When I played with an oculus a few months back I was able to wear my glasses and put it on overtop. It's a tiny bit of a hassle trying to get it on and off, but it did work. I suspect your mileage may vary based on the size of your glasses and how tightly they'd fit inside. I also believe the kit itself comes with custom lenses that you can swap out to help with nearsightedness, but they are approximate lenses, and may not be perfect. I would imagine for the best experience you'd either want to demo it with your glasses on before buying, or invest in contact lenses.
> I also believe the kit itself comes with custom lenses that you can swap out to help with nearsightedness
That was true for DK3, but not the consumer version. Due to expensive custom lenses, precise calibration to the screens and physical IPD adjustments switchable lenses would be awkward and expensive. You're just intended to wear your glasses now.
They said a while back that they'd include a "glasses spacer" to fit between the facial foam and the headset for more space if needed.
Triple the resolution (so 9x the pixel count), double the framerate, and add another factor of x10 in rendering/compute for better complexity/realism. Altogether, we're only about a factor of 200x away from perfection...
I've listened to one of the Carmack Keynotes on VR a while back (probably QuakeCon) and he was talking about tracking the eye movement and then only rendering in high quality the stuff that the eyes focus on. So we'll see what kind of tech advances more rapidly, the pure performance side or the software/tricky side. :D Hopefully both.
Forveated rendering is definitely required as the current implementation is simply not efficient use of computing resources.
I am personally much more interested in lightfield / holographic VR, where the eyes are free to focus naturally on any object on display. That would solve a lot of motion sickness issues induced by a phenomenon called vergence-accommodation Conflict.
I wasn't aware much of the motion sickness was due to the mismatch in vergence and accommodation. I'm sensitive to the this, but it mostly means I have a hard time focusing on some things in 3D movies (generally when things pop out of the screen at me, e.g. I just see double images) and it causes eyestrain and probably some headache. But I've never felt nauseated in a 3D movie.
Requiring a moderately stout gaming PC and then not providing displays capable of doing justice to AAA titles and requiring you to use a freaking gamepad is intolerably retrograde in my opinion. Especially considering how far we've come with regards to gaming monitor technology, but I'm still hopeful that this isn't just another cycle showing us that VR-tech isn't ready yet (or the next 3D, Wii or Kinect / Move). Of course there seems to be plenty of people willing to jump on the bleeding edge for $599, so all I can say is good luck, we're all counting on you!
It's not that higher resolution screens could not have been used, it's that there is no graphics hardware currently in existence that can maintain 90-120Hz at 4k gaming on a AAA level quality game even in multi SLI or Crossfire. Releasing 4k res virtual reality in 2016 would result is such stuttering movement that it would be intolerable after 20 seconds of use. The most powerful machines currently available struggle to handle a single picture at 4k rendering at tolerable framerates in AAA level games with high end settings. If you're looking for seamless 4k level it's going to be a few years before it'll be feasible with VR and even then it'll be pricey. Until then, I'm happy to be a guinea pig as this is still by far the most immersive experience available to a consumer to date.
If money's an issue and you already have a phone with gyros, try Google Cardboard. I played about with one recently and it's great fun even with half the resolution of the Rift. No excuse for fence sitting!
Just be aware that there are a lot of other major differences between Cardboard and the Rift, not just resolution. It hints at what's possible, but the resultant experience is on a very different level. Ideally find a friend or public demo that'll allow you to try a Rift or Vive a few of months from now.
I'm basically sold on the idea, but waiting for actual retail release, user reviews and possible subsequent price adjustment (including of the HTC Vive) before buying. Also excited to see whether the Valve Source engine back catalogue all gets VR-enabled.
You mightn't want to do this, but just mentioning that you can technically preorder one or both early to get in line and reserve the preorder bonuses, then cancel one or both before shipping (and after reviews and impressions are available) as appropriate.
The estimated shipping date for Rift preorders is currently July. Estimate for Vive was May last I checked. Oculus doesn't take any money up-front. HTC doesn't take money for credit card orders.
It looks like it may be best to skip the 1st gen VR units and wait for the higher-res ones which follow. Though hopefully enough people will buy these 1st-gen versions in order to ensure that work proceeds on the 2nd-gen...
Was fogging a real problem? Maybe they could fit some sort of fan to very gently blow air across from one side (seriously).
Also what happens for glasses wearers: presumably varifocals won't work well, but can it fit over single-vision lenses, or does it have a focus adjustment screw of some sort for each eye such that you wouldn't need your glasses when using it?
