What are you enjoying in virtual reality?

Cafe Society
#1

I have been following the VR scene from a distance over the last few years and finally decided to jump in and buy an Oculus Go. I have been impressed with it so far.It’s not that much worse than the PSVR and HTC Vive at a fraction of the price. Overall it’s a great introduction to VR for regular people.

By and large I am looking for interactive experiences and media rather than hardcore gaming. I like Ocean Rift and I have tried a bit of Virtual Virtual Reality which seems like great fun and truly innovative. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the video experience. On balance I still prefer a TV set, but on a flight, for example, it would be a perfectly decent experience.

The main areas VR needs to improve is resolution and reducing the weight of the headsets. Better battery life would be nice too. I think VR will be amazing in 5 years and mobile VR like the Go will probably be what most people will use. There could also be a boom in VR arcades with the best headsets and peripherals.

#2

From a technical point of view I’m intrigued, practically? I’m not really interested. Like 3D in movies it’ll probably be a passing fad.

#3

Is 3D a passing fad? It seems to be going fairly strong and a blockbuster film not released in 3d is rare. Incidentally I have heard that VR headsets are a good way to watch 3d films.

#4

These days, there is very little I enjoy in actual reality.

#5

I think it has been in decline for some time. 3d TV’s seem to be a rarity and 4k is a much bigger draw (I have 3d on my own tv…never used it)
The films may be released in 3d as well but the revenues from it are down. It may remain a novelty for certain releases but I really don’t think people want it as standard, they certainly aren’t wanting to pay extra for it.

#6

3d tv’s have definitely gone away but I don’t think 3d films are doing poorly at the boxoffice. I read that 3d revenues were down in 2017 in the US and Canada but they were fairly steady in the years before and with the success of Black Panther, Infinity War and Incredibles 2 I wouldn’t be surprised if they are back up again in 2018. And 3d still seems to be going strong in China. It’s way too early to call it a passing fad.

#7

“Stop saying ‘Jesus Wept’ !”

#8

I know someone that has the Vive system and I’ve played it a couple times. First was a game where you stand on a platform and shoot flying aircraft. It was ok but I got a little nauseous and disoriented. The other game is called Beat Saber which is fantastic. There are a lot of videos of people playing it but you basically have to hit incoming cubes with lightsabers to music. I found it very immersive and entertaining and it’s a great demonstration of what VR has to offer.

I’m not at all a gamer but this is the future.

#9

I went to a place called “The Void” a couple of months ago in Las Vegas. I think they have locations elsewhere as well. They billed it as hyper reality instead of virtual reality. They made the helmet/visor lighter by putting the batteries in the vest you wear. We did the Star Wars scenario and I was quite impressed with the experience.

#10

Mostly I use the Virzoom - it’s a stationary bike that acts as a VR control. It’s the most fun way to get some exercise. I hate indoor exercise equipment, but this is different - it’s a game.

Other than that, I occasionally use Cyber Pong (it’s more of a virtual racquetball), Fruit Ninja and Holopoint (archery game). I’m not really a gamer and I prefer these simpler action games. I usually wear wrist weights so I get some workout out of it.

#11

Virzoom looks great. It’s a product I wanted even before VR, integrating exercise machines into games on a screen but of course it works much better with VR. I wouldn’t be surprised if gyms start using such products in a big way and in the long run, they could even have a measurable impact on public health by making exercise more fun.

I think the integration of VR into all sorts of peripherals will be amazing. I briefly played a PSVR game called Farpoint with a gun-type controller and it was one of the most visceral gaming experiences I have ever had. A couple of other products I have been following:
a) a wearable bass system called the SubPac M2X
b)a multi-directional treadmill called the Virtuix Omni.

Combining all these peripherals into one VR experience would be spectacular; in fact I am guessing there are arcades where it’s already happening.

#12

Ooh, Virzoom sounds really good. I will have to look into that, since it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for with VR, like **Lantern **said.

I love Beat Saber. That’s been my go-to game ever since I got my HTC Vive Pro setup, and I still have great fun whacking away at those cubes to cool beats. I hope they add more songs soon. I know you can mod it with user-created content, and I have done that, but so far I’ve only found a couple songs that work as well as the ones it comes with.

#13

p.s. Unfortunately Virzoom doesn’t currently support Oculus Go, but they say they’re working on it. It does support HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR, Windows Mixed Reality and Samsung GearVR.

#14

Nothing yet, but next week or so I’m supposed to start developing VFX for a new VR game, so I’ll be getting a Vive from my employer when that happens. I’m really looking forward to it.

#15

Yeah I am hoping that they will be able to get it to work at some point because the Go is very similar to the Gear VR.

Anyway a couple of apps I have been enjoying:
Wander which is basically Google Street View for the Oculus Go.Great for nostalgia trips and revisiting places from your past. VR is going to be amazing for people who ,for one reason or another, cannot travel as much as they want.

Art Plunge: is one of those experiences where VR transforms the familiar into something quite magical. It takes famous paintings like the Mona Lisa and turns them into (lightly) animated 3d environments. It’s subtle enough that the spirit of the original is maintained while providing a literally fresh perspective.

#16

I got a VR headset a month ago. The technology is very impressive even though it’s still young. It’s not something you can judge by watching a 2d video, as even games with bad graphics can be very convincing and immersive. It tricks your brain to the point where I’ve tried to lay down my real controllers on a virtual table more than once when I decide to stop playing.

Beat Saber has been the most impressive and fun game for me. It’s also great cardio. If you’re looking for custom songs, I’d recommend trying anything by the users BennyDaBeast or GreatYazer on https://beatsaver.com/search