What is your opinion on VR?

  • I love VR and want to see more games built around VR and more games include VR modes

    Votes: 620 38.8%
  • I like VR but don't feel like it is at a point where I want to invest in it

    Votes: 325 20.3%
  • I'm generally indifferent to VR

    Votes: 221 13.8%
  • I have invested in VR but have so far found it lacking/underwhelming

    Votes: 141 8.8%
  • I don't like VR and have no interest in it

    Votes: 162 10.1%
  • I strongly dislike VR and wish developers wouldn't spend resources on VR only games or VR modes

    Votes: 83 5.2%
  • Other (leave a comment)

    Votes: 48 3.0%

  • Total voters
    1,600
Jun 24, 2019
6,623
VR is fun, but I wouldn't invest in it due to so many wires and technical set up. Maybe in the far future, when it becomes more wireless and safe to use.
 

Aswitch

"This guy are sick"
Member
Nov 27, 2017
5,141
Los Angeles, CA
I think it's pretty great, but can never grip myself to fully invest.There hasn't been a really super killer app for me to get VR (Robo recall was pretty close though). Half Life might change that after I see how it reviews we'll see. Overall, I enjoy it, but there just wasn't a title that made me HAVE to get VR just yet.
 
Oct 27, 2017
2,165
VR is the future of media consumption. That's not a hope or a wish, it's a concrete fact I have seen for myself when it comes to playing a game in VR or on a flat screen, or watching family and friends try mine for the first time. There is no comparison between being inside a world and simply observing it through a monitor.

I will admit, I am willing to put up with the lower resolution, discomfort, wires and flat out hassle, but that's because I know these are things that will be improved and forgotten one day. VR will become more affordable, accessible and comfortable. I just wish I was younger so I could watch it evolve in the way I watched gaming evolve from playing SMB1 on a NES to zooming around in the cockpit of a racer like Wipeout in this first real wave of high quality VR. To write it off as a novelty after never using it, or trying it once is absurd. It would be like writing off gaming after trying an Atari 2600 for a few hours.
 

Bruceleeroy

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,381
Orange County
Resident Evil 7 was the most amazing experience I have had since Mario 64 following that Astrobot absolutely blew me away.
With the release of Half Life Alyx I couldn't be more excited about its future and I'm going to invest heavily into it.
 

Galaxea

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,515
Orlando, FL
VR is the future of media consumption. That's not a hope or a wish, it's a concrete fact I have seen for myself when it comes to playing a game in VR or on a flat screen, or watching family and friends try mine for the first time. There is no comparison between being inside a world and simply observing it through a monitor.

I will admit, I am willing to put up with the lower resolution, discomfort, wires and flat out hassle, but that's because I know these are things that will be improved and forgotten one day. VR will become more affordable, accessible and comfortable. I just wish I was younger so I could watch it evolve in the way I watched gaming evolve from playing SMB1 on a NES to zooming around in the cockpit of a racer like Wipeout in this first real wave of high quality VR. To write it off as a novelty after never using it, or trying it once is absurd. It would be like writing off gaming after trying an Atari 2600 for a few hours.


That's exactly how I feel about it. I am 37 now and, despite being older, I am still excited to watch it evolve and hopefully be able to use it for decades to come.
 

thecaseace

Member
May 1, 2018
3,233
VR has this phenomenon on ERA where rather than just being good medium to some people it courts 'cheerleaders' here.

Which is fine, I understand the future Ppeal of the technology but I feel in cases like this poll it distorts the true position of the tech in the market.

VR needs mass market adoption in the coming years but if you read a poll like this as being indicative it would suggest it was already there.

The thing is I just don't see 58% of consumers outside of places like ERA even close to considering VR. If you asked me for a percentage based on anyone who has bought gaming hardware in the last 7 years I'd guess around 5% or less with any real interest.
 
Jun 4, 2019
148
It's odd. On the one hand, I find the Quest super convenient to use (no wires and all), and it's awe inspiring tech that still impresses me every time I wear it. With that said, there is still a commitment factor to playing VR titles, even if it's just for thirty minutes or so. Just the simple act getting off the sofa, moving some small furniture around, grabbing the headset and controllers, and putting the device on my head for more than 10 minutes is usually enough for me not to bother (this is especially true if other people are in the room and don't care about the tech). I would compare it to the commitment of playing a fitness game.

Until the hardware becomes as light as eyeglasses/sunglasses (where I hit a button to enter and exit VR mode), I think it will always be a niche medium.
 
