Virtual Reality

[Hero-of-Time]

Space Channel 5 was supposed to be released this month so I decided to see what was going on with the release of it. Turns out that just yesterday an announcement was made that the game had been delayed once again, this time until Spring next year.  

[dan-likes-trees]

Any of y'all played Astrobot Rescue Mission?

Probably matches Superhot for my favorite VR game so far. It's a great platformer in it's own right, chock full of clever ideas and personality (particularly the astrobots that litter the stages that are all individually animated in amusing ways); feels great to play, so much so that I think I actually prefer it to Odyssey...

The VR massively elevates it; you play a separate entity for the astrobot that you control, so lots of the game design is about craning your head over crevices to uncover little secrets, spinning 180 to see a cracked wall where another robot is hidden, dodging out of the way of projectiles whilst simultaneously directing your character.. it's really amazing!!

[Hero-of-Time]

36 minutes ago, dan-likes-trees said:

Any of y'all played Astrobot Rescue Mission?

Probably matches Superhot for my favorite VR game so far. It's a great platformer in it's own right, chock full of clever ideas and personality (particularly the astrobots that litter the stages that are all individually animated in amusing ways); feels great to play, so much so that I think I actually prefer it to Odyssey...

The VR massively elevates it; you play a separate entity for the astrobot that you control, so lots of the game design is about craning your head over crevices to uncover little secrets, spinning 180 to see a cracked wall where another robot is hidden, dodging out of the way of projectiles whilst simultaneously directing your character.. it's really amazing!!

I waffled on about on here around this time last year. I picked up a PSVR mainly to play it and I wasn't disappointed. Easily one of the best games this generation has produced.

[dan-likes-trees]

On 12/8/2019 at 1:27 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

I waffled on about on here around this time last year. I picked up a PSVR mainly to play it and I wasn't disappointed. Easily one of the best games this generation has produced.

Ah yeah nice one - just had a read of your posts - was sure someone here had been singing it's praises but it didn't come up when i searched. Completely agree with all you say. played a bit more today and it keeps getting better - so many clever ideas or little touches that have made me smile. Also love how much content there is - I only checked out the challenge stages today - some of them are ace!

[ArtMediocre]

Boneworks is here! It's getting pretty good reviews, but we have to wait for the articles, seeing as Stress Level Zero didn't give out any review copies. I'm going to buy it when I get my next paycheck, and I'm really looking forward to both the 6-8 hour story line as well as the sandbox modes! Slow-mo mode looks so damn sweet

And a little update on my Oculus Rift S:

I adjusted it a bit more and the comfort problems were gone! So, I considered keeping it, but I think my IPD didn't work with it. My right eye was clear and nice, but the left eye was blurry unless I stared straight ahead. I was gonna send it back to the store, but seeing as all the Rift S headsets were sold out in Norway after Half Life: Alyx and Black Friday, I put it up for sale. Managed to earn about £80  So that goes into my savings for the Valve Index, whenever it becomes available. 

[bob]

Interesting

[bob]

Just downloaded the latest Quest update including hand tracking. It's pretty impressive, although it only really works when your hands are right in front of you, so if you turn your hands to the side, it loses tracking. Still, it's a pretty cool tech demo.

[Shorty]

It sounds like a Quest with a link cable is a much better idea than an S, is that right? Or is there some drawback to the Quest over the S?

Since you get portability, and it has more cameras so it can do the hand-tracking, the S seems to be being left in the dust.

[bob]

It sounds like a Quest with a link cable is a much better idea than an S, is that right? Or is there some drawback to the Quest over the S?
Since you get portability, and it has more cameras so it can do the hand-tracking, the S seems to be being left in the dust.

I think the S might have a slightly better screen resolution, but ultimately it does seem like they've shot the S in the foot somewhat with the release of the Link cable.

All the Rift S users over on Reddit were in meltdown about it.

[Shorty]

How does Quest + Link Cable compare to OG Rift? Seems like a good update just for the wirelessness.

