Official VR Headset discussion

[Destroy]

I've become sort of immune to VR. I'm so used to seeing everything in true 3D that its lost its 'wow' factor.

[Nagorak]

Budget Cuts Review (Rating: 8/10)

This was another super hyped VR title back in the day. I remember when the demo came out everyone was going crazy for it. I was strongly looking forward to the game's release and even bought it not too long afterwards. But then for some reason I never ended up playing it. Anyway, this is a game I definitely do recommend. It is only about 4-6 hours long, but it was solid fun during those hours.

The game has kind of a similar vibe to Vertigo, although I would say Vertigo (remastered version) is a much better game overall. Having to actually duck down and get on hands and knees is kind of annoying on the one hand, but also kind of cool on the other hand---it's annoying but also immersive. This game is also one where being tall can be a liability, since I couldn't really hide in a cubicle without actually having to duck down.

I enjoyed the game for the most part, however it was not without faults. The last level was frustrating because there was a fairly complicated puzzle where it wasn't clear exactly what to do. It was easy to miss one of the elements because you had to look all around the level to find it. It also relied on understanding the game mechanics fairly thoroughly in order to pull it off. I eventually checked an FAQ because I was tired of teleporting around while on hands and knees, trying to figure out what to do.

I'm glad I did because it turned out I was on the wrong track entirely. Once reading the explanation it made complete sense, but it still wasn't that easy to pull off. While it was a clever idea, I think the solution should have been placed closer to the source of the problem so that it was easier to find. Or the elements involved should have been introduced and used earlier in the game so that you were familiar with them being a thing.

My only other criticisms are that it is that the game definitely does not hold your hand, so there are points where you can miss an item you're supposed to find and waste of time wandering around stumped, only to finally realize that you didn't look in a drawer near the objective. My advice to anyone who plays the game is if you get stuck for more than 10 minutes, just check an FAQ to get yourself moving again. I also played wirelessly, and with as much crouching and ducking there is, I wonder if it would be a bit annoying to play with a cord?

On the whole it was still a good experience though. It lived up to the initial hype for me. A solid 8/10 game.

[Nagorak]

Solus Project Review (Rating: 6/10)

I finally beat the Solus Project (VR). It has been on my list to play for a long time but I just never seemed to have enough performance. When it first came out in 2016 it also looked like **** (badly aliased) because the backward renderer used in UE4 did not support anti-aliasing. Fortunately at some point that was patched in which improved things considerably. All the same, I still wasn't getting the performance I wanted, so I kept putting the game off and coming back to it whenever I upgrade my GPU. I started out with a 1080 Ti, then 2080 Ti, 3080, and finally played it with a 7900 XTX. Time passed and my GPU got more powerful, but at the same time my headset resolution also increased, so it was like I was just running in place.

I feel like performance should have been better considering there are other much better looking games that also run better. Even accounting for long draw distances outside, it is a pretty basic looking game which doesn't seem like it was particularly high poly or anything. Anyway, ultimately I just accepted that I was not going to get a locked 90 FPS outside and just ran with some reprojection. With it being a slow paced game it actually didn't matter that much.

On the whole I would say I give it a soft recommend. The start is rough, but once you find the way into the caves it is gains more direction. This is the type of game I think I'd only play in VR, because it's cool seeing the alien planet in first person. On a flat screen I think it would have underwhelmed me.

On the downside I feel like the game was a little too long, and while the lore and mystery was interesting, it was kind of stretching it for how long it lasted. It definitely was interesting and enjoyable to an extent but also far from the best game I've played. There were some cool moments like when you encountered atmospheric anomalies for the first few times, but by the end they became more of an annoying hassle than anything else, since once you knew how to deal with them they just wasted your time.

It was also one of those games that I feel would have been stronger if it had only been 10 or 15 hours instead of 20ish. It had sort of a similar problem as Subnautica for me where it was cool at first but I eventually tired of it and was ready for it to end, only to discover there was still a long way to go. However, it wasn't ultimately as bad as Subnautica since it was much shorter overall.

The overall story/mystery was sort of cool, but it's also one of those where I'm afraid if you think about it too much you start to see some holes and things that don't make that much sense.

My advice to anyone who chooses to play this game is to stick closely to the primary objective and don't waste time thoroughly exploring other paths/hidden areas. You don't ever find anything that important or cool looking. If you get a message that you've entered a secret cave just turn around immediately as they are just a slog to go through and you don't need to find any hidden relics to be successful anyway. On the same note, I wouldn't worry about being completionist about getting all the logs. They do provide the narrative of the game/back story so you want to read some, but if you get even half of them you'll have the jist of what is happening. The events onboard the ship especially aren't all that relevant--mostly just some crew drama and some discussion of the psychological impact of the mission. The only ones that are really important are the ones relating to the aliens' experience, so I would put more effort into finding those (which there are also fewer of).

