Oculus Rift

[Canbacon]

They always laugh at first, but when they put it on and try some of the really nicely integrated games: Euro Truck Sim 2, Elite Dangerous, Live For Speed, Sightline: The Chair, Couch Knights (preferably multiplayer mode with another Oculus), and some 3D movies, they will be convinced.

 

[Worthington]

I will be getting the CV just for Star Citizen. Anything else it works with is just gravy.

 

[Canbacon]

How will these work if you wear reading glasses?

You can wear glasses and the Oculus. However, you will probably need to move the screen out a bit. There are two knobs on the sides of the Oculus to give it a bit more space. However, I find my glasses usually touching the lenses. I just keep my glasses off and use the "B" lenses or "A" lenses if I am demoing the unit.

The "B" lenses are a bit closer to the screen and is meant for people with more severe near sightedness.

 

[CPA]

When do they expect to start selling a consumer set?

 

[QuantumPion]

How will these work if you wear reading glasses?

You do not need to wear glasses if you are farsighted as the focus point is at infinity.

 

[Clinkster]

When do they expect to start selling a consumer set?

Sometime 2015.

 

[Midwayman]

I have a dk2 as well. VR games are going to be different. Don't expect to play Call of Duty XXIVIMCIVIII in it. Gameplay has to be rethought for motion concerns and honestly different stuff is interesting. Just exploring a space can be compelling as you are actually there, not just watching in on a monitor. I've been playing live for speed, and it is going to be genre changing for sit down sim type games. You really feel like you're in the car. Everyone who has triple monitor setups will ditch them for VR.

However VR has issues still. All the cables, etc are cumbersome. You need a pretty high end PC to really make it work well. The resolution on the DK2 isn't quite there yet and that means it'll need an even higher end PC with CV1. Initially I fully expect to to stay in the hardcore gaming and sim market. Lets call it a niche market for now. I expect to see more location based entertainment popping up with it. (VR arcades, etc) interm solution for those that can't afford all the hardware.

 

[Fallen Kell]

That's how they demoed it. You can mouse your aim independent from your camera. It seems a little sloppy though IMO, like at times you overshoot your target or move your head slightly and lose your tracking. I dunno how that can be corrected, even if it can.

It can be corrected simply by position tracking each individually. In other words, your mouse has a specific orientation based at your characters position in the map, and your head/eyes have another orientation. Moving the mouse only moves the orientation of the gun/body, and moving your head only moves orientation of your head/view. There are still some issues with this, but it is closer to reality and resolves the problems of moving your head slightly affecting your aim.

That said, most games are not setup to be able to take advantage of this concept, and would need to be re-worked to add support. But once the main game engines adopt support, there will be no real problem. What the Rift really shows good support for immersion is simulation games which you are in a cockpit or seat, where your body in reality and in the game is doing essentially the same thing (turning your head to see out through the cockpit windows in different directions in a seated position, with the controls still in the same location... Other games may have issues with vertigo set in due to the body in the game changing directions without the body in real life actually doing the same thing (just move a mouse).

 

[cmdrdredd]

It can be corrected simply by position tracking each individually. In other words, your mouse has a specific orientation based at your characters position in the map, and your head/eyes have another orientation. Moving the mouse only moves the orientation of the gun/body, and moving your head only moves orientation of your head/view. There are still some issues with this, but it is closer to reality and resolves the problems of moving your head slightly affecting your aim.

That said, most games are not setup to be able to take advantage of this concept, and would need to be re-worked to add support. But once the main game engines adopt support, there will be no real problem. What the Rift really shows good support for immersion is simulation games which you are in a cockpit or seat, where your body in reality and in the game is doing essentially the same thing (turning your head to see out through the cockpit windows in different directions in a seated position, with the controls still in the same location... Other games may have issues with vertigo set in due to the body in the game changing directions without the body in real life actually doing the same thing (just move a mouse).

I said one mode they did exactly this...I described it exactly.The problem is you turn your head and see an enemy, but you also have to move the mouse that direction. Which simply does not work well for getting shots off precisely.

 

[Aikouka]

Stuff like that are much more impressive to me than looking around in games where I still have to move a mouse or analog stick to control my aim. If they can put out things like this, I'll be sold.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this, but a few months back, I was watching a concert, and a thought came to me, "Why not have this in VR?" I was tempted to build the end product, which would essentially be a camera array that creates a seamless 360 degree, mostly spherical image. The idea is that the end result being transmitted to the Rift would actually just be a cut-out from the entire image. Then I also considered that the camera array would also need to have multiple microphones inserted at points. As a user turns their head, you'd need to mux the different microphone inputs at different levels to simulate what the user would be hearing. Some may suggest to just have the cameras/microphones turn, but the idea is to allow the same feed to support a lot of users.

