Oculus Go - Oculus unveils $199 stand-alone VR headset "Oculus Go"

[silvagti]

I've had my oculus Go just over a week but I'm thinking I might send it back as I've already found myself not really using it much unfortunately.

I've found the resolution is still too low for watching 2D movies comfortably though 3D movies really do look fantastic on it.

Likewise for gaming I've found the single controller and only 3 degrees of freedom really limit what's possible unfortunately. Because of that I've found myself going back to my Playstation VR when I want a gaming fix.

I don't think I can justify the cost of the device if all I'll use it for is 3D movies which has been my main use so far

 

[Ravenger]

I've had my oculus Go just over a week but I'm thinking I might send it back as I've already found myself not really using it much unfortunately.

I've found the resolution is still too low for watching 2D movies comfortably though 3D movies really do look fantastic on it.

Likewise for gaming I've found the single controller and only 3 degrees of freedom really limit what's possible unfortunately. Because of that I've found myself going back to my Playstation VR when I want a gaming fix.

I don't think I can justify the cost of the device if all I'll use it for is 3D movies which has been my main use so far

I've been using mine more than my Rift (though that partly due to my Rift being in the attic and it being to hot up there for VR right now!) I got a load of cheap games in the Oculus sale which though limited are great fun. The convenience of the headset makes it more likely for me to use it.

I find the video quality fine for Netflix and other movies, but we all have our own thresholds of what's acceptable.

 

[silvagti]

Absolutely. I can see why the headset has been reviewed so well and has plenty of fans. The build quality and optics are as good as anything else on the market. Especially impressive given it's low price. I just don't think it's what I was hoping for in a VR headset in terms of gaming. Plus the resolution bump hasn't brought the visual improvement over my Playstation VR headset I'd hoped for when watching movies.

 

[warren_1979]

What's it like watching movies? Does it look like a big cinema screen?

 

[silvagti]

What's it like watching movies? Does it look like a big cinema screen?

Not really IMO. It's watchable but fairly pixelated. If you were travelling it would be OK but a large 50-60" TV offers a much better experience when watching 2D content. 3D movies/experiences look fantastic on it though.

 

[Calo]

I reckon these will sell like hot cakes at xmas, with parents getting them for their kids, and by that i mean, parents buying them because they want them too but didnt have an excuse till then. You just wait, once them Disney VR movies get into full marketing swing, it will have them hooked!

I base this on no factual evidence.

 

[glenimp617]

I was thinking about buying one for watching movies on, but after listening to a few I don't think I'll bother.

When I had my PSVR, I thought movies looked awful on it. Honestly guys, what's it really like?

 

[Ravenger]

I was thinking about buying one for watching movies on, but after listening to a few I don't think I'll bother.

When I had my PSVR, I thought movies looked awful on it. Honestly guys, what's it really like?

I use mine mainly for watching 3D movies and Netflix, and I think it's much better than any other VR headsets for watching movies. The resolution is pretty good, but some people may still find they notice the pixels - it depends on your threshold. 3D movies converted from 3D Blu-Ray look stunning -the 3D really pops. The lenses are very good with a wide sweet spot and no god-rays. The screen is an LCD so you don't get very deep blacks, which is probably the biggest minus.

The audio through the built in speakers is good, lacking in bass, but the positional effect is amazing. It's very leaky though, so not good for crowded environments. Obviously you can use your own headphones for better sound quality and privacy.

The best aspect is the convenience - no wires or headphones to muck around with. You can stick it on your head and start watching very quickly, and it's even quicker to jump back into a movie if you remove the headset, let it sleep, then put the headset back on later.

 

[glenimp617]

I use mine mainly for watching 3D movies and Netflix, and I think it's much better than any other VR headsets for watching movies. The resolution is pretty good, but some people may still find they notice the pixels - it depends on your threshold. 3D movies converted from 3D Blu-Ray look stunning -the 3D really pops. The lenses are very good with a wide sweet spot and no god-rays. The screen is an LCD so you don't get very deep blacks, which is probably the biggest minus.

The audio through the built in speakers is good, lacking in bass, but the positional effect is amazing. It's very leaky though, so not good for crowded environments. Obviously you can use your own headphones for better sound quality and privacy.

The best aspect is the convenience - no wires or headphones to muck around with. You can stick it on your head and start watching very quickly, and it's even quicker to jump back into a movie if you remove the headset, let it sleep, then put the headset back on later.

