Virtual reality: to boldly game like we never gamed before...

I’m continuing with RE4VR. 5 hours in, I just reached the castle. Overall it’s being easy (I’m playing with laser sights off, but with free movement on). I died a few times, but more because I play conservatively with my resources in this type of games.

A curious thing, Ashley, the girl’s head is too small, in VR you can notice when things like that are off, because you see it as less as a model, and more as a human.
Something surprising is how little she talks, I expected her to say something as she accompanies you while you explore the areas. I think it’s something where you can notice the age of the game, where the paradigm (at least on console) was to have separated the gameplay and the story (in cutscenes). Now usually it’s more integrated.

The first three hours were pretty smooth, only at that point I got stuck in one place, I didn’t know (nor the game gives you a clue for) that to cross a specific gate, you have to bring Ashley to it and then using the gate will make her climb on top of you.

The thing that bothers me the most in the ‘actions that aren’t VR but should be’ is when you have a ladder but you can’t climb it with the hands, but you have to press A.

Is this the right thread in which to ask for advice about buying an Oculus Quest 2? I tried the original Quest for 15 minutes and was impressed – and I didn’t get sick, which was a hopeful sign.

Can I start with the headset-only? $299 sounds okay for the lower-storage version; the 265GB option is an extra $100 on Amazon. Is it essential?

Also, what are the must-have games? Tom’s Hardware seems to like Beat Sabre, Vader Immortal, Tetris Effect. Do I need to buy many games to get the family (wife, 2 adult kids) enjoying this thing on Christmas Day? I’m trying to avoid breaking the bank here.

No

Yes

Thanks. That one game, plus some apps, might entertain people for a bit, until we see whether we like it? Is there a second game you’d recommend?

Also, I assume Beat Saber is not bundled with the Quest, right?

Beat Saber is not bundled.

Other games I have loved thus far on the Quest:

Eleven Table Tennis
Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners
The Climb 2

100% stick with the 128GB. The games are getting bigger lately, Medal of Honor is 40+ gigs, but the vast majority are still a few gigs at most. And it’s easy to uninstall/install games anyway.

My must haves are Beat Saber and Walkabout Mini Golf (even if you don’t care about golf). Eleven Table Tennis (but only if you like table tennis - it’s pretty much a sim). Probably Resident Evil 4 though I just started it so can only attest to a couple hours. Wander is great for older family members - you can let them see their childhood street in VR. It’s not a game, it’s a stripped down version of Google Earth Street View in VR.

Vader Immortal often goes on sale, but it’s extremely short, more of a theme park ride. If you want to save a bit you can only buy the 3rd episode. That episode has the best dojo, tons of replayability with different fights. But if it’s a sale in a bundle for all 3, go for the whole thing sure.

I saw you posting in the Gloomhaven thread so you might give Demeo a look. I might throw in Waltz of the Wizard if you can catch a sale. Mainly because it’s my favorite use of hand-tracking so far and so it feels a lot different than everything else, if you play it in hand tracking mode. It’s more of a demo than a game, though it does have some little dungeon sections that will take at least a few hours.

Be sure to use somebody’s Quest 2 referral code so you get an extra $60 in store credit if you activate it before 12/31. I posted instructions earlier in the thread but you can ignore the part of factory resetting if you are setting it up for the first time. Just be sure you click a referral link before setting up your headset, and make sure the link you clicked is in the right region (US, Europe, etc).

I concur with doing the referral for the free credit! I just did it despite already having mine for a few months and it worked perfectly.

There might be a larger Christmas sale starting soon, so don’t rush to buy stuff that isn’t on sale.

Along with Beat Saber, In Death and Pistol Whip are frequently mentioned as essential. And depending on your music tastes, you might look at some of the other music games. My family preferred Synth Riders to Beat Saber.

I noticed that there’s a bundle that says it’s restricted to people who did the referral program. It includes Demeo, Blaston, and Walkabout Mini Golf for $30, which seems like a great starter deal.

And here’s my referral code if you’re looking for one: Redeem your referral. Get Rewarded. | Oculus

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1584840/AGAINST/

Against is on EA now on Steam. It has a level editor + custom songs, which is promising.

Demeo has been mentioned a few times… I could be wrong, it seems multiplayer focused, and it looks to me a game best played with friends… randos are fine for minigolf but I wonder, for a tabletop kind of thing? … I could be wrong.

Note, you probably won’t ever be motion sick by the majority of games that don’t have free movement. You probably will need to build up a bit of resistance for games like fps shooters, and definately for the flight games… but you can push through it, I’m completely immune now, just be warned, it’s not a blanket thing.

I would definately wait for a sale on the SW:Vader bundle, it’s a great themed intro to VR, but it is very short… and it goes on sale all the time.

The most bang for buck on a budget I would suggest is: Walkabout Minigolf, Pistol Whip, Contractors. If you care at all about the themes, Thill of the Fight and Eleven are perfect at making you feel you’re doing the thing. My wife loves Beat Saber and SynthRiders, if you’re looking to please the family. For kids, the Job Simulator stuff is great, they just love grabbing stuff in VR.

Having just purchased a Quest 2:

If you wear glasses i think getting dedicated prescription lenses would be a good investment. everytime i take off the visor it drags my glasses around and offsets the adjustment on my face. Its annoying.

I would also recommend the Kiwi headstrap and one of grips protector that add a hand strap so you can let go of handles.

Wow, thanks for all those awesome replies. @Thraeg , I went ahead and redeemed your referral code – thank you very much! I guess I redeem it after I receive the hardware and activate it?

@geewhiz Thanks for those suggestions. I do wear glasses. I suppose I need to get my optometrist to send me my prescription?

@krayzkrok Thanks for dividing game recommendations into starter vs experienced, as I definitely want to ease into this to minimize motion sickness. I was pleasantly surprised that a 20-minute session with the original Quest did not make me sick. Google Cardboard did make me sick once.

Also, I wear progressive lenses. If I get the lens inserts, I assume I want to use my Px for nearsightedness, not the Px for reading, right?

Edit: @geewhiz Is this the Iiwi headstrap you mean? I see more than one: https://www.amazon.com/KIWI-design-Accessories-Enhanced-Support/dp/B098JTDPQC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=oculus+quest+2+kiwi+head+strap&qid=1639771716&sprefix=oculus+quest+2+kiwi%2Caps%2C59&sr=8-3

And is this a good example of a grip protector? https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Controller-Protector-Backhand-Controllers/dp/B08RX4HLXY/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=oculus%2Bquest%2B2%2Bcontroller%2Bgrip%2Bprotector&qid=1639771930&sprefix=oculus%2Bquest%2B2%2Bgrips%2Bprote%2Caps%2C60&sr=8-14&th=1

Before. The idea is that you, in theory, bought a Quest 2 because he sent you the link and you liked what you saw.

Who else wants to give a referral? I need to pull this thing out of the box soon and get it setup so it’s ready for Xmas morning.

Thanks for your reply. I don’t see a discount for the referral on the Oculus site or at Amazon. Can I just go ahead and buy from Amazon now and then activate/apply the code while it’s being shipped?

Here’s one: Accept referral | Meta Quest

It just dawned on me that I don’t have to decide about games until Christmas Day, right? You just buy and download all these games right on the headset, yes?

Yes, but double-check with your optician if you have questions. I also had to make sure I was using the right numbers when I ordered mine.

You can, yes.