[ArtMediocre]

I can give some reflection on this issue. If you have a PC capable of running VR software, Rift S is the best option. If you don't mind a slight lag and downgrading the graphics from PC to some degree (the streaming will never be as crisp and high-res as direct cable from Rift S to PC), and portability is a big plus, then the Quest should do fine. 

Oculus has just stated that they will test user feedback from hand tracking on Quest, and if people are positive about the quality they will bring it over to Rift S.

There are a ton of good videos on the subject, but I particularly enjoyed this one:

I have the OG Rift, and upgraded to the Rift S, but in the end I ended up selling the S and keeping the OG, as I felt the quality and total package you get with the OG Rift outclasses the Rift S (despite having better and clearer screens). Sometime next year I'll be upgrading to Valve Index. It seems to be more the second generation OG Rift than the Rift S or Quest + Link is, and the price is justified by having the better screen, incredible sound, greater FOV, Index Controllers and the waaay higher FPS. Just to clarify: Quest has 72 Hz, Rift S has 80 Hz while the Valve Index has 120 Hz (or 144 in overclocked mode).

Oh, and just  to point out something that is actually incredible for the entire VR industry:
Now that Boneworks is out and Half Life: Alyx has been revealed...The Valve Index, the most expensive VR headset ever, has been completely sold out until march 2020 (now you can't even order the HMD). The Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest, as well as most of the Vives are also sold out. Pretty much everywhere. Just four months ago, I would never have thought this would ever happen. But here we are. Two games (with Half Life being the biggest one) was all that the VR platform needed. And now people are starting to get their eyes open. I've lost track of how many posts I've read about pleople who were VR doubters and even haters, who've finally given a proper headset a go. Everyone ended up ordering one the next day, and they're losing their s**t :D. What a time to be alive!

[bob]

I can give some reflection on this issue. If you have a PC capable of running VR software, Rift S is the best option. If you don't mind a slight lag and downgrading the graphics from PC to some degree (the streaming will never be as crisp and high-res as direct cable from Rift S to PC), and portability is a big plus, then the Quest should do fine. 
Oculus has just stated that they will test user feedback from hand tracking on Quest, and if people are positive about the quality they will bring it over to Rift S.
There are a ton of good videos on the subject, but I particularly enjoyed this one:
I have the OG Rift, and upgraded to the Rift S, but in the end I ended up selling the S and keeping the OG, as I felt the quality and total package you get with the OG Rift outclasses the Rift S (despite having better and clearer screens). Sometime next year I'll be upgrading to Valve Index. It seems to be more the second generation OG Rift than the Rift S or Quest + Link is, and the price is justified by having the better screen, incredible sound, greater FOV, Index Controllers and the waaay higher FPS. Just to clarify: Quest has 72 Hz, Rift S has 80 Hz while the Valve Index has 120 Hz (or 144 in overclocked mode).
Oh, and just  to point out something that is actually incredible for the entire VR industry:
Now that Boneworks is out and Half Life: Alyx has been revealed...The Valve Index, the most expensive VR headset ever, has been completely sold out until march 2020 (now you can't even order the HMD). The Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest, as well as most of the Vives are also sold out. Pretty much everywhere. Just four months ago, I would never have thought this would ever happen. But here we are. Two games (with Half Life being the biggest one) was all that the VR platform needed. And now people are starting to get their eyes open. I've lost track of how many posts I've read about pleople who were VR doubters and even haters, who've finally given a proper headset a go. Everyone ended up ordering one the next day, and they're losing their s**t . What a time to be alive!

I thought Link was a direct cable from PC? Is it a downgrade from what you get included with the Rift S?

[ArtMediocre]

On 12/18/2019 at 7:12 PM, bob said:

I thought Link was a direct cable from PC? Is it a downgrade from what you get included with the Rift S?