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Deleted member 35071

User requested account closure
Banned
Dec 1, 2017
1,656
ive never tried it. I want to. But since im not a PC gamer. My only option is PSVR...and there isn't anything currently on PSVR that i feel like i have to play.

I do believe its the future. And in 5 years when someone makes a Metroid Prime VR im in.

But right now. It seems expensive and juice not worth the squeeze.
 

freeradical

Member
Oct 27, 2017
514
The Oculus Quest has shown me the potential of completely untethered 6DOF. I am 100% in for VR games.
The years ahead are exciting. The sales in 2019 of the PSVR and Quest have been outstanding.

EDIT. Thanks OP. Good to see topics like this on ERA
 

DarthBuzzard

Banned
Jul 17, 2018
5,122
VR has this phenomenon on ERA where rather than just being good medium to some people it courts 'cheerleaders' here.

Which is fine, I understand the future Ppeal of the technology but I feel in cases like this poll it distorts the true position of the tech in the market.

VR needs mass market adoption in the coming years but if you read a poll like this as being indicative it would suggest it was already there.

The thing is I just don't see 58% of consumers outside of places like ERA even close to considering VR. If you asked me for a percentage based on anyone who has bought gaming hardware in the last 7 years I'd guess around 5% or less with any real interest.
I'm surprised that the poll isn't more negative, but the only reason why is because most people simply haven't tried VR yet, and a lot of people are just against change, even if they've experienced it many times in their life.

People, in the vast majority of cases do like VR when they try it or at the very least see the potential as it advances. This isn't an ERA thing. This isn't a reddit thing, or a twitter thing; it's a real life thing. It's incredibly easy to put an Oculus Quest on anyone in the world and have them be happy with what they experienced; that doesn't necessarily mean it's a sale, but you know that they become interested and a high-potential customer for when the tech is ready for them to own one instead of just trying one. Biggest barrier is arguably comfort/size.

The interest today is low, and that's to be expected for [insert any early technology]. There were certainly not many people excited for consoles and PCs in the 70s, and smartphones in the early 2000s. The very promising thing is what happens when people try it.
 

Quample

Member
Dec 23, 2017
3,235
Cincinnati, OH
It's odd. On the one hand, I find the Quest super convenient to use (no wires and all), and it's awe inspiring tech that still impresses me every time I wear it. With that said, there is still a commitment factor to playing VR titles even if it's just for thirty minutes or so. Just the simple act getting off the sofa, moving some small furniture around, grabbing the headset and controllers, and putting the device on my head for more than 10 minutes is enough for me not to bother (this is especially true if other people are in the room and don't care about the tech). I would compare it to the commitment of playing a fitness game.

Until the hardware becomes as light as eyeglasses/sunglasses (where I hit a button to enter and exit VR mode), I think it will always be a niche medium.

As a VR enthusiast, I still get where you're coming from. I don't think, however, that it has to be at sunglasses level to become mainstream. I would say the ergonomics do need improvement, but moreso the software/experience needs to just be more "worth it" to push the user to be motivated enough to use it. In other words, the totality of the user experience needs improvement, not just hardware ergonomics. A bunch of things getting improved from accessibility to quality/breadth of content is what will cause disruption.

Something like the Half Dome 3 prototype should be good enough for mass consumption as long as other things I mentioned are pushed forward as well:
DWfpUpB.jpg
 

DarthBuzzard

Banned
Jul 17, 2018
5,122
As a VR enthusiast, I still get where you're coming from. I don't think, however, that it has to be at sunglasses level to become mainstream. I would say the ergonomics do need improvement, but moreso the software/experience needs to just be more "worth it" to push the user to be motivated enough to use it. In other words, the totality of the user experience needs improvement, not just hardware ergonomics. A bunch of things getting improved from accessibility to quality/breadth of content is what will cause disruption.

Something like the Half Dome 3 prototype should be good enough for mass consumption as long as other things I mentioned are pushed forward as well:
I'm confident the Half Dome 3 form factor would be enough to be mass adopted among gamers. I do think we need a Ready Player One visor (using waveguides most likely) to reach mass adoption among general non-gamers.

However, even beyond that, we're certainly going to get a wide range of ergonomic designs for VR. I can see the Panasonic CES Cyberpunk goggles being the 'Oculus Go' of the future, a very low-entry, low-cost, super-small 6DoF Grandma device with a FoV that can eventually be where we are today, whereas a fully immersive thin visor would be almost like a Pro version of products today.
 

