Does anyone still think VR is dead?
- Thread starter Arthands
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You'd be surprised. There are people that want this because they miss the organic chats that come from a real office, whether it be turning your chair around to speak to your colleague, or the old watercooler talk.
However, does the future mean we literally walk down these hallways? Probably not. It's VR. We can make it better than real life and still get the same benefits.
In terms of what it does for productivity, imagine having as many screens as you want, where people can be persistently located in the same space as you like a real office, allowing them to glance at your screens or collaborate with you instantly. Imagine tools like virtual whiteboards that auto-finish your drawings, words, erases itself, the ability to draw in the air, to change environments at will, to change scale at will, or to have 'holograms' in the space.
These are all very useful things, and come with none of the downsides of a Zoom call.
What is the future of VR work? Probably not one single thing, but a choice of 'Okay, I'm going to work here in my own virtual space and no one else will be with me until called upon" and "Okay, we're all going to be co-located in the same persistent space like a real office"
That way you capture the needs of all.
I don't get the whole 'nobody could have predicted mobile devices or computers being mainstream either!'
like have you never watched an episode of star trek lol. Even in the most VR reliant Sci fi, it headsets don't replace screens as the preferred way to consume visual information and it's just goofy as hell to say that they ever will lol
I think there has to be some balance between "VR gaming is dead" and "VR gaming is the future of all games." I feel like it's always all or nothing.
I think VR will kinda always be more on the enthusiast side, more popular than driving sim rigs, but less popular than, say, high end custom gaming PCs.
I think VR will kinda always be more on the enthusiast side, more popular than driving sim rigs, but less popular than, say, high end custom gaming PCs.
There is more than enough evidence out there that very much tells us that most people didn't see mobile devices or computers going mainstream.
It's not goofy as hell. Are glasses goofy? Because that's what they'll end up being in the long-term, allowing networked screens in the house and outside for people to share.
Besides, everything is goofy at first. Headphones, computers, phones.
everything you just describe sounds wonderfully fanciful but in no way would increase productivity.
'imagine having virtual screens, right in front of your face!' wow, just like real life with the screens that are actually in front of my face lmao.
'but you could have INFINITE SCREENS' I mean, if I wanted more than 2 or 3 I could buy another but I literally have no need for that many screens in an office setting.
'imagine being able to draw a virtual presentation, that animates and changes before your very eyes!'
oh cool, it's powerpoint but only you have to wear a helmet that shuts you out from your real surroundings
sorry, no there is no practical application for VR as an office setting.
do zoom calls suck, yes. would I rather a lot of them just be emails? hell yes. Would literal virtual reality office meetings come with a whole host of technical issues that would hinder productivity and make zoom seem wonderful in comparison? yes, they would.
No thanks.
What?
Why not a small pair of mixed reality glasses?
yes, very cool but this leans far far more into the AR category than any sort of VR experience and it doesn't really change the fact that someone who works with excel spreadsheets all day is NOT going to want to look at excel, but in Virtual reality or find any practical way to increase productivity while doing so
So uh, , can I play half life alyx and elite dangerous on my 300 dollar quest 2, without a PC?
By that metric, an Xbox One is worthless because it can't play The Last of Us.
Clearly you fail to understand my points. In 1983, you'd be the guy that would prefer pen and paper for anything and everything, rather than using PC programs, which was a fair thing at the time, just like it's fair to say that VR productivity is not really here at the level I describe today, but it will come.
The fact that you are typing on a computer and no doubt using it for work in some capacity would have proven you wrong back then, and you'll proven wrong with VR in the same way. You may not specifically use it for work productivity, I can't say everyone will, but your points will be regarded as short-sighted.
No, not really because xbox one still has a veritable sea of best selling and critically acclaimed cutting edge titles available to play on it, As well as best in class first party games that makes it comparable to a playstation.
occulus quest has...superhot. and beat saber.
what else.
Star trek bridge commander?
I've always said that VR is just way too expensive of an ask to get mainstream hype up - and when it's as cheap as it needs to be it's poor quality and poisons the well.
VR is the future. I don't think it'll replace games, of course, but it'll be as mainstream as video games are now, eventually.
VR is the future. I don't think it'll replace games, of course, but it'll be as mainstream as video games are now, eventually.
Would be interested in seeing your points.
See my response here: https://www.resetera.com/threads/does-anyone-still-think-vr-is-dead.383867/post-59374664
What's interesting is that the group of VR skeptics often disagree with each other's statements.
