General VR discussion thread

[Red Storm]

A while back I mentioned I would be trying the new Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire VR experience at Disney Springs. Can't find my post from back then, but I figured I'd post my impressions.

In a nutshell, it was the most realistic, immersive VR experience I have had so far. I did it with three other people, and they all loved it as well. The gear had hand sensors so you could actually see your hands/arms, and your buddies looked like storm troopers too. They did a creative job of making you feel like you were moving from place to place, but in reality the space was not that large. It completely captured the experience of being a storm trooper in a firefight though, wow was that amazing! You do not need to be a star wars fan to appreciate it. My wife who doesn't care at all about Star Wars could not stop talking about it. There's a particular area where you're being lifted up on a platform and can see in all directions for miles, that was a jaw dropping moment. There are other aspects that I won't spoil, but I highly recommend giving it a try if you are in Orlando (I believe there's also one in London and possible California too).

 

[WhiteNoise]

I believe the one in California is being built. Correct me if I'm wrong. I believe they are building it not within the park but in downtown disney. The wife and I have had annual passes for us and the kids for over 6 years straight now. 2018 is the first year I decided not to renew mine but the rest of the family did. I'm just so damn burnt out on the park.

When they open the star wars city park attraction dealio...I might buy a single ticket just to check it out.

 

[Red Storm]

Oh it's not in a Disney park, it's at Disney Springs (Downtown Disney equivalent in Orlando).

 

[ImpulsE69]

It completely captured the experience of being a storm trooper in a firefight though,

So by that you mean all your shots missed?

For anyone who hasn't checked it out. Star Wars Droid Repair is free on Steam. It is short but a VERY well done Star Wars themed VR experience.

 

[Red Storm]

So by that you mean all your shots missed?

For anyone who hasn't checked it out. Star Wars Droid Repair is free on Steam. It is short but a VERY well done Star Wars themed VR experience.

Lol, well the projectiles shot a little slower than I would have liked, so yes I missed quite a bit at first!

 

[Kaido]

A while back I mentioned I would be trying the new Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire VR experience at Disney Springs. Can't find my post from back then, but I figured I'd post my impressions.

In a nutshell, it was the most realistic, immersive VR experience I have had so far. I did it with three other people, and they all loved it as well. The gear had hand sensors so you could actually see your hands/arms, and your buddies looked like storm troopers too. They did a creative job of making you feel like you were moving from place to place, but in reality the space was not that large. It completely captured the experience of being a storm trooper in a firefight though, wow was that amazing! You do not need to be a star wars fan to appreciate it. My wife who doesn't care at all about Star Wars could not stop talking about it. There's a particular area where you're being lifted up on a platform and can see in all directions for miles, that was a jaw dropping moment. There are other aspects that I won't spoil, but I highly recommend giving it a try if you are in Orlando (I believe there's also one in London and possible California too).

Dang, that sounds awesome!

 

[Aikouka]

I heard Jesse Cox talk about the Star Wars Experience, and he had nothing but praise for it. The biggest things seemed to be the hand tracking and also that the experience uses real props that change dynamically depending on what area you're in. So, when you'd see a rack of blasters on the wall, you can go and pick one up because there are physical objects in the real world that are representing those blasters.

 

[Red Storm]

I heard Jesse Cox talk about the Star Wars Experience, and he had nothing but praise for it. The biggest things seemed to be the hand tracking and also that the experience uses real props that change dynamically depending on what area you're in. So, when you'd see a rack of blasters on the wall, you can go and pick one up because there are physical objects in the real world that are representing those blasters.

Yes, it was very well done. It's not something that could be replicated at home I think, it's very much an experience. They use sounds, movement, vibrations, and smells as well to add to the immersion.

 

[WhiteNoise]

Oh it's not in a Disney park, it's at Disney Springs (Downtown Disney equivalent in Orlando).

Yeah same here. Downtown disney is not in the park. It is a little town with hotel that they have with easy access to the park.

 

[pj-]

Conductor is a nice little atmospheric puzzle game. You drive a small steam train down a track at night and get off to solve puzzles when things block your way. I'm not sure how long it is, but it's interesting so far and pretty polished.

 

[Kaido]

Does anyone wanna go halfsies?

 

[ImpulsE69]

That's freakin awesome.

 

[Kaido]

 

[Kaido]

There's a neat copycat of Minecraft called "cyubeVR" available on early access for $20:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/619500/cyubeVR/

Vivecraft is surprisingly one of the neatest games for VR; debating blowing $20 on this game for the enhanced graphics...