Clive

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,157
I honestly can't see the appeal of it.
Have you tried it? It creates a believable illusion of you being inside the game's world. Your couch is a cockpit, the controllers you hold in each hand are guns or a sword and a shield and in front of you is a mutant spider the size of your house. That is what your eyes see. The room you were in does not exist anymore, you are inside the game. I get some negative opinions about VR but how one can't see the appeal of it is foreign to me. If you haven't tried it then I encourage you to. You may not end up loving it like I do but you certainly will see why some find it appealing.
 

Quample

Member
Dec 23, 2017
3,235
Cincinnati, OH
I'm confident the Half Dome 3 form factor would be enough to be mass adopted among gamers. I do think we need a Ready Player One visor (using waveguides most likely) to reach mass adoption among general non-gamers.

However, even beyond that, we're certainly going to get a wide range of ergonomic designs for VR. I can see the Panasonic CES Cyberpunk goggles being the 'Oculus Go' of the future, a very low-entry, low-cost, super-small 6DoF Grandma device with a FoV that can eventually be where we are today, whereas a fully immersive thin visor would be almost like a Pro version of products today.

Well, as Abrash said, AR is going to be the thing that replaces smart phones, whereas VR is going to replace the PC. From that standpoint, I don't think mass appeal will initially require ultra-thin VR. As long as it is light and comfortable (and not too bulky), it won't be a problem beyond gaming. My thinking is that the OS Facebook is working on will be a mix of 2D and 3D elements, which will eventually render 2D screens obsolete in many scenarios (workstation/media flexibility and control, social presence, etc.). Many of these things will be done seated, with hand dexterity being the primary method of input (rather than full body/arm movement). In that case, the headset doesn't have to be ultra-slim; it just has to be non-invasive spatially and comfortable enough to wear for extended sessions. But yes, there will be a range, and the ultra-slim/light weight things will exist for more active purposes.

Have you tried it? It creates a believable illusion of you being inside the game's world. Your couch is a cockpit, the controllers you hold in each hand are guns or a sword and a shield and in front of you is a mutant spider the size of your house. That is what your eyes see. The room you were in does not exist anymore, you are inside the game. I get some negative opinions about VR but how one can't see the appeal of it is foreign to me. If you haven't tried it then I encourage you to. You may not end up loving it like I do but you certainly will see why some find it appealing.

Right? If they mean they can't see the appeal of where the tech currently is, I would say that's understandable. But the idea of VR is replication of the senses. How could one not see the appeal of digitally simulating and controlling selected aspects of reality?
 
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DarthBuzzard

Banned
Jul 17, 2018
5,122
Well, as Abrash said, AR is going to be the thing that replaces smart phones, whereas VR is going to replace the PC. From that standpoint, I don't think mass appeal will initially require ultra-thin VR. As long as it is light and comfortable (and not too bulky), it won't be a problem beyond gaming. My thinking is that the OS Facebook is working on will be a mix of 2D and 3D elements, which will eventually render 2D screens obsolete in many scenarios (workstation/media flexibility and control, social presence, etc.). Many of these things will be done seated, with hand dexterity being the primary method of input (rather than full body/arm movement). In that case, the headset doesn't have to be ultra-slim; it just has to be non-invasive spatially and comfortable enough to wear for extended sessions. But yes, there will be a range, and the ultra-slim/light weight things will exist for more active purposes.
True, I think if anything it's a big perception thing. People's perceptions are hard to get through from a marketing standpoint. Advertising an ultra-compact design with less immersion can definitely help get past that faster, I'd say.

Though... it really just depends on how where that intersects with AR adoption. Once AR goes mainstream, a lot of people won't have issues with a visor, because they'd be used to the idea of head-mounted wearables.
 

Deleted member 34788

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 29, 2017
3,545
The oculus quest is a groundbreaking vr headset and the tech, as it surely will, will be placed into much lower priced headsets. The quest at 400$ is pretty damn awesome at its price nevermind the tech being in cheaper products much sooner then later.

I'm totally enamoured by mine and whatever content issue vr had at the start is all but resoved 5 years on. I have already added 35 games to my wishlist , minus the bunch of fully fledged games I purchased already. This on top of some of excellent looking games slated to release this year. I showed the headset to more then a dozen family members and almost everyone loved the shit out of it, more want a go of it desperately.

3 have already paid for an oculus go.


