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

dhonk said:
Not exactly the same idea but I'm going to be playing SNES / Genesis games in RGB through my capture card (no lag PCI card) in Virtual Desktop. Should be interesting because you don't exactly run into the problem with resolution considering you're playing 240p games.
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Basically all retro gaming will work well in a virtual cinema due to the source resolution being lower than the headset so no penalty is incurred. Somebody will have to fake a virtual CRT display with glass glare to make it real convincing. ;)
 
Croatoan said:
So once I get a Vive in I am going to start prototyping some controllers in UE4 so I can learn the limitations and best practices. I plan on starting with two examples of more traditional methods (which I already know how to do) before thinking about first person room space stuff.

RE1/2 method

like Chronos is using where each room has a "Camera" that you can rotate with your head. Pretty straight forward. Character will just shoot in a straight line like old school games.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of light Method

Basically an isometric style shooter were you are the camera (god Cam?) looking down on the Pawn (character).

I plan to cast a ray (line trace) from the center of the "camera" in the direction you are looking. Wherever that hits the third person character will aim which will allow you to aim not just forward but above and below the character. This will also turn the character and allow you to aim at farther away targets than traditional top down shooters.

I will attempt this two ways

1) Follow camera: in this version the camera(your head) will follow the character on the x/y plane. Since there will be no turning and only flat movement I hope to not cause any more sickness than something like hover junkers.

2) Room scale (micro machine style): In this version you would be standing outside of a table (like a pool table) and able to move around it. On top of this table little micromachine like robots (or people) will be battling it out in a fixed space arena. It will be a top down shooter where you are controlling a single combatant inside this arena (sorta like a table top robot wars or something.

2B) I might do a quick top down micro machine racing demo

Future

I really want to do a hover junkers like example, only single player or coop (horde) based, but that type of VR scares me due to perceived complexity overreaching the time I actually have to play with it(I still have my real job and a mobile game under development). I likely wont get into this until good tutorials surface for UE4 or we decide to develop a room scale game of that type.

I would love to hear any ideas or comments about the above based on current game experiences or dev talks you may have come across. Over the next few months I am going to devote some of my free nights to absorbing VR programming stuff.
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The Lara Croft method you mentioned is actually already used for Herobound for the Gear VR. It's used in aiming arrows when the character is equipped with a bow. Works really well.
 
Compsiox said:
If I were in the first shipments for the Rift would I know by now?
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Why would anyone let you know anything about the expensive purchase you are making?

We still aren't even sure if they are shipping on the 28th or plan to have units arrive on the 28th. They basically have tomorrow to ship so it isn't looking good for 28th rival.
 
Whether I keep my Vive or Oculus order may well end up being whichever one shows up at my house first or a coin flip.

I'm not sure I have the willpower to sit on an Oculus order if I get it next week and say "You know, I'll wait until the Vive showsssssssssssggoooodddaammmitttnowi'mopeningit"
 
Like many apparently, I have ordered the Rift and Vive. Both are expected to ship in May. I'm not planning on keeping both, however.

Hopefully as soon as units are in the hands of consumers we will get a consensus regarding the pros and cons. I'm pretty sure there have been some conflicting reports about which provides the best visuals (such as FOV, optics/SDE). I feel things will clear up a little in April, which should solidify my decision. Currently leaning towards the Vive, but I can be easily swayed depending on the significance of the findings.
 
Soi-Fong said:
The Lara Croft method you mentioned is actually already used for Herobound for the Gear VR. It's used in aiming arrows when the character is equipped with a bow. Works really well.
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Nice, seems like it uses the RE1/2 method (fix camera location) with my idea for aiming.
 
Right, I recently got a bonus from work so decided to take the plunge and pre-order a Vive. I've never tried VR but can't remember the last time I was so hyped for a piece of tech.
 
Tried verifying my vive order on their site and got a message indicating the order number was invalid. Called their online orders support line and received confirmation that my order is safe and that I'm in the first wave. Woot!!

For anyone wanting to do the same, their number is: 1.888.216.4736 You'll need your order number on hand.
 
I finally have had my first VR experiences now that I bought an S7 with a Gear VR and I feel it was way overhyped and the reality is somewhat but not totally disappointing. Over the past few years I feel like various podcasts and commenters have made screen door seem like it's now an almost solved problem but if the gear is comparable to the others, then it must have been horrible at first because it's super noticeable now. The screen door problem isn't my biggest concern, that being the blur. I can't get a good sense on how prevalent this is in the others but listening to the Bombcast makes it sound like at least the PSVR is similarly blurry (everywhere that isn't directly in front of you is noticeably blurry). The blur issue is the only thing close to a dealbreaker for me. that coupled with the IQ reminding me of a 3DS has really tempered my excitement. Obviously the S7 isn't a gaming PC or dedicated console but from what I gather, it seems to be in the ballpark as far as VR experiences are concerned. Another problem I'm having is finding interesting things to do in VR. I feel like everything I've tried (granted, still not much) has been a lot of 'huh that's neat, I'll never load that thing up again'.

