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Oculus Rift Review: Virtual Reality is Almost Here

Posted by msmash on from the virtual-reality-is-here dept.

In what can be seen as a major milestone in the nascent, but fast-evolving virtual reality technology space, Facebook-owned Oculus on Monday began shipping the commercial version of the Rift. Several technology publications have posted their reviews of the Oculus Rift. The Verge, for instance, says: The high cost of buying and running high-end VR headsets makes them inaccessible to many people, and the Rift in particular is relentlessly focused on gaming. Within these limitations, though, the Rift makes a good case for seated VR, and it lays a solid foundation for what's to come. The headset you can buy today is not Oculus' most ambitious vision for virtual reality -- but it's a vision that Oculus has successfully delivered on. The publication has given the Rift a score of 8 out of 10, noting that the retail price of the Rift, and the accompanying gaming PC, is a tad too expensive. It also found the lack of motion controls a weakness. Cnet writes: You simply must try the Oculus Rift. It's breathtaking. I just wouldn't buy one right now -- and there's no reason you should feel the need to, either (especially with its arch-rival, the HTC Vive, also just days away). The longer you wait to buy, the better it will get. This is just day one for Oculus -- and for the future of virtual reality.

109 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...the better the chance this hype will have fizzled and that you will not have to buy anything! VR is about as "ready" as 3D television, which is completely over because it does not really work at this time. The same is true for VR.

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    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:The longer you wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      As someone who honks his hog on the reg to stereoscopic 180-degree porn videos on his Oculus DK1, lemme tell ya, going back to the flat 2D stuff is almost painful. This stuff is ready for primetime.

    2. Re:The longer you wait... by Dunbal · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But Oculus wants you to believe it's ready because they're already a couple billion dollars in the hole and would need to a few million units just to break even.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    3. Re:The longer you wait... by ProzacPatient · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'm also wondering why everyone is complaining about the lack of motion controls with the Rift. Is really using a Keyboard+Mouse with a headset really that tough? I mean I can use my keyboard with my eyes closed (I just tried it).

      For me the real appeal of the Rift is not so much total immersion as it is having depth perception into a virtual environment without having to deal with the idiosyncrasies of 3D monitors.

    4. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      Very true. And there are a lot of idiots that believe them. The question is will they find enough idiots? I think their price-tag is just a bit too high for that...

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    5. Re:The longer you wait... by Nemyst · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Have you actually tried VR? No? Then I'd perhaps recommend you do so before making such wild claims. It's possible that VR will fizzle out, but to compare it to 3DTV is showing the extent of your experience with the technology (i.e. zero). The biggest problems VR will face are applications and costs, not whether the technology actually works.

    6. Re: The longer you wait... by samkass · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yes, keyboard controls are problematic. Yes, it's possible to type with your eyes closed, but if your hands lose the keyboard entirely it really brings you out of the experience to find it again and reposition. And many times the movement keys are not necessarily on the "home row" so you end up hunting around a bit. Plus, oftentimes the experiences work better if you're a bit back from your desk with some space to lean forward or shift a bit. Keyboards really detract from the experience.

      --
      E pluribus unum
    7. Re:The longer you wait... by ultranova · · Score: 2

      VR is about as "ready" as 3D television, which is completely over because it does not really work at this time.

      According to the linked review, Oculus works okay. It's also worth noting that Oculus is not VR but an interface device for interacting with VR; the actual Virtual Reality is the computer simulation Oculus is providing the interface for. Those are still pretty primitive, but with any luck better interfaces will help kick development into higher gear.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    8. Re:The longer you wait... by WaffleMonster · · Score: 5, Insightful

      ...the better the chance this hype will have fizzled and that you will not have to buy anything! VR is about as "ready" as 3D television, which is completely over because it does not really work at this time. The same is true for VR.

      Disconnect between those who've tried it and commentary from peanut gallery is striking.

      Those with crappy dev kits are saying they won't go back to playing on monitors. Spend some time on the Elite forums or any of racing or flight sims with VR support... it isn't just one person it is virtually everyone.

    9. Re:The longer you wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Being an old curmudgeon will never help us adopt new technologies. "This wasn't ready 20 years ago, so it will never work."

      3D TV and games work perfectly on a 120hz DLP projector, and VR will work fine on the Oculus Rift and Vive headsets. With Vive, even people who get motion-sickness can enjoy room-scale VR without getting sick. This is a solved problem.

    10. Re:The longer you wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Using a KB/Mouse is awful for a VR experience, so is a controller. You want all movements to be mapped to your own movement, not a movement requested on a controller, or everyone who gets motion-sickness will hate the experience.

      I don't get motion-sickness, so I could even enjoy the sluggish, low-res, previous generation of VR Tech like the eMagin HMD, but too many people get motion sickness, so seated VR is a really bad idea except for games where your character is seated, like racing games.

      3D monitors and VR are completely different things. 3D does not create presence at all, it just puts 3D images in a picture-frame. Comparing the two is comparing apples and oranges.

      If all you want is 3D, get a 3D HMD, like the Sony product. VR is something completely different, and much more expensive.

    11. Re:The longer you wait... by PCM2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's possible that VR will fizzle out, but to compare it to 3DTV is showing the extent of your experience with the technology (i.e. zero). The biggest problems VR will face are applications and costs, not whether the technology actually works.