"Was fogging a real problem? Maybe they could fit some sort of fan to very gently blow air across from one side (seriously)." I definitely remember Carmack talking it about it being a problem and adding a fan with the GearVR stuff, because of the additional hardware (smartphone) in the HMD.
They actually did add a passive fan to one early version of Gear VR, though it was removed for the consumer version (possibly to cut costs?)
I haven't personally had a problem with fogging in any HMD except in rare cases when my nose was positioned in such a way that I partially exhaled into the headset. Other people have considerable trouble, though. It's possible it depends on the climate or something, or perhaps some people are also partially breathing into their headsets depending on face shape(?)
Pretty please: Develop a proper VR headset testbench / methodology to actually provide something more than just subjective analysis of the headsets coming to market.
It is not easy, but for example figuring out a way to measure motion to photon latency and maybe actual resolution measurements etc.
Maybe make your own application that renders ISO 12233 resolution charts at various virtual distances and locations to 3D-space and then making subjective analysis on the rendering (or maybe even capturing the output of the headsets with camera if possible etc?
Oh, wow, I'm already like 3x more excited for these reviews now! :D That's awesome.
In a way, I hope VR's focus on motion latency pushes "backward" into normal monitors. I've been using low-persistence / strobed backlight mode on my ASUS VG248QE and it's like playing on a CRT.
I have no idea why ULMB (or strobed backlights in general) aren't the next holy grail of gaming monitors.
Because ULMB is still a worse experience than traditional CRTs (brightness is gimped even on the best units and they still have worse input latency than non ULMB LED displays). High refresh rates and Freesync displays is easily the best new technology to come to monitors and could be carried over to VR to reduce 4K requirements.
And just to add to this now that I'm a laptop, we can't provide everything on your wish list. But we will absolutely be taking a look at motion to photon latency.
Good to hear Project Cars is being worked on, with a steering wheel and buttkicker in a cupseat this game makes for one the most immersive VR experiences I enjoy at home.
To tell you the truth, I expected very little, but it on my head, and was blown away.
I was 'in' a psychiatric hospital, more reminiscent of a horror film, and it was incredible.
I tried to buy one (3,500 THB) on the spot, but he said only S6 (I have S5) and later were compatible, which I confirmed on some whatever website out of view of the salesman in case he was mistaken.
I must say though, was it the gaps between the pixels he referred to I was seeing? As it wasn't a perfect image. But even on the Gear VR, I felt like there were no latency issues either.
This will bring a whole new dimension to gaming. And yes I was slagging off this tech on this site some months ago, I admit it.
Agreed, GearVR is a very sick package to get a good VR experience without being tethered to anything. Sorry to hear that S5 was a no go, but with S6, S7 (Edge to) and Note 5 compatibility it covers a lot of users!
After getting a Nexus 6P, I actually kept my S6 just for the VR experience
I'm hoping the retail Oculus is significantly better than the Oculus DK2. Because if choosing between the DK2 and Gear VR, I would pick the Gear VR.
Gear VR is much more limited then a rift - it's just got a phone processor and just uses the phone accelerometer so doesn't really know where you are, just what direction you are facing. However it is 10x slicker then the rift - the whole experience (ui, apps, etc) has been tuned nicely and it just works. It helps that there are no wires, no pc required, no controller, nothing extra.
The rift feels like demo gear in comparison but is capable of more but you get a whole slew of downsides - being cabled by a thick cable to a massive desktop pc for a start isn't great. then you have to keep going between the pc interface and the rift. You need an xbox controller which you can't see obviously when you put the headset on. The ui isn't sorted in the same way, and it involves you running stuff on your pc, then putting rift on, then taking it off, fiddling with stuff, putting it on again, etc. The software for the rift hasn't undergone the same quality control as the gear.
For all that the rift is capable of much more then the gear. Neither is comfortable to wear for prolonged periods - too much weight sitting out in front of your head, both will make you feel sick if you in any way felt sick in 3D films. Basically if you are serious about VR and are happy to fight with all the issues buy a rift, if you want a gadget that just works and to show off and have a bit of fun with, buy a gear.
GearVR has its own built in sensors as the phones accel/gyro are not accurate or fast enough.
Also every time you say Rift I think you mean DK2. The Rift has an Oculus Home app as a launch pad (almost identical to the GearVR) and also a slot in the face-foam so you can see down to your controller if you need to.
> Because if choosing between the DK2 and Gear VR, I would pick the Gear VR.