Yes you are correct, but it is only a cable for transferring data, not for transfering direct video output like the Rift S. Link is sending the data from the Oculus Quest (controller inputs, tracking ect.) through the USB-C cable to the PC, who then has to translate all this, create the video output, compress it, and send it back to the Quest as raw data. The Quest then translates this and show it on the screens.

The Rift S on the other hand just sends it all directly though the Displayport Cable with no compression. Does this make any sense?

[Julius]

 

[Ronnie]

Release dates for all games are to be ignored from now on I think, until the game is weeks away.

[Hero-of-Time]

Releasing 25th Feb.

 

[Nicktendo]

On 18/12/2019 at 4:20 PM, ArtMediocre said:

And now people are starting to get their eyes open. I've lost track of how many posts I've read about pleople who were VR doubters and even haters, who've finally given a proper headset a go. Everyone ended up ordering one the next day, and they're losing their s**t :D. What a time to be alive!

Add me to that list...I was wrong on the podcast.

I played SuperHot on the Oculus Quest at the weekend. Also played The Excorcist, which was much weaker graphically (goes for a realistic look, which looks more like a "game" than SuperHot due to some low-res textures). VR is the future, not AR! What an amazing experience it was.

Still pretty expensive though. 

[ArtMediocre]

I'm really glad you got to try it, and that you had such a great experience Welcome to the future! The Quest can only handle so much, but if you play with the Rift S or the Valve Index and a powerful PC, you can truly get some stunning visuals that actually makes you completely forget that you're standing in a small room with a headset on. It's amazing, truly. 

Just last night I played Pavlov again after a long break. It's incredible to be able to "travel" to maps that I've been playing on for many, many years, and then just.... being there. It's a bizarre, warm and fuzzy feeling. If you can get your hands on a OG Rift/Rift S/Vive and Pavlov once, I really recommend that you download Outset Island custom map. Chilling around in the world of Wind Waker is sick, and seeing the scale of the world is mind blowing.

Edited February 11, 2020 by ArtMediocre
Engilsh hard.

[bob]

Had anyone else played The Fisherman's Tale?

I bought it and played it through tonight and it was incredible. The whole concept is astonishing, and is something that only really works with VR.

I watched a trailer, which spoiled the beginning of the game a bit, but if i hadn't watched the trailer, i probably wouldn't have taken the chance on it.

[ArtMediocre]

I've decided to sell off my Oculus Rift CV1, with hopes to upgrade to a better platform when I have time and space for VR. With twins in the house, we needed to shuffle our stuff around a bit, and naturally my big play space ended up being a bedroom again. So long, 4x4 meter of virtual joy! 

I thought that with Half Life: Alyx being out (which I made sure to play though), and every VR system being sold out in the entire country of Norway until maybe august or something, it would be a prime time to sell off the old headset from 2016. Last time I listed the headset on our version of gumtree, I got an offer of about £180. This was around Black Friday last year. But this time I listed it at around £230, which is a good price here in Norway for an old, used headset. I ended up selling it off for about £330, which is insane. So now I just need to wait and see if Valve releases the Index here in the next two or three years, so that we can move to a new house with space, and then set things up. 

[bob]

Remembered that i bought Robo Recall in the Boxing Day sale and hadn't tried it yet. I was a bit worried before playing that it would require more space than my living room allows and.....i was correct. I realised a couple of times during gameplay how close i came to swinging into a wall as i for a bit too much into it.

The game is pretty good though. Its immensely satisfying to shoot, grab and throw robots around. Not a fan of the arcade format though. It would be good if they expanded the game to be more of a fully formed experience in future.

I'm wondering now if i brave looking like a twat and try playing in the garden...

[Julius]

Oh no, my wallet...

 

[Julius]

 

[Ronnie]

"Please be excited"

[bob]

I've got a VR capable graphics card now, so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to all the SteamVR games and demos.

Not sure if i want to spend the money on HL:A though, as i don't know if i have enough room or time to play it properly, but i do want to see what it's like.