      Which was ... the exact same problem with 3DTV? I have a 3DTV. Trust me, the technology works quite well. But people didn't want to buy in because it was costly and they didn't see a reason for it. Audiences were already getting bored with 3D movies in theaters by the time the costs of the sets came down. Then they were told they'd have to buy extra sets of battery-powered glasses if they wanted to be able to watch with their families. The 3D sports content never really materialized. The 3D Blu-Rays cost more than the regular ones. Etc.

      Similarly, I have tried some of the VR technology -- not Oculus, but a couple others (some still in development). It's impressive. The first time you put one of those headsets on, you will go, "Whoa!" If you're like me, you will proceed to tell many of your friends about it and how neat the experience was. But you will not buy one.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    12. Re:The longer you wait... by NoZart · · Score: 1

      can't, the cable is too short.

    13. Re:The longer you wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I hadn't heard that term before, and am having a Beavis and Butthead moment. Heheheheheh.

      You're not kidding about VR porn. It's much better than regular porn even on the low-res VR Gear.

    14. Re:The longer you wait... by NotDrWho · · Score: 3, Funny

      Agree, these naysayers are like the short-sighted fools back in the 50's who said flying cars would never happen.

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    15. Re:The longer you wait... by MrNiceguy_KS · · Score: 1

      Using a KB/Mouse is awful for a VR experience, so is a controller... seated VR is a really bad idea except for games where your character is seated, like racing games.

      I'm really looking forward to trying VR with a flight sim or space sim. Seems to me that sitting in a chair, flightstick in hand, using VR for freelook would be an absolute blast. I'd love to see a VR-enabled reboot of the X-Wing series, (or Freespace, or Wing Commander.)

      Given the cost of the Rift, I hope they'll have a rental or try-before-you-buy option. I don't have a problem with motion sickness, but I have a pretty strong glasses, (contacts aren't an option for me,) and I'm not about to shell out that much money for a VR headset without being able to try it first.

      --
      Redundancy is good And also good.
    16. Re:The longer you wait... by Whorhay · · Score: 1

      For me 3D TV is a bust because of the high cost of the media. Which is a problem the industry brought on itself by setting an arbitrarily high markup for the discs. The TV I bought came with "passive" 3D basically as a free feature, comparable TVs without 3D weren't any cheaper. I did have to buy a new disc player since our old one was just a DVD player that was nearly a decade old, but again 3D was just one of a dozen features that didn't seem to add to the cost of the device. Since the TV had "passive" 3D all it required is the light weight polarized plastic glasses, which you can buy very cheaply online for practically a dime a dozen.

      So it all comes down to the cost of the discs, and honestly that's probably not a big deal either. I'm just a scrooge and don't buy much in the way of movies regardless.

      For the VR goggles I really don't care about standing up and moving around with them on. If I wanted that kind of experience I'd stand up and walk out of my house. The only motion controls I'm really interested in is enough to know when I'm moving my head a bit to look around. The price point right now though is absurdly high. I considered buying in when the dev kits were a few hundred but held off because that was too much in my mind plus it wasn't anything like a finished product.

    17. Re: The longer you wait... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      And many times the movement keys are not necessarily on the "home row"

      Why not? I mean even really poorly thought out and garbage coded console to PC ports let you re-map your keys. If this is your complaint then you have no one to complain to but yourself.

    18. Re:The longer you wait... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Very true. And there are a lot of idiots that believe them. The question is will they find enough idiots? I think their price-tag is just a bit too high for that...

      There's only one relevant part of that entire post and that's the bit where you said "I think".

      For everything else it becomes a matter of what you get out of what you spend, and so far I have yet to find someone who's truly put the Rift in the "regret spend" category. Most people who have them love them even with their limited utility. That hardly makes a person an idiot, and quite frankly people blow money on products with far less utility and payback than that constantly.

      How high of a price tag is too high for someone who can effortlessly afford it?

    19. Re:The longer you wait... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Trust me, the technology works quite well.

      I don't trust you because the technology doesn't work well at all. It's a sickening experience combining the best of slight ghosting with nauseating movement, a lower perceived framerate, and a fundamental problem that it disconnects the content from the flat window in which the director controls it. It took more from the experience than it added. I have all the gear. I even have some content, and when I watch that content I do so in 2D because 3D definitely didn't make me go Whoa!, it made me go Uah!!!!

      VR on the other hand made me go Whoa!. So why will you not buy one? If it's purely about cost then you're spoilt with an overload of cheap stuff. After all this pales in comparison to what I spent on a computer 20 years ago. But we're used to everything having to be a certain cheap price these days that we forget that luxury items are in fact luxury.

    20. Re:The longer you wait... by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      The 3D Blu-Rays cost more than the regular ones. Etc.

      The other problem here is that many homes have gone to all streaming.

      We have completely stopped buying Blu-Rays and will never buy 4k Blu-Rays. It is now all streaming, all the time.

      And the 3D versions aren't offered via streaming.

    21. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      Nice!

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    22. Re:The longer you wait... by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      People who get motion sick, and can devote a full room in their house to VR.