I feel the same way -- and, yes, the retail Rift is considerably better than Gear VR. (It still has the advantage of being portable and cordless, though.)
Gear VR actually still has a higher resolution, but the Rift's considerably less noticeable Screen Door Effect, higher refresh rate, and ability to render fancier graphics slightly oversampled (GearVR slightly under-samples except for the cinema screen and 360 photos) make up for it.
The pack-in games for the Rift are Lucky's Tale and EVE: Valkyrie. The latter of which was not on display at this event (but it's at their booth as a multiplayer setup).
Doom 3 BFG was planned before John Carmack left id software and, some time later directly following the Facebook acquisition, ZeniMax (who owns id software) decided to sue him, Palmer Luckey, and Oculus. The lawsuits are still ongoing, which makes things kind of awkward between the two companies.
I got the impression from this post, that Ryan didn't seem real impressed.
My question, money aside, is it something that provides a good experience to actually get? Meaning, is it something you would use each day?
I'm really considering this or the HTC. Mainly the HTC due to tie in with Steam and the controllers already being available. Software will be the make or break for these, I just don't see the "killer" game yet. I think the room space provided by the HTC will go by the wayside, much like standing up and using wii remotes. Most people got tired of that and want to experience VR sitting down.
On the contrary, I was impressed and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I just wanted to set reasonable expectations on the display; it's a good compromise to get a headset out the door in 2016, but in the long run it's going to be a few generations until pixel densities will be high enough to make pixels indiscernible on a display this close to your face.
Have you had an opportunity to use PSVR yet? From my understanding, it's the pentile display on the rift that aren't doing it any favors for SDE. The PSVR uses a more traditional display that, from what I've read, has less SDE than the Rift despite having a lower resolution (something to do with sub pixels from my understanding). I wish I could try them all in person before buying one.
I appreciated the objective analysis Ryan, this is the first review I've read from an intelligent tech persons point of view and it makes me excited to hear its as legitimate as I hoped. BTW I never realized how big your hands were until I saw you holding a gamepad! How the heck are you going to be building any of these super compact pc's coming down the pike. lol
Interesting article but AT really needs a good editor. By cutting out all the vague phrases in the article, it would come out more concise and be a better review. I hope you're not chasing word count as a benchmark for quality.
"Overall there’s nothing I’ve seen running on the Rift that couldn’t be done with a traditional 2D display, and to be honest I’m not sure if a game/experience that truly only works in VR will ever exist." How can I look really above my head while searching the landing pad I need to land with my spaceship with traditional 2d display?
To be honest I'd hate to have to try to make Job Simulator for a traditional display. Even if players had the hand controllers (which are very functionally different from Wiimotes, by the way, but PS Move would suffice), performing the same tasks and juggling sauce bottles etc. would be quite a different prospect with your hands ten feet in front of you and inside a TV.
Sounds like you are trying to land your spaceship upside down haha. Its easy actually, if you have an xbone controller then just use the right thumbstick
Agreed. I've never even used a head mounted display but recognize this statement to be false: "...experience that truly only works in VR will ever exist"
I'm an old school, strictly PC gamer (mouse/KB) since the early '90's. If the device will be strictly console-controller based, then I don't know if I'll leap into VR at some point...
In my experience, the quality of the screen and the refresh rate has a greater impact on the screen door effect than the resolution. I have had a better experience with both the Vive and the OSVR Hacker Dev Kit than the consumer rift. OSVR is less comfortable for me though. The Vive blows them all out of the water. The ability to stand up and interact with the environment, even on a basic level, is not only a more interesting and full experience, but it also abates motion sickness for me because I am actually moving around. Sitting down in a chair and using the Rift for too long in vehicle games or fast paced shooters makes me nauseous.
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Hrobertgar - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
There is a small typo on page 2: Oculus also HAS a separate motion controller system....Sivar - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Additionally, in "Closing Thoughts":`...the overall explosion of development of VR in the last few year[s].`
ironwing - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Can you comment on how accommodating the headset is to glasses wearers? Will progressive lenses work with the headset?inighthawki - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
When I played with an oculus a few months back I was able to wear my glasses and put it on overtop. It's a tiny bit of a hassle trying to get it on and off, but it did work. I suspect your mileage may vary based on the size of your glasses and how tightly they'd fit inside. I also believe the kit itself comes with custom lenses that you can swap out to help with nearsightedness, but they are approximate lenses, and may not be perfect. I would imagine for the best experience you'd either want to demo it with your glasses on before buying, or invest in contact lenses.Sven Viking - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
> I also believe the kit itself comes with custom lenses that you can swap out to help with nearsightednessThat was true for DK3, but not the consumer version. Due to expensive custom lenses, precise calibration to the screens and physical IPD adjustments switchable lenses would be awkward and expensive. You're just intended to wear your glasses now.
