Does anyone still think VR is dead?

[Lobster Roll]

I think the hyper-bullish VR folks on Era would find more people moving away from ambivalent and bearish positions if every VR thread didn't turn into an opportunity to snipe every non-bullish perspective and to control the narrative. We're all speculating with the same information, and it's exhausting to be told that one's speculation of a tech's unknown future is an incorrect speculation.

Nobody here is an authority on the future of VR, and all speculation is valid. Some people are going to remain bearish for valid reasons, and that speculation is neither right nor wrong. It's speculative.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

The thread is about gaming. The OP references "Half-Life: Alyx/Boneworks/Gran Turismo/Ace Combat etc , Valve reporting high demand for PCVR and Valve Index, with Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell VR coming in the future "

I could get a samsung VR headset for £20 on Amazon, but it's not gonna be an equivalent to those/

{Edited}

Click to shrink...

Oculus Quest 2 exists. It is a gaming VR headset, and a compelling one at that. It's better than a launch Oculus Rift in every way aside from the lack of perfect blacks.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

I think the hyper-bullish VR folks on Era would find more people moving away from ambivalent and bearish positions if every VR thread didn't turn into an opportunity to snipe every non-bullish perspective and to control the narrative. We're all speculating with the same information, and it's exhausting to be told that one's speculation of a tech's unknown future is an incorrect speculation.

Nobody here is an authority on the future of VR, and all speculation is valid. Some people are going to remain bearish for valid reasons, and that speculation is neither right nor wrong. It's speculative.

Click to shrink...

Nobody is an absolute authority on every facet of VR's future - I certainly don't know the exact shape a metaverse will take for example.

However, you can be an authority on knowing that a technology will go mainstream. I've wrote exactly why in this thread, and it makes complete sense. It details a fix for every problem people have ever thought as a stop-gap for mass adoption, and the reason why VR would appeal to the masses in the first place.

This is known, the way that certain individuals were able to see PCs or mobile going mainstream in the past. Most people can't see this, because it requires you to really deep dive into the topic, and that just isn't what people generally do.

 

[The Gold Hawk]

Oculus Quest 2 exists. It is a gaming VR headset, and a compelling one at that. It's better than a launch Oculus Rift in every way aside from the lack of perfect blacks.

Click to shrink...

A Quest 2 is still £400. It's a lot, and for the same price I could get a Switch and some games, a PS4 Pro and some games or a Series S and a year of game pass ultimate for that.

I know with the latter options I can play them slumped in a weird human pretzel shape in the corner of the room and they aren't going to give me buckwild nausea.

I'm not against VR.

I don't think it's a viable replacement for standard Console gaming in its current state and the stuff present in consoles is not interesting and the PC options are fairly restrictive regarding room size/ expensive as all hell.

 

[TissueBox]

VINDICATE THYSELF

 

[GungHo]

I think AR has longer legs right now, simply because there's some significant industry applications that are coming on line. I realize this is a gaming forum, but there's a lot of non-gaming applicability that give some of these technologies more staying power and are less reliant on the fickleness of the entertainment sector to get a return on investment.

 

[Deleted member 24079]

Just sold my oculus rift a couple months ago after finishing half life alyx. VR is just kind of there. I would've bought that Star Wars game if I kept it but otherwise I grew tired of new retro arcade and Tetris . It's all really cool but it just wasn't quite there

 

[DarthBuzzard]

A Quest 2 is still £400. It's a lot, and for the same price I could get a Switch and some games, a PS4 Pro and some games or a Series S and a year of game pass ultimate for that.

I know with the latter options I can play them slumped in a weird human pretzel shape in the corner of the room and they aren't going to give me buckwild nausea.

I'm not against VR.

I don't think it's a viable replacement for standard Console gaming in its current state and the stuff present in consoles is not interesting and the PC options are fairly restrictive regarding room size/ expensive as all hell.

Click to shrink...

It's $300. You can pay $400 for the 256GB model, but that's not required.

You can play various games in VR as a human pretzel too. That's how I play Tetris Effect. VR gaming is definitely more active on average though.

The PC options are not as restrictive as you think. PC headsets still work in small spaces, and Quest 2 can connect to a PC, so it's not "expensive as hell" with that one.

