in the ticket on Sunday, and shipped out a new cord for free despite it being user error. Installing the new cable actually made me appreciate some of the neat little engineering things Valve did with the headset -- at first I was worried the cable was permanently attached to the headset, but there are just a few clever little widgets that you can pop off to detach the old one that make the cable cradle the headset nicely and stay out of your way as much as possible.
I wound up messing around with some older VR experiences -- the Blu and demo stuff, to make sure they still work fine with the Index controllers as I'm planning on showing some newbies soon. And damn, it's like experiencing some of that stuff for the first time with the upgraded Index visuals and beefier PC to keep the upsampling going. I didn't expect to make it through any of the Blu experiences because I'd done them so much around the Vive launch, but I wound up being captivated and sitting through all 3 of them with a goofy expression on my face the entire time.
+6
Zilla36021st Century. |She/Her|Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered Userregular
Black Friday has come to the frozen wastes to the north. I can definitely wait at least that long to see what the deals are.
Looks like in 2018 it was around 10-15%, which isn't exactly huge, but hey, $50 or so in pocket is better than not. That's a game or two (or five if I wait for the inevitable Steam sale in December).
I appreciate the info, that solves a lot of what I was wondering. Now I just have to patiently wait another month or so for the deals to start landing.
As the resident MWR user, I'll mention that I got my Lenovo Explorer last year on Black Friday for $300 CAD... you can certainly get better for less now. My Explorer is still kicking along nicely and I have no real issues with tracking, outside niche hand issues (i.e. can't put your arm behind your back for long). Personally I'm looking to pick up a HP Reverb on black friday, if the deals are there. The 4k per eye resolution is supposed to be amazing for anything simulation-y.
Also, as people brought up portability, I have a decently powered laptop that can run Beat Saber, so I have brought that to friends houses for VR fun times. It's handy not having to bring cameras or light houses; aside from the initial 'trace your border' bit it's plug and play.
given what they are doing with the Switch/ joycons, I have to think that if Nintendo ever came out with a VR headset they would rock the market. (Virtual boy doesnt count).
given what they are doing with the Switch/ joycons, I have to think that if Nintendo ever came out with a VR headset they would rock the market. (Virtual boy doesnt count).
I mean... Nintendo certainly doesn't want it to count
given what they are doing with the Switch/ joycons, I have to think that if Nintendo ever came out with a VR headset they would rock the market. (Virtual boy doesnt count).
I mean... Nintendo certainly doesn't want it to count
Well comon.. Virtual boy was less a VR helmet than a Prototype 3DS.
So I guess there's a (possibly terrible, based on reviews) Borderlands 2 VR up on Steam now. It honestly wasn't on my radar at all, and lol if they think I'm buying Borderlands 2 VR for $50 (had no problems paying full price for FO4 and Skyrim), sooo anyone have any hands on experience? Is it as hot jank as the reviews are telling me?
IIRC, the PSVR version got middling reviews. The game works okay in VR, but it could've been adapted to VR much better than it has, added to which I think it's single-player only for no good reason. However, I haven't really followed this, so it's quite possible things have been improved since launch, or that the PC version is worse in some ways.
On a different note: does No Man's Sky still have big performance issues in VR or has this been improved since?
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Anyone with an interest in VR animation should make sure to check out Wolves in the Walls, based on the Neil Gaiman children's book. It's not only beautifully designed and animated, it does some pretty cool things with interactivity, scope and perspective. Well worth the half hour it takes, even if the story isn't finished yet. (As far as I'm aware of, there's another part in the making.)
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
I'm currently mainly playing Dirt Rally on Oculus Rift, but I also downloaded the Project Cars 2 demo and just played it. It's totally not my kind of racing game - though I'm only a casual racing game player, I much prefer the environment in rally games to trying to outrace other cars on a topographically boring course - but it is a neat introduction to the game and gives you a good idea of how it runs in VR.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
+1
Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
IIRC, the PSVR version got middling reviews. The game works okay in VR, but it could've been adapted to VR much better than it has, added to which I think it's single-player only for no good reason. However, I haven't really followed this, so it's quite possible things have been improved since launch, or that the PC version is worse in some ways.
On a different note: does No Man's Sky still have big performance issues in VR or has this been improved since?