 

[Aikouka]

So, I ended up not being able to resist trying out the Samsung Odyssey HMD. (You kind of have to specify since Samsung also has a laptop line called "Odyssey".) Unfortunately, I'm likely going to have to return it. The biggest problem is that the tracking just isn't up to par. Now, I knew it wasn't going to be as good as the Vive given the system requires LoS of the cameras to be able to track the controllers. However, the problem is that there were quite a few times when the left controller would go out of sight, and it would take a good minute after being visible for the system to actually start tracking it again. For that whole duration, it just sort of sat in limbo, and then finally popped back up. I didn't notice this problem with the right controller, but this problem will literally make most games unplayable if I need to use the left controller.

Another issue that I had would probably be more localized to me, and that was the fitment of the device. I've got a pretty big head. Essentially, if a hat says "one size fits all", it really means "won't fit me". Trucker hats with those plastic snap things on the back? They don't fit either -- none of the pegs will reach a hole. The Vive fits me just fine without feeling too snug, but on the other hand, the Odyssey is extended all the way, and it barely fits me. I'd actually describe it as uncomfortably tight, so I don't really like wearing it. The poor fitment also extended to the built-in headphones as they don't extend, which means they really didn't cover my ears well. Yet again, the Vive has no problem in this regard.

Also, one thing that I was aware of is that the cord is a bit shorter than the Vive, but while my Vive has plenty of slack -- partly due to its use of a break-away box -- the Odyssey felt very constrained by its cord length -- more so than I expected. It was actually out further into the room than my Vive, and it still had trouble making it all the way to the wall. Also, the short cable combined with the lack of a break-away box means that any excessive tugging could cause damage to the device that it's plugged into.

I guess the one thing that I could express is how it looked, and honestly... I'm not really sure? I've always had a hard time judging these devices because I can't wear glasses in them. So, the screens have always appeared somewhat fuzzy to me. I use VR Lens in my Vive just to make it a bit easier on me.

At this point, I'm just going to wait for the Vive Pro.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Anyone tried the Zelda stuff by Aklar_45? Pretty cool. Grab them before they disappear!

 

[jtvang125]

Do you guys think it's worth it to get a second hand Rift bundle for $100 less? Unfortunately the bundled games are registered to the seller's account and doesn't look like they're transferable. I can try knocking it down another $30-40 because of this. And the hardware serial number isn't tied to an account right?

 

[Kaido]

Do you guys think it's worth it to get a second hand Rift bundle for $100 less? Unfortunately the bundled games are registered to the seller's account and doesn't look like they're transferable. I can try knocking it down another $30-40 because of this. And the hardware serial number isn't tied to an account right?

Late reply - if your budget dictates buying used & that will enable you to get one if you really want one, then yes. Otherwise, the warranty is only a year from the date of purchase, so think of buying it new as paying $100 for a year warranty, "just in case". So depends on how you want to go about it. I think it would be a better deal if it was like half off; the cheapest I've seen it new was $349 with a game bundle, so $399 new, minus $100 used with no games...meh. But again, if you really want one & the cost savings will let you get one, it's a stupid awesome toy to have & I'd highly recommend one if you're interested in VR

 

[Kaido]

If you're looking for some entertainment, check out S4E1 of Black Mirror ("USS Callister") on Netflix. Fun story that uses the future of VR as a plot device. Instead of a headset, you stick a wireless interface on your noggin and beam your brain into the game. Pretty fun!

 

[clamum]

The guys behind Raw Data are coming out with Sprint Vector in about a week, looks super fun!

Hmmm that does look pretty decent, maybe I'll pick it up.

Does anyone wanna go halfsies?

LOL. That would actually be pretty sweet for a flight sim but otherwise it's more lulzy than anything else IMO.

 

[Kaido]

 

[jtvang125]

What's a good but inexpensive HMD for mainly video playback that can be connected to a PC/laptop? I have a GearVR but it's a PITA copying large video files everytime to the phone and high capacity flash drives and cards are expensive and slow. Are the Microsoft Mixed Reality HMDs the way to go for this?

 

[Craig234]

Still waiting for VR 2.0.

 

[ImpulsE69]

What's a good but inexpensive HMD for mainly video playback that can be connected to a PC/laptop? I have a GearVR but it's a PITA copying large video files everytime to the phone and high capacity flash drives and cards are expensive and slow. Are the Microsoft Mixed Reality HMDs the way to go for this?

Get yourself a Rift. They are dirt cheap. Whirligig is a really good VR player that supports just about everything (You can get an older version free) or buy a newer version on Steam.

 

[jtvang125]

Still waiting for VR 2.0.

We know what Vive will be coming out next but nothing yet from Oculus from what I've heard so far. I do remember reading something about them working on a even cheaper version of the Rift to lower the barrier to entry. If that's true then Oculus may try to target the mainstream crowd while HTC goes after the enthusiasts. PiMax is trying to swoop in and take the crown with the best tech specs but that still remains to be seen.

The question I think still remains is, where are all the killer apps? There seems to be only a few games developed from the ground up for VR and the rest seem to be tech demos. Developers are hesitant to put in the effort because the user base is still so small while at the same time people don't want to take the plunge with the lack of content.