PC/Console gaming via VR - just a gimmick?

[adolf hamster]

Also, most consumers want less gizmos, more apple simplicity. VR is already too geeky looking for most without robot arms. no HMD wires first, then no HMD or at least smaller glasses or something would do a lot to help

"most consumers" don't want a fast car or an uber expensive gaming rig, doesn't stop it from being a thing.

like all things, this is new, the first real iteration of mass marketed products, of course there's going to be improvements, new features and most importantly massive cost-downs before it becomes commonplace.

 

[ro55o]

I bought my rift after trying out a friends PSVR. Was very tempted by the PSVR but the Oculus seemed to offer so much more over and above the playstation. I absolutely love it, adding a whole new immersion to gaming and so much more fun to be had. I don't use it on a daily basis, but at the weekends, especially if I've got friends around (Seeing someone use it for the very first time is awesome). There's a decent selection of games which keep me coming back, including some excellent AAA games in the form of Robo Recall and Arizona Sunshine. I will agree with others in here that cockpit based games, Dirt Rally, PCars and ED are all made so much better in VR.

I will say that if I didn't already have a 'capable' VR PC I wouldn't have given it another thought as the cost was more than enough. On another note, the touch controllers for the Rift are fantastic and improve on the immersion. I'm looking forward to see the improvements made on it and can't see me losing interest in VR anytime soon.

 

[PhoenixUK]

you're missing out on the best VR has to offer.

VR Pr0n..

 

[Fireblade2K4]

In my opinion VR can be expensive for some, it requires a decent level of computer hardware, it's sometimes buggy, it can be cumbersome to use and sometimes even inconvenient like when playing Assetto Corsa for example and having to take off the headset every time you head back to the menu.

However taking all of that into account and being an Oculus Rift user what its gives me personally allows me to overlook all of those issues due to the experience and the immersion it delivers in the titles I play such as iRacing, Assetto Corsa, PCARS, Elite Dangerous, Dirt Rally and a few others, they're all seated cockpit experiences which I feel is where VR is currently at its best.

I've tried room scale with a HTC Vive and for me personally I think it's a novelty, mostly because of the limitations of the games and demos which are designed for room scale the novelty soon wears off, where as with a seated experience there are far less limitations, actually probably not any at all, for me there are there are only advantages and this is where I see the split in the VR community, it's between those who use it seated and those who use if purely for room scale, it suits one far better than the other currently and I don't see this changing any time soon.

 

[TNA]

Just isn't any gaming making me wish i bought a VR headset. without the games is dead already for me.

This. Happy to wait and buy better and cheaper headset in future if this ever changes.

 

[regulus]

I'll definitely grab a Vive once the 2nd generation hits. I actually have an empty spare room in my place where I can use room scale but just not keen on the wires. Hopefully enough of you guys support first generation so that 2nd generation R&D comes up with something better.

 

[Zethor]

Despite the claims of the VR apostles and the misplaced optimism of some tech companies (such as Facebook), VR has always been n will for a long time be a niche gimmick for a very simple reason. Most people don't want to be cut off from the world while they are gaming. They want a tea/coffee/beer, a snack, they want to hear/see their kids/family members, they want to talk/multitask etc. The high prices and thr lack of mainstream developer support are not helping either.

VR is yet again dying, which what normally happens when a product's market is niche or nonexistant.

 

[Teknobry]

you seem almost bitter in your comment!

I don't think the sales figures and upcoming releases really support your opinion fortunately.

 

[Zethor]

you seem almost bitter in your comment!

I don't think the sales figures and upcoming releases really support your opinion fortunately.

The sales have been below expectations through 2016, companies are not even releasing numbers (I wonder why that is ), 2017 isn't looking good either, the 'killer app' doesn't exist..

I'm not bitter, just stating facts. Are you perhaps projecting your own feelings?

 

[Teknobry]

If i didn't like the vive i'd just sell it, but think its great and the only non vr title i bother with now is rocket league.
What sources have you found that state sales are below expectations and VR is 'dying'?
The wireless adapter will make a big difference as well when that gets its uk release.
Fallout 4 VR is on its way, payday 2, half life VR...there is lots to look forward to.

 

[Guest2]

Gimmick still I think. I had an Oculus Rift and the only proper game I could play was Dirt Rally. It was fantastic and improved the game as it made it easier to judge cornering.

Everything else would just a demo to impress or games that made me feel a bit sick. Still, it was good as allows new types of genres to be developed such as Mythos - https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1221236131237268/

 

[Surfer]

There is a market for it once the headset is a tad more comfortable and screen res is higher and maybe better fov as well (so less goggle effect)

I would play all my games in it once the above is completed. The immersion level is that good. Unfortunately i reckon it will be a few years before we get the kind of headset i am happy with lol

 

[TNA]

There is a market for it once the headset is a tad more comfortable and screen res is higher and maybe better fov as well (so less goggle effect)

I would play all my games in it once the above is completed. The immersion level is that good. Unfortunately i reckon it will be a few years before we get the kind of headset i am happy with lol

Yep, that, price and needs a killer app.

No rush, I am happy to wait.