 

[Rex Dart: Eskimo Spy]

Jumped in with a Quest 2 recently and fucking loving it. True next-gen awe with sub-Xbox360 graphics.

VR is not gaming's only future, but a definite part of it. Being able to "really" punch, shoot, swing weapons, in a virtual environment, and have it feel the way it 'should' is revolutionary. Gaming now feels the way those goddamn Red Steel ads for the Wii promised it would.

 

[Deleted member 35478]

The Quest 2 says no. Enough said.

 

[KodiakGTS]

Just sold my oculus rift a couple months ago after finishing half life alyx. VR is just kind of there. I would've bought that Star Wars game if I kept it but otherwise I grew tired of new retro arcade and Tetris . It's all really cool but it just wasn't quite there

Click to shrink...

100% how I feel. There are a few amazing experiences on VR, and then a whole boatload of meh. I have a quest and use both the link cable and virtual desktop and it is still so barren that I probably play 1-2 times a month max.

 

[Deleted member 91227]

The quest 2 really was a shot in the arm. Even casuals are really interested. Wireless VR at a good price point are what people were waiting for I think. I think isolation from Covid helped too.

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I do wonder what will happen with gaming and other indoor activities that saw an uptick during the pandemic once we're past all this. Even as an introvert that's played games all my life and not been as bothered by being fully work from home and isolated as many of my friends and family, I'm a bit burnt out on gaming, Netflix etc. and looking forward to being able to travel, see friends more often, eat and drink indoors, go to movies, concerts, sporting events etc. again.

I wonder how that will be for folks who didn't own consoles or play many games but bought Switches and games like Animal Crossing or got into board games or grabbed an Oculus Quest etc. Will be interesting to see if there's any indication that the market expanded and stays expanded, or if the pandemic caused as Wii like boost that expanded those markets beyond their normal bases more than usual and that recedes overtime as those folks fall off gaming and don't buy another console or whatever.

 

[Lobster Roll]

I do wonder what will happen with gaming and other indoor activities that saw an uptick during the pandemic once we're past all this. Even as an introvert that's played games all my life and not been as bothered by being fully work from home and isolate as many of my friends and family, I'm a bit burnt out on gaming, Netflix etc. and looking forward to being able to travel, see friends more often, eat and drink indoors, go to movies, concerts, sporting events etc. again.

Click to shrink...

Not sure about long-term, but if vaccine rollout happens quickly through spring and early summer 2021, the short-term effect before winter comes is going to be:

 

[Deleted member 24079]

100% how I feel. There are a few amazing experiences on VR, and then a whole boatload of meh. I have a quest and use both the link cable and virtual desktop and it is still so barren that I probably play 1-2 times a month max.

Click to shrink...

Right it's like, barren in terms of what is coming but also there are cool surprise mods and experiences that can pop up that would entice me to use one again. Also when I really got in to a game like no mans sky, I was really put off with being secluded from my environment. I couldn't share the same moments with my partner who watched me play.

 

[hanshen]

You don't need a computer for VR though. The price is $300 for the full setup from scratch.

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It's been two years since Oculus Quest and they already sold millions of standalone VR devices. People who still count a gaming PC towards the cost of entry to VR are just trolling.

 

[ClarkusDarkus]

Flat gaming has been shit ever since my first VR experience, Laughable going back to flat gaming afterwards, Using L2 to zoom and using the analogue to turn around etc, Just feels ancient.

Nothing better than VR co-op aswell.

Just give us Quest level comfortability, And PS4 level power. Then the masses will come.

 

[Albinotreehugger]

I was not a fan until I got a quest 2. It's my workout machine. I think it will slowly billed steam. Sony's new VR will sell well and when the quest 3 comes out it will help push it further mainstream.

 

[Smoshow]

It's not for me, and that's okay. With Sony looking to continue with it along with it still doing well on PC, it is not dead.

 

[DrowsyJungle]

VR isn't dead, just limping along. It's an additive/accessory platform right now, and the only way to get it mainstream (50% adoption rate) is to lower costs and get it easily accessible (wireless etc).

 

[DarthBuzzard]

It's been two years since Oculus Quest and they already sold millions of standalone VR devices. People who still count a gaming PC towards the cost of entry to VR are just trolling.

