Official VR Headset discussion

[_TiTaNiuM]

Anyone? Anyone? Pretty tempting. Still a dev kit, but appears to be a heck of a lot closer to "final product" than the first one, 1080p this time around with head tracking, $350.



Ships july of this year.

Can only imagine how awesome this would be in Arma

[DaJMasta]

It's taking a while...

Hopefully there's still potential for an end of 2014 release, but the fact that there's a second dev kit announced like this doesn't suggest to me that they're making all of their deadlines.

Sure you want the devs to be using complete hardware, but still, this project is taking longer than I would have expected from all the hype and early demos.

[_TiTaNiuM]

Originally Posted by DaJMasta

It's taking a while...

Hopefully there's still potential for an end of 2014 release, but the fact that there's a second dev kit announced like this doesn't suggest to me that they're making all of their deadlines.

Sure you want the devs to be using complete hardware, but still, this project is taking longer than I would have expected from all the hype and early demos.

It's not as if they've been stuck in the mud for the past year or so. The head tracking supposedly makes it a whole lot better than it was before than when it was just working on gyros and accelerometers alone.

[daPhoenix]

I thought this was going to be Dungeon Keeper 2 integration for Oculus Rift.

Now I am mildly disappointed

[AllexxisF1]

I have a feeling you will not only get a better VR unit from Valve but it will be on the market first as well.

Occulus needs to get their ass in gear and get this thing to market already.

[Mangler]

Didn't valve discontinue their unit?

[badboy]

Originally Posted by AllexxisF1

I have a feeling you will not only get a better VR unit from Valve but it will be on the market first as well.

Occulus needs to get their ass in gear and get this thing to market already.

valve isnt making a VR unit... they are helping Oculus develop theirs

[Sundance Kid V2]

Originally Posted by daPhoenix

I thought this was going to be Dungeon Keeper 2 integration for Oculus Rift.

Now I am mildly disappointed

me 2


But $350 is little bit expensive (x10 = ZAR 3000). So I'll wait till final version. I remember a friend had a VR set about 15-20 years ago (seriously long time ago). But it was uber crappy, and very little support. Can't remember what it was called..

[DaJMasta]

Originally Posted by _TiTaNiuM

It's not as if they've been stuck in the mud for the past year or so. The head tracking supposedly makes it a whole lot better than it was before than when it was just working on gyros and accelerometers alone.

And I don't think when it finally comes out it will be a lesser product than what got all the hype early on, it's just that it's taking an awful long time. Given how early they got the first dev kits out, how many games say they will support it, how much people enjoyed the many exhibitions... just seems like the pacing is weird.

Also, I believe 1080p was their stated launch-product resolution, so I think this dev kit is basically a precursor to the launch setup. Probably will look different, use some cheaper sourced parts, maybe leave off some debugging features, etc... but I think this dev kit is essentially the final product in terms of features, so that devs can finalize their software to work with the launch product... I just thought that they were going to have this in the middle of 2013.

[aviphysics]

Originally Posted by DaJMasta

It's taking a while...

Hopefully there's still potential for an end of 2014 release, but the fact that there's a second dev kit announced like this doesn't suggest to me that they're making all of their deadlines.

Sure you want the devs to be using complete hardware, but still, this project is taking longer than I would have expected from all the hype and early demos.

They call it a "dev kit", but it is more like pre-release beta/alpha hardware. They just call it a "dev-kit" so people don't buy it with the expectation that it will be plug and play.

BTW, anyone can order one. Would totally do it, if I didn't have other things going on right now.
https://www.oculusvr.com/order/

[jolle]

Well they ARE dev kits, you get one if you want to make a Rift game, or add support for Rift to your existing game.
But they´re not stopping curious people from just getting one to check out techdemos and Skyrim hacks and whatnots... all those Unity "things" people are putting out.
And I suppose there are some "proper" games with support out there already, like TF2 if I dont remember wrong?
But still, Dev kit is a appropriate term I´d say.

[DaJMasta]

Yeah, that's exactly what a dev kit is. The hardware, sometimes with some debugging modifications and workflow enhancements, along with a software suite and some level of technical support.

The kickstarter 'dev kit' was a gimped prototype build that didn't match any of the final features, though it did come with the proper support.

[aviphysics]

Originally Posted by jolle

Well they ARE dev kits, you get one if you want to make a Rift game, or add support for Rift to your existing game.
But they´re not stopping curious people from just getting one to check out techdemos and Skyrim hacks and whatnots... all those Unity "things" people are putting out.
And I suppose there are some "proper" games with support out there already, like TF2 if I dont remember wrong?
But still, Dev kit is a appropriate term I´d say.

While it fits some classification of a Dev-Kit, it is definitely an alpha or beta version. It both lacks the full set of features of the final version and has some number of bugs in the design. TBH, I am not really sure what makes it a Dev-kit.

The thing is, it is just a piece of hardware and it doesn't seem right to call every piece of hardware I can write software for a devkit. Normally a devkit has features above and beyond what the consumer version of the hardware has in order to make development easier. The Rift kits don't do this. Classifying it as beta hardware just makes more sense to me.

BTW, there are a bunch of commercial games (i.e. not tech demos) that support Rift. I think the number of proper games might even be more than currently available for PS4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_Rift_support. I have been told that Hawken with Rift is amazing

[jolle]

Well early console devkits have been all sorts of cobbled together machines, or straight up PCs and whatnot, they were still devkits even if they werent the final specs.
Sure, it´s not a post release devkit as a PS3 devkit you would get today..
It´s not in it´s final state, and the final specs for everything arent 100% set, and it´s not a retail product.