On the positive side is that, in time all of these things will be better and it is still really cool. I feel like the gushing over how amazing everything VR is over the past few years didn't help when I actually put a headset on.

Finally I'd like to ask how representative of a PSVR, Vive, Rift the Gear VR is? I understand framerates are much better on all 3 than the Gear but how about Blur & IQ? Also are there any games out yet that aren't a tour of a place or a minigame that work on Gear? Not really into sight seeing or mini games. (hopefully that last question is ok here, I know were talking about the other 3)
 
ashecitism said:
RPS hands-on with Pool Nation: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/23/pool-nation-vr-vive/
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That was a good read. Is good to hear that the actual game of pool is good too.

I enjoyed this part a lot:

It’s uncanny. So uncanny that I not only leaned on the table, I tried to look at my watch at one point. Leave me in there any longer and I’d be standing at the bar, complaining about how long it takes to get served when you’re not a local.

I’ve played VR games that are more impressive on paper – fantastical, beautiful things – but nothing else convinced me that the Vive can conjure up realistic spaces that feel so close to home.
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rbanke said:
I finally have had my first VR experiences now that I bought an S7 with a Gear VR and I feel it was way overhyped and the reality is somewhat but not totally disappointing. Over the past few years I feel like various podcasts and commenters have made screen door seem like it's now an almost solved problem but if the gear is comparable to the others, then it must have been horrible at first because it's super noticeable now. The screen door problem isn't my biggest concern, that being the blur. I can't get a good sense on how prevalent this is in the others but listening to the Bombcast makes it sound like at least the PSVR is similarly blurry (everywhere that isn't directly in front of you is noticeably blurry). The blur issue is the only thing close to a dealbreaker for me. that coupled with the IQ reminding me of a 3DS has really tempered my excitement. Obviously the S7 isn't a gaming PC or dedicated console but from what I gather, it seems to be in the ballpark as far as VR experiences are concerned. Another problem I'm having is finding interesting things to do in VR. I feel like everything I've tried (granted, still not much) has been a lot of 'huh that's neat, I'll never load that thing up again'.

On the positive side is that, in time all of these things will be better and it is still really cool. I feel like the gushing over how amazing everything VR is over the past few years didn't help when I actually put a headset on.

Finally I'd like to ask how representative of a PSVR, Vive, Rift the Gear VR is? I understand framerates are much better on all 3 than the Gear but how about Blur & IQ? Also are there any games out yet that aren't a tour of a place or a minigame that work on Gear? Not really into sight seeing or mini games. (hopefully that last question is ok here, I know were talking about the other 3)
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Everything is better in the PC headsets. Frame rate, IQ, SDE, sweet spot (the clear part of the optics in the center), FOV. Gear VR is neat, but it's just a tiny preview of what VR is.

As for the second question, I don't know much about Gear VR apps currently out.
 
rbanke said:
I finally have had my first VR experiences now that I bought an S7 with a Gear VR and I feel it was way overhyped and the reality is somewhat but not totally disappointing. Over the past few years I feel like various podcasts and commenters have made screen door seem like it's now an almost solved problem but if the gear is comparable to the others, then it must have been horrible at first because it's super noticeable now. The screen door problem isn't my biggest concern, that being the blur. I can't get a good sense on how prevalent this is in the others but listening to the Bombcast makes it sound like at least the PSVR is similarly blurry (everywhere that isn't directly in front of you is noticeably blurry). The blur issue is the only thing close to a dealbreaker for me. that coupled with the IQ reminding me of a 3DS has really tempered my excitement. Obviously the S7 isn't a gaming PC or dedicated console but from what I gather, it seems to be in the ballpark as far as VR experiences are concerned. Another problem I'm having is finding interesting things to do in VR. I feel like everything I've tried (granted, still not much) has been a lot of 'huh that's neat, I'll never load that thing up again'.

On the positive side is that, in time all of these things will be better and it is still really cool. I feel like the gushing over how amazing everything VR is over the past few years didn't help when I actually put a headset on.

Finally I'd like to ask how representative of a PSVR, Vive, Rift the Gear VR is? I understand framerates are much better on all 3 than the Gear but how about Blur & IQ? Also are there any games out yet that aren't a tour of a place or a minigame that work on Gear? Not really into sight seeing or mini games. (hopefully that last question is ok here, I know were talking about the other 3)
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Gear VR is garbage even compared to the DK2
 
Seiru said:
Everything is better in the PC headsets. Frame rate, IQ, SDE, sweet spot (the clear part of the optics in the center), FOV. Gear VR is neat, but it's just a tiny preview of what VR is.

As for the second question, I don't know much about Gear VR apps currently out.
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Sky Chief said:
Gear VR is garbage even compared to the DK2
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Well that's certainly encouraging. I keep seeing things that make it sound that Gear VR is basically what you'll be getting outside of the framerates.
 
rbanke said:
Well that's certainly encouraging. I keep seeing things that make it sound that Gear VR is basically what you'll be getting outside of the framerates.
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Yeah, that's totally untrue. Mobile VR is still very much a different thing than PC VR. It's intriguing, and will improve fast, but it's just not there yet.
 