Click to shrink...

They're unlikely to be trolling. Likely just uninformed. There are dozens of misconceptions about VR, and it will take many years to get them all corrected.

 

[KodiakGTS]

Also when I really got in to a game like no mans sky, I was really put off with being secluded from my environment. I couldn't share the same moments with my partner who watched me play.

Click to shrink...

I found that for many games mirroring to a chromecast/tv works pretty well for that (keeping the "audience" engaged), at least when it doesn't glitch out. Not sure if you tried that or not. My wife and I joked about getting a second headset to play virtual ping pong against each other, since we don't have a good spot for a table in our house at the moment.

 

[Iwao]

"Dead" is an absolute term, and VR is measurably not dead.

 

[Captain Tuttle]

I was starting to lose hope before the Quest, but now I know it's an inevitability.

It won't replace any traditional media, but it will be huge

Click to shrink...

Yep, Quest 2 was a game changer, at least for me. I can't wait to pick one up

 

[turbobrick]

Nobody is an absolute authority on every facet of VR's future - I certainly don't know the exact shape a metaverse will take for example.

However, you can be an authority on knowing that a technology will go mainstream. I've wrote exactly why in this thread, and it makes complete sense. It details a fix for every problem people have ever thought as a stop-gap for mass adoption, and the reason why VR would appeal to the masses in the first place.

This is known, the way that certain individuals were able to see PCs or mobile going mainstream in the past. Most people can't see this, because it requires you to really deep dive into the topic, and that just isn't what people generally do.

Click to shrink...

I mean, you can't actually know this unless you've come from the future. You can certainly predict what you think will happen, as you've been doing. However, until VR becomes mainstream like you think, your prediction is no more valid than others saying it will stay niche.

There's plenty of people who have tried VR and just aren't interested. I'm one of them. I don't hate it, but for me it adds nothing I really care about. I've spent a lot of time using VR, and I've even done development on VR applications. I still have no desire to actually own one though.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

I mean, you can't actually know this unless you've come from the future. You can certainly predict what you think will happen, as you've been doing. However, until VR becomes mainstream like you think, your prediction is no more valid than others saying it will stay niche.

There's plenty of people who have tried VR and just aren't interested. I'm one of them. I don't hate it, but for me it adds nothing I really care about. I've spent a lot of time using VR, and I've even done development on VR applications. I still have no desire to actually own one though.

Click to shrink...

Most people who say it doesn't appeal to them are going to change around in the future. Not all of them of course, but most. Even now, the vast majority of people who say they aren't interested haven't even used VR in the first place.

I've found hundreds of people contradict themselves in all sorts of ways about how it's not for them, and then they go on about how immersion is everything to them, or how they wish they were able to get out into the world instead of being housebound, or that they dislike something like Zoom and wish it would offer more, or that Second Life is vital to them etc.

These are the same types of people that would have said PCs weren't for them. Infact, that's what many people said to themselves in the 80s, because they collected dust and were thought as wasteful machines.

This is why I highly doubt that VR doesn't appeal to you. I'm sure it does, but maybe not in the current state with current bulky headsets, and the current software offering. I recall you being a Gran Turismo fan. Are you saying VR wouldn't add anything to that for you?

 

[iksenpets]

VR has enough juice in it to keep going for sure. But I don't think it's shown any real hope of breaking out of its current niche status. I think the narrative that it's the future and will supplant or at least rival flat gaming is kind of dead

 

[DarthBuzzard]

VR has enough juice in it to keep going for sure. But I don't think it's shown any real hope of breaking out of its current niche status. I think the narrative that it's the future and will supplant or at least rival flat gaming is kind of dead

Click to shrink...

I mean that's exactly what happened to videogames. They were supposed to be a fad that would never compete with boardgames, people declaring it a dead medium left right and center, and yet here we are.

 

[Jumpman23]

Is it going away? No, it's just not mass market ready yet.

IMO, VR needs some QoL improvements (no wires, very light headset, etc.) other forms of entertainment (VR movies, TV shows, Social Media, etc.) and a very market friendly price to really push it over the top and away from it just being a niche gaming experience.