 

[DONOHUE07]

Funnily enough, I have been looking into buying a VR headset this weekend, I researched all weekend, but other than Robo Recall and the odd 'cool for a an hour' game I don't see anything worth my time and money. I don't fancy standing up in work for 8 hours than standing up at home to play a game. Most games seem to linear on trails shooters with 'teleporting' as movement, not sure if that will break the immersion. If I was really into driving games or cockpit simulators I'm sure the Vive/Rift would be worth the purchase, but as it is, with the price to high and nothing that i consider to be a 'must buy title' VR falls squarely into 'not for me' category

 

[GoogalyMoogaly]

Just isn't any gaming making me wish i bought a VR headset. without the games is dead already for me.

I pretty much agree with this.
Currently there's just nothing making me want to spend that sort of money on VR and so far it seems like it's been mostly used as a gimmick.
I think there is potential there for something though, so I don't think it's dead yet it just needs to be refined a bit more.

I think it probably works well in cockpit games (flying/space/racing sims) but probably less so for FPS type games.
I think the trouble room-scale has is movement over larger distances. If I'm playing something like Doom, Half Life or Fallout and I need to do a lot of walking, somehow making it so that the person just walks around their VR space constantly making right turns is going to be tricky to fit into a game. Having the point and teleport system just seems really clunky.

then consider the probably large number of games that aren't first-person games. Games like Dota 2, League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm, etc. have huge playerbases, but I'm not sure how VR would benefit them.
Other games too like Diablo 3 or Path of Exile.
MMO like WoW might be more doable if you can get around the movement issue.
I'd imagine most 3rd person games would be a bit odd in VR unless you make them 1st person.
Even if you consider FPS games, would you really want to do roomscale in BF1, Overwatch or CSGO?

Currently the most played games on Steam are:
Dota 2
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS
Team Fortress 2
H1Z1: King of the Kill
Football Manager 2017
ARK: Survival Evolved
Grand Theft Auto V
Rocket League
Fallout 4

Now how many of them would work in roomscale VR?
How many would work with just headset VR?

I think to some degree we're in a vicious cycle of a lot of game developers don't want to spend time and money on VR until it's more popular but people don't want to invest in VR until there are more decent games.
And do big games companies make exclusive VR games or do they have to make games that can be played without VR to have a large enough customer-base to be profitable? Does that dilute the experience for one or the other groups?

I don't actually own a VR headset, but I do have a friend that's kind enough to let me try it out his VIVE whenever I'm over his place.

 

[Boycey0211]

Owning one and still playing a couple of the games on that list i reckon I can give a valid opinion.

VR gaming has its place, but not in the mainstream for a couple of reasons.

1. Price. You're looking at £600 for the cheapest headset and controllers. Now add in the extra cost for a GPU that can run it well and for a lot of people you're looking at another few £100's. If you look at the games you've posted most of those are FTP or cheap as chips appealing to weaker economies i.e eastern europe/russia. Thats why they can't stump up the cash for VR.

2. It doesnt suit FPS games due to motion sickness, the movement tends to be quite controlled and just wouldn't work with pretty much every game listed there.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I bought into it as I'm a flight simmer and for that its great, and theres loads of stuff out there that works really well with it, but it needs to be cheaper and less hardware intensive to take off fully.

No way is it a fad though, its here to stay now

 

[dirtybeatfreak]

MMO like WoW might be more doable if you can get around the movement issue.
I'd imagine most 3rd person games would be a bit odd in VR unless you make them 1st person.
Even if you consider FPS games, would you really want to do roomscale in BF1, Overwatch or CSGO?

Currently the most played games on Steam are:
Dota 2
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS
Team Fortress 2
H1Z1: King of the Kill
Football Manager 2017
ARK: Survival Evolved
Grand Theft Auto V
Rocket League
Fallout 4

Now how many of them would work in roomscale VR?
How many would work with just headset VR?

3rd person/platform games are great in VR and there are several games out which utilise this already. One of the Rifts launch games was a 3rd person platform game (Luckys Tale) and another a 3rd person (Chronos).

FPSs can work in VR, games like Onward which have a great locomotion system work really well and are extremely immersive.There is also already a CSGO type game called Pavlov, which works very well. Only downside is gfx are very poor (but being worked on).

Fallout 4 is already getting an official VR mode/conversion. Some companies like AMD are touting it as the 'Mario and Sonic of VR'. Same as HL2 (though this may not be official).

WOW has been modded to work in VR and is quite good fun apparently.

Agree with you on the Diablo style games and this is by far my fav' genre so I'm hoping some magic can be made with them

 

[Raumarik]

Fallout 4 was released in 2015.. 2015 mate, still doesn't have VR support?

I'm all for VR, massive fanboy of it but I don't own one now as the technology still needs 5 to 10 years to mature and frankly become viable for most people. I'd argue the average PC needs time to improve to a degree where it can power them without a seemingly costly minimum bar. Fingers crossed.

 

[Surfer]

The VR star trek game is getting good reviews...and i sold my vr headset dammit!

 

[David230]

I've had my rift over 6 months. I was using it last night for euro truck sim 2... There is a lot of rubbish out there for VR but some games are absolute gems in VR.. Mostly simulator based games which is what I predicted would be the niche for VR in its current state..

That said, I still use my monitor for a large portion of the games I play so its not like its taken over.