General VR discussion thread

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ImpulsE69

ImpulsE69

Lifer
Jan 8, 2010
14,946
1,077
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Tons of VR stuff on sale on Steam, and Oculus is also having a decent sale. Most prices are the same as Steam, but some on Steam are cheaper.
 
HeXen

HeXen

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2009
7,831
37
91
ImpulsE69 said:
Tons of VR stuff on sale on Steam, and Oculus is also having a decent sale. Most prices are the same as Steam, but some on Steam are cheaper.
Click to expand...

Only a few even look like actual full game titles. CDF Strarfighter looks fun but for the most part I've not seen much in the way of serious titles or anything that makes me want to plunk down the dough for VR right away, that and kind of waiting to see what the end of the year for VR landscape looks like in regards to other hardware. I'd hate to get one now only to end up playing on my TV a month later.

I kinda hope StarVR will make it out this year but looks doubtful since they claim to still be exploring tracking solutions.

ImpulsE69 said:
Internet outrage gets a win. Oculus removes headset checking DRM.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/06/oculus-reverses-course-dumps-its-vr-headset-checking-drm/
Click to expand...

It bugs me more that there is yet another client/resources that need to run just to play games on the same PC hardware.
I have Origin, Steam, Uplay, Galaxy all with separate accounts and all on top of Windows store account....I must be the only one that hates it but I never liked having my library segregated like that.

But nice to see they removed it but I think Oculus Home was the final and main deciding factor that recently made me drop the pre-order, didn't really care if it was locked or not because you still have to have it running.
 
K

ksheets

Senior member
Aug 11, 2000
738
71
91
My nephew let me borrow his Rift for a few days, can anyone point me in the direction for a tutorial on getting a roller coaster demo working? Ive tried the no limits 2 both on steam and direct download, but can't get it functioning on the rift. It's been a real bummer since that's one of the things i really wanted to check out.

Subnaughtica and Project cars are fantastic though, after seeing the Rift I would REALLY like to check out the Vive for comparison...
 
ImpulsE69

ImpulsE69

Lifer
Jan 8, 2010
14,946
1,077
126
ksheets said:
My nephew let me borrow his Rift for a few days, can anyone point me in the direction for a tutorial on getting a roller coaster demo working? Ive tried the no limits 2 both on steam and direct download, but can't get it functioning on the rift. It's been a real bummer since that's one of the things i really wanted to check out.

Subnaughtica and Project cars are fantastic though, after seeing the Rift I would REALLY like to check out the Vive for comparison...
Click to expand...

Not sure, but if it is something that was done on the dev kits, it probably needs a wrapper if it was never updated to work with the latest sdk.
 
HeXen

HeXen

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2009
7,831
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91
Has anyone tried Mydream Swift? I wondered if it was better than VorpX as far as compatibility?
If it works well enough, I'd get a vive just for that.
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,411
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My VirZoom bike arrived today. Glad I pre-ordered it for $199 at Christmas; it's selling for $399 now (still a pretty good deal for an exercise bike in general!). Now I just need to get a gaming PC :D
 
ImpulsE69

ImpulsE69

Lifer
Jan 8, 2010
14,946
1,077
126
Kaido said:
My VirZoom bike arrived today. Glad I pre-ordered it for $199 at Christmas; it's selling for $399 now (still a pretty good deal for an exercise bike in general!). Now I just need to get a gaming PC :D
Click to expand...

Is there even anything out that uses it?
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,411
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ImpulsE69 said:
Is there even anything out that uses it?
Click to expand...

Yup, there are five games available for it:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/448710/

The graphics & gameplay are kind of 90's-style & fairly basic, but it's a start!

1. Pegasus: Fly your Pegasus in a beautiful canyon. Don't forget to eat apples along the treetops to have enough energy to keep flying

2. Cowboy: You are the sheriff riding a horse in a western themed town. Lasso bandits as quickly as you can before they get away.

3. Go Fast Car: You're a dog.. driving a racecar...? You betcha! Think Mario Kart meets F1 on steroids.

4. Apache Helicopter: River run style game where you pedal your helicopter down the river collecting fuel, shooting at turrets as they look to take you down.

5. Tank: Enter Winterstan - a multiplayer tank game. Explore rough terrain and work with your team to be the last tanks standing.

Plus free Strava integration. Right now it's compatible with the Rift, Vive, and PSVR, and support will be added for the GearVR in the future. Personally, I have to do cardio on a daily basis anyway because my digestion stinks, might as well make it more fun!
 
M

Mutilator

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2000
3,516
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Uh, that's a bit more than what's needed for VR. ;)

It's funny seeing the Vive undoing the damage done by years of being sedentary and playing video games by slimming down gamers one by one.

Kaido - Hope you enjoy the VirZoom. Seems like it'd be quite a bit more entertaining than exercise bikes usually are. I'm sure plenty of other games are going to work with it in the coming months.
I knew I had seen it before the launch the other day, didn't realize it was $150-200 less back then though. Of course back then I wasn't planning on actually owning a Vive so I probably shook my head and shrugged it off lol.
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,411
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xantub said:
What does this have to do with VR, is it the first VR-ready laptop?
Click to expand...

