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The High-end VR Discussion Thread (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Playstation VR)

artsi

Member
All things equal, people would prefer to buy their software of Steam not on Oculus Store, so they can't try to compete only with the store, they have to compete with the hardware.

Yeah, it's not just software or hardware, but both. Software just brings the most profits.
And I think that's exactly what they're trying to change, take some marketshare from Steam.

And VR is not just games, Oculus Store will probably have apps, videos, experiences, and I bet Facebook is cooking some kind of a giant social VR platform that the masses might use one day.

It's difficult to compete with a game store against Steam, but Facebook has (at least) 1.5 billion users to reach after they have whatever software those people are interested in.
Tech needs to be well available too, low prices, mobile VR, etc. but we're getting there sooner or later.

So not yet, but in the future Facebook can definitely make good profit with Oculus Store if they drive it now.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Damn, those physics are way better than what I was expecting. Drunken pool Vive nights here we come. Need to get a lighthouse tracked beer cozy goin and I'll be set XD

I wonder if it would work with a 3rd controller. The hole in the middle makes it perfect to put on a beer bottle.

I think that's a general question, can more than 2 controllers be tracked? Are the games allowing that?


That's good to know, because I would be more comfortable placing one lighthouse above my height and the other at medium height.
 

Qassim

Member
Yeah, I ordered a couple of 2M lighting stands mostly for temporary use so I can figure out the best position for them, then I'll put them on the wall/ceiling.
 

bj00rn_

Banned

Nzyme32

Member

This is what I have already been saying, and tried myself with the dk1. The only big risks are having two people or pets block both lighthouses - lost tracking, or having a lighthouse knocked out of its position, which on dk1 is awful as the world will tumble.

If you can avoid those, you're golden
 

Man

Member
I just ordered these generic tripods: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00899801A/
I'm hoping the screw-size is pretty universal on these things?

41ubVyqH-SL.jpg
 

dumbo

Member
I wonder if it would work with a 3rd controller. The hole in the middle makes it perfect to put on a beer bottle.

I think that's a general question, can more than 2 controllers be tracked? Are the games allowing that?

The headset can apparently connect to 16 things (maybe including itself?).

But, in practice, I doubt anyone is going to support >2 handheld controllers per player. However, they may support other tracked objects (limbs, chair etc).
 

Joejoe123

Neo Member
Most profit would come in the end from software, not HMD sales.
But they need also good hardware to drive the store / VR platform.

Let's assume that Oculus can sell 1 million HMD's, and considering they're selling almost at cost the profit (per HMD) might be $30 or something?

So yeah, they would make $30 million from their multi-year HMD venture, which is what Facebook makes in one morning with ads.

But via Oculus Store they can sell many games to each HMD user (already millions counting Gear VR), and take a 30% cut from all of them. That will generate worthwhile $$$.

The assumption would be that Oculus/Facebook care about making a profit this early in the game. Oculus may be banking on capturing a large enough market-share early on that they are the clear VR leader once manufacturing costs drop and profits increase on the hardware side of the business. It's all just speculation, but with the Vive being arguably better (ships with room-scale and motion controls) I don't think Oculus is going to willingly give access any of their funded games.
 
How is everyone going about mirroring the audio to the headset and spectator screen? HDMI and DisplayPort, I can't figure it out, as you can only select one audio output at any one time on a PC, would I need another soundcard?
 

Tadie

Member
Which earphones are you going to use with your VR Headsets?

I hope my Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro offer a really good sound for VR.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
How is everyone going about mirroring the audio to the headset and spectator screen? HDMI and DisplayPort, I can't figure it out, as you can only select one audio output at any one time on a PC, would I need another soundcard?

steam VR updated to include something about this but I don't know the details.
 

Crispy75

Member
The best lighthouse stand solution (zero wall damage and leaves more room than tripod):

Support Rod (x2):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CRDD6Y/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Threaded pipe grip(x2):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E5M39AW/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Oh that's a neat solution :)

To save people the effort of clicking, you take a builder's support rod, which is a ratcheting telescopic rod with a flat pad on each end, and wedge it between your floor and ceiling. Then you have a quick-release camera mount that clips on at whatever height you want. Unobtrusive, minimal floor take, and quick to demount if need be.
 
Noob question - can someone explain how the rift (or Vive) will work with the maon screen/monitor connected as well?

Do I connect the Rift/Vive to the main HDMI of the graphics card, and then the monitor/TV to the motherboard inbuilt GFX chip?

Will I then have to do anything in windows to tell it which output to use for which?

I'm thinking/assuming I need a normal screen to see the windows desktop and launch SteamVR/Oculus Home...and then I put the headset on and it will automatically send all the VR content into the headset?

What happens to the monitor/TV display in the mean time? Does it turn off, or display the windows desktop, or something else?
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Do you think they've solved it then? Really keen on sorting this out, as its rubbish for the spectator to be watching a screen in silence.

from the changelog

SteamVR said:
Added audio mirroring in audio settings. This lets you set up audio so your friends can hear what you are hearing in the headset.



Noob question - can someone explain how the rift (or Vive) will work with the maon screen/monitor connected as well?

Do I connect the Rift/Vive to the main HDMI of the graphics card, and then the monitor/TV to the motherboard inbuilt GFX chip?

Will I then have to do anything in windows to tell it which output to use for which?

I'm thinking/assuming I need a normal screen to see the windows desktop and launch SteamVR/Oculus Home...and then I put the headset on and it will automatically send all the VR content into the headset?