Thanks!

Would you say it's kinda like watching a 720p movie?

 

[Ravenger]

Thanks!

Would you say it's kinda like watching a 720p movie?

Yes, but it looks far better than watching 720p on a normal monitor because it appears to be on a huge cinema screen.

However the Netflix app only renders in 480p, but it still looks OK to me.
In fact Carmack has said that it's pointless to render normal (not 180 degree, 360 degree or 3D) movies on the go at more than 720p as you don't get any benefit, plus it can cause aliasing. For 3D movies I use 1080p.

The best thing you could do is to find someone with a Go and try it. It is a bit marmite. Some people hate watching movies on it due to the lower resolution, others love it for the experience of being transported to a huge cinema and being able to watch movies on a big screen anywhere.

 

[glenimp617]

Yes, but it looks far better than watching 720p on a normal monitor because it appears to be on a huge cinema screen.

However the Netflix app only renders in 480p, but it still looks OK to me.
In fact Carmack has said that it's pointless to render normal (not 180 degree, 360 degree or 3D) movies on the go at more than 720p as you don't get any benefit, plus it can cause aliasing. For 3D movies I use 1080p.

The best thing you could do is to find someone with a Go and try it. It is a bit marmite. Some people hate watching movies on it due to the lower resolution, others love it for the experience of being transported to a huge cinema and being able to watch movies on a big screen anywhere.

Interesting, still 50/50

Think they missed a trick really. Imagine if they had put a video-in port on it. I could have connected up my Nintendo switch and played large screen gaming in bed!

 

[DONOHUE07]

Interesting, still 50/50

Think they missed a trick really. Imagine if they had put a video-in port on it. I could have connected up my Nintendo switch and played large screen gaming in bed!

I don’t own it but I’m interested in getting a Go, I have read you can side load android apps, including steams in Home streaming app, that feature alone makes me even more interested in the Go. But I agree a video-in option would have been brilliant

 

[glenimp617]

Just heard about oculus santa cruz.....now THAT looks brilliant

 

[melmac]

Just heard about oculus santa cruz.....now THAT looks brilliant

It sounds good, but it's still not a replacement for the Rift

 

[glenimp617]

It sounds good, but it's still not a replacement for the Rift

I don't have a 2k PC to run one of those lol

 

[metachi]

I've tried the Oculus Go today, was disappointed to see videos are blurry in the center compared to my Gear VR with S7 when i play 4k video files. oculus
Oculus Go doesn't have FOV wheel that might be the reason why it is blurry. I was going to get rid the Gear VR and S7..so i guess not!

 

[FlukeRogi]

I've tried the Oculus Go today, was disappointed to see videos are blurry in the center compared to my Gear VR with S7 when i play 4k video files. oculus
Oculus Go doesn't have FOV wheel that might be the reason why it is blurry. I was going to get rid the Gear VR and S7..so i guess not!

Yeah, it does sound like it might be an issue with IPD adjustment or focus for you, as if you check out the Go version of Henry that Carmack encoded with his new method, it's singularly the best 360 video I've even seen on any headset (mobile or otherwise) quality wise.

 

[metachi]

Yeah, it does sound like it might be an issue with IPD adjustment or focus for you, as if you check out the Go version of Henry that Carmack encoded with his new method, it's singularly the best 360 video I've even seen on any headset (mobile or otherwise) quality wise.

I've already returned. they let me

i think i'll upgrade to S8. i dont use it as a mobile phone.

 

[silvagti]

The upcoming Oculus Santa Cruz sounds far more tempting since it fixes the issues I had with the Go which were the lack of 6dof and dual hand controllers.

https://uploadvr.com/oculus-santa-cruz-2019-rift/

Be interesting to see how it's priced?

I'm concerned that it may struggle to get the AAA titles to really show off the hardware though. It'll presumably be running Android which means there won't really be any games out at the moment to take advantage of all it's features and allow it to compete with PSVR and PSVR.

I think Oculus needs to branch out and get some of the Android OEMs like Samsung onboard along with Google. If they could create a new Android standard VR platform which worked across several android VR platforms and included 6Dof , dual motion controls, etc they could really be onto something special.

 

[Ravenger]

I'm definitely interested in getting Santa Cruz when its out. Depends on the price and the exact capabilities though.