Owners: Are you happy with your VR purchase?

[Zarathustra[H]]

So, I am considering picking up a Vive for the house for the holidays but I am just not sure.

The tech seems pretty damned cool, but every review I read and check out, titles seem like goofy tech demos or silly little Wii games. I could be wrong, but I have yet to see anything that I think looks engaging.

My concern is, you pick one up, try it out for a few hours, all agree that it is really cool, and then put it down and never use it again, because the games just aren't fun.

If this happens, is there even a way to use VR headsets effectively in existing AAA titles, not specifically designed for them?

I'd appreciate owners thoughts regarding how often you go back to the VR headset, and if it's really any fun to use with current titles, after the initial "wow this tech is really cool" thing wears off.

Much obliged,
Matt

 

[hypertek_s30]

I use mine every weekend (i travel for work during the week)..
I race sim games (assetto corsa).. it is perfect for racing games that support VR...
Otherwise i dont play much other VR games at the momment.. waiting for the Rift Touch controllers.

It is totally worth it for me... its cheaper and takes up less space than triple monitors (for racing).

 

[pj-]

Looking at your sig.. Just do it.

If you spend at least $150 on games you'll have plenty to play for quite a while. Especially once everything goes on sale in 10 minutes. A lot of games are half-baked, but many have a good enough hook that you can spend hours with something that only took a couple months to make in Unity. Developers for the most part are not abandoning their games and are making progress constantly.

I've had my Vive since may and still use it every week, which is saying a lot because there are times when I go months without playing any of the 100+ "real" games in my steam library.

Almost no regular games can just add a VR mode and be good. Ask anyone who has shoe-horned VR using injectors. It requires a lot of extra work (doom 2016, FO4, doom3).

One great thing about early VR is that because there's so little content, there's a lot of opportunity for individuals and small teams to make cool experiences that no one else has gotten around to yet. If you have any interest in game development, VR is a great place to get started. There's lots of tutorials and a community willing to help.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

If you are into sim gaming (flying/driving) and have a wheel or HOTAS setup, then VR is an absolute no-brainer if you have the CPU/GPU grunt to back it.

For me at least, I'd take the plunge again in a heartbeat. These days I primarily game in VR, and not just sims. No way VR is going the route of the Wii - it's not a tacky/gimmicky control extension add-on to gaming. Games to include VR support for AAA titles are in development - the Rift's Touch controllers coming out in a little over a week will cement the Vive/Rift ecosystem in that developers will easily be able to target/support both environments.

And no, VR isn't something you go back with and use with old titles - while there are hacks that sort of allow you to use it this way with some games, it's a very shoddy and poor application of VR that I'd advise to avoid. New, designed for VR games are coming - there aren't a ton of them out there yet, as the market is still quite young, but it is growing very rapidly. If you are on the fence because of the lack of lots of VR games, then feel free to sit out VR for another 6 months - should be LOTS of full-on AAA titles by then. But to me at least, VR gaming options are already plentiful and there's plenty to keep me busy well beyond tech demos these days.

 

[LurkerLito]

When I bought the Vive one of my concerns was that after a month I'd never use it again. I knew it the moment I went through the tutorial that VR was a game changer and I was most likely not going to get sick of it that easily. As of today I have used my Vive nearly every day for at least an hour since I bought it. The only times I didn't use it was when I played too long or did a lot of physical labor and couldn't play due to sore muscles. I have played the same games (H3VR, Lethal VR, Trickster, Swordmaster VR, and others) now rather than playing AAA games I loved when I bought them (Dark Souls 3 new DLC, Deus Ex MD, Witcher 3). The only AAA game I am currently really playing is Dishonored 2 when I get tired in VR.

VR does everything I liked about the PS3 move system but with the headset it made the experience very real. I loved the shooting games on the move from archery to gun target practice, but the biggest flaw in them was no spacial awareness and always having to point towards the fixed screen in front of you. That made the move and wii like games very much like gimmicks to me so generally bored of them quickly. That gets completely fixed with VR and makes even the simple wave shooters very compelling. The worlds mostly seem very cartoonish and the videos you watch are nothing like what you will experience with the headset and controllers in your hand. That is really the hardest thing to describe unless you have tried it yourself. It is not a joke when people in this section say, "I almost fell and hurt myself when I tried to sit/lean on an object that wasn't there". You really will get carried away without even realizing it, you will hit walls/objects when in VR because your brain will lose track of the real world even with the chaperone system on in the game. And VR can be pretty physical so you will tire and when you do it will exacerbate that "oh I want to sit and rest and that cartoon table looks real comfortable" feeling.