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      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    23. Re:The longer you wait... by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 2

      Hi, I've tried it. I prefer playing on monitors. That is all.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    24. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      And that is just the point: Generating content that does not make people sick is very hard and basically unsolved at this time.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    25. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      The thing is that Occulus and others must sell a lot of units before people wise up to this little problem. Best scenario for them is a lot of people buying the equipment before there is a lot of content.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    26. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      Have fun with that. Because I know how it will turn out, I am already laughing pretty hard. Also, "Argument from Authority" / "Argumentum ad populum" Fallacy.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    27. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      I would say "reading comprehension", but your issue seems more to be "non-working ratio". Hint: "anecdotal evidence" is not "evidence" at all and often is just a result of effective marketing.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    28. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      Hehehehehehehehe......

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    29. Re: The longer you wait... by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      H, J, K and L were always on the home row.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    30. Re:The longer you wait... by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      It's less than the price of the guitar I didn't buy (because I got a junker instead and fixed it up with nice hardware). So I'm tempted.

      I think it would be a neat productivity tool and I could keep my screen private instead of having 4 monitors filling my desk for all to see.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    31. Re:The longer you wait... by PJ6 · · Score: 1

      ...the better the chance this hype will have fizzled and that you will not have to buy anything! VR is about as "ready" as 3D television, which is completely over because it does not really work at this time. The same is true for VR.

      Holy shit, this comment got marked insightful?

      VR developer, here. Tell us you've actually tried VR, or STFU.

    32. Re: The longer you wait... by Dashiva+Dan · · Score: 1

      Fixed keyboards can detract if you want to sit and spin in a swivel chair.
      Wireless keyboard mounted on the chair can largely negate this issue - good enough for me anyway.
      There's like a dozen companies, including some big names, working on various forms of 'controller free' hand detection which (when accurate enough) will make handheld controllers obsolete (however hand/body covering haptic feedback type gear will probably have it's place).
      I don't think controllers (or x% of field of vision, or y resolution) will prevent VR from succeeding, however we're clearly continuing down the path of better and better input and output interfaces with computers, and any of the upcoming range of devices seem to be a great evolution of the tech, even if it's still at early adopter price (and to some degree, tech) levels.
      As with everything in this industry, the longer you wait the better and cheaper it gets, but I'm the type who would rather be ahead of the curve, when I can afford it.
      (ordered a VR ready PC (well the parts to build it), but no headset yet - hoping if I wait a little while, I can get a second hand one cheap from someone who doesn't like it)

      --
      "lt;dr" is the correct response to most of my posts.
    33. Re: The longer you wait... by chispito · · Score: 1

      I don't know, it seems like legit, mainstream artists are having no problem with extended sessions in the Vive using tiltbrush. I think the sickness thing is drastically reduced from the rift dk2.

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    34. Re: The longer you wait... by chispito · · Score: 2

      You seem to have a lot of time to post about how much you dislike VR. The logical response would be to not buy one and instead go read articles relevant to your interests.

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    35. Re:The longer you wait... by Dashiva+Dan · · Score: 1

      That's kind of the point....
      It's been in Development for years - and that has led to a half a dozen retail offerings, that are becoming available this year.
      Like my uncle worked for the phone company, and had a 'development kit' of a car phone for a while before they become available at retail.
      Everyone thought it was a wildly extravagant luxury, hideously expensive, and not that useful - who wants to talk on the phone while driving?!? It was ridiculous!
      This is long after the 'first mobile phone' - that was before I was born, back in the early 70's. This was in the 80's, when they become available to the public, and they actually ended up being not so niche.
      Technology constantly evolves. The number of retail offerings, content production, software development and consumer interest in VR isn't like when 'VR came out' 20 years ago - your comments would be appropriate then - this is something that clearly has a market and an audience, and is unarguably a more immersive and enhanced method of interfacing with today's computer software (not in all instances, obviously, but in situations simulating 3D environments, which still covers quite a lot).

      --
      "lt;dr" is the correct response to most of my posts.
    36. Re:The longer you wait... by bozzy · · Score: 1

      Similarly, I have tried some of the VR technology -- not Oculus, but a couple others (some still in development). It's impressive. The first time you put one of those headsets on, you will go, "Whoa!" If you're like me, you will proceed to tell many of your friends about it and how neat the experience was. But you will not buy one.

      That was precisely my own experience after I tried the Oculus in 2014.

      --
      playmoney.me - The free alternative to paper board game play money
    37. Re:The longer you wait... by Nemyst · · Score: 1

      Trust me, the technology works quite well.

      Um, no it doesn't. 3DTVs and 3D cinemas look completely awful. Not only are very few films actually shot in 3D, they tend to be shot at 24 fps, which is way too low to make for a smooth 3D experience, and on top of that they tend to be dramatically over-exaggerated to the point of becoming sickness-inducing.

      In contrast, VR tends to require 75Hz or more, all the stuff is rendered in true 3D in real time (no faking it) and you can't exaggerate the parallax without causing serious issues and basically sabotaging your game or app, so people don't do it. There are far fewer technical hurdles with VR than with 3D stuff, and most of them revolve around the cost. Cost is not a good indicator of whether a technology will succeed, though, since fairly pricey things have caught on in the past and will continue to do so.

