VR - Is it really going to be a success? Or, thanks Time for starting a discussion!

[TurinTur]

@Matt_W

@dgallina

Try some Dirt Rally! It’s super-fun too, but be warned that driving sideways around turns while “looking” out the side windows is also upchuck inducing.

Do you recommend buying the Steam store version? I’ve read that that Oculus store one is purpose-built for VR and runs better.

I think they are one and the same. The Steam version uses the native oculus sdk, at least.

[dgallina]

Yep. As far as I know they’re the same so better to get the Steam version unless you want Oculus store lock-in.

[TurinTur]

I missed this news

Upload VR Showcase 2020: Summer Edition set for June 8 - Gematsu

Upload VR Showcase 2020: Summer Edition will showcase more than 20 titles, including from Fast Travel Games, Cloudhead Games, and “new studios that have been secretly mining away on new games,” as well as “highlights on some indie darlings.”

And Until you Fall is on sale

Less than 12€.

[rowe33]

Oh wow, Until You Fall looks great and I’ve never even heard of it - great reviews too. Thanks for posting!

[TurinTur]

I haven’t played it but I heard it’s an an example of how to make a good arcade melee game in VR.

[TurinTur]

Oh, another interesting VR sale. A new pack
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/14236/The_Wonder_of_VR_Collection/

Moss, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets, A Fisherman’s Tale and Down the Rabbit Hole for 39€

[TurinTur]

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/elite-dangerous - 76% off. Very cheap. The expansion also has that discount.

[Matt_W]

So Dirt Rally is pretty neat, but is there a VR driving game where I can just drive around and have fun? I’m looking for an arcade experience, maybe even open world.

[Profanicus]

Maybe the VR mod for GTA 5? Haven’t tried it myself yet, I imagine it’s quite demanding.

LukeRoss00/gta5-real-mod

[GatInDaHat]

I think Project Cars 2 supports VR… Supposed to be pretty good.

[Profanicus]

It’s great, but it’s not ‘just driving around’. It’s racing on tracks.

Another option is maybe the Euro/American Truck Sim games. They have VR support though I found it not great and quite demanding, was a while ago I last tried. Not really arcade though! :D

[dgallina]

Yeah I’d tried the VR support in Euro/American Truck Sim when I first put the Vive system together. Not sure if it has improved since, but it was very tacked-on and sub-optimal then.

Diego

[Profanicus]

If only we had something like The Crew or Forza Horizon in VR!

[Oscuros]

I got to spend some time on Half Life:Alyx tonight (Thanks Galadin!) and wanted to share some brief barely coherent impressions. I am playing on my Vive and so far I am pretty impressed with it. Visually the game is a treat. Not very many titles that I have played on the Vive have visuals this nice. The interface is simple and intuitive and keeps you in the game (looking at you Skyrim VR.) Some of my favorite parts of the game so far are the touristy bits when you are outside and things are going on in the city. I also very much enjoy when you get close to friends and foes. The other beings in the game are nicely animated. I played today using teleport locomotion and had no discomfort at all. Next time I’m specifically going to try other means of movement. I have run in to a some puzzles. Most aren’t too difficult but I did run into one that brought my progress to a halt. One other time I knocked over a barrel and actually had to go back to a previous save because try as I might I could not get it out of the way. As I get further in to the game I will post a better written and more complete review.

[Matt_W]

@Oscuros

One other time I knocked over a barrel and actually had to go back to a previous save because try as I might I could not get it out of the way.

Did you try grabbing it with both hands to move it?

I’m playing through HL:A also and it’s amazing. I just love the panic when I run out of bullets with a zombie barreling toward me and have to fish in my backpack for a new clip, eject the old one, slam in the new one, and spring-load the firing mechanism before I can shoot again.

I’ve tried using both Oculus Link (cabled) and Virtual Desktop (wired). With the caveat that my PC is on the WiFi network and not connected to the router, the visuals were better (sharper, with better reflections and fog effects) with OL, but the drop-in experience with VD was slightly quicker. OL also occasionally will drop link and dump me back into the Quest home environment. I haven’t had that problem with VD (<–there’s a sentence) but I also have played much less that way. I think for a less visually demanding title, VD is definitely the way to go because it’s wireless.

[Matt_W]

@Matt_W

With the caveat that my PC is on the WiFi network and not connected to the router, the visuals were better (sharper, with better reflections and fog effects) with OL

I figured out that I had my Virtual Desktop video bitrate limit set to medium. Changed that to Insane, and the visual quality matched wired. After that there’s no contest; wireless is simply better. I don’t see any noticeable lag and it’s a huge difference to be able to turn by turning rather than using snap turn. When a swarm of headcrabs is approaching from all directions, and I’m frantically trying to reload my pistol, it really helps with immersion.

[Oscuros]

I haven’t tried using the VD yet. Do you mind if I ask what kind of router you are using?

[Matt_W]

I’ve got a Cox cable supplied router: Panoramic Wi-fi. Most of the stuff in my apartment is wired ethernet, but it just happens that the router is across the room from my PC.

[TurinTur]

Now it’s official

Tetris® Effect on Oculus Quest

[Tim_N]

Does anyone have experience using epic games store games with steamVR? I am tossing up whether to use a voucher to get Trover saves the universe from the store with the coupon.