I didn’t just dream it.
And they won.
So I picked up a Playstation VR spontaneously, as well as the Batman game and Move controllers. I haven’t tried Batmen yet, as I just get things up late last night and had to charge the controllers, etc. So far I tried a few of the demo disk games and the PlayroomVR.;
Some thoughts:
- headset isn’t uncomfortable, but I accidentally skipped through calibration/setup and was having some difficulty getting a consistently focused screen (i.e. seemed focused, or reasonably so, in the center, but less so on the sides). Was also unsure how close it was supposed to be “stuck” to my face - sounds like, from some of the posts above, that I was too obsessed with doing that and maybe I should move it further away from my face, which would also avoid “scuba mask fogging” etc.
- I also didn’t have an ideal environment for set up, as the TV in the place I’m staying (a friend’s , while renovations are going on) is 20 feet away from the couch (too far from the camera) and he actually has no standard chairs - just stools or a somewhat horizontal chair/recliner thing. So I need to put some work into getting a more comfortable and calibrated setup. That’s also why I didn’t try Batman yet, as I didn’t want to throw in more variables with the Move controllers, etc.
- any tips would be welcome on the above!
That said:
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I think VR is very cool - it definitely seems more gimmicky than something that provides a more substantive, deeper, gaming experience right now, but it’s a cool gimmick. A few things I tried:
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playroom VR - just tried the game where you try to find the other critters while jumping on rocks. It was the first thing I tried and I was a bit baffled by how to get beyond the first rock. But I like the fact that there are games for both the player in the VR and someone on a dualshock to enjoy - much more to explore here.
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some horror game demo, which starts with a dude getting decapitated - was frustrating as I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be moving/controlling anything, or just watching and getting terrified, but on the latter point it was certainly effective - it was pretty freaky and disconcerting! Not sure I would enjoy horror games like this - they are definitely affecting. Sadly I don’t know what I loaded here, so I might get terrified booting it up again.
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one of the “VRworlds”, which was a descent though an underwater chasm - no sharks, at least that I saw, but manta rays, jellyfish, lava plants, etc. – it was essentially a cool interactive movie that would be a good introduction to VR for my mom or other neophytes.
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driveclub racing demo - pretty fun, even though I don’t like driving games, and the VR may have been least impressive in this one because of the speed of things.
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battlezone - I kinda loved this one, and played all the way through the demo, unlike most of the others. Simple and presumably competitive, but a fun VR arcade game. Liked it much more than I expected given what I’d heard, and may pick this one up. Liked the look of the world and the cockpit - basically a fun ride.
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EVE - assumed this would be my favorite, and it might be, although the demo was really short so I hadn’t yet fully gotten a feel for the game. There also doesn’t seem to be much to the gameplay, which bothered me more than in Battlezone, since i’m a space sim aficionado and was hoping for more depth than essentially a light-gun game. Maybe there is more too it once you get into gameplay beyond the demo. But in terms of VR, it’s pretty cool, and I suspect I’ll get this one.
That’s all I got the chance to try. It’s cool that the demo disk has so many different games to check out.
One of the things emphasized by a lot of the people presenting at VRDC last week, those involved in using VR in installations or public displays at least, was indeed the need to sanitize the gear between uses. If nothing else, it reassures users and keeps the gear from getting gross.
Some interesting stuff from the conference, but a lot of the presentations started to sound the same as at this point most everyone is still learning a lot, and a lot of the lessons are the same. My favorite presentations were the one from a Google developer giving tips from extensive experience in prototyping VR apps, and one from a guy from IBM on using AR for multi-variant 3D analysis of complex data sets. Sadly, the session on ethics was sort of a bust, with no one really delving into the issues very deeply or with any nuance.
The most impressive thing though was The Mill’s demo of an Oculus-based experience where biofeedback was the only control system. They wired up this guy with heart rate sensors, skin capacitance sensors, breathing sensors, etc. and put him in the VR rig. Using just his own biofeedback, he then levitated through seven levels of environments, from a subterranean lake to a nebula, with his breathing controlling the levitation as he entered a meditative flow state. The colors and sound were also keyed to different biofeedback readings. It was very cool, if sort of weird.
Are they trying to make Black Mirror real?
Good question.
At one of the, um, less amazing presentations a speaker was gushing about VR being an “empathy machine.” Of course, when people say this, they’re usually pointing to work for NGOs featuring aid efforts or charities, or some of the work that’s been done helping people with phobias or what not. They don’t usually, though, take the logic to its conclusion, which is that anything that can create empathy for stuff we like can probably do the same for things we don’t like. Clockwork Orange, anyone?
Google Earth VR came out (for free) on steam today for the Vive:
I guess it depends on the person, but if they add streetview functionality this might be the killer VR app.
That’s totally awesome, though it totally looks like it would make me motion sick in a heartbeat.
I read that it has an optional “comfort mode” for those experiencing motion sickness. I am not sure what it does.
Man I am so jealous of people with a Vive today.
Wow, hope they bring that to Rift once the motion controllers are out.
Ah well, I guess not.
Google says this will remain an HTC Vive exclusive indefinitely.
I’m pretty hopeful that Google Earth will come out on the Rift soon – from what I read google just said they want to get it working on one platform at a time (for what its worth). Google Earth is definitely something that should be available to all VR devices that are capable of running it.
As a Vive owner this thing is incredible. Spent two hours exploring my old neighborhoods and then moved on to Venice – just wow. It’s hard to explain how cool this was. When you get to ground level the textures take on a sort of nightmare quality, but it’s still just amazingly cool to get the proper perspective of the buildings, etc… I visited a few golf course I had played in the past (and then Augusta National) and that was pretty neat as well.
It’s an amazing experience already,but it’s also a glimpse into an incredible future. I can’t imagine how good stuff like this is going to be in ten years. Anyway, I can’t wait to do more exploring tonight.
I just spent lunch playing with Google Earth VR. It is freaking amazing! While I have wanted to get a Vive, that seriously might be the app that pushes me over the edge. “Honey, it will be educational for the kids.”
Yeah I’m really hoping this works with the Rift once the touch controllers are out!
Really hoping it comes to psvr also. And looking forward to Pinball FX 2 VR tomorrow!
Just got a charge and an email notification the Touch is preparing to ship.
Yeah I got an email awhile ago that my amazon preorder would be delivered on the 6th. Not sure if it has actually charged yet however.
SuperData says PSVR sales will suck this Xmas.
[quote]
Thanks to “notably fewer units sold than expected due to a relatively fragmented title line-up and modest marketing effort,” VR headsets are now expected to sell even fewer than previously thought. SuperData’s revised forecast for 2016 calls for under 750k PlayStation VR units sold (their previous estimate was 2.6 million) with Google’s Daydream selling just 261k (down from 450k). Previous estimates for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Gear VR remain unchanged at 450k, 355k and 2.3 million, respectively.[/quote]
I got the shipment confirmation for my Oculus Touch controllers today, they will be arriving tomorrow. Impressions seem really solid and I’m very excited to see what all you Vive owners have been enjoying since launch. Anyone else getting these tomorrow?
What games support the Oculus Touch controllers? Any insights? I am torn between getting them & enjoying my Oculus even more or going full Vive.