For the handful of hours I played before remembering why I gave up on NMS in the first place (why the fuck am I going to waste a million hours on grinding the same ten minute gameplay cycle to ultimately no end?), I was actually pretty impressed with the VR experience and didn't notice any performance issues. I'd heard reports about draw distances and whatnot, but I didn't really see anything worse than the rest of the wonkiness in the game engine in flat mode. Seemed to run pretty alright to me, with some slowdown in a few select spots (like with too much junk around in a asteroid field).
IIRC, the PSVR version got middling reviews. The game works okay in VR, but it could've been adapted to VR much better than it has, added to which I think it's single-player only for no good reason. However, I haven't really followed this, so it's quite possible things have been improved since launch, or that the PC version is worse in some ways.
On a different note: does No Man's Sky still have big performance issues in VR or has this been improved since?
They did improve the performance -- a lot of it had to do with rendering stuff that you couldn't even see in VR (the nose cutout area of your headset. I'm not sure if they went back and fixed it for Oculus stuff too, as the first round was just SteamVR based headsets (as the nose cutout area is different on each headset and has to be setup individually), but I would assume they have by now.
That being said it is still probably one of the most demanding VR games out there, and will probably still run a bit worse than you'd like. But it is quite a bit better than launch at least.
Anyone with an interest in VR animation should make sure to check out Wolves in the Walls, based on the Neil Gaiman children's book. It's not only beautifully designed and animated, it does some pretty cool things with interactivity, scope and perspective. Well worth the half hour it takes, even if the story isn't finished yet. (As far as I'm aware of, there's another part in the making.)
Trying to figure out how to try this since it doesn't come up in the app and added it to my wishlist on the oculus site but still no dice.
I suspect Borderlands 2 VR is singleplayer only because of the teleport movement option, which probably isn't great to look at.
Works fine in Arizona Sunshine. The character just walks (or runs) between teleportation locations.
Well, "fine." None of the interpolation is correct, but it does what it can with two hands and a head to work with.
I finally got around to watching a YouTube of this, and I dunno... I thought it was one of the jankier things I've ever seen. You see other guys just lurch-run from point to point, and when they get there the interpolation just has limbs splayed out unnaturally. It doesn't look good, and I think it would be even more bizarre in Borderlands's cel-shaded cartoon style.
I suspect Borderlands 2 VR is singleplayer only because of the teleport movement option, which probably isn't great to look at.
Works fine in Arizona Sunshine. The character just walks (or runs) between teleportation locations.
Well, "fine." None of the interpolation is correct, but it does what it can with two hands and a head to work with.
I finally got around to watching a YouTube of this, and I dunno... I thought it was one of the jankier things I've ever seen. You see other guys just lurch-run from point to point, and when they get there the interpolation just has limbs splayed out unnaturally. It doesn't look good, and I think it would be even more bizarre in Borderlands's cel-shaded cartoon style.
But it works. Also Borderlands could easily have clowned on that shit were that the case.
I'm not a huge fan of 360° video in VR, as it always makes my eyes hurt a bit, probably because it's not really 3D, so whenever you move your head there are things that don't tally: when you move forward, the image stays at the same distance, and what your left eye sees and what your right eye sees doesn't work to form an image the way it would if there was an actual person or object in front of you.
Nonetheless, I was impressed by the VR short "Traveling While Black", which takes the Green Book that told African Americans where it was safe for them to stay and eat while travelling as its starting point. It's more focused on individual experiences and on putting this in a wider, more present-day context than I expected, but this works really well. It also shows how the medium of VR could be used to give people more immersive glimpses into the lives of others. There's a sequence where you're in a diner, sitting next to a couple of guys talking about what it was like for them in the '60s, travelling by bus, and if you turn around you see that the mirrored wall next to you is actually the view from the window of the bus and you see yourself reflected, except the reflection is of a young black man. You could easily miss the moment if you just look at the old guy sitting next to you talking about his life and his experiences, so the film is quite restrained in how it uses the medium. For anyone who's interested in how VR is being used for documentaries, I can definitely recommend this one.
