I’ve been out of console gaming for years, but I’m looking at a nice Christmas bonus and may purchase a system to get back into it. However, I have absolutely no idea where to even begin.
I think at this point I’ll probably land on a VR system, which essentially puts the XBoxOne out of the running. That leaves:
[ul]
[li]Oculus Go ($199)[/li][li]Oculus Rift ($399)[/li][li]PlayStation VR (~$199, used)[/li][/ul]
What I want, besides the opportunity to play games of course, is the opportunity to watch TV, movies, YouTube video, etc. via the glasses. Can that be done with any (all three) of them? Does it require complicated setup? I assume it syncs with my TV?
If I went the PlayStation VR route, does it have functionality with just playing games on my TV, like I would have with a classic PlayStation or XBox or what have you? Or is it limited solely to games via the headset? If it is compatible with playing games on my TV, is it backwards compatible with other PS games?
Steam has many games available for VR headsets, including the Oculus Rift, HTC Vibe and Windows Mixed Reality (never heard of this one but I’m not a Microsoft fan so of course I wouldn’t have heard). There are also educational VR videos/films/tours/whatever-the-hell-you-call-VR-content-that-isn’t-a-game as well as general software for making things for VR headsets.
The Playstation VR price is misleading, since it doesn’t include either the price of the console (you should really get a Playstation 4 Pro, as VR is very graphically intensive) nor the camera (used, in part, for tracking your head movement), nor the actual games (some are $20, some are $60). All told, it might be somewhere around ~$900 or so.
The Oculus is a little cheaper, since you (presumably) already have a computer (though you may need to improve your graphics card). Be aware that you have to have at least a square couple meters of free space. The documentation says you can get away with just a square meter, but the more space, the less likely you’ll blindly bump into things.
PS4 VR is compatible with regular PS4 games (and YouTube and TV), though it essentially means you’re playing the game with the screen strapped to your head, as it will ignore head-tracking and will rely on your controller for input.
The setup for the Oculus can get a little extensive with the placement of the sensors. I recommend looking up the documentation before you decide which system you want to go with. Some people have reported having to re-initialize the sensors (verify your height, do test movements, etc) before they can start a game, or having difficulty with the game space remaining clear.
The PS4 setup is a little easier (just make sure the camera can see you). The tracking of motion can be a little inaccurate, though.
All that said: VR is a neat gimmick, and most games that implement it are just that: gimmicky. Good for a couple of hours, but not something I can spend too much time with, especially not with the weight of the headset or the occasional tangle of cords.
It sounds like you don’t own a PS4 in which case you should know that the PSVR isn’t standalone. You need a PS4 to use it.
I own an Oculus Go and it works well for media consumption, possibly the best VR solution for that, given its portability. It has some fun, inexpensive games as well but they are relatively casual, like mobile games. The PSVR has better, deeper games like Skyrim VR though they cost substantially more.
The Rift is a fine system but you require a good PC to use it. It has some great games as well though again relatively expensive.
What you buy really depends on your budget, whether you have or would like to have a PS4/gaming PC, how important portability is to you and how important high-end gaming is to you relative to other VR applications like media consumption.
Overall I am happy with my Oculus Go and if you are budget-constrained and would like to dip your feet in VR it’s a good option.
Vive is native to Steam but Rift is also compatible. Most games on Steam can use both but some exclusively use Vive architecture; Fallout 4, for example. I’ve not seen many use WMR. A few are capable of both VR and normal.
Steam also has some erotic games for VR, like the one for quality-assurance testing of sexbots. I’m more interested in soft-porn so I don’t really go for such things.
ETA: I know I’ve seen apps for watching video in VR; need to go find them again.
Is that bolded part really right? That would be super disorienting and nausea-inducing. When I used to use my phone for VR occasionally, when it would start to overheat, it would freeze up and that would be very disorienting. I can’t imagine playing an FPS where you basically have to keep your head perfectly still in order to not vomit everywhere.
Note that if you watch a 2D video on a VR headset (any of them), all you’ll get is a 2D screen floating in front of your head. The depth information just isn’t there. In principle, a system could try to interpret the scene and reconstruct the depth information, but even when Hollywood does it, using all of their resources and as much time as they need, and with the help of human experts, it still doesn’t look very good. A consumer-level unaided computer attempting the same thing in real time? That’s going to look terrible, and you shouldn’t even bother trying.
Yeah the movie-watching experience in VR with the right app is pretty good. If you use decent noise-cancelling headphones, it may be the most immersive way to watch movies. The biggest issue is a lack of resolution since the actual screen is so close to your eyes. In a couple of years we will probably get 4k screens for VR and the movie-watching experience will rival the real thing. Though I haven’t done it myself, I have read of people using VR on flights for watching movies and reporting a good experience.
Personally I like for causal games which I play in small bursts. VR works well for rail shooters and I have been playing a game called Smash Hit which is great fun. I have also been enjoying a mini-golf game called Cloudlands.
I also enjoy VR for short educational experiences : Titans of Space which takes you on a tour through the Solar System, Anne Frank VR about the house where she hid, Apollo 11 VR about the moon landing etc.
And finally, and this may well be the killer app for the Oculus Go: Wander which is basically Google Street View in VR.
I own an Oculus Rift, and I love it. Supposedly it is heavier than the Vive, but I don’t find it personally to be subjectively heavy at all. It works very well, and there are quite a few excellent games for the Rift.
Thumper
Elite Dangerous
Raw Data
Robo Recall
and so on.
If you get the Rift, get the extra sensor so you can support room scale VR though.
Now, the thing is, the Oculus Quest is coming out next year, and it is wireless. If you absolutely have to get VR now, well, I’d get the Rift. But if you can wait, I’d wait for the Oculus Quest. It looks absolutely amazing! I’ll be getting one when it comes out to replace my Rift because the biggest problem with the current VR headsets is the wire, especially for room scale games.
The Quest looks interesting but it will be limited by the processor which is 2017’s Snapdragon 835 on 2019 hardware. I think some
people will be implicitly expecting an experience similar to the Rift and they will be disappointed because the Quest simply lacks the horsepower.
Still it’s a step in the right direction and having 6 degrees of freedom and touch controllers on mobile VR will be great.
Personally I think VR is already decent but to be truly amazing it needs one big resolution bump and then improvements in processing particularly on the mobile side.
The PSVR 2 on the PS5, in a few years, may well be the breakthrough device. On the mobile side it may take 4-5 years for the Quest to truly fulfill its potential.
I’ve got the PS4 VR but only because money was a concern for me and there was a great sale for Black Friday. I don’t really like the lack of games for the system but again, I couldn’t afford any of the other ones. My PC can’t give them the power they need and since I already have a PS4 it was the best choice. That being said, it’s not a bad system. I am a bit disappointed with the low res for some of the games (Skyrim, looking at you) but I still have fun. No matter what system you get, I HIGHLY recommend Beat Saber. Totally fun game!