General VR discussion thread

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ImpulsE69

Lifer
Jan 8, 2010
14,946
1,077
126
Anything that does whole room can also do sit down - just don’t play the games where you stand up.

I have a vive and spend most of my time playing “werewolves with” which doesn’t even have motion controls.

is there still a good community for that? I avoided buying it because I figured it was dead by now.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I got mine from VR Lens Lab, but I never really noticed much of a difference when they were in compared to when they weren't. So, I ended up just removing them. My prescription isn't that bad to begin with... I'm something like a -1.75 and -2.
 

Dr. Zaus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2008
11,770
347
126
is there still a good community for that? I avoided buying it because I figured it was dead by now.
I’ve been playing for years and there are lobbies between 10am eastern to midnight pacific. I have over 2k games.

Just avoid a player named Muddbutt.

You can see charts of times people play at this website. It’s a hard game, it’s just like sex - you’re still a virgin until you’ve done it atleast 100 times.

https://werewolflobbies.com/
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
348
126
Getting closer to getting the Odyssey+. I'm still not very clear on all the different options - not just models but 'types' like 'mixed reality' or whatever. This is part of what is a pretty typical review of the Odyssey+:

"Let me start saying I love the view from this headset. Immersion is easier with better optics. My main disappointment with this headset is ergonomics. There is a large gap at the bottom, which makes it easier to see outside the headset and keeps it from fogging but puts a damper on the experience. The headset is sort of heavy and bulky. Besides being bulky the headset digs into the bridge of my nose and forehead making it so uncomfortable I considered returning the HMD. Ultimately the optics won out. "

The lenses and foam - an extra $100 - look like they'd help.
 

Dr. Zaus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2008
11,770
347
126
Getting closer to getting the Odyssey+. I'm still not very clear on all the different options - not just models but 'types' like 'mixed reality' or whatever. This is part of what is a pretty typical review of the Odyssey+:

"Let me start saying I love the view from this headset. Immersion is easier with better optics. My main disappointment with this headset is ergonomics. There is a large gap at the bottom, which makes it easier to see outside the headset and keeps it from fogging but puts a damper on the experience. The headset is sort of heavy and bulky. Besides being bulky the headset digs into the bridge of my nose and forehead making it so uncomfortable I considered returning the HMD. Ultimately the optics won out. "

The lenses and foam - an extra $100 - look like they'd help.
Why not just get a vive?
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
My Odyssey+ came in toady. For comparison, I own the PSVR setup with motion controllers and the gun. I have at worked used both the Rift and Vive, but that was a few years ago when they initially launched.

Overall, I feel that the Samsung product is probably the strangest combination of good and bad. The picture quality is great and the audio isn't bad. However, it has a horrible smell out of the box, which for a device that rests on your nose is pretty bad. There is light bleed but not as bad as I was expecting. So far, the weight isn't a big deal and it fits my head pretty well without a lot of discomfort. I suspect the VRCover replacement pads will make the fit even better. The biggest downside are the controllers. I never would have thought that the ancient Sony design and build quality of the Move controllers would hold up. For the full out MSRP, Sony has made a much better product (besides the display) than Samsung. I don't feel that the cost difference fully covers the increased OLED panels when taking a huge step back in build quality.

Well, so far the MR ones have the battery covers popping off during Beat Saber and they are awkward as anything to hold. Have tried many different grips and it's hard to get my hands feeling situated. The straps also lack the ability to tighten up which means that letting go let it fly off my wrists and at my monitor. The heavier Sony controllers can tighten up to cutting off blood circulation if you desire. I have also found that cylindrical shape of the Motion controllers with the bulbous end is more versatile for quickly flipping my wrists. I can basically hold the end and use it as fulcrum to quickly flip it around. The redeeming quality of the MR controllers is that they are easier to use for navigation and allow for more precision. Still haven't fully adjusted to the difference in camera placement so I will hold judgement on tracking.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
348
126
Kent, useful comments, but you started using the acronym "MR" without explaining it; I'm not sure what price difference you mean given the $299 sale price of the Odyssey+; and I'm not quite clear whether you're recommending Odyssey+ over the others, unless you're just undecided given the tradeoffs.
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
Kent, useful comments, but you started using the acronym "MR" without explaining it; I'm not sure what price difference you mean given the $299 sale price of the Odyssey+; and I'm not quite clear whether you're recommending Odyssey+ over the others, unless you're just undecided given the tradeoffs.