    38. Re:The longer you wait... by Dashiva+Dan · · Score: 1

      Those who compare VR to 3D TV aren't too far off.
      I have had a 3D computer screen, have a 3D wall projector, of my friends and relatives, perhaps 10% have a 3D capable TV. Of the 90% who don't, about half of them say they'll be happy to get it when it becomes standard, but aren't planning to go out of their way for it, and the other half range from simple 'I don't need that' to 'I hate it'.
      So far as I'm concerned, however, most movies that come out now that can benefit from 3D are available in that format at retail, and so is the method of viewing them. It is mainstream. All the general stores - Walmart in the USA, K-Mart or whoever in Australia - sell both 3D content and viewing devices at less that twice the price of the 'less capable' 2D devices and content. You could argue it's 'niche', I guess, but it'd be a decent debate.
      VR is already out there too. It can be had very cheaply - google cardboard through samsung Gear VR, and high end now/soon - Oculus, Steam, PS4.5, etc...
      The content is also there.
      And just as when games like Doom came out - breaking the mould, enhancing realism, etc, this first retail generation of VR tech will blow a lot of people's minds, and just like the original Doom, have a lot of room for improvement.
      I played the hell out of Doom, and still remember it fondly, but it's crap as compared to today's games. These first VR games - playing some of them reminds me of how I felt playing doom (and ROTT, Hexen, etc, etc) and I'm looking forward to what's to come.

      --
      "lt;dr" is the correct response to most of my posts.
    39. Re:The longer you wait... by Dashiva+Dan · · Score: 1

      And that is just the point: Generating content that does not make people sick is very hard and basically unsolved at this time.

      I'm glad you didn't post anonymously, but if you're not going to cite any references or reasoning for statements like that, you're probably better off not attaching your username.

      --
      "lt;dr" is the correct response to most of my posts.
    40. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      I don't think so. Look at my /. ID and then take this: The only time I have ever been below "excellent" karma (not for long) was when I clashed with some religious fuckups. I believe that you should at least attach your pseudonym or shut up. Sniping from the shadows is for cowards and trolls.

      Incidentally: Read my sig. That makes my stance pretty clear, I would think.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    41. Re: The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      And miss the fun of mocking all the morons that fall for the con? No way!

      Incidentally, I do not dislike VR. I would love to have well-working VR. I do think that at this time it is not ready. There is a bit of a difference. If you try _really_ hard, you may be able to spot it.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    42. Re:The longer you wait... by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      No problem at all. I basically wont touch it until such time as I see a whole bunch of geeks and nerds attempt to use it at the same time over a twelve hour period, seeing how long they can last, whether or not they can even get to the twelve hour mark. So far I have only see one extended use test, this by an online marketing magazine pretending to be a tech magazine and one marketdroid who pretends to be a journalist, basically just giving a marketing spiel.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    43. Re:The longer you wait... by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      Indeed. But I also have a job to do and people would notice if I wasn't doing it. There might be the minor issue of morals as well. Some people have them.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    44. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      You seem to have a peculiar definition of "morals". I should point out that when I did run into the putty-problem, I had a contractually assured permission to do what I did. Now, I _could_ have gone into an exception process and waited a few weeks (wasting expensive time, jeopardizing a deadline and all with uncertain outcome), but that seemed to me to be highly unethical.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    45. Re: The longer you wait... by HeadSoft · · Score: 1

      It seems strange that all these issues with keyboards you have never happen with the millions of gamers *already* using mouse and keyboard. Most of us already memorized our keyboards, our movement keys, which are also configurable in almost every game (mine ARE on the home row.)

      I'm not saying another input device might not be better, but keyboards and mice are already better than gamepads for first-person shooters. I personally favor a giant trackball you can walk on, along with perhaps a real rifle-shaped controller for the typical FPS scenario.

    46. Re: The longer you wait... by RivenAleem · · Score: 2

      The keyboard is more a case of immersion. From my time playing Elite Dangerous with the DK2, I tried 3 different inputs. I used Keyboard (Nostromo) and Mouse, XBOX 360 controller and Saitek X52.

      When you are piloting, it is great to be able to see your motions on the joystick matched by the Avatar in game. This gave the best immersion. However, it quickly becomes a real problem when you go to the galaxy map, and have to find your keyboard to type in a destination.

      I think the VIVE will be the winner in the long run, simply because of the front facing camera. When you need to, you can find the keyboard and use it. I would like to see in time, a resurgence of the IR keyboard, linked to an in-VR virtual keyboard. If the headset can detect the position of the IR keyboard, and project a simulacrum of it in the VR environment, then you have the best of both.

    47. Re:The longer you wait... by ultranova · · Score: 1

      VR on the other hand made me go Whoa!. So why will you not buy one?

      $600 is a lot to pay for soon-fading novelty, which is what Whoa! is. A wise consumer is not an early adopter but a bargain bin scavenger.

      If it's purely about cost then you're spoilt with an overload of cheap stuff. After all this pales in comparison to what I spent on a computer 20 years ago. But we're used to everything having to be a certain cheap price these days that we forget that luxury items are in fact luxury.

      And entrepreneurs are spoiled with hordes of wealthy, financially secure consumers who can afford to take risks since they aren't risking their entire entertainment budget on something they might not like. In societies with high income differences most people don't spend much in luxuries. They can't afford to, and even if they could, they wouldn't dare to - better save the money for the rainy day, even if the result is that the economy comes to a halt.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    48. Re:The longer you wait... by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      Morals as in doing my the job I'm paid to do and not letting down my coworkers rather than slacking off. Going to extra effort to download materials for slacking off doesn't get you brownie points for effort.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    49. Re:The longer you wait... by ultranova · · Score: 1

      Incidentally, a smart person can often determine characteristics of a thing without actually having to try it out.

