One thing is holding me back from buying the Vive (edit: actually a few)

[RoyMi6]

I would have been so full of regrets if i bought a Rift. Their store is utterly awful.

Awh, tell me about it! Not just the store though, Oculus Home itself has been a nightmare for me.

I'm on a 5Mb connection (first world problems) and the app didn't used to let you resume updates and if it failed to installed (due to Anti-virus running...) it would require you to download the entire thing again.

Biggest nightmare to diagnose was slow internet issues when Oculus Home was closed but updating silently in the background.

It would bring my whole internet connection to a halt (which any download will do on my internet) but the application didn't look like it was running. With a couple of computers / servers on my home network I only found out what was going on when I started bringing up network performance monitor for each computer and found the service running in the background.

BUT, again, any Steam VR game (that doesn't require touch - like Elite or Project Cars) can be bought and played with the Oculus Rift without using Oculus Home.

That functionality extends to all HTC Vive titles with hand controllers with Touch as well.

 

[melmac]

Right, as an owner for both I can tell you that the controllers are frickin' amazing.

BUT for anyone saying you "NEED" to buy the Vive because of the controllers is missing an important point - the Rift screen is better for seated experiences.

I've done many write up on my thoughts on both as a long time investor in the technology (and recently a new job with a massive VR focus).

With the Oculus Touch controllers just around the corner I'd maybe advise holding off if you've not bitten the bullet already as I'd hope that buying as a pair would get you a discount - although saying that the inability for Oculus to deliver the headset in a timely fashion could put your waiting time even greater so it's hard to say for sure.

Your research into room scale for the Rift has obviously been tainted with the wild speculation that's out there but I can tell you with 100% certainty that the fact that the Oculus Touch ships with a second camera resolves any issue a single camera system would have. The ONLY concession you'll have to make it the probability of having to buy a USB extension to plug the camera in the opposite side of the room to match the setup of the Vive.

Others have suggested that because Oculus is encouraging developers to focus on "forward facing" Touch experiences that this means it "can't" be used for 360degree roomscale, but the truth is that Steam VR explicitly supports the Oculus Touch and in turn means that any game made for the HTC Vive will work exactly as intended with the Oculus Touch.

The Vive's front facing camera is actually something you don't use that much. You can't play VR in a room that's full of crap so "turning it on to move something out the way" isn't something you should be doing - it should be gone before you start.

Additionally people saying "but you could take a drink!" are missing the fact that you can't because of the bulbus headset in front of your face (unless you use a straw... but christ, just take the thing off)

Comfort is as important as anything else when it comes to VR headsets and here the Rift wins out. Not only because it's more comfortable for longer sessions (like over 30 minutes) but the built in headphones also make using the thing a dam sight easier.

This plays into one of the benefits with the Rift is being able to put on and take off the Rift with one hand - something that you'll admittedly do more of without the option to flick on a camera (which coincidentally can take about 2 or 3 seconds to come on...)

All that said... I play with the Vive the most...

Maybe it's because I've used the Rift (since DK1 days) for about 4 years and the novelty of the hand controllers is new to me.

However, when I sit down to play DCS, Eve, Elite, Project Cars, Dirt Rally or any other seated experience I pick up the Rift - as it offers the least compromises.

Will I use the Oculus Touch more when it comes out? Probably, because it will have all the shiny new stuff! (and the controllers genuinely look like the better device as well!)

Good post.

 

[MrKeeno]

I am probably going to hold fire and see what package Oculus offer with the full touch controls. The wait will also allow me to save up towards a graphics card update, probably a 1080 if funds allow.

 

[melmac]

I am probably going to hold fire and see what package Oculus offer with the full touch controls. The wait will also allow me to save up towards a graphics card update, probably a 1080 if funds allow.

I think that's the best idea. I have a 1070 coming so I can let you know if that improves the oculus rift is any better with it. I am coming from 290.

 

[MrKeeno]

I think that's the best idea. I have a 1070 coming so I can let you know if that improves the oculus rift is any better with it. I am coming from 290.

What processor are you using? Mine is only an i5 but its at a steady overclock at 4.4 GHz so I am hoping I can get away with that. In task manager it seemed to be doing ok. It will be a struggle to afford the card + rift when the time comes, a full upgrade is out of the question.

 

[sunshinewelly]

I think that's the best idea. I have a 1070 coming so I can let you know if that improves the oculus rift is any better with it. I am coming from 290.

I had a 290 and went to a 1080

Its like having a vive mark 2 using super sampling

Massive improvement

 

[melmac]

What processor are you using? Mine is only an i5 but its at a steady overclock at 4.4 GHz so I am hoping I can get away with that. In task manager it seemed to be doing ok. It will be a struggle to afford the card + rift when the time comes, a full upgrade is out of the question.

exact same cpu as you So it will give you a great idea of what to expect.