Thirith on
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Coughed up the cash for the Oculus Quest set last week, and man this thing is incredible. I hadn't played with a VR system since some Lawnmower Man-esque dragon game at Dave & Busters back in the early 90s, so I'm blown away by what this thing can do. Bought Pistol Whip last night and it's a pretty fun game. Seems simplistic enough, but the skill of matching kills to the beat to maximize your score significantly increases each level's replayability.
Like most of my major purchases (I'm a cheapskate, so ~$500 is a major purchase), I regretted it as soon as I walked out of the store, only to completely reverse my sentiments upon using it.
I'm looking forward to seeing some of the live events. Basketball ain't my thing, but the experience could be pretty awesome.
Le_Goat on
While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
+9
Drake ChambersLay out my formal shorts.Registered Userregular
I TOFTT and picked up Asgard's Wrath. It was the correct decision.
In short, I think it's fantastic. It is not perfect - I've got a 1080 and it does hitch up on me occasionally, generally upon entering new areas. It almost never stutters during combat though, which is what's most important. I'd also say it's key to run it off an SSD. The install is over 160 gigs and load times on a platter drive are bad - literally a minute or more, which is really brutal if you're in a tough spot and you're getting killed a lot. I don't have room on my existing SSD but this game alone is prompting me to seriously consider getting a new SSD, for what that's worth.
It's polished and beautiful and fun. Puzzle-type challenges are pretty simple but engaging. Combat is visceral and satisfying, especially the boss battles. The mechanic at play that has you switching between characters for different parts of the game is really fun and has surprised me a few times.
I've put in about 12 hours and I've completed the first chapter or "saga" in the game, but my percentage completion in the first areas is closer to 40%. I'm not sure how many chapters there are.
I'm being vague because I've had a lot of fun being surprised by the way the game introduces new mechanics and gameplay segments, so I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who's ready to jump in. I'm happy to answer what questions I can though and I'll put my answers in spoilers. So, AMA!
Coughed up the cash for the Oculus Quest set last week, and man this thing is incredible. I hadn't played with a VR system since some Lawnmower Man-esque dragon game at Dave & Busters back in the early 90s, so I'm blown away by what this thing can do. Bought Pistol Whip last night and it's a pretty fun game. Seems simplistic enough, but the skill of matching kills to the beat to maximize your score significantly increases each level's replayability.
Like most of my major purchases (I'm a cheapskate, so ~$500 is a major purchase), I regretted it as soon as I walked out of the store, only to completely reverse my sentiments upon using it.
I'm looking forward to seeing some of the live events. Basketball ain't my thing, but the experience could be pretty awesome.
I'd like to keep hearing about your new experiences with your Oculus. I'm going to have to get a pair of lenses for close up vision before i buy one, so i have a while. But in the meantime, my biggest worry is that there isnt enough quality things to do with it to make it worth buying right now. Fill us in on anything you get or do with it. not just gaming. Do you use it for TV or are there documentarys or such that are designed for it?
Posts
Has anyone put hands on that Tilt Five AR tabletop system? It was apparently at GenCon and PAX West.
I am intrigued by the tech, curious about the 'density' of the projection in normal lighting conditions?
That's one of the main issues with AR glasses, and I'm wondering if the fact you only see what's reflected from the "board" side steps the issue.
(Please PM or @ me if you have!)
I played it at PAX. The gameplay looked interesting, with elements of Moss mixed with elements of Gorn. But at the time optimization was terribad. Lots of video lag whenever physics was going on. I wouldn't pick it up without a demo, or at least confirmation that it's been improved.
But, what to get?
I've got a PS4 Pro, and a 4 year old desktop PC (i7-5820k, dual 970 GTX, 16 gigs of DDR4 @2133 RAM) that are my gaming machines. I get that going with a PS4 rig would likely be more affordable, and also be backwards compatible with the PS5, though I don't at all intend to be an early adopter on that one. I don't feel the PC is woefully out of date just yet, especially looking at some of the requirements out there on Google, but thought I'd give context all the same.
Currently, Beat Saber is the real killer app drawing me in. Played it at a friend's place, and it'd be super fun. From what I've read, the PC vs PS4 choice is practically a no-brainer, where the PC edition seems to have massive advantages in simply countless songs being constantly put out by the community for download, versus just getting some DLC packs here and there.