      I think you're confusing "smart person" and "psychic".

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    50. Re:The longer you wait... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      which is what Whoa! is.

      Yeah I know. I should have never bought into the 3D accelerators thing back in the 90s. Whoa! can be anything. A short term fad and "the future" can't be graded by that metric.

    51. Re:The longer you wait... by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      But Oculus wants you to believe it's ready because they're already a couple billion dollars in the hole and would need to a few million units just to break even.

      Then they need a 'killer app'. So long as everybody is talking about the device and not the game or other feature that people must have, it's going to be lack luster.

    52. Re:The longer you wait... by ultranova · · Score: 1

      I should have never bought into the 3D accelerators thing back in the 90s. Whoa! can be anything. A short term fad and "the future" can't be graded by that metric.

      So how many times did the Voodoo cards bring Whoa! out? If memory serves, it was gone by the third. 3D accelerators stayed because they made it possible to filter textures and up increase the resolution of 3D apps to the point where you can actually tell what's happening on the screen. Time will tell if Oculus will become a similar necessity.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    53. Re:The longer you wait... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      And in how far is accessing a tool that I need to do my work "slacking off"?

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    54. Re:The longer you wait... by fullmetal55 · · Score: 1

      In what world is Putty a tool for slacking off?

    55. Re:The longer you wait... by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      In a world where you use it to download porn for local viewing to get around a corporate content filter in the manner described above by the person who couldn't imagine using a VR helmet for any other purpose.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    56. Re:The longer you wait... by Dashiva+Dan · · Score: 1

      I don't think so. Look at my /. ID and then take this: The only time I have ever been below "excellent" karma (not for long) was when I clashed with some religious fuckups. I believe that you should at least attach your pseudonym or shut up. Sniping from the shadows is for cowards and trolls.

      Incidentally: Read my sig. That makes my stance pretty clear, I would think.

      I'd let you know my ID used to be lower than yours, but I can't easily prove it, and regardless: I know that having a low ID doesn't necessarily mean anything.
      Again, citing something (this is slashdot, it can be anything, you can even make it up - but if so yeah, do it anonymously) to support your (otherwise wild) claims.
      I mean, you did pick a very subjective stance, and one ripe for discussion, and it shouldn't be toooo hard to cite a reference or give some detail as to why you're claiming such, but posting opinion as fact without research is older than slashdot itself, and of absolutely no use or contribution to the thread. (and if your ranting and blather isn't contributing anything, the suggestion to leave your sig off was for your own good. Believe me, I'm glad you keep it there :P)

      (Karma? you're going on about your slashdot karma?)

      --
      "lt;dr" is the correct response to most of my posts.
    57. Re:The longer you wait... by RespekMyAthorati · · Score: 1

      Because I know how it will turn out

      You know nothing, as all of your posts demonstrate.

  2. As George Orwell said by Hognoxious · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Virtual reality has always been almost here.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  3. Re:Give me another month or two.. by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Slashdot has become an echo chamber favoring this odd kind of American leftism where victimhood is an object of worship and personal responsibility is the name of Satan.

    Fox News called and wants their trolls back.

  4. GearVR owner here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The CNET review linked above isn't too bad, actually.

    We're looking at the "Nintendo era" for VR, remember the light gun and the power-glove? I'd KILL for the power-glove type of integration with this. Earlier attempts at VR are like the Atari and ColecoVision systems. We just weren't there yet.

    Listen, until you've TRIED it and thought about the potential, don't knock it. This isn't a fad anymore. People scoffed at the first mouse, too.

    I really wish the Gear smartwatch was integrated as a controlling device, just for hand-waving grab/slide/push/pull type of gestures. Instead of tabs in a browser, moving them around to create panels while I read, do research, etc would be amazing.
    Right now it's just a toy. But I'd write code while looking at references, etc. All with this on, if it only had the interface to do so.

    1. Re: GearVR owner here by samkass · · Score: 1

      Leap Motion released an update which dramatically improved their hand tracking. You may not have to kill anyone to experience something better than the Power Glove.

      --
      E pluribus unum
    2. Re:GearVR owner here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      >Until they can cure the motion sickness aspect, there's going to be a
      >significant percent of the population that can't use the product.

      Already done. There's no motion sickness with the Vive. Once Oculus gets room-scale VR working, they'll solve the nausea problem for everyone as well. If you disconnect head and body movement from what you see, a significant portion of the population will get sick. The solution is to not move with a controller, and to instead move your head and body. This is also exercise, which can help you stay healthy longer than sedentary people do.

      An alternative to this is electrical stimulation of the motion sensors in your ears, which is being worked on now. but that's years away, and probably a bad idea.

    3. Re:GearVR owner here by NoZart · · Score: 1

      Or the good old arcades could come back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    4. Re:GearVR owner here by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      A queue is "first in first out", unless you're in France. It can't, by definition, be out of sync.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    5. Re:GearVR owner here by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 2

      Listen, until you've TRIED it and thought about the potential, don't knock it. This isn't a fad anymore. People scoffed at the first mouse, too.

      I have tried it... and it is nothing like the mouse...