Sky Chief said:
Gear VR is garbage even compared to the DK2
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Disagree. Since getting a Gear VR I've barely touched my DK2. Losing positional tracking and 75hz is a shame, but the displays are much better overall with SDE notably reduced, and the software experience (Oculus Home) is much better. Head tracking is that bit tighter too (just talking rotational as again, no positional) and the headset is a good deal lighter. Plus I really like not being tethered... which is partly why I'm planning on putting my camera *behind* my PC so that the cable is behind me back to the PC when I turn around to face it.

I have found it much more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time as a result. I am very happy to hear SDE is greatly improved in the final Rift, and that it's much lighter than the DK2. 90hz will further improve motion to photon latency (although I think part of why Gear VR feels better there is due to time warp, and I know that wasn't fully integrated into the 0.8 SDK, which is I think the last one Oculus publically released).

To address the worries... yes, the sweet spot should be better. The 'blur' on my Gear VR isn't too bad... make sure you're adjusting the dial on top of the unit. Not every game on Gear VR adjusts for the chromatic aberration of the lenses which every game on the final Rift will. And while the Rift likely has slightly reduced pixel density, with the lenses on the final version (and from what I've heard, the Vive has some optics to help with reducing SDE too) SDE is greatly minimized.

As ever with VR, until you have the headset on your head and you're trying an experience it's very hard to gauge how readily apparent such things will be.

The retail headsets will be better than the Gear VR though, I don't doubt. But I'm sure you'd think the DK2 was garbage also, if you felt that way about the Gear VR.
 
I prefer the GearVR to DK2. Differences:
+ It's a consumer product with a good store and plenty of apps
+ it's wireless!
+/- DK2's positional tracking volume is too small and doesn't support you being 180degress turned around, it's almost more annoyance than benefit.
+/- Image seems the same but I haven't quickly swapped in a good while.
- There's a big difference between 75hz and 60hz. Definitly missed. Can't wait to experience 90hz+.
 
The parallax cues that you get from positional tracking outweighs the lessend SDE for me. Sitting in the roller-coaster in DK2 and being able to look over the side of the track or just having your natural head motions track properly is big for my personal immersion. I understand that for some people the lessened SDE of the GearVR may be big for their immersion. Having said all of that, I still love my GearVR and the wireless and portability factors are indeed awesome. No fuss, just slap my phone in and geek out.
 
Do I really need "surround sound" headphones or will my ATH M-50s work well with VR. I just dropped good money into a hi-fi system but headphones seem to be the way to go with VR. I really haven't been impressed with the sound quality with most gaming surround sound headsets.
 
The Argus said:
Do I really need "surround sound" headphones or will my ATH M-50s work well with VR. I just dropped good money into a hi-fi system but headphones seem to be the way to go with VR. I really haven't been impressed with the sound quality with most gaming surround sound headsets.
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Regular stereo headphones are better than "surround" headphones for binaural audio that VR uses, so you're good to go.

And in my opinion, even outside VR I'd rather buy good stereo ones than any kind of gaming headphones.
 
artsi said:
Regular stereo headphones are better than "surround" headphones for binaural audio that VR uses, so you're good to go.

And in my opinion, even outside VR I'd rather buy good stereo ones than any kind of gaming headphones.
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Awesome! Thank you for the quick response. Those 7.1 fake surround sound headphones just sound so empty to me, glad I can stick with my beloved Audio Technicas.
 
I'll ask this question again to see if any developers are reading. Can the HTC Vive's amp drive HD600s (300 ohm impedance) or others similar in impedance. In addition, any details surrounding the Vive's audio capabilities would be appreciated.
 
Cyriades said:
The Newest VR from GDC 2016!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guZjeIyAKG4

Say, what's up with VR? Join us to discuss the massive presence that VR had at GDC 2016! We went hands-on, well... face-on, with the newest headsets at GDC including Oculus, HTC Vive and PSVR to share our impressions on how they look, feel and perform.
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Nice video.

Summary, but you should watch the discussion:
Coolest demo that I never heard of until now was the basketball demo ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guZjeIyAKG4&t=9m33s ). Someone was in a mocap suit and represented in the game as a robot and was able to pass a physical basketball back and forth between someone in a headset.

They said that they were surprised at how little difference there were between the three final headsets in terms of quality.

Oculus Touch controllers was the guy's favorite controllers by far.

When they consider cost into the headset they said they would choose PSVR or Rift. When cost isn't a consideration they chose Vive due to room scale.
 
Iced_Eagle said:
Nice video.

Summary, but you should watch the discussion:
Coolest demo that I never heard of until now was the basketball demo ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guZjeIyAKG4&t=9m33s ). Someone was in a mocap suit and represented in the game as a robot and was able to pass a physical basketball back and forth between someone in a headset.

They said that they were surprised at how little difference there were between the three final headsets in terms of quality.

Oculus Touch controllers was the guy's favorite controllers by far.

When they consider cost into the headset they said they would choose PSVR or Rift. When cost isn't a consideration they chose Vive due to room scale.
Click to expand...

I watched that video and just thought how well he / she is handling the ball while not seeing his own hands, human mind is amazing. VR is amazing.
 
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