VR Thread

[Svejk]

I bought a PSVR and my first impressions are that it is super neat.

But like I'm not sure I'm liking it for the correct reasons actually.

Like I kind of would like more normal games in "VR" I played Zone of the Enders 2 and Gungrave VR and one of my take away was that playing ZOE was like playing it on a really big screen. At least when the cinemas played. It was like watching a movie on IMAX. It was kind of incredible. Now obviously it then goes into First Person for actual gameplay and that's cool, but I was thinking of Ghost of Tsushima. Mostly because for a lot of the action scenes I stood in place to counter. How cool would it see that game in such a "wide" and "big" display, to move your head and have the camera pan with it. It could be like watching a live play. I would like a see a developer make a cinematic 3rd person game in VR. I even found novelty in Gungrave because of just the wide view of the game you can see.

Like yeah I find the first person games to be "immersive" and fun, but I'm not sure that's the only thing that should be used for VR.

I don't know man I found my first day with VR to be cool. Yeah the tech is not quite there, but it's super cool to imagine where these early beginnings will go.

Play AstroBot and witness the mad potential of 3D platforming/3rd person VR at it's finest.   

[Bebpo]

Astrobot so good. Astrobot 2 better be day 1 launch for PSVR2.

[Svejk]

Astrobot so good. Astrobot 2 better be day 1 launch for PSVR2.

Heard dat.  Astrobot can lead the charge towards the future of video games.

[thisismyusername]

https://twitter.com/Ken_2AA/status/1295787447817822222

[naff]

i simply think platforming in VR should be illegal

in light of this astrobot talk i think i need to clarify i meant platforming in first person. 3d platforming like astrobot is actually incredible.

[Svejk]

Vader Immortal apparently released today (PSN)...

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP1082-CUSA23298_00-1795287597856967?utm_campaign=SEN%7CUS%7CB%7CGames%7CEvergreen%7CDesktop%7CTier%201%7CExact&utm_content=sCIbNfWGL&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=playstation%20store

Wish PSVR had more demos.   

[naff]

it sounds like they added more content?

it's a pretty great little star wars experience if that's your thing. it doesn't really offer anything as a game.

[Sho Nuff]

Yeah Vader Immortal is kind of dumb, you just walk around and Vader is like CAN YOU SOLVE MY INCREDIBLY SIMPLE STUPID PUZZLE CUBE, MMMM YES NOW YOU WILL BE MY APPRENTICE AND MAYBE MY BEST FRIEND IF YOU PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT, HOOOOO HAHHHHHHH

[Svejk]

Yeah Vader Immortal is kind of dumb, you just walk around and Vader is like CAN YOU SOLVE MY INCREDIBLY SIMPLE STUPID PUZZLE CUBE, MMMM YES NOW YOU WILL BE MY APPRENTICE AND MAYBE MY BEST FRIEND IF YOU PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT, HOOOOO HAHHHHHHH

That's impossible to read without hearing Vader's voice. 

[Bebpo]

For any PSVR users:

https://global.support.playstation.com/s/pscamera-adaptor?language=en_US

Gives me an error when I put it in

Didn't realize it wouldn't just work off the bat. Damn. I bought 2 PSVRs, they better give me this shit free.

[Bebpo]

I'm guessing that's getting hammered? Now the first part where you enter your serial number works but it's giving me an error on personal information part.

[Bebpo]

Yeah I saw this was just announced within the hour, so it's getting hammered.

Ok, so PSVR still works and it's just the camera that is the issue. So worst case scenario if I don't get in is having to buy a PS5 camera and then can use PSVR. Not that I ever use it anymore since getting an Index. Like I think the only time I turned it on was to try Iron Man VR demo and that was it.

[Beezy]

Finally stepped away from Beat Saber and tried Echo VR. I see what everyone meant by getting your VR legs. It took me a while to get comfortable with looking all around instead of just straight ahead. I also had the same time of motion sickness that I feel with certain FPS games, but I eventually got over it.

If Alyx doesn't go on sale around Black Friday, I'll suck it up and buy it at full price.

[Svejk]

I'm guessing that's getting hammered? Now the first part where you enter your serial number works but it's giving me an error on personal information part.

Yeah, I've still not been able to get through yet myself.   