 

[Fudo Myo]

Well, I bought a PSVR two weeks ago (already had Moves and a PS5, got it cheap on eBay, been loving it), and also Rift S (also cheap off eBay), so no.

 

[Albin]

I'm a bit dissapointed to see only the same few games mentioned over and over. It is sad to see that even on an enthusiast forum like this, alot of great games seem to be overlooked. If you own a headset and don't own Pavlov, Onward, Climbey, H3VR and No Mans Sky, ya plain yaself, not VR.

 

[OrangeNova]

I don't think it's dead, it's more alive than ever.

However it's super in it's infancy, and isn't going to be bigger for a while, but it finally has legs.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

I'm a bit dissapointed to see only the same few games mentioned over and over. It is sad to see that even on an enthusiast forum like this, alot of great games seem to be overlooked. If you own a headset and don't own Pavlov, Onward, Climbey, H3VR and No Mans Sky, ya plain yaself, not VR.

Click to shrink...

I'd give a shout out to some extremely underrated games too, like The Under Presents (literally a new genre - deserves WAY more attention), Paper Beast, Wolves in the Walls, Fujii, Stride, and Museum of Other Realities.

 

[skeptem]

I'd give a shout out to some extremely underrated games too, like The Under Presents (literally a new genre - deserves WAY more attention), Paper Beast, Wolves in the Walls, Fujii, Stride, and Museum of Other Realities.

Click to shrink...

Shout out also to weird things you can try on side quest, or ports like Doom 3.

 

[Mbolibombo]

There's a market.. small one, but still a market.

 

[werezompire]

VR doesn't interest me much for a number of reasons.
I mostly play turn-based RPGs & retro-style indie games.
I get motion sickness (in general, not a VR thing).
Immersion isn't that important to me when it comes to games.
One of my eyes is drastically worse than the other so 3D effects don't work great for me.
I have a large family so I need to be constantly ready to respond to what people around me are doing. I rarely even put in both headphones when I'm playing games because of this.

I don't think VR is dead, but I think it's a solution to a problem that most people don't have and creates problems that other types of games don't have. I have no doubt that it can carve out a dedicated audience, but I don't believe it will become the most popular form of gaming, even if the technology becomes exponentially better.

 

[Dache]

No, it's just not growing as fast as some think it should be in order to be classed as successful. That's OK, it's a long-term thing. It's also not just about gaming, there are non-gaming uses for VR too that'll stick around.

I think AR - specifically, glasses-based AR on proper, large, vision-correcting lenses - is coming in the (distant) future and rather than "replacing" anything, it'll help VR in the long run. I think it'll help the masses become more used to essentially having a computer strapped to their faces and the kind of world-space interactions that requires, which are all very early days in terms of devices and developer understanding. It may be AR for integration into the real world, and VR for full-immersion, but they'll be cut from the same cloth. Maybe not even until near the end of some of our lifetimes, but I think that's where it's going.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

VR doesn't interest me much for a number of reasons.
I mostly play turn-based RPGs & retro-style indie games.
I get motion sickness (in general, not a VR thing).
Immersion isn't that important to me when it comes to games.
One of my eyes is drastically worse than the other so 3D effects don't work great for me.
I have a large family so I need to be constantly ready to respond to what people around me are doing. I rarely even put in both headphones when I'm playing games because of this.

I don't think VR is dead, but I think it's a solution to a problem that most people don't have and creates problems that other types of games don't have. I have no doubt that it can carve out a dedicated audience, but I don't believe it will become the most popular form of gaming, even if the technology becomes exponentially better.

Click to shrink...

3D graphics and the shift to N64/PS1 are a solution to problem that most people don't have by the same token. Clearly your gaming habits don't align with VR much, but it's hyperbole to say that it doesn't solve problems.

Turn-based RPGs and retro-style indie games are inherently niche genres. The biggest mainstream games are multiplayer. Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Among Us - things of that nature, and VR fits in very nicely there.

The biggest singleplayer games also happen to be focused on immersion most of the time. Elder Scrolls, Witcher, Cyberpunk, Last of Us, God of War, Halo. Nintendo being a bit of an exception in this regard, but their franchises do play well into VR's strengths. The reason why Animal Crossing got big last year was for the same reason that all the new Animal Crossing fans would enjoy VR - as a form of escape and social connection.