What happens to the monitor/TV display in the mean time? Does it turn off, or display the windows desktop, or something else?

two separate outputs on your GPU. One goes to the HMD, the other goes to your monitor/TV for spectators/setting up
 

Zalusithix

Member
Jumping back to the analog sticks being good for scrolling through menus conversation that I missed, the haptic touchpad is way better for scrolling.

Dynamically switch the pad to a scroll wheel emulation mode while in the menu and you can seamlessly scroll up and down a menu at varying rates just like a mouse wheel. Anybody that has used the Steam controller knows what I'm talking about. Anybody that hasn't will probably have a hard time imagining how much better the pads are in that role.

Sticks are good for analog movement. For virtually everything else pads are equal or better.
 
two separate outputs on your GPU. One goes to the HMD, the other goes to your monitor/TV for spectators/setting up

Great thanks! I think I only have one HDMI port so I'm going to have to use a DVI adapter for the TV...a bit of a pain as I'm then going to have to send sound separately...
 

Admodieus

Member
I want the Vive to win with its more open stance towards Vr, but I feel like Oculus has the inside track, at least for the short term. Price notwithstanding (I believe Oculus Touch will close the price gap between the two anyway), I don't see room scale as a differentiator and I am more interested in the Rifts launch lineup. Of course, Valve holds the ultimate trump card - the potential for a VR HL3.
 

Zalusithix

Member
I want the Vive to win with its more open stance towards Vr, but I feel like Oculus has the inside track, at least for the short term. Price notwithstanding (I believe Oculus Touch will close the price gap between the two anyway), I don't see room scale as a differentiator and I am more interested in the Rifts launch lineup. Of course, Valve holds the ultimate trump card - the potential for a VR HL3.

It wont be a trump card because Valve supports the Rift in Steam.
 

Wallach

Member
I want the Vive to win with its more open stance towards Vr, but I feel like Oculus has the inside track, at least for the short term. Price notwithstanding (I believe Oculus Touch will close the price gap between the two anyway), I don't see room scale as a differentiator and I am more interested in the Rifts launch lineup. Of course, Valve holds the ultimate trump card - the potential for a VR HL3.

I don't really see how VR HL3 ever comes to pass (nevermind HL3 coming to pass in the first place). HL3 not supporting 2D monitors is Defcon 1 levels of nerdrage, and I can't imagine a 2D version of HL3 that wouldn't suck in VR (or vice-versa).
 

Pit

Member
Great thanks! I think I only have one HDMI port so I'm going to have to use a DVI adapter for the TV...a bit of a pain as I'm then going to have to send sound separately...

Could you use some sort of HDMI splitter? turning one output from the PC into two signals one to the tv and one to the HMD?
 

Zalusithix

Member
You'll really want the VR headsets as a separate output on the GPU. A splitter will cause constant EDID flipping as the computer detects the monitor disappearing and HMD appearing and vice versa. It'll probably screw with the software stack.
 

Compsiox

Banned
Oh that's a neat solution :)

To save people the effort of clicking, you take a builder's support rod, which is a ratcheting telescopic rod with a flat pad on each end, and wedge it between your floor and ceiling. Then you have a quick-release camera mount that clips on at whatever height you want. Unobtrusive, minimal floor take, and quick to demount if need be.

It works really well. I've already got it set up. The mounts and rods are very sturdy .
 
The rod idea is pretty great and certainly for travel (setting up at someone else's house, work, etc)

I can see getting a lot of use out of having a couple of those and quick Vive setups.

That said, the video above seems to show even putting the Lighthouses on the floor might work.
 
You'll really want the VR headsets as a separate output on the GPU. A splitter will cause constant EDID flipping as the computer detects the monitor disappearing and HMD appearing and vice versa. It'll probably screw with the software stack.

Well that and the vive/rift doesnt exactly take a 1080p signal making it moot anyhow.
 

Zalusithix

Member
Well that and the vive/rift doesnt exactly take a 1080p signal making it moot anyhow.

Switches shouldn't really care about what resolution or framerate is being sent. Theoretically they should just perform a HDCP handshake, pass the EDID along and send data up to their maximum bandwidth.

Yeah looks like ill be buying a display port to HDMI cable.
The Vive can receive a DP connection on the breakout box.
 

Pit

Member
Switches shouldn't really care about what resolution or framerate is being sent. Theoretically they should just perform a HDCP handshake, pass the EDID along and send data up to their maximum bandwidth.


The Vive can receive a DP connection on the breakout box.

Oh cool, so a display port cable would work fine then. Thanks for the heads up mate.
 
Oh cool, so a display port cable would work fine then. Thanks for the heads up mate.

I have a DVI to HDMI cable so I'll use that for my second display. Think I will have to send sound separately from the mobo to my amp..and switch sources on the amp...#firstworldproblems...
 

Crispy75

Member
When you take a look @ the steam store so many games are for Oculus...and not Vive.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/
https://www.reddit.com/r/subnautica/comments/3k2ojv/vive_support/

The game has partial VR support right now. Some things to note:
Was tested only with Oculus DK2, but the consumer Oculus and Vive are supported (but again never actually tried)...
VR is an experimental feature in general and our focus will be on finishing the game itself. VR support might not mature entirely and might remain experimental

Don't fret
 
"Do we expect that they will be converted?
Otherwise it would be a shame."


Probably a case of (significantly) more Oculus Dev Kits being out in the wild and many small developers not being able to get access to a Vive kit. I'd imagine a lot of them will be updated to support Vive in time.
 
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