[Bebpo]

I'm guessing that's getting hammered? Now the first part where you enter your serial number works but it's giving me an error on personal information part.

Yeah, I've still not been able to get through yet myself.

So I tried this now when the site isn't being hammered anymore and it went through fine.

[Svejk]

I'm guessing that's getting hammered? Now the first part where you enter your serial number works but it's giving me an error on personal information part.

Yeah, I've still not been able to get through yet myself.

So I tried this now when the site isn't being hammered anymore and it went through fine.

Nice. Worked for me too.

[Rahxephon91]

I don't feel like I can finish Half Life Alyx. It triggers my arachnophobia way too much.

[Bebpo]

I don't feel like I can finish Half Life Alyx. It triggers my arachnophobia way too much.

 :'(

[Rahxephon91]

Honestly, watching movies in VR is one of my favorite things.

It does "feel" like being at a theater.

https://www.facebook.com/Rahxephon91/videos/10157386375341576

https://www.facebook.com/Rahxephon91/videos/10157386382876576

2nd video did'nt come out as well, but I do like how it tries to emulate the light.

[Tasty]

Facebook hit with antitrust probe for tying Oculus use to Facebook accounts

[Beezy]

Realized that with Virtual Desktop, I'm better off getting one playthrough and done games like Moss and Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners on Steam instead of the Quest store. They're usually cheaper there and look better. Most recommended specs list the GTX 1070, so I'm good.

VR games are on sale on just about every platform btw.

[Nintex]

So I've been looking at ways to make playing in VR with my Rift S a bit more shall we say portable. These are my options and I'm sort of undecided between B and C because A seems impossible.

A) Try to extend the range of my PC -> Rift S setup
- Long wire (not really an option, since I have quite a long hallway in my apartment and I can't seem to find the 20 meter Display Port / USB extenders I would need at any price point that makes sense to try it out for fun. I'm also not sure if the signal would work at such a distance)

B) Buy a second Wireless VR headset (Quest 2)
- About 70% of my VR Library is either on Steam or the Epic Game Store so I would need to hook up my PC to play those
- Quest 2 -> PC image quality seems pretty bad compared to Rift S
- My WiFi craps out at times because there's just so many connections and devices 

+ A bit higher resolution in native Quest games
+ Also get the new controllers
+ Fairly cheap option (with the comfy strap and a cable about 400) but my Rift S is only a year old so seems soon too soon to replace

C) Buy a gaming laptop (today I found a Lenovo Legion 5 (i5 / RTX2060) for about ~1000, which seems like a really nice deal for such hardware)
- USB-C -> Display-port not always works if the port is not wired to the RTX
- Laptop may also have WiFi issues (but I have plenty of longcat network cables)
- Most expensive option (1000)

+ Easy to move and set-up VR at a different spot
+ I kinda like the idea of having a second PC that I can just easily move around. I sort of miss having a laptop like I did in university
+ Better performance than Quest 2 but not as good as my RTX 2070 Super and for a 1000 Euro I might as well buy a 3080 Ti or something

what do

[Tasty]

New report on Apple’s VR headset: 8K in each eye, potential $3,000 price tag

[Bebpo]

Yeah, sounds like Apple. I mean their high end phones cost like $1,500 or something now?

I mean the Index was like $999, so yeah, I expected Apple's to be more expensive. Still think it'll launch closer to $1,500 or something than $3,000.

[Don Rumata]

I just want someone to come in and offer a valid competition for the Quest 2, which right now is simply a no-brainer, if it wasn't for the Facebook shit.

[Tasty]

I just want someone to come in and offer a valid competition for the Quest 2, which right now is simply a no-brainer, if it wasn't for the Facebook shit.

Exactly. I'm so frustrated Daydream shat the bed, just as standalone Daydream headsets were becoming a thing. Classic Google abandonism, but if they had kept at it like Android TV or Android Auto (which also kinda floundered at first before gaining serious ground) there would be actual competition in the mid-cost standalone headset space. Instead we just have one real option, the Quest 2, which requires a Facebook account. Fuck that.

[Don Rumata]

I still believe in Valve on this. 

[Tasty]

How'd them Steamboxes work out tho

[Don Rumata]

They seem to believe in VR more than their other experiments, Vive and Index are good products and they cant ignore the cordless step, in vr's evolution.
Or perhaps it'll be some 3rd party like hp or whatever.