Sorry, MR = Windows Mixed Reality. It was just short hand/being lazy. Basically all of the Windows MR sets share a similar configuration. The Odessey+ has the best screen of the bunch, but probably middle of pack for the design and build quality of the unit and controllers.

At the sales price, the Odyssey+ is good enough for the PC and the PSVR is good enough for a pure gaming experience. If I could only have one, I would take the PSVR since it's built better, the controllers hold up better and I like the games that are available. Unfortunately, the next level up is the Vive Pro with all the sensors and controllers, but that's over $1k. Too much for me when I know better stuff is right around the corner.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
348
126
Sorry, MR = Windows Mixed Reality. It was just short hand/being lazy. Basically all of the Windows MR sets share a similar configuration. The Odessey+ has the best screen of the bunch, but probably middle of pack for the design and build quality of the unit and controllers.

At the sales price, the Odyssey+ is good enough for the PC and the PSVR is good enough for a pure gaming experience. If I could only have one, I would take the PSVR since it's built better, the controllers hold up better and I like the games that are available. Unfortunately, the next level up is the Vive Pro with all the sensors and controllers, but that's over $1k. Too much for me when I know better stuff is right around the corner.

Thanks for the clarification.

That's news to me better stuff is right around the corner - one of the reasons I'm thinking of getting something now is 2 years of waiting for that better model and hearing only that there's nothing expected. Can you elaborate? I'll wait if a better unit is coming.
 

ImpulsE69

Lifer
Jan 8, 2010
14,946
1,077
126
Eh, there is no comparison to the PC versions vs. the PSVR. They are nowhere in the same league. You can get a Rift and Vive for way under $1k. At this point it is almost moot to put any money into PSVR. There is really nothing wrong with a Vive (non-pro) or Rift since they are both so cheap. For any of them, your expensive part will be the graphics card needed for speed and quality.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
Speaking of PS VR, I finally used it last night with Tetris Effect. It's definitely quite different when you're used to a Vive Pro! So, for the things that I picked up on...
  1. The screens don't seem to be as good as they never got pitch black like on the Vive or Vive Pro. I haven't checked the specs, but I'd guess LCD instead of OLED?
  2. I found that I was able to wear my glasses with the HMD due to the use of rubber surrounding the HMD. Although, I did notice a fair amount of light leakage on the bottom.
  3. The PS VR is a little tight around on my head, but it isn't as bad as the Samsung Odyssey was.
  4. I found the setup to be a bit limiting. I have my camera to the side at an angle, and leaning back on the couch got me an "out of play area" message while in the game. However, if I leaned forward, I was fine. I might consider investing in the extension cable to place it on my TV, and just unplug it while not in use.
  5. Tetris Effect seemed to work in an odd way. It felt like the game was being projected onto a flat surface in front of me -- sort of like how the PS4's menu works while in VR -- but it was way too large. On the flip side, the game board itself was a bit too small on this "flat surface".
  6. Unfortunately, the information about how to adjust the screen position (hold down the Option button) went away before I could read it.

Overall, I think I'd like to try out Moss or Astro Bot next to see if a game really designed for VR will do better.
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
The PSVR uses an OLED as well (1920 x 1080 total vs 2160 x 1200 total of the Oculus). Also, make sure that Tetris is VR mode. It sounds like it was stuck in the non-VR mode (escaping my head what they call it). I believe the touch pad on the remote switches back and forth.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
The PSVR uses an OLED as well (1920 x 1080 total vs 2160 x 1200 total of the Oculus). Also, make sure that Tetris is VR mode. It sounds like it was stuck in the non-VR mode (escaping my head what they call it). I believe the touch pad on the remote switches back and forth.

It was in VR mode. The prompt at the bottom noted to use the touchpad press to switch to 2D mode, and pressing it prompted that. I mostly noticed the poor black quality when going to the in-between screens like when switching levels or leaving to the main menu. I've never seen anything like that, so I figured it was indicative of the panel type!

I ended up ordering an extension cable, so I hope moving my camera to a better spot -- it reaches the TV, but it seems the cable pulls it off -- will make the overall experience a bit better.
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
Just my hypothesis, but I believe they do that to not completely disorient you. In some games like Farpoint, it is pitch black, then they blind you with a bright white screen before the zone loads in. Very jarring.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,392
5,256
136
Excited to get my VirZoom pedal adapter next month. I've got an indoor recumbent bike that I want to try it on. Their new software lets you pedal your way through Google Street View, all over the world:

zMb0Fbp.gif
 
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KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
So. Odyssey+ or wait for better this year?