Hand tracking is fucking magical and I was speechless and in awe when I enabled it and navigated around the os with a huge grin on my face.

Oculus is onto a a sure fire winner making low friction, low maintainence products that almost literally, have the convenience of a smartphone. Having the ability to pick up the headset, put it on with zero wires needed and within seconds being transported into the vr world wherever you are is is just phenomenal.

A psvr simply built to match what the quest and rift s does will supercharge both game interaction and game sales across the board for sony. The tracking is bloody excellent on the quest and sony needs to do inside out tracking stat for the the next psvr. Oh and move to a single wire setup for massive ease of use. Release a wireless adapter for maximum ease of use.


I see the 400$ headset vr myth in still propagating on this forum, the go which absolutely represents a high quality vr headset with very high comfort and convenience factor sells for 200$. The game has changed. That is now the bottom bar set for vr. The price is now at mass market level and with better versions of the go very very likely vr is going to open up to a whole lot more people.

The oculus quest in the uk has been sold out for near months now, and I struggled to get one for weeks, all of the online and night street stores sold out of any stock in minutes, constantly. It's still selling out as soon as as store has it, AFTER the new year rush when tons of people have no money. The bloody CABLE needed to get you PC VR onto your headset is backordered until next month,nevermind the headset being back ordered until march!

Even on Amazon uk, the fucking Go 32gb version wont be in until 22 jan, insane.

Watch as oculus releases a 6 dof, screen castings oculus go with excellent hand tracking and with fb horizon and rec room preloaded and sell millions of very cheap subsidized units. That's the near end game for oculus and makes the VR future a very bright and very amazing one. As soon as people dont need a controller to play a game and jump into a br gameworld, all bets are off for mainstream adoption.

People crave escapism and FB is all to well aware of that.
 
Jun 4, 2019
148
As a VR enthusiast, I still get where you're coming from. I don't think, however, that it has to be at sunglasses level to become mainstream. I would say the ergonomics do need improvement, but moreso the software/experience needs to just be more "worth it" to push the user to be motivated enough to use it. In other words, the totality of the user experience needs improvement, not just hardware ergonomics. A bunch of things getting improved from accessibility to quality/breadth of content is what will cause disruption.

Something like the Half Dome 3 prototype should be good enough for mass consumption as long as other things I mentioned are pushed forward as well:
Fair point. My commitment reference was mostly about the active, full-body VR games that are popular right now. I definitely see a bright future for VR in other applications.

The Half Dome 3 presentation was pretty mind blowing and could really disrupt some established annoyances. For example, that environment mapping tech (along with the lifelike animated avatars) could lead to more remote workers thus easing gridlock and pollution. I hope this happens, but (as you said) there is still a lot to do from a user experience standpoint.
 

Yogi

Banned
Nov 10, 2019
1,806
It's all sounding pretty good but after trying DK2 with racing games and elite dangerous, when I look into the distance I see the pixel grid. I need way higher resolution, so for me, I'm holding off.
 

DarthBuzzard

Banned
Jul 17, 2018
5,122
It's all sounding pretty good but after trying DK2 with racing games and elite dangerous, when I look into the distance I see the pixel grid. I need way higher resolution, so for me, I'm holding off.
HP Reverb has more than double the angular resolution of DK2. I do agree we need even higher still. 60-70% more angular resolution than HP Reverb and we'll have mainstream acceptable resolution.
 

Lvng

Member
Nov 1, 2017
177
I'm still working on my VR legs (just playing Astro Bot right now, will move on to Blood & Truth, Skyrim and RE7 later), but I'm really enjoying it! Hoping for more in the future.
 

Overflow

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,169
Wollongong
If Sony doesn't follow up WipEout Omega Collection VR with a new next-gen, VR-compatible WipEout, my mind will be blown. It really ignited a lot of people's passion for VR and WipEout.

It seriously is the killer app (along with Beat Saber).
 

Jeff6851

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
753
I like the idea but don't like how big games are VR only. Exclusives tied to consoles are something I don't like but I could get one at much less that it requires to buy into VR (which needs a system to run) and I don't need a room dedicated to it.
 

DarthBuzzard

Banned
Jul 17, 2018
5,122
I like the idea but don't like how big games are VR only. Exclusives tied to consoles are something I don't like but I could get one at much less that it requires to buy into VR (which needs a system to run) and I don't need a room dedicated to it.
VR exclusives are justified more than any other exclusives.

You don't need to dedicate a room to it either.