Person #1 says VR is too immersive and that is it's downfall.
Person #2 says VR isn't immersive enough and will take decades to get there.
Person #3 says VR will never be immersive enough to convince them or the masses.
Person #1 says VR doesn't work for anything but simulation games.
Person #2 says VR only works well for FPS games.
Person #3 says VR doesn't work as a medium for games at all and is best used elsewhere.
Person #4 says VR only has uses in gaming.
Person #1 says VR is too immersive and that is it's downfall.
Person #2 says VR isn't immersive enough and will take decades to get there.
Person #3 says VR will never be immersive enough to convince them or the masses.
Person #1 says VR doesn't work for anything but simulation games.
Person #2 says VR only works well for FPS games.
Person #3 says VR doesn't work as a medium for games at all and is best used elsewhere.
Person #4 says VR only has uses in gaming.
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We just got a VR, it's a new experience to me and even with the newness of it and having tried it yeah this is some niche stuff, having a big thing on your head to play games, eh. I've played some neat stuff but nothing that's like "wow this is the future", it still feels like I have a thing on my head and am playing a game. To me it's just not practical, time will tell though. there isn't exactly a dearth of content on the horizon that has me all excited, can barely even find a decent horror game on the Oculus store
Saw your post but had gone to work by the time you made it. Long posts are difficult for me to make through the day due to only really having access to resetera for 10-15 minute bursts at a time. I found the perspective interesting and need to further engage with your links, but so far it's nothing I haven't seen before. That said, I'll also admit that I can be overly callous in the morning and shouldn't have been so harsh in my "it'll never be mainstream" comments. Frankly we need to describe what we actually mean by mainstream. I had in my head that VR would need to be as big as smartphones to be mainstream, but that's not particularly a fair comparison sense I consider game consoles mainstream despite selling in significantly lower numbers.
Thinking about it I can see a VR device selling 50 million units at some point I'm the next 10 years, which though in my head I was thinking as niche, realistically that's mainstream success numbers. That said. I'll never buy hardware from Facebook unless that company has a massive shift in business practices.
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Well feel free to jump in with a larger response when you have time.
I don't see VR getting smartphone levels of big, though I do see the same device going smartphone levels of big, as MR glasses will enable both VR/AR, but the AR side will naturally get more use.
50 million for one device in the next 10 years is a safe bet, but that isn't going to be it's cap - because we're talking about a medium with a lot more appeal and use than a console, even if people don't realize the appeal and use yet in it's early days, the same way they didn't see the appeal of a phone or computer.
I see VR as being the next PC in the long-term, a housebound device that reaches over a billion people. Is that in 10 years? No, more like 15-20, but even half or arguably a quarter of that is past the point of mainstream.
Gorn, Onward, Population: One, The Climb, Pistol Whip to name a few popular ones.
Also star wars and the walking dead if you want some more recognizable brand names.
But sure let's all pretend that they sold 4 millions headset with only two games available.
I'll put it this way, I think we'll see a Big Mac denominated in a cryptocurrency(and I'm bearish on crypto) before VR breaks 10% on the steam hardware survey.
I think it will have staying power as a relatively niche alternative to traditional forms of gaming, but I don't think it'll ever find success beyond that. I think it will fail to grow beyond that due to a chicken and egg situation. In order for VR to gain a substantial install base, it needs ample software, and in order for most Publishers to develop for VR in a meaningful way - they need a large install base to release games against. Why develop for people who own VR hardware, when you can develop for PC + Console gamers in general?
I really won't be bothered by / with VR until it's more affordable and the graphics / processing hardware required to drive it is also more affordable.
Can't wait to dive in, but it's a rich person's sport atm.
Can't wait to dive in, but it's a rich person's sport atm.
The only reason VR would have died is because of bad business practises that kind of fucked 3dtv's(a lack of strong standards, overcharging on a niche product). I know the announcement of psvr2 seems like it quashes the criticism of VR systems but it fact it could encourage it , because(and this is just my opinion) a emerging system that isn't open and forces the consumer into a rigid ecosystem will ultimately fail. My solution to this is to create a closed system in the playstation ecosystem but also create a competent PC driver so that the audience can help innovate the hardware. Much like OG xbox hacking led to video playback being a standard on consoles. providing enough malleability to psvr2 could really break it above the ceiling of what we've seen in the VR space.
this seems like the place to ask. i have the opportunity to buy a valve index. ive seen the games and im down for it. does anyone who wears glasses use one? was there anything at CES that looks like itll trump the index?