 

[Deleted member 40853]

Most people who say it doesn't appeal to them are going to change around in the future. Not all of them of course, but most. Even now, the vast majority of people who say they aren't interested haven't even used VR in the first place.

I've found hundreds of people contradict themselves in all sorts of ways about how it's not for them, and then they go on about how immersion is everything to them, or how they wish they were able to get out into the world instead of being housebound, or that they dislike something like Zoom and wish it would offer more, or that Second Life is vital to them etc.

These are the same types of people that would have said PCs weren't for them. Infact, that's what many people said to themselves in the 80s, because they collected dust and were thought as wasteful machines.

This is why I highly doubt that VR doesn't appeal to you. I'm sure it does, but maybe not in the current state with current bulky headsets, and the current software offering. I recall you being a Gran Turismo fan. Are you saying VR wouldn't add anything to that for you?

Click to shrink...

I find it strange how many people insist that everyone would love VR if they just had the right exposure or the technology was better. I'm going to echo the poster you quoted and just say that I've had plenty of time and experiences with VR and it just doesn't interest me. Sure I might play The Lab or something when I see my brother since he owns a Vive (which he almost never uses now), but it's not something I'm interested in owning or making part of my daily life. Then you have people like my wife who refuse to even put on the headset because she finds the whole concept intimidating and bizarre. She has zero interest, and it doesn't matter how much you tell her she needs to try it out because it's going to change her life. No thanks.

I am happy with the way video games fit into my life now. I like sitting on the couch with my wife and playing my switch while she does something else. I don't want to put on a headset and move around my living room. Even if the technology was perfect, I would have a hard time finding the time and desire to just jack out of reality and enter a virtual world. I got shit to do and a family to attend to, I'm not interested in sitting in the living room with a headset on while my brain is on a tropical island. I think a lot of people would probably echo this sentiment.

VR is really cool, and I'm happy for the people who enjoy it and I think it will keep growing. But I think people like you who insist everyone would be over the moon if they just had the right experience are underestimating how many people are just flat out uninterested in this tech on the principals, and have no space or desire in their lives to spend time in virtual reality. If the technology ever became good enough, you would find people who actively reject it for being a facsimile of the real world. Not everyone is interested in experiencing media this way.

 

[Mr.Deadshot]

I'm a bit dissapointed to see only the same few games mentioned over and over. It is sad to see that even on an enthusiast forum like this, alot of great games seem to be overlooked. If you own a headset and don't own Pavlov, Onward, Climbey, H3VR and No Mans Sky, ya plain yaself, not VR.

Click to shrink...

All of these games are discussed in the PCVR topic around here. Lots of sleeper hits and lesser known games are talked about. They are just not very prominent in the main gaming board, because VR games rarely get their own topics appart from big releases. No Mans Sky is discussed regularly here on Era. The VR mode isn't very good unfortunately. It's one of the few games that offer a full VR mode that I prefer playing in flat mode.

 

[Deleted member 15395]

I find the "VR Is the future you heathen" crowd much more annoying than the "VR is Dead" crowd. Most articles had the very reasonable take that VR simply failed to take off in the way some people expected (IE: Taking the world by storm and selling hundreds of millions of devices). But not that it was "dead".

It succeeded in carving a niche for itself and its making strides forward but it's not reached the point where it can directly compete with consoles or standard PC gaming. The Quest 2 was a very large step in the right direction though and PSVR2 already having a single cable is good news too.

 

[sacrament]

3D graphics and the shift to N64/PS1 are a solution to problem that most people don't have by the same token. Clearly your gaming habits don't align with VR much, but it's hyperbole to say that it doesn't solve problems.

Turn-based RPGs and retro-style indie games are inherently niche genres. The biggest mainstream games are multiplayer. Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Among Us - things of that nature, and VR fits in very nicely there.

The biggest singleplayer games also happen to be focused on immersion most of the time. Elder Scrolls, Witcher, Cyberpunk, Last of Us, God of War, Halo. Nintendo being a bit of an exception in this regard, but their franchises do play well into VR's strengths. The reason why Animal Crossing got big last year was for the same reason that all the new Animal Crossing fans would enjoy VR - as a form of escape and social connection.