      VR might one day be a thing, but it won't be this day...

      A number of years ago I was able to use a very nice VR setup that you could stand up in and walk around in. It wasn't wireless, you had to be tethered (both headset and gloves), and of course the graphics weren't as good as today, but it was motion controlled and you wore gloves that had very sensitive 3D position trackers.

      I fully get the appeal, but we're still many, many years away from this being a thing. The current versions will be a fad, then it'll all come back again in 20 years to try again. It might actually be ready then, depending on the tastes of the time.

  5. Osborne effect by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

    The longer you wait to buy, the better it will get.

    I didn't think it was actually possible to flunk Marketing 101. Until now.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    1. Re:Osborne effect by bigfinger76 · · Score: 1

      It's certainly going to be my strategy.

    2. Re:Osborne effect by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      The longer you wait to buy, the better it will get.

      I didn't think it was actually possible to flunk Marketing 101. Until now.

      You do know it was from a review, not a salespitch... right?

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    3. Re:Osborne effect by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      You're using the obsolete meaning of the word, often preceded by an explicit or implicit "independent".

      You don't see them much these days.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  6. WTF by thegarbz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Okay what the hell has happened to the internet? Both of the linked articles were unreadable, unsearchable, and psychedelic garbage that looks like it was coded on LSD.

    I do appreciate the summary though. 8 out of 10, verdict: not recommended.

  7. More pixels please. by SuricouRaven · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Never mind gaming, I'm interested in VR for data visualisation. Like graphs with tens of thousands of nodes, or heat maps in three dimensions.

  8. RIft Vs Vive by JustNiz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've been trying to figure out which to buy: The Oculus or the Vive. Note: I have no personal experience of either so this is all about info just gleaned from reviews ete. I really hope to try both before I place an order but I have a feeling it wontt be easy.
    The Vive is about $100 more expensive but it seems well worth it for the difference, since it can also support standing up and moving around, and also comes with VR controllers. Yes I'm presuming the seated experience is as good as the Oculus, which is pretty important since I'm guessing that will actually be the most commonly used scenario, but having the option to stand up and move around would be nice.
    The BIG decision factor for me is that Oculus is primarily targetting Windows only, with Linux support at best being an afterthought (they announced several months ago that they have put their Linux dev effort on hold)
    Linux support remains a core goal to the Vive team.
    That alone would be enough for me to STRONGLY favour the Vive over the Oculus.
    My fear/expectation is that most windows game developers will stupidly only support oculus not vive, because they consider it the "de facto" VR headset, even if it it is more limited/not as good as the vive.
     

    1. Re:RIft Vs Vive by Holi · · Score: 1

      "Nothing's stopping them from supporting the Vive"
      Since the Rift is a Valve creation I am pretty sure it will work with SteamVR games. I mean you would have to assume they have support baked into the SteamVR runtime.

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
    2. Re:RIft Vs Vive by Holi · · Score: 1

      Ugn not Rift, Vive.

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
    3. Re:RIft Vs Vive by dpidcoe · · Score: 1

      I'm not up to date on what features the Rift has over the Vive, but if one of them doesn't support head position tracking as well as pitch/yaw/roll that would be a dealbreaker. Not being able to sit up and forwards to look over the front of the cockpit or shift my head side to side to see around the back of the seat would be a huge step backwards in usability compared to my trackIR.

    4. Re:RIft Vs Vive by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 1

      Vive, with Half Life 3 exclusive. :-)

    5. Re:RIft Vs Vive by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      Wow what an amazing thought.

    6. Re:RIft Vs Vive by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      That seems to be most people's criteria but for me at least there's more to it than that, mostly around the relative quality of each's Linux support.
      I'd also very much like to experience each first-hand before I buy.
      I'm pretty picky so the video quality (screen-door effect, clarity/resolution and size of field of view), head-tracking responsiveness, and headset comfort would all be potential deal-breakers for me, as would compromising the quality of any of the above in order to accommodate users who want to use them while wearing prescription glasses.

    7. Re:RIft Vs Vive by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      Linux support remains a core goal to the Vive team.
      That alone would be enough for me to STRONGLY favour the Vive over the Oculus.

      Why? What do you think you're going to do on Linux with it?

      My fear/expectation is that most windows game developers will stupidly only support oculus not vive, because they consider it the "de facto" VR headset, even if it it is more limited/not as good as the vive.

      Your fears are misplaced... your real fear should be that after 5 games come out for it that are funded by Oculus, that'll be it. 2 years from now, when no new games come out for it, then what?

      The cost to develop games for this, vs the size of the market, is going to be a massive problem, one that everyone seems to overlook. What is the business case for this?

    8. Re:RIft Vs Vive by Dcnjoe60 · · Score: 1

      Personally, I'd wait until there was an app that I wanted to purchase and see which VR system it used. As with most new computer technologies, it is the software that will drive adoption.

    9. Re:RIft Vs Vive by Nemyst · · Score: 1

      Re-read what I said: nothing is stopping developers building games for the Rift to turn around and also support the Vive.

    10. Re:RIft Vs Vive by WaffleMonster · · Score: 1

      The cost to develop games for this, vs the size of the market, is going to be a massive problem, one that everyone seems to overlook. What is the business case for this?

      I would be very interested in any supporting evidence examining costs of developing VR games.