They said a while back that they'd include a "glasses spacer" to fit between the facial foam and the headset for more space if needed.
Sven Viking - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
"DK3" -> DK2 (typo)inighthawki - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
Ah, thanks for clarifying.ianmills - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
They are not expensive. You can order prescription glasses from asia cost less than $15. It shouldn't be a problemcoolhardware - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Great question.Would also be interested in how the retail Oculus compares to the Gear VR? Especially comfort, display quality, etc.
Ryan Smith - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
I don't wear glasses, so I don't feel that I'm qualified to comment on the matter.Samus - Friday, March 18, 2016 - link
LASIK :/nathanddrews - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Maybe by 2030 VR will be worthwhile. ;-)jasonelmore - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
nah i'd say by 2018 everything will have slimmed down a lot, and CPU's and GPU's will have the necessary hardware.bji - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
It's already worthwhile in 2016. Not perfect, but lots of fun and certainly worthwhile.boeush - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Triple the resolution (so 9x the pixel count), double the framerate, and add another factor of x10 in rendering/compute for better complexity/realism. Altogether, we're only about a factor of 200x away from perfection...Death666Angel - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
I've listened to one of the Carmack Keynotes on VR a while back (probably QuakeCon) and he was talking about tracking the eye movement and then only rendering in high quality the stuff that the eyes focus on. So we'll see what kind of tech advances more rapidly, the pure performance side or the software/tricky side. :D Hopefully both.ikjadoon - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
I think that's called foveated rendering. Or something like that.inighthawki - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Yup. Microsoft some research on it a while back:http://research.microsoft.com/pubs/176610/foveated...
boeush - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Put another way, just 8 more doublings in performance, and we're there!:-)
MobiusPizza - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
Forveated rendering is definitely required as the current implementation is simply not efficient use of computing resources.I am personally much more interested in lightfield / holographic VR, where the eyes are free to focus naturally on any object on display. That would solve a lot of motion sickness issues induced by a phenomenon called vergence-accommodation Conflict.
cobalt42 - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
I wasn't aware much of the motion sickness was due to the mismatch in vergence and accommodation. I'm sensitive to the this, but it mostly means I have a hard time focusing on some things in 3D movies (generally when things pop out of the screen at me, e.g. I just see double images) and it causes eyestrain and probably some headache. But I've never felt nauseated in a 3D movie.wallysb01 - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
What I'd like to know is when actual reality (AR) will be worthwhile!SlyNine - Friday, April 15, 2016 - link
You should try the motorcycle programs, they are amazing.mrvco - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Requiring a moderately stout gaming PC and then not providing displays capable of doing justice to AAA titles and requiring you to use a freaking gamepad is intolerably retrograde in my opinion. Especially considering how far we've come with regards to gaming monitor technology, but I'm still hopeful that this isn't just another cycle showing us that VR-tech isn't ready yet (or the next 3D, Wii or Kinect / Move). Of course there seems to be plenty of people willing to jump on the bleeding edge for $599, so all I can say is good luck, we're all counting on you!Noctrn - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
It's not that higher resolution screens could not have been used, it's that there is no graphics hardware currently in existence that can maintain 90-120Hz at 4k gaming on a AAA level quality game even in multi SLI or Crossfire. Releasing 4k res virtual reality in 2016 would result is such stuttering movement that it would be intolerable after 20 seconds of use. The most powerful machines currently available struggle to handle a single picture at 4k rendering at tolerable framerates in AAA level games with high end settings. If you're looking for seamless 4k level it's going to be a few years before it'll be feasible with VR and even then it'll be pricey. Until then, I'm happy to be a guinea pig as this is still by far the most immersive experience available to a consumer to date.HigherState - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
I'm sure you can as long as you have enough vram and don't try to run everything on ultra. I could be wrong though.jasonelmore - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
The 4k models are coming. I would say in less than a year, as a specialty product for those with the proper PC's to run it.bji - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Do you have some special knowledge here or are you just guessing?sor - Sunday, March 20, 2016 - link
AMD has stated they've been working with an unnamed company who has a 4k per eye device.http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/03/amd-radeon-...