Oh, I am running at 4.4Ghz as well

 

[Calo]

Everything is either a demo or feels like an extended demo, the games for now just have no longevity (apart from elite). Also if you are coming from a decent display you are going to see a big difference, you will see pixels very easily which is pretty annoying.

I think the next gen VR is where it will be at, once the resolution is upped and a few other things are sorted the possibilities are endless.

Good honest feedback there considering your outlay. Im going to get whatever is flavour of the month in 2018. Till then, ill make do with a massive screen.

 

[Liamb2005]

Good post

 

[Liamb2005]

I actually bought a rift cv1 myself after taking roymi6 advice and have to say i wasn't impressed at all. (Thats not a dig at you mate you made some valid points) I found the ghosting and display in general pretty bad and coming from a dk2 (which was a while ago now) it just felt like it hadn't improved much. I didn't like the cv1 headphones either as I prefer to use my own and after keeping for a week felt like I'd made the wrong choice as all the vive games looked so much more fun. So after a bit of research and thought and a week of playing it I got shot of it and got a vive and despite being told it was a "worse display" overall i didn't feel the the difference was huge and got onto SS quite fast and have to say i much prefer the vive.

I occasionally put on some oculus games to show people via revive and the roomscale and walking around seems to work a little and although the rift games definitely seem more polished as they all mostly focused around being still and no touch controllers they just seem like a step back and quite frankly a bit dull. On the vive I feel like I can play everything as it should even playing some old classics I loved on my dk2 like dread halls, sight line the chair and affected.

Truth is they are both good and both have their pros and cons. I now have a 1070 and i believe super sampling will extend the lives of the headsets a little but the fact vive has the roomscale and controllers now just makes it the better choice hands down and has a much better choice of games etc. That will probably change when the rift utilises roomscale and touch but with the head of Oculus Palmer Lucky feeling walking around limits things somewhat. I'm not sure but either way for me by then it'll be too little too late personally.

Whatever headset you get I think you will be pleased with In regards to the fact it's a great platform and you are transformed to another world but both have major flaws as well. In a perfect world it would be wireless, a face fan cooling system or airy enough to wear for long periods without looking like you've been put in the sun too long, no ghosting and lenses with no viewing angle issues as well as a better way of getting around that the limited teleportation but these are all things I'm sure will be addressed over the next few years hopefully. At the moment now I've had a good dabble. I'm tempted to sell my vive and come back to VR in a year or two.

 

[melmac]

What processor are you using? Mine is only an i5 but its at a steady overclock at 4.4 GHz so I am hoping I can get away with that. In task manager it seemed to be doing ok. It will be a struggle to afford the card + rift when the time comes, a full upgrade is out of the question.

Well, I have the 1070 for a few days now and have been busy trying out all the VR stuff again. It hasn't made that much difference for me. Things look a little bit better, but not night and day difference, not even close.

Now I have one last thing to try before giving up. My USB 3.0 ports aren't compatible with the sensor, I have to plug it into a USB 2.0 port. It says the USB 3.0 ports are ok with the headset itself. What I am wondering is that maybe my USB 3 ports aren't just good enough to run the headset properly.

I have read a few reports that getting the Oculus recommended USB 3.0 card with the Fresno Logic FL1000EX chipset makes a massive difference over etron chipsets. To solve the problem of the sensor not been fully compatible, I have ordered an Inateck USB 3 card. Will let you know how I get on with that.

If it doesn't make difference, then, I am going to call a halt to my VR life. I was going to wait for the touch controllers to come out, but, I think I will sell up and wait until the next round of VR headsets are on the market.

 

[danoliver1]

Well, I have the 1070 for a few days now and have been busy trying out all the VR stuff again. It hasn't made that much difference for me. Things look a little bit better, but not night and day difference, not even close.

Now I have one last thing to try before giving up. My USB 3.0 ports aren't compatible with the sensor, I have to plug it into a USB 2.0 port. It says the USB 3.0 ports are ok with the headset itself. What I am wondering is that maybe my USB 3 ports aren't just good enough to run the headset properly.

I have read a few reports that getting the Oculus recommended USB 3.0 card with the Fresno Logic FL1000EX chipset makes a massive difference over etron chipsets. To solve the problem of the sensor not been fully compatible, I have ordered an Inateck USB 3 card. Will let you know how I get on with that.

If it doesn't make difference, then, I am going to call a halt to my VR life. I was going to wait for the touch controllers to come out, but, I think I will sell up and wait until the next round of VR headsets are on the market.

What was the problem to start with?

 

[n3vrmind]

pretty special now but its let down a bit by the visuals imo. I can clearly see pixelation + ghosting

This is telling already, the fact that you are sitting just looking at the stuff around you. You focus more on the visuals and those things because you are still very much aware of the fact that you are just looking at the world.

When you add the motion controls and then the ability to actually step around naturally, you stop just looking at the world and start being there. You spend less time judging if something looks real by the quality of its visuals because it becomes a lot more real as you walk around it, pick it up etc