I would also consider turning the difficulty down to the lowest level, which only impacts the survival elements, because the survival stuff ultimately wasn't that enjoyable. Even at 50% they were for the most part not a challenge, but to the extent you had to deal with them they could end up being annoying. There were situations where you got cold and wet or whatever and it was just a time waster to have to dry yourself off and heat back up. And sometimes you'd just end up in a bad situation and die, frustratingly setting you back. That's a judgement call though, depending on how much you like that sort of thing. You can also just leave it on the default of 50%. I definitely would not increase it.

Overall, beating the game in 20 hours, I will give this game a 6/10. If I had managed to finish it in 5 hours less time then it might have been a 7/10.

[Nagorak]

When you shoot a pistol in VR, do you keep both eyes open when lining up the sights?

I actually have sometimes closed one eye to aim when lining up a shot in VR. With the way most games play though I'm more often firing from the hip.

[Exposed]

Spam alert ^^^^^


In other news,I got my Pimax Crystal. Blown away by the visuals, sharpest I've ever seen. However, don't think it's worth $1600. Especially after how uncomfortable it is because it's so front heavy. You need to basically buy an Apache headstrap as a requirement just to wear it comfortably. Other than that, I just love going through Google Earth and seeing how sharp and detailed everything is. Especially in 360 street view. In superman mode (fixed human scale, the only way to use Google Earth imo), everything is so detailed right up to the horizon...including imperfections I couldn't see previously with a G2. Half Life Alyx incredibly detailed as well. Still gotta try it with flight simulator also

[MangaSpawn64]

Just pre-ordered PSVR 2 Horizon bundle. Will be a considerable upgrade from PSVR, can't wait !

[Destroy]

HP Reverb G2 on sale $299

https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-reverb-g2-virtual-reality-headset

[Exposed]

Paid my $30 for the Pimax Crystal reservation. I'm number 403 in line to buy/receive it.

[Destroy]

HP Reverb G2 on sale now, $399

[Exposed]

When you shoot a pistol in VR, do you keep both eyes open when lining up the sights?

Yes. Just as you keep both eyes open when lining up the shots on a regular screen.

Aiming with a single eye is probably AR territory, not VR, and I think we're quite a ways from AR gaming like we are with VR gaming now.

[Destroy]

When you shoot a pistol in VR, do you keep both eyes open when lining up the sights?

[dodger]

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/brands/meta/pcmcat748302045866.c?id=pcmcat748302045866

Anyone going to try out a Meta Quest Pro? Reviews are saying it is at least comfy!

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/10/meta-quest-pro-hands-on-an-unimpressive-first-impression/

Even virtual reality's biggest boosters may hesitate at the idea of spending nearly $1,500 for the Meta Quest Pro without trying it first. Fortunately, a retail partnership means that people can try the upcoming Quest Pro at select Best Buy locations during weekend demos.

[Seyiji]

HL2 VR Mod released on Steam. K go.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/6...Life_2_VR_Mod/

Half-Life 1 VR Mod has been released

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1908720/HalfLife_VR_Mod/

[Exposed]

That might be useful once the Pimax ultra high resolution headsets come out. For now I don't have much trouble with performance on my G2 headset.

[Destroy]

Interesting software. Anyone try this?
Performance-oriented collection of mods for VR games.

https://github.com/cedriclmenard/vrperfkit

[Destroy]

HP Reverb G2 on sale for $350 right now.

https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-reverb-g2-virtual-reality-headset

[Destroy]

Bonelabs is coming.

LOL. This game is getting panned, its only 4 hours long for $40.

It is being likened to Gary's Mod where the crowd is supposed to make content to play.

I can scratch this game off my list.

[Exposed]

What is that in comparison to? I was going to spend the $2k on the aero but read too many negatives about it. Will wait for the Pimax Crystal instead. Biggest flaw is that there is NO motion interpolation like there is with basically every other mainstream VR headset. Like with the Reverb G2 if you have 40 or 50 fps it still feels like 90fps to match the refresh rate. Aero doesn't have this. Games will look choppy / non fluid in VR on the Aero. Motion interpolation is basically a requirement for a good immersive VR experience.

[yt]SirNR46OIEo[/yt]

[Destroy]

Wow, the Varjo Aero seems to be incredibly clear.