[Bebpo]

How'd them Steamboxes work out tho

Index is pretty great. Not many complaints almost a year in.

[kingv]

Yeah, sounds like Apple. I mean their high end phones cost like $1,500 or something now?

I mean the Index was like $999, so yeah, I expected Apple's to be more expensive. Still think it'll launch closer to $1,500 or something than $3,000.

$1,500 might be ok if it truly offered a big step up from a quest 2. I’m just skeptical of how possible that even really is, with battery powered mobile phone graphics

[Don Rumata]

Also maybe Nvidia will jump in, if we're going with wishful thinking.

[chronovore]

Yeah, sounds like Apple. I mean their high end phones cost like $1,500 or something now?

I mean the Index was like $999, so yeah, I expected Apple's to be more expensive. Still think it'll launch closer to $1,500 or something than $3,000.

I have made bad predictions before, predicting failure when something later succeeds beyond any reasonable prediction. I may be doing that here: I have no idea what niche Apple is trying to fill with this VR hardware. If the primary use for VR currently is entertainment, there’s no great amount of VR content to be absorbed except for Games, and Apple is still an absolutely miserable platform for games except for mobile.

The ARKit allows for much simpler development with a common context, and apple’s unified ecosystem may end up working to their advantage. But unless this is some thing for business or, like the iPod, something that is completely transformative and disruptive, this will tank.

[Bebpo]

I wonder if there's a good site/way to find good newer custom songs without sifting through so much junk.

There's been this huge flood of auto-generated song maps which are all 100% terrible and I don't know why people even bother uploading them. We are not at the point in music games where auto-generated stuff works. I never even liked it in Audiosurf/Vib Ribbon but it works better there than legit music games.

I'm mostly still just playing the same 100-200 favorited songs from last year. Some days I try a dozen or so "most downloaded/hot" recent songs from the last few weeks and most of it is junk but there's occasionally something decent in there. Just feels like a bit of a waste of time.

I've got to imagine there are communities somewhere discord/forums for custom beat saber and they talk about good track maps that come along and good mappers and stuff. I've just got to find them...

[Svejk]

PS is definitely bringing something...

More than four years ago, we launched PlayStation VR to offer a transformative new way to play games on PS4, providing a much stronger sense of presence and deeper immersion to players compared with traditional games. In that time, we’ve seen tremendous experiences that have propelled virtual reality gaming forward, including highly acclaimed titles like Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, Tetris Effect, Blood & Truth, Moss, Beat Saber, and Resident Evil 7 biohazard. We’ve also enhanced the experience for some PS VR titles when played on PS4 Pro and PlayStation 5.

Today I’m pleased to share that our next-generation VR system will be coming to PlayStation 5, enabling the ultimate entertainment experience with dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity. Players will feel an even greater sense of presence and become even more immersed in their game worlds once they put on the new headset.

We’re continuing to innovate with our new VR system so that our fans can continue to enjoy the unique experiences that are synonymous with PlayStation. We’re taking what we’ve learned since launching PS VR on PS4 to develop a next-gen VR system that enhances everything from resolution and field of view to tracking and input. It will connect to PS5 with a single cord to simplify setup and improve ease-of-use, while enabling a high-fidelity visual experience.

One of the innovations we’re excited about is our new VR controller, which will incorporate some of the key features found in the DualSense wireless controller, along with a focus on great ergonomics. That’s just one of the examples of future-proof technology we’re developing to match our vision for a whole new generation of VR games and experiences.

There’s still a lot of development underway for our new VR system, so it won’t be launching in 2021. But we wanted to provide this early update to our fans, as the development community has started to work on creating new worlds for you to explore in virtual reality.

We also want to thank all of our PS VR players for your continued support — with upcoming games like After The Fall, Sniper Elite VR, and Humanity, there’s much more to come for PS VR whether you’re playing on PS4 or PS5. With both PlayStation VR and the next-generation VR system we’re building, our commitment to virtual reality as a medium for games is stronger than ever. We look forward to sharing more details in the future!

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/02/23/introducing-the-next-generation-of-vr-on-playstation/#sf243317607

I can't even imagine how baller Astrobot Rescue Mission 2 will be! 