Click to shrink...

You keep missing the point so many people point out. In an actual social setting, or in family settings, it's a no go. I cannot cut myself off from the world since the not alternative world needs some portion of attention that get consumed if I put a headset on. Further, I don't want my kids to isolate themselves from their siblings and family obligations like the dog, or other things you can easily engage with or monitor in "flat gaming".

It's fine for a teenager or someone living solo, but it's generally not social in the real world which will always leave it more niche than other activities - or completely invalidate it as an option for a large number of people. As compelling as it can be on an individual basis - and the social world's there in - it's got some very real hurdles.

I think you haven't done enough research about VR if you haven't come to that understanding - which is ironic given your comments and cheerleading.

 

[flyinj]

I find it strange how many people insist that everyone would love VR if they just had the right exposure or the technology was better. I'm going to echo the poster you quoted and just say that I've had plenty of time and experiences with VR and it just doesn't interest me. Sure I might play The Lab or something when I see my brother since he owns a Vive (which he almost never uses now), but it's not something I'm interested in owning or making part of my daily life. Then you have people like my wife who refuse to even put on the headset because she finds the whole concept intimidating and bizarre. She has zero interest, and it doesn't matter how much you tell her she needs to try it out because it's going to change her life. No thanks.

I am happy with the way video games fit into my life now. I like sitting on the couch with my wife and playing my switch while she does something else. I don't want to put on a headset and move around my living room. Even if the technology was perfect, I would have a hard time finding the time and desire to just jack out of reality and enter a virtual world. I got shit to do and a family to attend to, I'm not interested in sitting in the living room with a headset on while my brain is on a tropical island. I think a lot of people would probably echo this sentiment.

VR is really cool, and I'm happy for the people who enjoy it and I think it will keep growing. But I think people like you who insist everyone would be over the moon if they just had the right experience are underestimating how many people are just flat out uninterested in this tech on the principals, and have no space or desire in their lives to spend time in virtual reality. If the technology ever became good enough, you would find people who actively reject it for being a facsimile of the real world. Not everyone is interested in experiencing media this way.

Click to shrink...

When VR is as lightweight as wearing a pair of glasses, and when you put them on it projects any size or type of screen you want to use anywhere in the environment that you can play 2D games on, would that be appealing?

 

[DarthBuzzard]

I'm not interested in sitting in the living room with a headset on while my brain is on a tropical island. I think a lot of people would probably echo this sentiment.

Click to shrink...

This is why you don't get it. You're finding some scenario where VR doesn't really work for you and saying you'd rather attend to your family. Okay, so what if your family is in VR too? That could be in the same household as a shared experience together doing whatever you want to do in VR, like visit a concert, or go to a movie theater, or it could be a way to connect your family across distances when they aren't with you in person. These are just ideas, and there are many ways you can use VR.

If you've been relying on your brother's headset (it sounds like?) then I find it hard to imagine you've experienced much outside gaming-focused VR, and that's just one part of the pie, the way gaming is one part of a personal computer. No one in today's world is going to use a computer for the first time and write it off because they didn't like playing games on it.

VR is really cool, and I'm happy for the people who enjoy it and I think it will keep growing. But I think people like you who insist everyone would be over the moon if they just had the right experience are underestimating how many people are just flat out uninterested in this tech on the principals, and have no space or desire in their lives to spend time in virtual reality. If the technology ever became good enough, you would find people who actively reject it for being a facsimile of the real world. Not everyone is interested in experiencing media this way.

Click to shrink...

I already said in this thread that there will be people who always reject the concept of VR, the same way people will reject gaming. Gaming is still mainstream regardless, and VR has a lot of appeal to drive it into the mainstream. I am not saying every person on the planet will be on-board here, just a lot.

You're even talking about having no space when that isn't a barrier to using VR anymore. You have a lot to understand.

 

[Jerm]

I still can't afford it lol.

 

[werezompire]

3D graphics and the shift to N64/PS1 are a solution to problem that most people don't have by the same token. Clearly your gaming habits don't align with VR much, but it's hyperbole to say that it doesn't solve problems.

Click to shrink...

That's not true about the old 3D consoles (even from the beginning, people wanted better and better graphics & there are numerous old games that try to emulate a 3D look), but maybe that wasn't the most succinct way of putting it.