As far as using regular games with the headset I'd say you could do that, but IMHO you wouldn't want to. The image resolution of the Vive is just not good enough. The images you see from in game screen shots and videos look BETTER than they look in the vive. Yes that is right the games don't look nearly as good because of the screen door effect of being so close to the screen that you can see the pixels themselves. That said, it's not a deal breaker because you will barely even notice it once you start to play. But I personally wouldn't watch a movie (and I bought a video player) with the Vive because of the screen door effect. Gaming wise the same thing applies, without the stereoscopic vision/headtracking and actually using motion controllers to interact with the world I'd rather play on my monitor. The headset is also heavy after long periods of use so I'd advise against using it for anything non-VR related. I don't think I could sit through a 2 hour movie with the vive strapped to my face while sitting doing nothing, but I have played a VR game 4 hours straight with no problems because I got lost in it.

So as far as longevity goes I can say that I give VR a big thumbs up. I have owned one since August and I still very much want to play it. You don't know me but all I can say is that the Wii and the PS3 Move didn't last long after the initial wow factor. I bought several PS3 Move games (I think 8) but most got at best a week of play per release before I was bored of the mechanics and wouldn't go back. I now have over 3 months with the Vive and I still keep on playing several titles even though I have played through it all enough to really have seen all a game has offered.

The "Black Friday" steam sale is on and I am already thinking of adding a few more titles to my VR collection. The truly only con of the VR system is that many games are early access and as such are exactly as the name implies alpha quality. Some are better, some are worse, but most are still pretty darn compelling.

 

[FrgMstr]

 

[SomeGuy133]

I will be happy with my VR purchase when StarVR comes out....waiting and waiting and waiting for a decent res and decent viewing angle VR experience.

Is it just me or do others think these VR shooting games look dumb? If i want to go shooting I just take my rifle and pistol and armor and go to the range. I don't really see the point in these shooting VR games with shotty graphics.

 

[pj-]

Do you really not see any value in simulated gun use?

Not everyone wants or has real guns.
Not everyone with guns wants to spend money on ammo or time + less money loading their own.
Not everyone with guns has all the guns they'd like to shoot.
Not everyone with guns wants to shoot them in the same environment every time.
Not everyone wants to deal with the necessary precautions of handling real guns.
Not everyone wants to shoot guns at targets that don't move or shoot back.

If games with guns seem pointless to you, please don't google "Euro Truck Simulator 2 VR"


I doubt StarVR will be drastically different in perceived resolution from the other main headsets. It has a lot more pixels, but it's also covering a ton more FOV. It'll also take one hell of a system to power games for in anything that isn't using multires shading in the periphery

 

[LurkerLito]

Is it just me or do others think these VR shooting games look dumb? If i want to go shooting I just take my rifle and pistol and armor and go to the range. I don't really see the point in these shooting VR games with shotty graphics.

I think it's just you. See pj- 's comment above mine. Go try H3VR on a Vive. It's not perfect but it's good enough for most people as a Gun simulator.

 

[SomeGuy133]

I think it's just you. See pj- 's comment above mine. Go try H3VR on a Vive. It's not perfect but it's good enough for most people as a Gun simulator.

when VR at home has this let me know.....

This will be fun...current shit looks gay and cheesy and not immersive (right word?).

Same thing for VR drivign games with a freakin keybaord or XBox controllers. VR driving with a G27 wheel and chair with a butt kicker sure...that'll be hella fun. But VR does not have realistic tools to make it fun in my book for shooting...for driving that already exists and i am excited to use my G27 wheel for driving.

 

[pj-]

There are lots of simple gun stock controller holders for vive. There will probably be full gun controllers soon now that steamvr licensing has started

 

[LurkerLito]

when VR at home has this let me know.....

This will be fun...current shit looks gay and cheesy and not immersive (right word?).

Same thing for VR drivign games with a freakin keybaord or XBox controllers. VR driving with a G27 wheel and chair with a butt kicker sure...that'll be hella fun. But VR does not have realistic tools to make it fun in my book for shooting...for driving that already exists and i am excited to use my G27 wheel for driving.

It's immersive (and yes that is the right word) enough for most people even without the stocks. Personally I find that gun stocks like the one pictured aren't going to work right in VR unless they add glove controllers. See wheels and HOTAS type things can work in sims/VR because they are fixed just as the player is, but guns are completely different because they change constantly as you play. In most FPS type games you get multiple weapons and grenades and if your controllers are mounted to a stock then it's completely awkward to use grenades without somehow removing the controller from the stock. Similarly that one pictured will work for people who are using a rifle/shotgun, but what about when you need to use your pistol or a go grab a grenade in game? Then all of a sudden that thing is a nuisance. See that military shot you have? That works because it's a big room and their loadout is going to be constant and it's the ONLY "game" that is supported by that hardware. In VR especially for home markets, the games will change constantly, as will what the game offers you for weapons you can use.

