Anyone who would spend the money on a backpack computer for VR should have a Vive, rather than the limited VR system pictured at the top of the article.
With the Oculus, the cable out of your head doesn't matter much, because you're not moving around much. With the Vive, you're all over the room, so the cable becomes a serious annoyance, and possibly even a danger to the user.
I can't agree less with you. You may be right NOW, but the plan for Oculus is to add the interaction with the Oculus Touch. And and that point you would love to have the backpack computer as much as you would wit Vive. Both systesm will have very similar features when that happens.
His point is that the stationary rift tracking camera has to be connected to the PC via a USB cable. So you would need to run a cable from the backpack out to the camera. The Vive has wireless tracking so there is no need for a cable.
So, like a gaming laptop. Just without the screen. Hope shaving off that $10 TN panel drops the price on these to about $1000 less than the equivalent gaming laptop. Because otherwise there's absolutely no point to this other than for custom use.
Not even remotely close to the truth. These are full desktop parts - both CPU and GPU - you won't be doing any serious VR gaming on laptops for the foreseeable future, which is why HP and MSI went to the extreme of designing a whole new form factor concept in order to accommodate the new problem of needing mobility + desktop level performance.
Uhh.......read that article again genius. states in it they used mobile i7's with a GTX 980 on the MSI backpack PC. Also nowhere in there does it state its the 980 for laptops or the actual desktop 980 with its full TDP version. The secondary OMEN pc does state it uses i5/i7's but does not say mobile or desktop. Dont know where you get information or how you use PC's but a quad core mobile i7 or even a quad core variant mobile i5 will do VR just fine, paired with the correct GPU of course. Go check actual parts and specifications before making stupid claims like that. Just shows how ignorant you are. Try actually doing a google search with "VR laptop" and low and behold, there are people showing VR use with a laptop, and nowhere at low framerates or subpar performance. More showing VR tests with laptops finishing in the fully "VR Ready" test category.
I think something that a lot of people are overlooking is that gaming laptops almost all substantially downclock when not plugged into power. I think the design of this specifically focuses on running full tilt on battery and also being able to hot-swap the battery. The combination of those two capabilities excludes about >95% of gaming laptops.
I would love to be wrong, so if someone knows what laptops run full speed when on battery, and can also hot-swap the battery, please let me know.
Yeah for that massive 1 hour of time you get with it. This would be viable in 5-10 years when that much processing power fits in a wristwatch or glasses. having to buy and wear a computer on your back and it only lasts an hour? Gimme a break.
It's a backpack. People routinely carry 30 pound packs just with school books. A 25 pound lithium ion battery would run this for a lot longer than one hour.
I don't know if they plan to do that, but they could.
This won't be necessary in a few years, when wireless that can run at 90fps is available. This is a niche product, very useful for some of us, and no one should give you a break when you're commenting on something that has nothing to do with you at all.
I am not challenging your statement that this is useful to some, but please tell me the use case this is helpful in. In what scenario is the best solution to carry a desktop in your backpack? As to your final sentence, I find that preposterous. You are telling me that nobody on the internet is allowed to comment on any articles that do not directly have something to do with them? Are you the de facto internet police? gtfo
This seems like a rather pointless exercise. I can understand that having wires attached might decrease immersion of VR experiences, but wouldn't wearing a hot and heavy backpack PC be much the same? Besides, the battery can't last a significant amount of time without introducing more weight and accurate positional tracking will still require external sensors, which aren't easily portable.
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osxandwindows - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Could I possibly connect this thing to an external display and use it like a normal pc?osxandwindows - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Also, will it run crysis?lol
JeffFlanagan - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Of course, it is a normal PC, but you'd be better off with a laptop for non-VR needs.JeffFlanagan - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Anyone who would spend the money on a backpack computer for VR should have a Vive, rather than the limited VR system pictured at the top of the article.With the Oculus, the cable out of your head doesn't matter much, because you're not moving around much. With the Vive, you're all over the room, so the cable becomes a serious annoyance, and possibly even a danger to the user.