I've been tempted to build a prototype of it a few times, but I've never been much of a hardware guy, so it'd probably be much more of a hodgepodge than the original Oculus Rift was.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

We all know its going to be VR pr0n that makes or breaks this.

 

[BSim500]

If they can get it to work then great. Problem is a lot of people have rather tight "biological latency" tolerances for what they see vs what they feel (motion), ie, if what they see doesn't move as fast as they turn their heads, or if it only works on some axis and not others (or not as equally well on all axis), then it can cause motion / simulator sickness. And it is highly prevalent on the Oculus so far. Even if they can get it to perfectly match "pitch" (rotate head L&R), "yaw" (rotate up & down) and "roll" (tilting head sideways), the other 3 "translation" motion axis (move straight forward/back/left/right, stand up/sit down) can still trigger motion sickness if there is no equally accurate response:-
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...es-oculus-rift-support-due-to-motion-sickness

It's not perfect for spectacle wearers either. Usable, but I wouldn't would to sit with it on for several hours. Leaving spectacles off isn't always an option due to the variety of different prescriptions, ie, you could be near sighted significantly more in one eye than another which can cause a distracting "mild blur" effect in one eye without spectacles, axis & cylindrical differences (to correct an irregularly shaped cornea), prism's to correct mild double vision, etc. There's more to glasses than just correcting distance.

 

[Red Storm]

I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this, but a few months back, I was watching a concert, and a thought came to me, "Why not have this in VR?" I was tempted to build the end product, which would essentially be a camera array that creates a seamless 360 degree, mostly spherical image. The idea is that the end result being transmitted to the Rift would actually just be a cut-out from the entire image. Then I also considered that the camera array would also need to have multiple microphones inserted at points. As a user turns their head, you'd need to mux the different microphone inputs at different levels to simulate what the user would be hearing. Some may suggest to just have the cameras/microphones turn, but the idea is to allow the same feed to support a lot of users.

I've been tempted to build a prototype of it a few times, but I've never been much of a hardware guy, so it'd probably be much more of a hodgepodge than the original Oculus Rift was.

This is definitely another area where VR will shine. Concerts, sporting events, etc.

One thing I know is going to happen is people will create simulations for various deaths. Like falling off of a skyscraper, drowning, getting hit by a train, attacked by a shark, etc. I think it's kinda creepy, but you know there will be loads of people who would get a thrill out of it, and so the simulations will be made to serve demand. On the flip side, we'll get to experience things like Indiana Jones with all the snakes around you, or skydiving over a Hawaiian coast, or instant replays from the viewpoint of a player.

 

[Canbacon]

This is definitely another area where VR will shine. Concerts, sporting events, etc.

One thing I know is going to happen is people will create simulations for various deaths. Like falling off of a skyscraper, drowning, getting hit by a train, attacked by a shark, etc. I think it's kinda creepy, but you know there will be loads of people who would get a thrill out of it, and so the simulations will be made to serve demand. On the flip side, we'll get to experience things like Indiana Jones with all the snakes around you, or skydiving over a Hawaiian coast, or instant replays from the viewpoint of a player.

Reminds me of this.

Disunion - The guillotine simulator
http://vimeo.com/65510054

 

[Aikouka]

This is definitely another area where VR will shine. Concerts, sporting events, etc.

One thing I know is going to happen is people will create simulations for various deaths. Like ... attacked by a shark

Heh... that was actually one of Sony's demos for the Morpheus! Although, you were in a cage, so it wasn't as much of a death simulator thing.

Overall, you may be onto an interesting angle. I mean... what about horror games? They're really all about immersion as a way to scare people. That new game Midnight at Teddy's or whatever it is could be interesting with the Rift. If I remember correctly, you're pretty much just sitting and watching monitors the whole time, so imagine if you could look around with the Rift.

 

[xantub]

Heh... that was actually one of Sony's demos for the Morpheus! Although, you were in a cage, so it wasn't as much of a death simulator thing.

Overall, you may be onto an interesting angle. I mean... what about horror games? They're really all about immersion as a way to scare people. That new game Midnight at Teddy's or whatever it is could be interesting with the Rift. If I remember correctly, you're pretty much just sitting and watching monitors the whole time, so imagine if you could look around with the Rift.

You're right about horror games. A game that could work great with VR is the old Playstation 'Fatal Frame' games. The scariest game I've ever played (Fatal Frame 2, never played 1 or 3), you were investigating a haunted mansion, and your only weapon is a camera. Really scary stuff, and I can only imagine how it would play in VR... I better not, or I'll have nightmares... again.

