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Virtual Reality in Gaming

It is a great time to get into VR...

MS MR headsets start at $400, plus who knows the deals this holiday.

Black Friday weekend - PS4 will be $200 plus I see standard (older) PSVR going for the $200, plus a camera ($40?) so for $440, you can get into VR pretty cheap...

I local used Movie/Music/Game store was selling the basic PSVR headset used for $199 as their standard price...
 
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Robinson: The Journey- Marooned on an alien planet, nice jungle atmosphere, a pet baby t-rex, accomplish tasks, maybe get saved. I'm liking it! :) Movement is good, joystick to strafe forward, backward, left right, turns in clicks to avoid nausea. Game is described as "moderate" regarding it's VR environment. So far, it's been good in this regard.

Robinson-The-Journey-Official-PlayStation-VR-Demo.jpeg
 
gkarris said:
Plus rumors have it that Macintosh will eventually go Apple ARM processors, leaving Intel/Windows behind - hardly anymore gaming on those machines...


You have to remember that on that wireless Quest headset, it is STILL a MOBILE platform so you're probably not gonna get the VR graphics fidelity that say a PC or PSVR will give you...

If you are looking for just smaller experiences or simplified VR graphics without wires then the Quest VR is for you.

The games and stuff I like requires a minimum of a PS4 Pro for me.
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I still prefer my PC/keyboard and mouse to Console controller. However I just proved I can develop a sore wrist by excessive clicking with my mouse playing Minecraft. :oops:

Mentioning controllers, the Occulus Touch controllers are interesting, great for facilitating grabbing things in VR, but not so good for entering commands. This appears to be a dilemma of VR gaming, you have to be able to physically grab, or you need to be sitting in a virtual cockpit with virtual buttons to push. Are you manipulating virtual controls such as seated in a train engine, driving the train itself, or are you issuing abstract commands like changing the view? I’ve been playing games like World of Warships and Ark: Survival Evolved which rely on abstract commands, one example would be to issue a control whistle to a group of dinos changing their aggressiveness. Now ARK has a VR mode, but I’ve not tried it. My understanding is the game remains as is, dependent on many commands, requiring the player to use traditional controllers, and have all the controls memorized. Not ideal for learning a new game that relies on a multitude of control commands in a virtual world.

Compounding the issue is third person play which I prefer for many games and may not be available, but could be in the VR environment.
 
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I regard my Oculus as mostly a novelty, game structures for it are still in development. That I’ve had two unmatchably impressive experiences with it (Lone Echo and The Climb), that can only happen in VR, yet it remains on my second tier of gaming. Derail Valley is another impressive in development game, a train simulator where you jump on the train and drive it, manipulating controls in the engine, jump off and couple, decouple cars, throw track switches, etc, yet I‘ve not played with my Occulus in months, I’m too busy on my PC with my love hate relationship with World of Warships, then there is ARK:Survival Evolved, Conan Exiles, my second play though of Fallout 4, and gearing up to jump into World of Warcraft Classic, in a month. :)
 
I've been playing Tetris Effect. It won some game of the year awards on PS4 last year, now it's on PC so you can ramp up the settings and have it running with an insane amount of particles.

It's Tetris, obviously, but the main game is like little Tetris vignettes that you play to music. Every time you move a block or complete a line, the whole stage reacts rhythmically, with sound and visual effects.

There are loads of stages, and they sort of evolve as you play - for example, one where you start in a dark cave and end up surrounded by people made of light, whooping and chanting and performing some sort of ritual around your Tetris board.

You can play it without VR, but it's not the same unless you're in the middle of the whole show. Definitely one of my top VR experiences so far, and a really excellent version of Tetris.

Untitled-1.jpg
 
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garnerx said:
I've been playing Tetris Effect. It won some game of the year awards on PS4 last year, now it's on PC so you can ramp up the settings and have it running with an insane amount of particles.

It's Tetris, obviously, but the main game is like little Tetris vignettes that you play to music. Every time you move a block or complete a line, the whole stage reacts rhythmically, with sound and visual effects.

There are loads of stages, and they sort of evolve as you play - for example, one where you start in a dark cave and end up surrounded by people made of light, whooping and chanting and performing some sort of ritual around your Tetris board.

You can play it without VR, but it's not the same unless you're in the middle of the whole show. Definitely one of my top VR experiences so far, and a really excellent version of Tetris.

View attachment 850383
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I can’t imagine Tetris being an ideal game for VR.

I recently bought a 4K monitor that beats the snot out of my Occulus, purchased Red Dead Redemption and the environment is freaking amazing, practically photo realistic. This is what VR really needs- UHD. I wonder if that would be easier on the eyes?
 
Huntn said:
I can’t imagine Tetris being an ideal game for VR.
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Try it! It's on the Epic store, you can get a refund if it's not up your street.

You focus on the Tetris board, which you can zoom as near or far as you want, but it's all the other stuff going on around it that makes it special. The sound and light coupled with the almost subconscious way you have to play Tetris at speed, it all combines to make something unique. Especially the final level, it's extraordinary. Videogame zen.
 
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2020 Update:

250AF584-D248-4DCB-9DE0-2A34A97D223B.jpeg
​

Everything You Need To Know About VR

Of note the Valve Index is new, it’s 2x expensive, and not included in this review:
Best VR Headsets updated March 2020
bestreviews.com

6 Best VR Headsets - Dec. 2024 - BestReviews

Our team of experts has selected the best VR headsets out of hundreds of models. Don't buy a VR headset before reading these reviews.
bestreviews.com


Valve Index vs Oculus Rift S: How Does It Compare?
Deciding Factors
Before getting into the hardware and specs, it’s important to note the differences these headsets have that makes them so unique. The software that comes alongside the Oculus is much better than the Index by a long shot. There are much more AAA games available in the market for Oculus that it doesn’t compare to the Index.

Also, due to being recently released, only a small amount of demos and indie games use the full functionality of the Index’s controllers putting it at a disadvantage. The Index uses SteamVR for their games and is restricted to it as the Rift S is not.

Aside from software, both headsets do very well with comfort. The “halo ring” in the Rift S allows anyone to enjoy VR for an extensive period of time. The Index in comparison have micro-fibers nicely placed for a premium feel and long usage.

The Index does have an advantage on headphones since they are off-ear and still able to give surround sounds. Although it isn’t directly touching, the sound is still a high-quality and immersive and truly shows the improvement of VR over the years. This is a strong point for the Index as no other headset really does this.

For the accessories of each headset, both companies went their own way. The Index has 2 external sensors but, it tradeoffs with a more difficult setup. The Rift S, however, uses inside-out tracking which does not require any cameras and makes setup much easier.

For the controllers, Valve released very immersive controllers which add all new hand functionality to VR but has issues with thumbstick issues. The Rift S, on the other hand, have very lightweight and comfortable controllers that are widely supported.
 
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It’s just too early for me - I REALLY want to play HL:A, & play it the way it’s designed - with the Index controllers, but the cost outlay for one game isn’t my idea of a smart purchase.

Even the Rift S isn’t cheap, especially in my country.

I will jump on eventually, once content quantity improves & prices mature (currently putting together parts for a new PC build later this year that’ll handle HL:A).
 
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