Death666Angel - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Here's to playing the wait-and-see game with all the current VR stuff, as my money is way too precious to spend it on the first versions.stephenbrooks - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
If money's an issue and you already have a phone with gyros, try Google Cardboard. I played about with one recently and it's great fun even with half the resolution of the Rift. No excuse for fence sitting!Sven Viking - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
Just be aware that there are a lot of other major differences between Cardboard and the Rift, not just resolution. It hints at what's possible, but the resultant experience is on a very different level. Ideally find a friend or public demo that'll allow you to try a Rift or Vive a few of months from now.stephenbrooks - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
I'm basically sold on the idea, but waiting for actual retail release, user reviews and possible subsequent price adjustment (including of the HTC Vive) before buying. Also excited to see whether the Valve Source engine back catalogue all gets VR-enabled.Sven Viking - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
Yeah, that a probably a good idea.You mightn't want to do this, but just mentioning that you can technically preorder one or both early to get in line and reserve the preorder bonuses, then cancel one or both before shipping (and after reviews and impressions are available) as appropriate.
The estimated shipping date for Rift preorders is currently July. Estimate for Vive was May last I checked. Oculus doesn't take any money up-front. HTC doesn't take money for credit card orders.
PrinceGaz - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
It looks like it may be best to skip the 1st gen VR units and wait for the higher-res ones which follow. Though hopefully enough people will buy these 1st-gen versions in order to ensure that work proceeds on the 2nd-gen...Was fogging a real problem? Maybe they could fit some sort of fan to very gently blow air across from one side (seriously).
Also what happens for glasses wearers: presumably varifocals won't work well, but can it fit over single-vision lenses, or does it have a focus adjustment screw of some sort for each eye such that you wouldn't need your glasses when using it?
Death666Angel - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
"Was fogging a real problem? Maybe they could fit some sort of fan to very gently blow air across from one side (seriously)."I definitely remember Carmack talking it about it being a problem and adding a fan with the GearVR stuff, because of the additional hardware (smartphone) in the HMD.
Sven Viking - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
They actually did add a passive fan to one early version of Gear VR, though it was removed for the consumer version (possibly to cut costs?)I haven't personally had a problem with fogging in any HMD except in rare cases when my nose was positioned in such a way that I partially exhaled into the headset. Other people have considerable trouble, though. It's possible it depends on the climate or something, or perhaps some people are also partially breathing into their headsets depending on face shape(?)
AnnonymousCoward - Saturday, March 19, 2016 - link
What's a passive fan?zepi - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Pretty please: Develop a proper VR headset testbench / methodology to actually provide something more than just subjective analysis of the headsets coming to market.It is not easy, but for example figuring out a way to measure motion to photon latency and maybe actual resolution measurements etc.
Maybe make your own application that renders ISO 12233 resolution charts at various virtual distances and locations to 3D-space and then making subjective analysis on the rendering (or maybe even capturing the output of the headsets with camera if possible etc?
Ryan Smith - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Already done. =)ikjadoon - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Oh, wow, I'm already like 3x more excited for these reviews now! :D That's awesome.In a way, I hope VR's focus on motion latency pushes "backward" into normal monitors. I've been using low-persistence / strobed backlight mode on my ASUS VG248QE and it's like playing on a CRT.
I have no idea why ULMB (or strobed backlights in general) aren't the next holy grail of gaming monitors.
Madpacket - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Because ULMB is still a worse experience than traditional CRTs (brightness is gimped even on the best units and they still have worse input latency than non ULMB LED displays). High refresh rates and Freesync displays is easily the best new technology to come to monitors and could be carried over to VR to reduce 4K requirements.Ryan Smith - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
And just to add to this now that I'm a laptop, we can't provide everything on your wish list. But we will absolutely be taking a look at motion to photon latency.nagi603 - Friday, March 18, 2016 - link
Because strobed (PWM) lighting gives headaches to many many people.jmke - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Good to hear Project Cars is being worked on, with a steering wheel and buttkicker in a cupseat this game makes for one the most immersive VR experiences I enjoy at home.damianrobertjones - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
This is now, in my lifetime, the third time that companies have tried to push VR.Just another reason to try and get you back into the cycle of spending $$$ on crap you simply do not need. Hopefully it's better this time.
inighthawki - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
But didn't you know: The third time's the charm!Notmyusualid - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Just this evening - I tried the Gear VR.Inside of it was a Galaxy S6 Edge.
To tell you the truth, I expected very little, but it on my head, and was blown away.
I was 'in' a psychiatric hospital, more reminiscent of a horror film, and it was incredible.