That said, if someone made a good stand alone gun controller for the Vive, I'd buy it for the few games that will support it, but I wouldn't buy it and expect it to useful in everything because it just isn't possible to make a single gun controller that fits all games. To really have a immersive shooter you'd need Glove Controllers, a generic pistol type stock and a generic rifle type stock (like the one pictured). Without that as a minimum the way the games are right now are about as good as it gets and even with the current limitations they are still pretty good and better than you get in any Battlefield or CoD game.

 

[SomeGuy133]

the point is the weapo is controler so yo7 could carry a rifle and pistol and 2 grenade ....no one carries 5 weapons in combat

 

[SomeGuy133]

God i hate typing on a phone with this new glitch ui.


it wouls be inherently more eexpensive but i dont care. For me i'll train and shoot the real thing at this ppoinT. There is 0 recoil, 0 jams, 0 realizism.

a company used m4 design with simulated jams and required wctual reloads and stuff. It also had recoil. Thats shooting vr...not tthis gay ashi .

 

[Hagrid]

I like how the Rift(the Vive is probably the same) looks, but are all the games going to be non movement? It seems they said people got motion sickness or something. I think an option would be nice.
The movies with people in them are pretty cool. The wife got freaked out on some of them. Very positive experience. I can't wait to get the controllers.
The 3 hot pole dancers were cool as well.

 

[SomeGuy133]

I like how the Rift(the Vive is probably the same) looks, but are all the games going to be non movement? It seems they said people got motion sickness or something. I think an option would be nice.
The movies with people in them are pretty cool. The wife got freaked out on some of them. Very positive experience. I can't wait to get the controllers.
The 3 hot pole dancers were cool as well.

not sure what you meant about movies but it popped an idea in my head.

Not sure if this works but could be a cool ID.

VR movie where you watch it but you have the ability to look around as the movie is going on. like the movie was recorded in a panorama type of thing. I think that could be possible really cool if done right and make you feel as if you were actually in the movie!

 

[Hagrid]

not sure what you meant about movies but it popped an idea in my head.

Not sure if this works but could be a cool ID.

VR movie where you watch it but you have the ability to look around as the movie is going on. like the movie was recorded in a panorama type of thing. I think that could be possible really cool if done right and make you feel as if you were actually in the movie!

They have movies like that.
It was about zombies and is about an hour or more.




I downloaded it and played it in the Rifts Virtual Desktop app.

 

[SomeGuy133]

They have movies like that.
It was about zombies and is about an hour or more.




I downloaded it and played it in the Rifts Virtual Desktop app.

i am just thinking of LOTR battle and you are in the frackin middle of it and watching like you are in the center and goblins and humans are getting butchered

 

[Hagrid]

i am just thinking of LOTR battle and you are in the frackin middle of it and watching like you are in the center and goblins and humans are getting butchered

It would be sweet just need good/better graphics. I guess the 360 HD VR takes alot of time/memory/space? I have not looked into it, but these movies are not the best quality which could be a reason.

 

[hughJ]

So, I am considering picking up a Vive for the house for the holidays...

Just thought I'd mention noticing the headphones in your sig: the DT770 pro and HD6xx are among the best suited full-sized headphones for VR due to their firm clamp force. I have a half dozen similar class headphones and most of them can't reliably stay over my ears if I rock and twist my head around in VR. That being said, you may still find yourself wanting to shop for some high quality IEMs as your head and face can get hot by being covered up - a lot of room scale VR games are akin to a mild aerobic workout, so mitigating heat and sweat can become a factor.

I think for someone who already has everything, giving VR a whirl is a no-brainer, especially if you're open to selling the hardware after the initial wow-factor wears off. The full MSRP for lifetime ownership may or may not be worth it, but I think the couple hundred bucks lost from buying, trying, and selling it is a pretty worthwhile investment. Even if you don't fall in love with it, owning it for a couple months will at least give you some intuition about where VR tech stands right now and how much longer you'll want to wait before buying into it again. VR right now is a lot like home video games in the 70s - a lot of the games are pretty half-baked and the hardware cost is at a premium, but it delivers something that you've never experienced before and gives a pixelated glimpse at the future.

 

[bobzdar]

Depends what games you like. If you're a driving or flying sim guy then absolutely, it's a no brainer. Same for mech games, space games or anything else with a cockpit or command center. Rail shooters seem to be well suited.

However, I'm not sold on fps until there's a better motion mechanic, especially twitch fps. The more adventure/mystery style games are more suited but have to really be built for it.

I'm 100% on board with vr, having started with the Oculus dk1 like 3 years ago and now have the cv1. But, 80%of my gaming is driving sims so I fall in the absolutely category. Once somebody really figures out the motion in fps, then I don't see using anything else.