      What actually is the typical cost difference to VR enable a new title in such a way that it won't suck?

      Majority of leading game engines support VR out of the box today. Software exist to retroactively VR enable dozens of existing titles having never been designed for VR in the first place. Some work great, others still suck.

      Obviously doing VR properly is not free - there is some cost. Some of which can undoubtedly be avoided by making different choices during product development. I am not an expert in this field and would very much appreciate thoughts from someone who is.

    11. Re:RIft Vs Vive by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      There is so much more to it than ticking a box saying "enable VR"

      The control scheme needs to be changed. Bug testing. The game has to become aware of the headset position. Field of view needs to be adjusted. Art assets may not exist in the new locations you can look.

      A simple example. In most Call of Duty games, there are times you can "look anywhere", and times when your field of view is fixed to a narrow angle. Fair enough, you move the mouse and you hit those limits pretty fast. What happens when you move your head and run out of room to move, yet your head keeps turning? What happens to your orientation? There might not be any art assets in those directions, the game wasn't designed for them.

      Then there is the game play itself. Does a standard FPS lend itself to VR without any changes to the core game play? Maybe, but I believe that to really take advantage of VR, you have to design for it. It isn't just a camera that you don't have to move with a mouse.

    12. Re:RIft Vs Vive by TechnoCore · · Score: 2

      I'm a gamedev, we have Vive at work. Haven't got the latest Oculus, only devkit #2. But I'd go with Vive for sure, just because of the moving around thing and the controllers you get with it. It is paramount. The ability to move around and interact with things in the VR world is plain simply amazing. Sony will also be releasing a VR headset for PS4, it will let you move somewhat as well, and personally I think sony's system will have a huge impact on what games will be made. I was at their presentation at GDC a few weeks ago. They had done awesome party games where they mixed one or severl VR players with normal players looking at the TV.

    13. Re:RIft Vs Vive by bobaferret · · Score: 1

      thanks for the input, no mod points though

    14. Re:RIft Vs Vive by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the input. I'm serious about buying but there's nowhere I know that I can try both, and the comparative reviews all seem vague at best if not outright biassed. I realise that the oculus you have is a DK2 but since you have access to both, I'd really appreciate if you could help me understand the relative differences with answers to what is the difference if any between the units around the following:
      * head tracking lag/accuracy/dropouts
      * visuals (colour fidelity, screendoor effect if any, picture sharpness, lenses quality/blurriness/fisheye effect, size of field of view)
      * comfort of wearing/prolonged use (weight, "sweatiness factor", tendency to motion sickness)

      Thanks so much!

  9. A killer app is StreetView. by aoeu · · Score: 1

    How to find an estate sale.

    --
    All your database are belong to U.S.
  10. those are worship words, you will not speak them by Thud457 · · Score: 4, Funny
    no no, no No NO!
    The canonical form of any tech gadget review must be submitted in the form:

    No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame. [*]

    These words have been handed down from our forefathers since time immemorial you damn dirty Kohm.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  11. Steroscopic VR Without Crossed Eyes, Finally! by Baldrson · · Score: 2

    PLATO had a 3d plotting program that let you cross your eyes to see things in stereoscopic perspective, but you had to focus your eyes at an unnatural distance -- so it wasn't the kind of thing you would necessarily want to subject users to for long game playing sessions.

    That's one reason, second to cutting the 512 pixel X-dimension down by a factor of 2, I didn't torture my Spasim gamers with it back in 1974.

    --
    Seastead this.
    1. Re:Steroscopic VR Without Crossed Eyes, Finally! by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      PLATO had a 3d plotting program that let you cross your eyes to see things in stereoscopic perspective, but you had to focus your eyes at an unnatural distance -- so it wasn't the kind of thing you would necessarily want to subject users to for long game playing sessions.

      That was a lot of fun before I got a 30" computer monitor.

      Forget long sessions, it hurts doing it for a few seconds these days, not to mention the resulting very bizarre aspect ratio.

  12. Announcing the Osboure 2 by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    Not quite Damming with faint praise. More like announcing the Osboure 2 they are about to design will smoke this beta product. That's a death curse for companies with negative cash flow. My feeling is the hype machine is strong in this one and it will be like the iPod. Cost not a problem for the early adopter.
    The booger in that analogy pudding is ipod had suck for rivals both in terms of ease of use, music price ecosystem and coolness. Will the VR gear be the rio player to the occulus iPod. If the gear VR doesn't suck then the analogy may be Windows 95 versus Imac or vhs versus beta.

    Maybe this attempt to virtual Osboure themselves is a kamikaze attack on the Samsung.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  13. Duke Nukem VR by goombah99 · · Score: 2, Funny

    No I'm not kidding. 3 days from now Samsung is going to announce they will release Duke Nukem VR FREE with every headset. Just wait.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  14. Effects on health by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 1

    Once this technology has matured a bit, and immersive gaming is the norm, I imagine it will be very popular.
    I also imagine it will be very popular with younger people.

    It makes me wonder how immersive gaming with an oculus or similar on for hours at a time will affect players health.
    How will it affect eyesight and vision and other things?

    --
    We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
    1. Re:Effects on health by eam · · Score: 1

      >How will it affect eyesight and vision and other things?