[Joe Molotov]

Astro's gonna win GOTY for the third time.

[Rahxephon91]

Man if they can get Half Life Alyx on PS5, I really think that would be huge.

[Bebpo]

Glad the fears that Sony was abandoning PSVR with PS5 were unfounded.

Yeah, gimme Astrobot 2 either in VR or non-VR.


Though tbh since I have an Index, if PS VR2 doesn't have much in terms of HQ exclusives I might just stick with Index. I had to buy a second PSVR for like $400 after my first one died 2-3 years in and then I got an Index a year later and I haven't touched the PSVR since. VR is too expensive to own multiple headsets for the small amount of content. Even though Astrobot is amazing, if PSVR2 is like $500+ and only has Astrobot2 I'd probably be hesitant to pick one up.

But if you don't have an Index, like most people, PSVR2 should be nice and a huge upgrade from PSVR. I know people are bummed it's not wireless like Quest, but the visual tradeoff is probably worth it. Index looks nice af and I don't get any motion sickness at all thanks to clear visuals and smooth framerates. PSVR2 should have that.

[naff]

i always had faith, but it's nice to actually see it

It will connect to PS5 with a single cord to simplify setup and improve ease-of-use, while enabling a high-fidelity visual experience.

 :'( RIP my wireless VR dreams. Kinda knew this would be the case when the wifi chip in PS5 doesn't support high bandwidth line of sight standards like wigig. Hopefully there will be an add-on in future

[Svejk]

PSVR2 controllers unveiled...

The new VR controller enables players to feel and interact with games in a much more visceral way. There are several features, including key features from the DualSense controller, which match our vision for what next-generation VR games can be.

●      Adaptive triggers: Each VR controller (Left and Right) includes an adaptive trigger button that adds palpable tension when pressed, similar to what’s found in the DualSense controller. If you’ve played a PS5 game, you’ll be familiar with the tension in the L2 or R2 buttons when you press them, such as when you’re drawing your bow to fire an arrow. When you take that kind of mechanic and apply it to VR, the experience is amplified to the next level.

●       Haptic feedback: The new controller will have haptic feedback optimized for its form factor, making every sensation in the game world more impactful, textured and nuanced. When you’re traversing through rocky desert or trading blows in melee combat, you’ll feel the difference, magnifying the extraordinary visual and audio experience that’s so central to VR.

●       Finger touch detection: The controller can detect your fingers without any pressing in the areas where you place your thumb, index, or middle fingers. This enables you to make more natural gestures with your hands during gameplay.

●       Tracking: The VR controller is tracked by the new VR headset through a tracking ring across the bottom of the controller.

●       Action buttons / analog sticks: The Left controller contains one analog stick, the triangle and square buttons, a “grip” button (L1), trigger button (L2) and Create button. The Right controller contains one analog stick, the cross and circle buttons, a “grip” button (R1), trigger button (R2) and Options button. The “grip” button can be used to pick up in-game objects, as one example.

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/03/18/next-gen-vr-on-ps5-the-new-controller/

 

[Tasty]

VISCERAL

[naff]

no more move is a godsend. i expected they would be smart and just follow industry conventions, but there was always the chance they'd fuck it up

[naff]

kinda looks like a star ship concept from discovery season 3

[Rahxephon91]

Looks great.

I wonder if PS4 VR games will be able to use PS5 Vr hardware. Wouldn't mind getting rid of my PS4 VR stuff if so.

[Don Rumata]

The VR controller is tracked by the new VR headset

So, inside-out tracking like Quest? Would be great if true, having the camera point be only in the front, is very limited.
PS5 is also powerful enough to get to a decent point with VR, in theory.

Bodes well so far.

[Svejk]

Doom 3 VR Edition (PSVR) comes out next Monday the 29th already.  Thought this was coming later in the Summer.  Wish they'd drop a demo for it.

[Beezy]

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1382127490345279488

[naff]

Doom 3 VR Edition (PSVR) comes out next Monday the 29th already.  Thought this was coming later in the Summer.  Wish they'd drop a demo for it.

oof. too scary for me, so many goddamn jumpscares I'll have a breakdown.

anyone else find the oculus servers to be the slowest pieces of shit conceived? took me 4 hrs to download 3gb. my ps5 downloads that (over WiFi) in 10 mins

[Mupepe]

My oculus stuff downloads really quickly.