But these are out there with the main intent for developers to use them to get their VR games or support going, not for consumers to buy as a retail product, which I suppose is why they´re called devkits.
You get them to develop VR support, sure there isnt a bunch of switches, buttons, mysterious ports and whatnot, but I rather think that´s because you dont need them.
All you need probably supplied by the SDK, which might not be available with the retail version? ( who knows?), and reading the sensor output.
Any rendering issues is solved on the game engine side, all you´re doing after that is outputting a display signal.

A PS3 reference kit has all those knobs, bells and whistles because it´s a complex machine running complex code.

Well, either way it´s just a question of definitions, it doesnt matter.. it is what it is.

[Omega53]

Originally Posted by _TiTaNiuM

Anyone? Anyone? Pretty tempting. Still a dev kit, but appears to be a heck of a lot closer to "final product" than the first one, 1080p this time around with head tracking, $350.



Ships july of this year.

Can only imagine how awesome this would be in Arma

Count me in

[_TiTaNiuM]

Originally Posted by Sundance Kid V2

me 2


But $350 is little bit expensive (x10 = ZAR 3000). So I'll wait till final version. I remember a friend had a VR set about 15-20 years ago (seriously long time ago). But it was uber crappy, and very little support. Can't remember what it was called..

Is it though? What's a good gaming monitor cost? 250-300. What's a midrange graphics card cost? 250-350. What does a next gen console cost? 400-500. I think the price point is right on for what you're getting honestly.

[Sundance Kid V2]

Originally Posted by _TiTaNiuM

Is it though? What's a good gaming monitor cost? 250-300. What's a midrange graphics card cost? 250-350. What does a next gen console cost? 400-500. I think the price point is right on for what you're getting honestly.

I agree... it could be more expensive example $500+.

$300 is not too bad... but if it is worth it then I'll buy it!

[Cyko]

Originally Posted by _TiTaNiuM

Anyone? Anyone?

Pre-ordered it. I have a DK1 already and it's pretty fantastic (could be improved upon of course). Looking forward to what this release will bring.

[_TiTaNiuM]

Originally Posted by Cyko

Pre-ordered it. I have a DK1 already and it's pretty fantastic (could be improved upon of course). Looking forward to what this release will bring.

what all have you been able to do with it? is there anything that supports it currently or is it mostly half-assed right now?

[jolle]

Followup on resolution, just ran into this bit:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/19/55...it-2-announced

The 1080p OLED panel still isn't high enough a resolution to avoid jagged edges — Oculus says the consumer version will have even higher resolution

[night]

[bill dennison]

Originally Posted by jolle

Followup on resolution, just ran into this bit:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/19/55...it-2-announced

shoot for 3840 × 2160

http://gamerant.com/oculus-rift-4k-resolution/

[BababooeyHTJ]

Originally Posted by jolle

Followup on resolution, just ran into this bit:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/19/55...it-2-announced

Nice, this is what I was hoping for.

[bill dennison]

Oculus won't commit to a release date for the consumer version, except to say that it will be before the end of next year

http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/03/19/oc...t-2-announced/
last year it was by end of 2114 and now 2015


the retail version will come out about the same time as star citizen in 2020

[BababooeyHTJ]

Might not be too bad. I enjoyed painkiller in 3d. Hard reset and shadow warrior were also very good.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[jolle]

Originally Posted by BababooeyHTJ

Might not be too bad. I enjoyed painkiller in 3d. Hard reset and shadow warrior were also very good.

It´s not the stereoscopic part, if that´s what you mean by "in 3d".
It´s about motion sickness, where what you see doesnt correspond to how your brain knows your head is moving.
I think it´s worse with alot of mouse twitching when you´re "in the world".. so to speak. (if your head movement is additive ontop of the mouse movement, which I assume would be the case since you dont want to rotate 360 degrees in your chair, for several reasons)

Watching a screen through sterescopic glasses still has a lot of fixed world points outside of the monitor edges, so your brain knows YOU´RE not moving.
With a VR set there are no fixed points, there is only the virtual world in view.

Going OP flashpoint might be a decent way to handle it, but that´s not great for twitch shooting anyway.
But essentially you move the crosshair freely within a deadzone, and when you go outside the deadzone, you start rotating the character.
That way your character is static when you aim around inside the deadzone, and the camera is only influenced by your head movement.

Well, I cant be sure, I only tried the DK1 with a controller in "walk around and take it easy" demos.
But in worst case scenario, those kinds of games might still be kinda awesome using a VR set for display only, not using the sensors?
Or it´s fine anyway, I dunno.

[BababooeyHTJ]

I never really thought about that. I see where that could be an issue if the vr is that convincing.

[jolle]

Originally Posted by BababooeyHTJ

I never really thought about that. I see where that could be an issue if the vr is that convincing.

The worst thing you could do with DK1 is look down, and rotate your head, as I understand it.
Since it doesnt track position, and when you lean forward your head moves forward a bit, while the camera (provided the game doesnt supply a "spine approximation") just pivots in place, and then rotates in place.
The disconnect there from what your brain knows it´s doing, and what you see, will induce motion sickness.
That type of thing is solved with the camera tracking the IR leds on the DK2 kit though, it gives positional tracking as I understand it.

But I would assume the problem resurfaces if you slave the camera (with head tracking) under a mouse input and twitch around like a CS player.

[SirBaron]

The only way you could help with that beaides getting used to it, would be a 120hz+ screen, the more fluid it is the more natural it would look, as like the brain it self anything that moves too fast is blurred via motion blur.

But then you'd have a 4k 3d, 120hz screen that would make my pc wet it self.

[CurrentlyPissed]

I really want to. But I know I'll buy the final product so just trying to hold out.

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