 

[Mandres]

imo the Rift and devices like it have the potential to revolutionize pc gaming in exactly the same way that the jump from 2d > 3d game engines did.

They need to get the latency low enough and the resolution high enough to make for a good simulation. But the real issue is that there is no killer app on the horizon yet. It needs a game designed to fully take advantage of the hardware. If I were Blizzard I would buy Oculus out and throw every resource I have at making World of Warcraft 2 in a fully VR environment.

Short of an effort like that, I think this will remain a niche product unfortunately.

 

[Anteaus]

After reading the responses, I'm beginning to see the most value in scenerios where the player is moving in the game world but anchored in one position, such as driving and/or flying. It's just going to be tricky going back and forth from my HOTAS to my keyboard to my mouse to the HOTAS without being able to see them. Simple WASD controls are fine but moving my hand from my throttle to hit some specific letter without lifting the device and breaking the experience is gonna be tricky.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Sounds great, so I expect the set to cost a couple of hundred bucks so the majority of gamers can buy them correct? Or are we talking about a couple grand?

 

[Canbacon]

After reading the responses, I'm beginning to see the most value in scenerios where the player is moving in the game world but anchored in one position, such as driving and/or flying. It's just going to be tricky going back and forth from my HOTAS to my keyboard to my mouse to the HOTAS without being able to see them. Simple WASD controls are fine but moving my hand from my throttle to hit some specific letter without lifting the device and breaking the experience is gonna be tricky.

I think it would depend on the HOTAS you have. I have a X55 and the big knobs and toggle switches are easy to feel out. However, it did take me a while to get used to not glancing down when I started to play primarily with the Oculus in Elite Dangerous.

 

[Mandres]

I think it would depend on the HOTAS you have. I have a X55 and the big knobs and toggle switches are easy to feel out. However, it did take me a while to get used to not glancing down when I started to play primarily with the Oculus in Elite Dangerous.

But that's just a software issue. There's no reason at all why your game couldn't load your exact HOTAS setup within the game world, and with position-tracking gloves on you could literally look down and watch yourself pressing the buttons in game as you press them in real life.

 

[Red Storm]

Sounds great, so I expect the set to cost a couple of hundred bucks so the majority of gamers can buy them correct? Or are we talking about a couple grand?

Well when Facebook bought them, the expectation is that the price won't be high at all because they want to get it in the hands of many, not just high end gamers. While I would have no problem paying ~$350 for it, I'm expecting it to cost anywhere between $200 and $300.

 

[BrightCandle]

TrackIR works reasonably well with Arma 2 and 3 but I think something like the OR would be better with the 3D depth and such. But there are quite a few issues tacking it onto the game as is. The first is the sheer amount of controls necessary to play the game, without visibility of a keyboard it doesn't seem practical. The second issue is that you really need a gun in hand and a load of buttons on your kit. Without it the immersion will be broken, aiming with a KB+M just isn't going to be that great. So its not just an OR you need for an FPS its a tracked gun and a walking platform and then a load of extra buttons as well. Its doable but really expensive and a lot of space.

 

[Anteaus]

I think it would depend on the HOTAS you have. I have a X55 and the big knobs and toggle switches are easy to feel out. However, it did take me a while to get used to not glancing down when I started to play primarily with the Oculus in Elite Dangerous.

Yes. I will say that as long as you have fully clickable cockpits such as in DCS or FSX then it's pretty doable. I'll just need to become less reliant on keyboard controls are start programing more into my Warthog HOTAS. Sadly, as awesome as my warthog throttle is, its usefulness for reprograming is limited by the types of switches I have. Two way toggle switches aren't as useful as momentary switches.

Hopefully X-Plane 11 will finally do what FSX can in regards to cockpits. Flight fidelity in XP10 is fine, but when it comes to heavy metal it simply can't compete with the likes of PMDG and Level-D.

 

[John Connor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T37NNTxWqSY&list=UU4_bwov47DseacR1-ttTdOg
Ok so I've been watching Boogie2988 play with an Oculus Rift. Am I the only one that has absolutely zero interest in this device? I don't want one for the same reason I refuse to pay extra to see films in 3D. Once you get past the first 15 minutes of cool factor, it becomes gimmicky.

I guess I should wait and see before passing judgment, but if people are going to use it for anything other than FPS or driving games with a controller, how are we supposed to see our keyboard?

What are everyone's thoughts? Does anyone think this will actually become a solid gaming device or are you more like me which see it as an expensive, limited use device?

I love this guy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cmATfHCeX8