[naff]

succ. i think the content servers for australasia are just fucked

[naff]

seems bad psvr2 isn't a wireless solution. i guess the technical hurdles were too high. still, it feels like a huge miss unless they add it as an optional add on. after using oculus for so long, going back to wired headsets is such a drag and makes vr too cumbersome

[Don Rumata]

Also considering there are some wireless solutions, like the Air Link.
Probably too early/experimental for something like Playstation though.

[ZombieSupaStar]

Never played VR before, bought an index....

[Bebpo]

I wouldn't be surprised if one reason PSVR2 is still wired is they don't want to make something completely independent of the PS5 because they want to encourage PS5 sales and keep it as a PS5 peripheral and not like a Vita standalone pillar for the company to support.

They could use a wireless streaming link kind of solution, but I'm not sure if the tech is there.

[Nintex]

The Oculus Gaming Showcase was quite lame.

Some stuff reheated like Lone Echo 2 (Which is finally coming out "This summer") a bit more footage of Resident Evil 4 VR and a few other games.
Not a lot of new exciting announcements.

[Don Rumata]

The teleportation in RE4 looks like it will get really old FAST.
With having to watch Leon run to the waypoint and all.

I still think, as a game, it matched well with the pace of VR, aside from some faster sequences.

[naff]

I wouldn't be surprised if one reason PSVR2 is still wired is they don't want to make something completely independent of the PS5 because they want to encourage PS5 sales and keep it as a PS5 peripheral and not like a Vita standalone pillar for the company to support.

They could use a wireless streaming link kind of solution, but I'm not sure if the tech is there.

that's what i meant. the tech is definitely there, have used the intel wigig solution with the Vive a few years ago now and it was near perfect. it's not exactly cheap though and uses a lot of cpu time compressing that signal and sending it to the headset..... though that was years ago, figured sony might've been figuring out a newer solution. anyway, still a chance that like the vive there will be an added solution to make it wireless. imo, a console like ps5 or a pc rendering and sending data to a headset is preferable to the heavy limitations of processing everything on the headset. unless you're wearing a unit on your back ghostbusters style the limitations of arm socs for VR is not that exciting to me. a mainstream wireless solution allowing rendering on a machine in the same room sending data to the headset with very low latency is what VR needs to be truly impressive imo and high end PC's are way too niche to achieve any market traction. ps5 would be the perfect vehicle imo. same with m$ and the series x, these consoles have sooo much raw power it's a damn shame ms aren't doing much interesting with the hardware.

[ZombieSupaStar]

Crosspost from gaming thread:

Got my index set up last week but only played about 10 minutes of Alyx. Now I’m not one of those who needs everything in VR, but I must say I was like whoaaaaa in the intro when that strider comes zooming in, and tapping the glass with that bug in a jar that tapped back.

Man I’d love love love for some sorta cyberpunk walking sim, I have constant vertigo due to inner ear problems, so I don’t think I’ll ever be max payne diving around in vr, but I was surprised that VR didn’t make me dizzy (well anymore off balance than I already feel irl). 

That paint gun was probably the most impressive thing I saw in my half hour playing with the index so far tho.

Also who the fuck at valve decided it’s a good idea to bury the base station sleep mode in some hidden fucking menu.
 

[Don Rumata]

Generally motion sickness comes from the software having you do movements you're not doing IRL.
This is obvious in driving/flying games (though a good cockpit can alleviate) and also first person games where you move around real time or have various "emulated" body movement (climbing in Walking Dead Saints and Sinners, for example).

Alyx, in teleportation mode, avoids any and all things that would cause motion sickness, and it's the reason why i could play it for hours with minor discomfort (mostly given by the tight headset strap and heat).
They decided to design around the problems, instead of brute forcing, and i think it was the right decision.
Even though they do offer the option for real time stick movement, for those resistant to the issue.

On top of that, it also avoid many things that generally look or feel janky, like melee weapons, two handed rifles and visible arms.
Which i think are also reasonable choices (the arms especially, i hate them and they go against their very purpose of immersion when they inevitably bend wrong).

[ZombieSupaStar]

Any cyberpunk games? I mean even something like fiddling around in Deckards apartment in blade runner would be neat.