If you look at gaming trends over the past decade, the rise of mobile gaming is hard to ignore. The average gamer wants convenience, portability, and low-stress distraction. They don't want to be totally immersed in a game, they want to be able to pull out their phone and do a stage or two while they're waiting for an appointment. Or play a silly puzzle game while also watching a sitcom with their significant other.

Convenience is the order of the day. Streaming beat blurays even though bluray gets you higher quality video . 3D movies never really caught on even though the technology is exponentially better now than it was before because people don't want the eye strain & don't want to wear 3D glasses. For that matter, even the gamers who do value immersion sometimes want to play a low-effort game to relax.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

You keep missing the point so many people point out. In an actual social setting, or in family settings, it's a no go. I cannot cut myself off from the world since the not alternative world needs some portion of attention that get consumed if I put a headset on. Further, I don't want my kids to isolate themselves from their siblings and family obligations like the dog, or other things you can easily engage with or monitor in "flat gaming".

It's fine for a teenager or someone living solo, but it's generally not social in the real world which will always leave it more niche than other activities - or completely invalidate it as an option for a large number of people. As compelling as it can be on an individual basis - and the social world's there in - it's got some very real hurdles.

I think you haven't done enough research about VR if you haven't come to that understanding - which is ironic given your comments and cheerleading.

Click to shrink...

I didn't miss the point since I provided a near-future solution for this in the thread, which you have conveniently ignored. You don't need cut yourself off with such a solution.

Also, you realize over a billion people use headphones, right? So much for niche.

You're also ignoring that the largest sector of gaming is online multiplayer. This is biggest than singleplayer, and certainly bigger than local multiplayer. VR only becomes the most social form of gaming this sector.

 

[Dr. Mario]

Not dead. Not really alive either. I have used/own almost all headsets. Half-Life Alyx is my game of the year. But almost half a year later, I still haven't finished it. Digging it up is a bother. Setting it up is a bother. Oculus Link crashing again after which SteamVR is fucked is a bother. Playing it is a bother. Having a painful face and eyes after twenty minutes is a bother. Putting it back in storage again is a bother. I play games to relax mostly.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

That's not true about the old 3D consoles (even from the beginning, people wanted better and better graphics & there are numerous old games that try to emulate a 3D look), but maybe that wasn't the most succinct way of putting it.

If you look at gaming trends over the past decade, the rise of mobile gaming is hard to ignore. The average gamer wants convenience, portability, and low-stress distraction. They don't want to be totally immersed in a game, they want to be able to pull out their phone and do a stage or two while they're waiting for an appointment. Or play a silly puzzle game while also watching a sitcom with their significant other.

Convenience is the order of the day. Streaming beat blurays even though bluray gets you higher quality video . 3D movies never really caught on even though the technology is exponentially better now than it was before because people don't want the eye strain & don't want to wear 3D glasses. For that matter, even the gamers who do value immersion sometimes want to play a low-effort game to relax.

Click to shrink...

And you think that VR won't provide for this? It will, but you're not seeing it because the exponential improvements you believe VR will have are only related to exponentially better immersion. The most important advancements for VR going forward will be features that make it more convenient, accessible, portable, low-stress, and social - features you won't see coming. To the point where it could very easily supplant the need for a phone in the first place, at least with the AR side of the spectrum. VR/AR stand to be the best multi-tasking computing platform ever.

Why does VR have to be this chaotic, active medium? There's no reason why I can't sit in a virtual room with friends as we relax and play games on a virtual screen, watch movies together, and do all sorts of activities.

VR's biggest potential usecase is arguably not gaming, but rather social telepresence, and what does this provide? Convenience over reality, and that's a level of convenience no device today provides.

Your comments about eye strain actually benefit VR. Once VR has perfected the optics, physical displays will continue to cause eye strain, but VR won't cause any more eye strain than reality.

 

[squeakywheel]

I think once Apple gets in there, the hype will go up again. Currently very much for enthusiasts only. ( I have 4 VR headsets at the moment and the Quest 1 got the most use for its pick up and play convenience).

 

[TheGhost]

It's something i never considered to be living to begin with.

i still think we are 10 years off.