But glancing at Best Buy, a Rift S or Quest is going to cost like $200 more than a PS4 bundle on a minor sale, and that's before the major holiday stuff is upon us. I glanced at the Vive pricing and my wallet nearly shat itself, so I think that's out of my price range unless it sees a major holiday drop or my bonus is way bigger than previous years.
So, I'm not itching to dive in right this moment, but figured I'd start doing some research and asking around. I'd love to do a PC upgrade sometime sooner rather than later, but after tidying up a minor snag of 'not upgrading the motherboard firmware... ever' earlier this year, it's still holding pretty strong. Might get away with a minor upgrade to the RAM or something, but if I'm going to get much more involved than that, I'd begin to start leaning towards a full system anyways.
I've read of some people managing to get their PS4 headset working on PC just for looking around and stuff, but for now I'm ignoring that aside from an 'oh, that's neat' aspect.
Another small angle is that while the Index isn't yet available in Canada (from Valve direct, at least), there's a part of me that's more inclined to future-proof against Half Life VR over worrying about the console end of things. Realistically, this would be mostly a Beat Saber accessory for a while (and yeah, I'm sure there are dozens of games that are amazing which I don't have yet, but steam sales are plentiful enough that's easily correctable over time).
Thoughts? Input? Suggestions?
Another thing to consider is if you'd ever want to take your VR on the road with you. The Oculus Quest is pretty damn amazing as portable VR, and they are going to be releasing an update that allows you to plug it into your PC and use it as a PC VR headset as well. You'd get a nice double whammy with that one, while it won't be quite as nice or have the controllers from the Index, you will have the same really nice controllers that come with the Rift S. Though it you are going to be a strictly home VR user and want the best of the best, Index all the way.
Haven't had the chance to try them out yet, but I'm hoping to be able to this weekend.
It hadn't even occurred to me to take it anywhere. I imagine this will be an item that stays in my home until I move or have to replace it.
Nearly half a year in and there doesn't seem to be a target date for when (or even if) the Index will be available in Canada, and prices I'm seeing online are in the $1,500 range for the full kit, or about 2.5 times what I'd pay for a Rift S or Quest).
I appreciate the thought, but while comfort and quality are important, portability isn't currently high on the priority list. My PS4 Pro hasn't moved since I bought it 2 years ago, and my PC is a full tower that only moves when I change apartments. :-P
Damn but do I hope the Index becomes available and drops in price, but with those two factors in play, I think I'll have to aim more in the Oculus/PS4 range of things.
Though it sounds like I really should start google'ing the differences between the S and Quest revisions, as BestBuy's website is... not super helpful.
You'll be fine with that PC hardware. Using the HTC Vive, my 970 is plenty for most VR games. Beat Saber, Super Hot, Pavlov VR, and Star Trek Bridge Crew run at full speed. Games that have a VR mode bolted on (e.g. Subnautica) often don't get the kind of optimization you need to run on a 970 and are borderline unplayable even on new hardware.
The Vive itself is still really good; over the years I added on the deluxe audio strap and Index controllers, and I'm totally satisfied. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it for new buyers, because HTC is still pricing it like it's new without updating the base package. 499 USD *without* the deluxe audio strap, *without* thumbstick-style controllers, *without* any resolution or sub-pixel updates? That just doesn't make sense against the competitors that are out today.
The just-released HTC Cosmos is on par or better than other current systems, but they're still aiming high on that price (699 USD!). I'm willing to save up and pay a premium to make sure Facebook doesn't get my money, but HTC isn't make it an easy choice.
Is your last sentence asking about the difference between a Rift S and Quest? A lot of people here can describe that if you're wondering.
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It was more thinking out loud, but if someone would be willing to take the time to share their insights, I'd be happy to hear them!
Didn't want to insinuate I wasn't willing to do the homework on my own, but I'd love to see someone's notes if they have them available, as it were.
It's not so much insights, they're different products achieving different things and which one you want will largely come down to your needs.
In terms of pure headset comparisons, the Rift S is the superior VR experience. It's a purpose-built PC headset. It has more cameras on it for theoretical better tracking, it has access to the full library of PCVR content, including SteamVR titles as well as Oculus titles, has a higher refresh rate display.