      This is what I'm wondering about. Our brains expect the focus of our eyes to correspond to the thing we're looking at (ie, if you're eyes are pointed at something 2 feet away, your brain expects your eyes to focus 2 feet away). That's one of the reasons people get eye fatigue or headaches in 3d movies. I'd be curious to know if they've done anything to solve that problem. If not, I suspect they'll have long-time users experiencing vision problems.

    2. Re:Effects on health by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      Once this technology has matured a bit, and immersive gaming is the norm, I imagine it will be very popular. I also imagine it will be very popular with younger people.

      Why just younger people? Imagine someone older who is bedridden or bound to a wheelchair but wants to experience walking along the Great Wall or climbing to the top of Kilimanjaro. While they can't physically do it, VR could give them the visual experience of doing so. On the contrary, I see VR as having the possibility of being very popular with people of my generation as we age (born mid 80s). We grew up with video games and computers. 30 years from now VR could quite possibly be a very immersive experience and one we could very easily grasp. I don't even need VR video games right away. Give me straight up VR movies. Put me in the surf alongside Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan, in the spaceship falling into a black hole with Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar, or sailing on a privateer in the Caribbean *nod to Assassin's Creed*. Then there's the therapeutic possibilities of good VR. I imagine it would be a boon for the treatment of PTSD of veterans (I won't even mention the possibilities with regards to training, and not just in military/law enforcement). A lot of people, not just kids, will really enjoy this.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    3. Re:Effects on health by dead_cthulhu · · Score: 1

      I have known people who were prone to doing that without a VR headset. Apparently complex reasoning and "higher" skills do not convey basic survival instinct.

    4. Re:Effects on health by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      I think you're crediting them with complex reasoning and higher level skills that they dont deserve.
      There are perfectly good sidewalks in my neighborhood but I can't even count the number of dumbasses that regularly walk or run in front of moving cars as if legal laws somehow trump the laws of physics.

  15. Mondo 2000 by tekrat · · Score: 1

    For all you old timers still on Slashdot....

    Where's the interview with Jaron Lanier?

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
  16. Just a matter of time... by stackOVFL · · Score: 1

    I'm waiting for the "I was wearing the VR goggles while playing Mortal Combat when I punched him. But I got arrested for domestic violence anyway".

    Also a tally should be kept of the lamps, pictures and other assorted stuff that will get destroyed due to the blind flailing of appendages.

    :P

  17. Re:almost here by NoZart · · Score: 1

    well, if you dismiss any technology just because it could be transient, you're gonna miss out on lots of stuff....

  18. What exactly do I... by Hymer · · Score: 1

    ...need Oculus Rift for ?
    Give me some real world applications and not just games and porn.

  19. Why should i want this? by Daetrin · · Score: 1

    I understand that the current tech is really great for what it does, and i'm sure a ton of FPS/3PS and cockpit racing/combat fans will jump right in.

    However i'm a fan of strategy and RPG games, particularly 2D ones. The only 3D game i've played a great deal of in the last several years has been Minecraft. (And given some of the jump scares i've experienced in that i'm not sure i'd _want_ to be more immersed in it.)

    I also tend to multitask a lot. Currently i'm playing Stardew Valley and i'm constantly tabbing back and forth between the game and various guides and forums and spreadsheets. I'll also frequently be paying-half attention to whatever show my SO is currently watching at the time, or put on some show of my own in the background if she's not watching something. I'm unsure of how any of that would work well with VR. AR maybe, but not VR.

    So is there something i'm totally missing about the appeal? Or am i just not the target audience?

    --
    This Space Intentionally Left Blank
    1. Re:Why should i want this? by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      Yeah you dont sound like you have a case for it at all. I can't imagine how 2D RPG could be significantly improved with an HMD.
      I recently got a superwide monitor, I can't recommend superwide enough, and in your use-case I'd be surprised if something like that wouldn't have far more of a noticeable positive impact than a VR HMD.
      Given its something you don't seem desperate for, I'd say you should at least wait for alternative headsets to come out then re-evaluate rather than blowing significant cash now on an early HMD just to have around because of the current hype. About watching your SO's shows: unlike the Rift, The Vive has a front facing camera so at least in theory you can keep tabs on the outside world too. No idea how good it is in practice though.
      Meanwhile I can't wait for my Vive to show up, but then I play mostly first person 3D stuff.

  20. Big Monitors Please by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

    I don't want to play games on one.

    I do want to use one that presents a huge space of windows. I just look at a window and it expands into my central vision and the keyboard and mouse are right there. No need for an array of monitors. No overlapping windows.

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    1. Re:Big Monitors Please by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      Nice idea but it will require someone to implement.
      I'll bet linux users will get a Window Manager like that quicker than Windows will, so since Oculus put Linux support on the back burner, you're probably better off going for the Vive than the Rift.

    2. Re:Big Monitors Please by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      Linux already has one, Ibex but it doesn't seem to fit the "large space of windows I can pull into view by look at them" workspace I want.

      Higher resolution is probably the more important thing for programming. I'll save my money and spend it on the first to arrive - The 3D work space, or the flying car.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  21. Females will flock... by zawarski · · Score: 1

    ... when they see me wearing one of these!

  22. Might as well go for the HTC Vive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    With the expense of a high end gaming PC and the VR unit, you might as well pay the extra few hundred and get the richer experience with the HTC Vive. From all the reviews I've read being able to move in VR is way cooler than the sitdown experience.