As someone that tried the original Vive and Oculus Rift and sold both headsets, the library still needs to be fleshed out and headsets need to be more comfortable for me to jump back in again.
As a VR lover I'm super happy that Sony announced a PSVR2.
But the main problem with VR isn't the hardware, but the software. Motion in VR still is a problem (and i'm starting to believe, one that can't be solved without sacrificing comfort or immersion), out of hardware makers subsiding software i haven't seen much real AA+ development on those games. Microsoft abandoned WMR, Capcom abandoned VR even after writing the best AAA VR engine (REengine), we're 2 months into 2021 and no new big headset announcements after the pretty botched G2's launch, Facebook strangling PCVR by forcing subscription to their anti-democracy website, after years of intense hype we're not even half WiiU levels and i could go on.
VR isn't dead much like it wasn't dead in the '90, but I don't feel any more momentum. I hope Sony and Facebook can reverse the tide.
But the main problem with VR isn't the hardware, but the software. Motion in VR still is a problem (and i'm starting to believe, one that can't be solved without sacrificing comfort or immersion), out of hardware makers subsiding software i haven't seen much real AA+ development on those games. Microsoft abandoned WMR, Capcom abandoned VR even after writing the best AAA VR engine (REengine), we're 2 months into 2021 and no new big headset announcements after the pretty botched G2's launch, Facebook strangling PCVR by forcing subscription to their anti-democracy website, after years of intense hype we're not even half WiiU levels and i could go on.
VR isn't dead much like it wasn't dead in the '90, but I don't feel any more momentum. I hope Sony and Facebook can reverse the tide.
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I don't even think I'd be able to wear a VR headset. I'm farsighted and I can't focus on anything close to my eyes. I wear glasses too. Put a screen in front of my face like that and I'll get a headache trying to focus. I'm disappointed but I've never had any situation where I have the chance to try it out to make sure.
For the record, the psvr setup is pretty far removed from PC or standalone vr. Tracking is literally perfect in most cases, especially the old sensor rift or valve lighthouses.
You're in luck. Since VR headsets are focused for longer distances up to to infinity, you may be able to actually use them without glasses if you're farsighted.
Do you even need to wear glasses with VR
We take a look at if users of virtual reality even need to use glasses with their headsets and what they can do to mitigate eye strain
www.vrbound.com
You aren't actually focusing at the screen itself, you're focusing beyond it because of the illusion of 3D space. So you might be okay.
Just beaten.
VR will stumble along and gain some momentum for a few years, I think it's here to stay for a bit probably.
I have a feeling that AR is where we're going to see the real explosion actually, that's going to completely change society.
Eventually VR will get good/portable enough to have real brain tricking immersive experiences but there's still a long long road ahead for that.
I have a feeling that AR is where we're going to see the real explosion actually, that's going to completely change society.
Eventually VR will get good/portable enough to have real brain tricking immersive experiences but there's still a long long road ahead for that.
You're in luck. Since VR headsets are focused for longer distances up to to infinity, you may be able to actually use them without glasses if you're farsighted.
Do you even need to wear glasses with VR
We take a look at if users of virtual reality even need to use glasses with their headsets and what they can do to mitigate eye strain
I would love to have the chance to find out for myself but there aren't really any opportunities for me.
The key is being wireless. I think Phil Spencer was dead on when he said vr had to be wireless to take off. The quest 2 is the way forward. We are still quite a few years from Index quality vr that is wireless, but when that happens it will really start growing.
I've enjoyed VR but it's a niche product currently and I can't see that changing for a long time. It needs a significant leap in tech and convenience for most people to care. It's too expensive and too cumbersome and there are just not enough games. If you are in to simulators and stuff it is incredible
This description does the opposite of selling me on VR. Faking your family in a virtual world and isolating yourself is not something a lot of people are going to like nor should it be a future that we push for. This sounds awful, not amazing.
VR is definitely the future. The Quest 2 is just so damn good. Once the tech makes the headsets the size of a pair of ski goggles common for $300 and live events get VR cameras the experience will be just too good to ignore. More people will jump in as the tech becomes more accessible. Facebook would have dumped Oculus if they thought VR is dead. Instead they seem to be doubling down. PSVR just announced their future headset and Apple is even jumping in the next couple years. VR is finally getting exciting.
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It is something you will want if you and your family are separated across different continents and countries, especially with the COVID lockdown which means you can't travel to them.