The Quest trades off one onboard sensor, a slight refresh rate drop, and access to PCVR games in order to pack in mobile processing power to be able to operate untethered from a PC. It has an extensive library, but the games are less graphically complex and smaller in scope, for the most part. You'll find classics like Beat Saber and SuperHOT on there, but you won't find the new AAA RPG Asgard's Wrath, for example.
If you never plan to be playing VR anywhere but in front of your PC, the Rift S is a no-brainer. It's just a better experience. But if you like the idea of having a completely standalone headset that can be used anywhere in your house, or taken over to a friend's place, or brought on holiday, then the Quest offers that and the Rift S does not.
One thing that does muddle the choice slightly is that Oculus has announced an official adapter that will allow you to tether a Quest to a PC and use it like a PC-based headset. You'll still retain the lower refresh rate (72hz vs 80hz) and the lower tracking sensor count, but it theoretically turns the Quest into a full PC headset. The reason I say it muddles the choice is that nobody knows how well it will work yet. It's unreleased and largely unreviewed, so it could turn out to be crap.
IF the new Oculus Quest tether works perfectly as advertised, then essentially the Rift S becomes largely pointless, since I doubt anyone would argue that 72hz and one less tracking camera is worth giving up the ability to run the headset standalone whenever you want to. The biggest downside of the Quest is its inability to access the larger PCVR software library, and if the tether works as advertised when it is released, that weakness is solved.
And really since you said portability isn't a thing you care about (and if you're sure), then the Rift S gets the what you want now.
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And, well, not *now* now.
Black Friday has come to the frozen wastes to the north. I can definitely wait at least that long to see what the deals are.
Looks like in 2018 it was around 10-15%, which isn't exactly huge, but hey, $50 or so in pocket is better than not. That's a game or two (or five if I wait for the inevitable Steam sale in December).
I appreciate the info, that solves a lot of what I was wondering. Now I just have to patiently wait another month or so for the deals to start landing.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
I managed to break the cable for my Index. It has a long cable that attaches to a smaller 3-in-1 cable, and unfortunately I noticed that I managed to bend the connecting cable to an 80 degree angle when I was in the process of hooking it up to show my friend that was visiting. Bad timing! Then I remembered I'm dealing with Valve and this was going to entail a ticket with Steam support (you can't buy the cables retail right now), which is when I got a little afraid.
But, it wound up being an easy experience. They got back to me on Monday after putting in the ticket on Sunday, and shipped out a new cord for free despite it being user error. Installing the new cable actually made me appreciate some of the neat little engineering things Valve did with the headset -- at first I was worried the cable was permanently attached to the headset, but there are just a few clever little widgets that you can pop off to detach the old one that make the cable cradle the headset nicely and stay out of your way as much as possible.
I wound up messing around with some older VR experiences -- the Blu and demo stuff, to make sure they still work fine with the Index controllers as I'm planning on showing some newbies soon. And damn, it's like experiencing some of that stuff for the first time with the upgraded Index visuals and beefier PC to keep the upsampling going. I didn't expect to make it through any of the Blu experiences because I'd done them so much around the Vive launch, but I wound up being captivated and sitting through all 3 of them with a goofy expression on my face the entire time.
https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2019/10/17/showcase-your-weapon-skills-with-blood-truths-latest-free-update-out-today/
They also added some support for the PSVR AIM controller in one of the modes a while back.
As the resident MWR user, I'll mention that I got my Lenovo Explorer last year on Black Friday for $300 CAD... you can certainly get better for less now. My Explorer is still kicking along nicely and I have no real issues with tracking, outside niche hand issues (i.e. can't put your arm behind your back for long). Personally I'm looking to pick up a HP Reverb on black friday, if the deals are there. The 4k per eye resolution is supposed to be amazing for anything simulation-y.
Also, as people brought up portability, I have a decently powered laptop that can run Beat Saber, so I have brought that to friends houses for VR fun times. It's handy not having to bring cameras or light houses; aside from the initial 'trace your border' bit it's plug and play.
I mean... Nintendo certainly doesn't want it to count
Well comon.. Virtual boy was less a VR helmet than a Prototype 3DS.
