I have not personally tried any VR headset yet but keep reading that the demos/games are a little lacking when it comes to the actual graphics and textures. Can you please tell me if the Bullet Train demo actually looks like the screen shot posted in the article? I actually think the screen shot makes it look pretty good at least a lot better than what I had been picturing in my head.
" in most homes I suspect the only place large enough (and safe enough) for the upwards of 15ft x 15ft experience that Valve is planning for is the living room, and while this doesn’t preclude using a tower, it’s perhaps not the best environment for it."
Once you create a 15x15 space in most living rooms, it becomes the VR room, so it doesn't matter if there's a tower PC there.
I moved my living room furniture into my dining room to clear the living room as a VR space. This had the added benefit of placing my 4K TV close enough to the couch to make going beyond 1080p worthwhile.
I was thinking to turning a bedroom into a VR room. Even with clearing the space, Where do you put the computer? I was thinking a bout hanging a shelf from a beam in the ceiling for the rig.I think that would def help with keeping obstacles out of the way
Can this be used with the normal Windows desktop? Is it a monitor replacement? Out of all the Rift reviews I've read, nobody mentions anything except their own eco-system and VR-only games.
But how does OTHER content look through the Rift or the Vive?
One problem with the Rift was that for playing videos you'd have to select it through their app if the videos had been placed in the Windows My Videos folder... Why can't I just start a video through the normal Windows desktop?
There are certain aspects which no review has tackled yet.
There was an app posted on [H]ardOCP a little while back that was designed so you can use a VR headset and work with your windows desktop, so it may not be possible out of the box, but it seems that people have seen the need for this type of usage scenario and people are working on making it happen. I think it was called Virtual Desktop VR, check it out.
I believe you are correct in that it is called Virtual Desktop VR, or at least something very close to that. It was suppose to launch on Steam at the end of March i believe. Also just to add I saw a video of it and it seems to offer A Lot of functionality and seems to be a great product if it does indeed deliver on everything demoed in the video. I definitely recommend it to OP to check out and everyone else.
+1 would like to see a Steam/Vive/Oculus/3rd party game interoperability review on here in some way. Right now it's not entirely clear what software will work with what headset, and that gets even more confusing when AMD and Nvidia are saying they're "supporting the Rift" or Vive in their drivers. Huh? Shouldn't this be transparent to the normal graphics drivers?
One of the image captions is wrong; that isn't a Steam Link, it's a Zotac Steam Machine. The Steam Link is a very small rounded-off black square that doesn't say Zotac on the front.
Were you able to try the "SteamVR Desktop Theater Mode"?
While the novelty is there, nothing I've seen regarding the Rift or Vive so far makes me think that I'm missing anything other than beta (at best) testing software on gen1 production hardware.
It is contrary to what other reviews are saying. At least one said the screendoor effect on the Rift is noticeably worse than the Vive, and you can adjust the lens distance on the Vive but not the Rift. Apparently both headsets use fresnel lenses so lens distance is especially critical. Maybe Anand didnt have it set up optimally.
So this is based on your experience with the Vive at GDC which you admit was short. Also you do not even know if it was configured correctly for you since this was done in a demo area. Expect way more than this from anadtech. The Title should be changed to: My time with the Vive at GDC.
Are you saying that the title should indicate that this is just a first impression, and should have a title denoting that it's their first impression? Maybe it should also say that the article's being launched on the Vive's launch day, so we know why it's being published at this time? If only they'd done that with the title of this article.
I can't imagine anyone using this for more than 2 hours a day, no matter how exiting it might appear.
I understand many companies had poured a few billions into this hoping that VR will be next best thing since sliced bread. I think VR will never lift off, it will be niche nerd thing of a few nerds jerking off over polygons while wearing helmet.
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bug77 - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
What about colour accuracy? How easy is it to set/calibrate this? Is it possible at all?Ryan Smith - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
Unfortunately I don't have an answer for this. It's something that would have to wait for the full review.SunnyNW - Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - link
I have not personally tried any VR headset yet but keep reading that the demos/games are a little lacking when it comes to the actual graphics and textures. Can you please tell me if the Bullet Train demo actually looks like the screen shot posted in the article? I actually think the screen shot makes it look pretty good at least a lot better than what I had been picturing in my head.JeffFlanagan - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
" in most homes I suspect the only place large enough (and safe enough) for the upwards of 15ft x 15ft experience that Valve is planning for is the living room, and while this doesn’t preclude using a tower, it’s perhaps not the best environment for it."Once you create a 15x15 space in most living rooms, it becomes the VR room, so it doesn't matter if there's a tower PC there.