The desktop GTX980 GPU is now available in laptop form, not as a gimped M-series GPU either - it's a full GTX980. This happens to be the most expensive & powerful laptop I've seen with the newly-available mobile GPU. Plus it has 8 gigs of VRAM on the GPU, which is nuts!
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,411
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Mutilator said:
Uh, that's a bit more than what's needed for VR. ;)

It's funny seeing the Vive undoing the damage done by years of being sedentary and playing video games by slimming down gamers one by one.

Kaido - Hope you enjoy the VirZoom. Seems like it'd be quite a bit more entertaining than exercise bikes usually are. I'm sure plenty of other games are going to work with it in the coming months.
I knew I had seen it before the launch the other day, didn't realize it was $150-200 less back then though. Of course back then I wasn't planning on actually owning a Vive so I probably shook my head and shrugged it off lol.
Click to expand...

Yeah...and $399 still isn't bad for an exercise bike in general, especially a portable one. I probably won't pick up a Vive until next month due to being on the road, but I'll post an update once I get it all setup.

In other news, NVIDIA has a new budget card out: the 6GB GTX 1060 for $250. It's equivalent (well, slightly better) than the GTX980, which debuted at $550:

https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/07/nvidia-gtx-1060/
 
Sabrewings

Sabrewings

Golden Member
Jun 27, 2015
1,942
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Kaido said:
Yeah...and $399 still isn't bad for an exercise bike in general, especially a portable one. I probably won't pick up a Vive until next month due to being on the road, but I'll post an update once I get it all setup.

In other news, NVIDIA has a new budget card out: the 6GB GTX 1060 for $250. It's equivalent (well, slightly better) than the GTX980, which debuted at $550:

https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/07/nvidia-gtx-1060/
Click to expand...

That definitely helps bring down the price of VR rigs.
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,411
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I built my VirZoom bike over the weekend. Installation is a piece of cake, they give you all of the tools you need to do it & pre-assemble most of it for you. You're basically just screwing on the two legs, seat, handlebars, pedals, and putting a locking pin in the frame. Super easy.

It is surprisingly stable. I got my mom a Wirk Bike for Christmas, which looks like it's from the same OEM, but has a flat table with a pop-up stand so you can use a laptop or tablet or read a book while you're pedaling, which is pretty nice. The VirZoom is a lot more stable than the Wirk Bike, feels more solid too, and the resistance levels actually work pretty well (pretty wimpy on the Wirk Bike). I can see myself spending a lot of time on this bike for sure!

Right now, I like to do 30 to 45 minutes of cardio per day, so this will fit in really nicely with my morning exercise schedule. I've decided to go with the Vive as my HMD. I was also able to secure short-term access to a VR-capable computer thanks to a buddy who is traveling (with GTX980 Ti, whoohoo!), so I can bide my time & save up for a GTX980 laptop at some point in the future. Prices have already started dropping; the base Asus is under $1,500 now:

https://www.amazon.com/G751JY-WH71-WX-Gaming-Laptop-2-6GHz/dp/B015QZPRW4

Also considering a Razer solution (laptop with the eGPU docking station), although that's not quite as convenient to tote around. Downside is I gotta budget for another $500+ over what I planned for back in January due to the increased cost from going mobile, d'oh! As cheesy as the VirZoom games are, I still think it's a super-cool concept & I'm really glad I jumped on the 50%-off pre-order price. I'm hoping there will be some really awesome & unique games developed for the hardware platform. I mean, just look at what Pokemon GO is doing for people - they're getting out & exercising! I think it's pretty cool to combine fitness with video games, because anything you can do to make improving your health easier & more fun is a +1 in my book.
 
Aikouka

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
Since it sounds like you'll be waiting anyway, I'd consider waiting to see how the new Pascal-equipped laptops will perform. There's already been leaks about the GPU's specifications, but I haven't seen any benchmarks yet.
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,411
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Aikouka said:
Since it sounds like you'll be waiting anyway, I'd consider waiting to see how the new Pascal-equipped laptops will perform. There's already been leaks about the GPU's specifications, but I haven't seen any benchmarks yet.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Asus has a 1070-equipped model that may be out pretty soon:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2479844

I'll have the desktop for a few months, so I'm in no rush at all.
 
P

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
7,419
22
81
I sweat just playing Space Pirate Trainer... how would an exercise bicycle work with a Vive? Wouldn't it be covered in sweat right away?
 
Aikouka

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
pm said:
I sweat just playing Space Pirate Trainer... how would an exercise bicycle work with a Vive? Wouldn't it be covered in sweat right away?
Click to expand...

I ended up buying a VR Cover for my Vive to avoid that problem. It's essentially a waterproof synthetic leather that covers the foam. They also sell a replacement foam (with that same synthetic leather) that's narrower, which means it puts your face closer to the action.
 
P

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
7,419
22
81
Aikouka said:
I ended up buying a VR Cover for my Vive to avoid that problem. It's essentially a waterproof synthetic leather that covers the foam. They also sell a replacement foam (with that same synthetic leather) that's narrower, which means it puts your face closer to the action.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Thanks. Once you've used it a bit, I'd like to know what you think.
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,411
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Aikouka said:
I ended up buying a VR Cover for my Vive to avoid that problem. It's essentially a waterproof synthetic leather that covers the foam. They also sell a replacement foam (with that same synthetic leather) that's narrower, which means it puts your face closer to the action.
Click to expand...

Does HTC sell that or is it a third-party? My Vive arrive this weekend!
 
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