On a different note: does No Man's Sky still have big performance issues in VR or has this been improved since?
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
I gather there are significant visual issues on non-Rift/Rift S headsets.
Well, "fine." None of the interpolation is correct, but it does what it can with two hands and a head to work with.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
For the handful of hours I played before remembering why I gave up on NMS in the first place (why the fuck am I going to waste a million hours on grinding the same ten minute gameplay cycle to ultimately no end?), I was actually pretty impressed with the VR experience and didn't notice any performance issues. I'd heard reports about draw distances and whatnot, but I didn't really see anything worse than the rest of the wonkiness in the game engine in flat mode. Seemed to run pretty alright to me, with some slowdown in a few select spots (like with too much junk around in a asteroid field).
They did improve the performance -- a lot of it had to do with rendering stuff that you couldn't even see in VR (the nose cutout area of your headset. I'm not sure if they went back and fixed it for Oculus stuff too, as the first round was just SteamVR based headsets (as the nose cutout area is different on each headset and has to be setup individually), but I would assume they have by now.
That being said it is still probably one of the most demanding VR games out there, and will probably still run a bit worse than you'd like. But it is quite a bit better than launch at least.
Trying to figure out how to try this since it doesn't come up in the app and added it to my wishlist on the oculus site but still no dice.
Looks fantastic though.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
I finally got around to watching a YouTube of this, and I dunno... I thought it was one of the jankier things I've ever seen. You see other guys just lurch-run from point to point, and when they get there the interpolation just has limbs splayed out unnaturally. It doesn't look good, and I think it would be even more bizarre in Borderlands's cel-shaded cartoon style.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1825538231&searchtext=
Nonetheless, I was impressed by the VR short "Traveling While Black", which takes the Green Book that told African Americans where it was safe for them to stay and eat while travelling as its starting point. It's more focused on individual experiences and on putting this in a wider, more present-day context than I expected, but this works really well. It also shows how the medium of VR could be used to give people more immersive glimpses into the lives of others. There's a sequence where you're in a diner, sitting next to a couple of guys talking about what it was like for them in the '60s, travelling by bus, and if you turn around you see that the mirrored wall next to you is actually the view from the window of the bus and you see yourself reflected, except the reflection is of a young black man. You could easily miss the moment if you just look at the old guy sitting next to you talking about his life and his experiences, so the film is quite restrained in how it uses the medium. For anyone who's interested in how VR is being used for documentaries, I can definitely recommend this one.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Like most of my major purchases (I'm a cheapskate, so ~$500 is a major purchase), I regretted it as soon as I walked out of the store, only to completely reverse my sentiments upon using it.
I'm looking forward to seeing some of the live events. Basketball ain't my thing, but the experience could be pretty awesome.
I TOFTT and picked up Asgard's Wrath. It was the correct decision.
In short, I think it's fantastic. It is not perfect - I've got a 1080 and it does hitch up on me occasionally, generally upon entering new areas. It almost never stutters during combat though, which is what's most important. I'd also say it's key to run it off an SSD. The install is over 160 gigs and load times on a platter drive are bad - literally a minute or more, which is really brutal if you're in a tough spot and you're getting killed a lot. I don't have room on my existing SSD but this game alone is prompting me to seriously consider getting a new SSD, for what that's worth.
It's polished and beautiful and fun. Puzzle-type challenges are pretty simple but engaging. Combat is visceral and satisfying, especially the boss battles. The mechanic at play that has you switching between characters for different parts of the game is really fun and has surprised me a few times.
I've put in about 12 hours and I've completed the first chapter or "saga" in the game, but my percentage completion in the first areas is closer to 40%. I'm not sure how many chapters there are.
I'm being vague because I've had a lot of fun being surprised by the way the game introduces new mechanics and gameplay segments, so I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who's ready to jump in. I'm happy to answer what questions I can though and I'll put my answers in spoilers. So, AMA!
I'd like to keep hearing about your new experiences with your Oculus. I'm going to have to get a pair of lenses for close up vision before i buy one, so i have a while. But in the meantime, my biggest worry is that there isnt enough quality things to do with it to make it worth buying right now. Fill us in on anything you get or do with it. not just gaming. Do you use it for TV or are there documentarys or such that are designed for it?