I moved my living room furniture into my dining room to clear the living room as a VR space. This had the added benefit of placing my 4K TV close enough to the couch to make going beyond 1080p worthwhile.
Manch - Friday, April 8, 2016 - link
I was thinking to turning a bedroom into a VR room. Even with clearing the space, Where do you put the computer? I was thinking a bout hanging a shelf from a beam in the ceiling for the rig.I think that would def help with keeping obstacles out of the waystanleyipkiss - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
Can this be used with the normal Windows desktop? Is it a monitor replacement? Out of all the Rift reviews I've read, nobody mentions anything except their own eco-system and VR-only games.But how does OTHER content look through the Rift or the Vive?
One problem with the Rift was that for playing videos you'd have to select it through their app if the videos had been placed in the Windows My Videos folder... Why can't I just start a video through the normal Windows desktop?
There are certain aspects which no review has tackled yet.
bug77 - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
I imagine any type of glasses is too tiresome to use for regular desktop use.extide - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
There was an app posted on [H]ardOCP a little while back that was designed so you can use a VR headset and work with your windows desktop, so it may not be possible out of the box, but it seems that people have seen the need for this type of usage scenario and people are working on making it happen. I think it was called Virtual Desktop VR, check it out.SunnyNW - Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - link
I believe you are correct in that it is called Virtual Desktop VR, or at least something very close to that. It was suppose to launch on Steam at the end of March i believe. Also just to add I saw a video of it and it seems to offer A Lot of functionality and seems to be a great product if it does indeed deliver on everything demoed in the video. I definitely recommend it to OP to check out and everyone else.Murloc - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
I think they're meant to be used only for specific content because of their weight and surely more tiring effect.stephenbrooks - Thursday, April 7, 2016 - link
+1 would like to see a Steam/Vive/Oculus/3rd party game interoperability review on here in some way. Right now it's not entirely clear what software will work with what headset, and that gets even more confusing when AMD and Nvidia are saying they're "supporting the Rift" or Vive in their drivers. Huh? Shouldn't this be transparent to the normal graphics drivers?schizoide - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
One of the image captions is wrong; that isn't a Steam Link, it's a Zotac Steam Machine. The Steam Link is a very small rounded-off black square that doesn't say Zotac on the front.Ryan Smith - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
D'oh, right you are! Thanks.mrvco - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
Were you able to try the "SteamVR Desktop Theater Mode"?While the novelty is there, nothing I've seen regarding the Rift or Vive so far makes me think that I'm missing anything other than beta (at best) testing software on gen1 production hardware.
jasonelmore - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
Maybe /r/vive will finally admit the oculus has better optics now that anandtech has admitted the Vive has worse optics.Cygni - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
Maybe you should really stop caring about what reddit fanboy echochambers do or don't think.justniz - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
It is contrary to what other reviews are saying. At least one said the screendoor effect on the Rift is noticeably worse than the Vive, and you can adjust the lens distance on the Vive but not the Rift. Apparently both headsets use fresnel lenses so lens distance is especially critical. Maybe Anand didnt have it set up optimally.PeteoBos - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
So this is based on your experience with the Vive at GDC which you admit was short. Also you do not even know if it was configured correctly for you since this was done in a demo area. Expect way more than this from anadtech. The Title should be changed to: My time with the Vive at GDC.Meteor2 - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
Huh?echoe - Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - link
Are you saying that the title should indicate that this is just a first impression, and should have a title denoting that it's their first impression? Maybe it should also say that the article's being launched on the Vive's launch day, so we know why it's being published at this time?If only they'd done that with the title of this article.
..............................
r3loaded - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
The fact that it won't upload your usage data to Facebook for the purpose of advertising to you is enough to put this ahead of the Rift for me.tomas32 - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - link
I hear the HTC Vive is pretty uncomfortable to wear for any useful duration of time. If so, then that's a deal breaker.milkod2001 - Tuesday, April 12, 2016 - link
That would apply to all current VR.I can't imagine anyone using this for more than 2 hours a day, no matter how exiting it might appear.
I understand many companies had poured a few billions into this hoping that VR will be next best thing since sliced bread. I think VR will never lift off, it will be niche nerd thing of a few nerds jerking off over polygons while wearing helmet.