[Mangler]

Bonelabs is coming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0EOqHATQfg

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This **** could be THE **** even if it is just a more polished version of boneworks.

[demo]

4X AI Upscaled Textures works.

https://gamebanana.com/mods/6627

I think I actually like this better than HL2:Alyx, and that's saying something.

[demo]

HL2 VR Mod released on Steam. K go.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/658920/HalfLife_2_VR_Mod/

[demo]

I didn't realise they added smooth locomotion and turning via patch to DoomVFR, which had kept me from playing it. Downloaded last night, this game is a blast! Looks great, runs great, and is a fast paced FPS in VR. A lot of fun.

[Exposed]

HP Reverb G2 newest revision is on sale for $399 on HP's website for memorial day. Pretty good deal.

[demo]

No I had a G1 before. I haven't tried rev.1 of the G2.

[Exposed]

Just to clarify, you're comparing it to the first revision Reverb G2 which came out a year ago?

[demo]

Picked up a Reverb G2 Version 2 for a pretty good price. Compared to the G1 it's a significant improvement. Image is super crisp and has a larger sweet spot, along with better colours and contrast. Headset is far more comfortable with mechanical IPD slider, and tracking is better. Played some Alyx and MSFS2020 and am very pleased with it. Need to find some more good VR games, it's slim pickings for the most part.

[CyanBlues]

fixed foveated rendering mod, same guy that did the fsr mod for vr

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/rmhpp9/my_newest_vr_performance_mod_adds_fixed_foveated/

[Trunks0]

Decagear will probably be vaporware, who didn't see that coming with their best vr device with super low price b/s



https://twitter.com/sadlyitsbradley/...482677252?s=21

Unfortunate. Glad now that I didn't get around to ordering a DecaMove.

Well damn. The DecaMove things seemed really cool too

[Nagorak]

Unfortunate. Glad now that I didn't get around to ordering a DecaMove.

[CyanBlues]

Decagear will probably be vaporware, who didn't see that coming with their best vr device with super low price b/s

https://twitter.com/sadlyitsbradley/status/1465907875482677252?s=21

[Vanz_007]

VR personal project - requesting feedback

If there is anyone here that doesn't visit the General section, would appreciate your feedback on a VR project I am working on:

http://www.rage3d.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=2

Thanks in advance,

Vanz

[Shapeshifter]

https://www.roadtovr.com/ftc-sues-facebook-monopolization-oculus-vr/

FTC Sues Facebook Over Alleged Monopolization – What it Could Mean for Oculus

The United States Federal Trade Commission today announced it has filed an amended complaint with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, renewing its effort to sue Facebook over alleged anticompetitive practices. The initial lawsuit was filed in late 2020 and was tossed out back in June by a judge which argued that the FTC failed to make its case. The Commission is seeking a remedy which includes spinning out Instagram and WhatsApp. Oculus, the company’s XR organization, is not directly mentioned in the suit, but the amended complaint brings the “metaverse” into the picture for the first time.

[Shapeshifter]

valve has another dozen or so patents filled on VR.

[Shapeshifter]

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[CyanBlues]

Fantatical has a build your own VR bundle

https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-super-vr-bundle

[andino]

Got the new headset in today. It's night and day difference. Something was screwy on the original set. The clarity has increased dramatically and the screens are darker and look much better. There are still God rays but not nearly as bad as the first headset that I got.

This should last me until someone releases an OLED and a good set of lenses.

Come on Valve index 2 in 2022!!!

[Nagorak]

I think it must have something to do with OLED displays not being readily available or affordable at such high resolutions. Ideally I also would like to have 4 or 5K OLED at 120 Hz. Based off of the Vive Pro 2 and Reverb G2 I honestly don't think we need higher res or refresh rate than that (it can always be better, but we'll be deep into diminishing returns at that point).

With that being said, I guess I am fortunate in that I am not that bothered by the black levels in the G2 and Vive Pro 2. Certainly I'm willing to tolerate it in order to not have to deal with SDE.

[Trunks0]

-_- weird display tech in that guy. It's actually using both OLED and LCD. Where the centre is a 1920x1920 OLED along with 2880x2720 LCD panel to fill the peripheral vision.

I wonder if I'll get lucky and get hands on with one of these at some point

[Exposed]

I'm really disappointed in black levels of the G2, and also disappointed consumer VR manufacturers chose LCD rather than OLED this time around for their next gen headset.

Seems the only OLED headsets available now are the uber expensive ones. Need a consumer version of this:

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