If you have the money to blow, get it, otherwise wait. Just my opinion, but already have spent another $100 to make it more live-able and that doesn't cover the cost of improved tracking.
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
Besides Superhot and Beat Saber, what are the best VR games to get into? Already played Skyrim enough in one lifetime so that's a pass unless it's really cheap.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
348
126
Besides Superhot and Beat Saber, what are the best VR games to get into? Already played Skyrim enough in one lifetime so that's a pass unless it's really cheap.

Steam puts a package on sale with The Talos Principle and several Serious Sam games for about $16 I'd want. There's an Apollo 11 simulator you might like also.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
Besides Superhot and Beat Saber, what are the best VR games to get into? Already played Skyrim enough in one lifetime so that's a pass unless it's really cheap.

Space Pirate Trainer is a fun game. It's the sort of stand-in-place arena wave shooter that's commonly seen with things like zombies. The only thing I'd worry about is that you reach behind you to pull out your shield, and I don't know how WMR would handle that.

It may sound crazy, but the Archery game in The Lab is fun, and after Valve realized how much people liked it, they expanded the mini-game a bit to add more replayability. There are also some games like that such as Quivr. I think I heard that Budget Cuts, a game that gained a lot of popularity after releasing a demo, recently made a change to allow for more arcade-style play that made the game feel a bit more like the demo (more of a "drop you right in" style rather than too story-based).

It's probably safe to say that you can organize by top VR sellers and see a good list of games that are worthwhile. Just consider looking off the Steam Store for better pricing.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I decided to give my old VR Lens Lab prescription lenses another shot and put them on my Vive Pro HMD. (I last tried them with the normal Vive.) I had a bit of a better time with them this time, so I might just leave them on! I played a bit more Beat Saber, which is good fun. The only negative that I can give it is that (out of the box) it doesn't have a lot of songs. So, you really have to go out to the web to get more songs. Fortunately, mods make this really easy.

Although, I want to try recording my VR antics using my old Xbox One's Kinect, but unfortunately my generic adapter didn't work -- let's just hope it didn't break the Kinect too! I think it'll be fun... people will ask me what these VR games are all about, and I think the green-screen-like video will do a better job than just seeing recorded HMD footage.

I ended up getting an extension cable for my PS VR, and needed a game to try it out with. I hadn't tried any of the pack-in games that I got with the HMD, so I figured I'd give Astro Bot a shot. Unfortunately, I had to install it and it was late, so I figured I'd try the download title Moss instead! Keep in mind that Moss is available on Steam!

I have to admit... I was digging the game quite a bit! I forget the character's name... mostly because I just refer to her as "my little buddy" the whole time. :p Although, I wasn't as enthused with playing it on PS VR. The actual display visuals just don't look great and the tracking was... barely above par. (They do say to put the camera below the TV, but that's not really possible.)

At this point, I'll probably just buy the game on Steam, and play it on the Vive Pro instead. I do wonder how the Vive will do with the game though. The Vive Pro HMD will do just fine, but the controllers don't seem like they'd be great.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I ended up buying Moss for the Vive last night, and I think it certain has its pros and cons on the Vive. While the game defaults to a low graphical setting, which looks a lot like the quality on the PS VR, I was able to turn it up to a higher setting, which looks much, much better. It also seems that the weird, speckled-black screens that I disliked on the PS VR variant are part of the game. I really wish they wouldn't use them as it's really jarring to go from a black pre-game loading screen to the aforementioned speckled screen. Although, I think the biggest black mark against Moss on the Vive has to be the controls -- they just aren't that good. Movement is performed on the left trackpad, which is a bit clunky, and jump and attack are bound to separate sides of the right trackpad. It's just kind of awkward and makes me hope that the Knuckles controllers, which have a joystick and actual buttons, will work a lot better.

Although, I noticed a problem last night while playing Moss, and it's safe to say that it was more jarring than that dastardly, speckled screen. What would happen is that I'd be playing, and all of a sudden, the entire game world disappears, and all I see is the wireframe of the play area with the panel displaying the current game. (This is the screen you see before the game loads.) This would usually only happen for a second before the game world popped back in. I didn't notice it occur when doing something in particular. In other words, it wasn't on a certain input or movement. I would've expected it to be the Wireless Adapter, but if I was having transmission issues, I'd expect to see nothing. At first, I wasn't sure if it was a Moss issue, but I swear I saw it happen once during Beat Saber too. Moss is likely graphically more intense compared to Beat Saber, and I don't know if it's an issue with that. My VR machine is an i7-8700k + 1080 Ti, so while I've heard that the Wireless Adapter is a resource hog, I suspect that I'd be okay.