TylerGrunter - Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - link
I can't agree less with you. You may be right NOW, but the plan for Oculus is to add the interaction with the Oculus Touch. And and that point you would love to have the backpack computer as much as you would wit Vive.Both systesm will have very similar features when that happens.
mckirkus - Friday, June 3, 2016 - link
His point is that the stationary rift tracking camera has to be connected to the PC via a USB cable. So you would need to run a cable from the backpack out to the camera. The Vive has wireless tracking so there is no need for a cable.FlyingAarvark - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
So, like a gaming laptop. Just without the screen. Hope shaving off that $10 TN panel drops the price on these to about $1000 less than the equivalent gaming laptop. Because otherwise there's absolutely no point to this other than for custom use.Roland00Address - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
These use a desktop video card, but otherwise you are right with 1 model using desktop cpus and the other using laptop cpus.Eschaton - Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - link
Not even remotely close to the truth. These are full desktop parts - both CPU and GPU - you won't be doing any serious VR gaming on laptops for the foreseeable future, which is why HP and MSI went to the extreme of designing a whole new form factor concept in order to accommodate the new problem of needing mobility + desktop level performance.Schecter1989 - Sunday, June 5, 2016 - link
Uhh.......read that article again genius. states in it they used mobile i7's with a GTX 980 on the MSI backpack PC. Also nowhere in there does it state its the 980 for laptops or the actual desktop 980 with its full TDP version. The secondary OMEN pc does state it uses i5/i7's but does not say mobile or desktop. Dont know where you get information or how you use PC's but a quad core mobile i7 or even a quad core variant mobile i5 will do VR just fine, paired with the correct GPU of course. Go check actual parts and specifications before making stupid claims like that. Just shows how ignorant you are. Try actually doing a google search with "VR laptop" and low and behold, there are people showing VR use with a laptop, and nowhere at low framerates or subpar performance. More showing VR tests with laptops finishing in the fully "VR Ready" test category.madspartus - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
I think something that a lot of people are overlooking is that gaming laptops almost all substantially downclock when not plugged into power. I think the design of this specifically focuses on running full tilt on battery and also being able to hot-swap the battery. The combination of those two capabilities excludes about >95% of gaming laptops.I would love to be wrong, so if someone knows what laptops run full speed when on battery, and can also hot-swap the battery, please let me know.
fanofanand - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Yeah for that massive 1 hour of time you get with it. This would be viable in 5-10 years when that much processing power fits in a wristwatch or glasses. having to buy and wear a computer on your back and it only lasts an hour? Gimme a break.Zan Lynx - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
It's a backpack. People routinely carry 30 pound packs just with school books. A 25 pound lithium ion battery would run this for a lot longer than one hour.I don't know if they plan to do that, but they could.
Murloc - Thursday, June 2, 2016 - link
so you would look forward to putting on a 30 pounds backpack to do some gaming where you have to move around?School books are unhealthy and so is this.
JeffFlanagan - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
This won't be necessary in a few years, when wireless that can run at 90fps is available.This is a niche product, very useful for some of us, and no one should give you a break when you're commenting on something that has nothing to do with you at all.
fanofanand - Friday, June 3, 2016 - link
I am not challenging your statement that this is useful to some, but please tell me the use case this is helpful in. In what scenario is the best solution to carry a desktop in your backpack? As to your final sentence, I find that preposterous. You are telling me that nobody on the internet is allowed to comment on any articles that do not directly have something to do with them? Are you the de facto internet police? gtfofanofanand - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Terrible idea. I cannot see this being popular.bery - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
This seems like a rather pointless exercise. I can understand that having wires attached might decrease immersion of VR experiences, but wouldn't wearing a hot and heavy backpack PC be much the same? Besides, the battery can't last a significant amount of time without introducing more weight and accurate positional tracking will still require external sensors, which aren't easily portable.Murloc - Thursday, June 2, 2016 - link
yeah this is like the suitcase mobile phone.HomeworldFound - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
I would've invested in a system involving the penis instead, that's where the money is.Murloc - Thursday, June 2, 2016 - link
battery = weight = uselessBoyBawang - Friday, June 3, 2016 - link
When I play VR I prefer sitting down on a chair.