I tried to buy one (3,500 THB) on the spot, but he said only S6 (I have S5) and later were compatible, which I confirmed on some whatever website out of view of the salesman in case he was mistaken.
I must say though, was it the gaps between the pixels he referred to I was seeing? As it wasn't a perfect image. But even on the Gear VR, I felt like there were no latency issues either.
This will bring a whole new dimension to gaming. And yes I was slagging off this tech on this site some months ago, I admit it.
coolhardware - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Agreed, GearVR is a very sick package to get a good VR experience without being tethered to anything. Sorry to hear that S5 was a no go, but with S6, S7 (Edge to) and Note 5 compatibility it covers a lot of users!After getting a Nexus 6P, I actually kept my S6 just for the VR experience
I'm hoping the retail Oculus is significantly better than the Oculus DK2. Because if choosing between the DK2 and Gear VR, I would pick the Gear VR.
Death666Angel - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
"Because if choosing between the DK2 and Gear VR, I would pick the Gear VR."Can you elaborate why? Just because of the freedom from a PC? :)
Dribble - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
Gear VR is much more limited then a rift - it's just got a phone processor and just uses the phone accelerometer so doesn't really know where you are, just what direction you are facing. However it is 10x slicker then the rift - the whole experience (ui, apps, etc) has been tuned nicely and it just works. It helps that there are no wires, no pc required, no controller, nothing extra.The rift feels like demo gear in comparison but is capable of more but you get a whole slew of downsides - being cabled by a thick cable to a massive desktop pc for a start isn't great. then you have to keep going between the pc interface and the rift. You need an xbox controller which you can't see obviously when you put the headset on. The ui isn't sorted in the same way, and it involves you running stuff on your pc, then putting rift on, then taking it off, fiddling with stuff, putting it on again, etc. The software for the rift hasn't undergone the same quality control as the gear.
For all that the rift is capable of much more then the gear. Neither is comfortable to wear for prolonged periods - too much weight sitting out in front of your head, both will make you feel sick if you in any way felt sick in 3D films. Basically if you are serious about VR and are happy to fight with all the issues buy a rift, if you want a gadget that just works and to show off and have a bit of fun with, buy a gear.
Virusx86 - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
GearVR has its own built in sensors as the phones accel/gyro are not accurate or fast enough.Also every time you say Rift I think you mean DK2. The Rift has an Oculus Home app as a launch pad (almost identical to the GearVR) and also a slot in the face-foam so you can see down to your controller if you need to.
Sven Viking - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
> Because if choosing between the DK2 and Gear VR, I would pick the Gear VR.I feel the same way -- and, yes, the retail Rift is considerably better than Gear VR. (It still has the advantage of being portable and cordless, though.)
Gear VR actually still has a higher resolution, but the Rift's considerably less noticeable Screen Door Effect, higher refresh rate, and ability to render fancier graphics slightly oversampled (GearVR slightly under-samples except for the cinema screen and 360 photos) make up for it.
Notmyusualid - Sunday, March 20, 2016 - link
"Screen Door Effect" - that is what I was trying to say! That was a big down side.But it sounds like you could have more fun at a party with the Gear VR, as it is so portable...
Try seaching out some of the reactions on well-known online video site to see what I'm on about.
erikr - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
No word about Doom 3 BFG? I thought it would the ultimate game voor the Rift and free with the Rift. Dont read about it anywhereRyan Smith - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
The pack-in games for the Rift are Lucky's Tale and EVE: Valkyrie. The latter of which was not on display at this event (but it's at their booth as a multiplayer setup).Sven Viking - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
Doom 3 BFG was planned before John Carmack left id software and, some time later directly following the Facebook acquisition, ZeniMax (who owns id software) decided to sue him, Palmer Luckey, and Oculus. The lawsuits are still ongoing, which makes things kind of awkward between the two companies.Dug - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
I got the impression from this post, that Ryan didn't seem real impressed.My question, money aside, is it something that provides a good experience to actually get?
Meaning, is it something you would use each day?
I'm really considering this or the HTC. Mainly the HTC due to tie in with Steam and the controllers already being available. Software will be the make or break for these, I just don't see the "killer" game yet. I think the room space provided by the HTC will go by the wayside, much like standing up and using wii remotes. Most people got tired of that and want to experience VR sitting down.
Ryan Smith - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
On the contrary, I was impressed and thoroughly enjoyed it.I just wanted to set reasonable expectations on the display; it's a good compromise to get a headset out the door in 2016, but in the long run it's going to be a few generations until pixel densities will be high enough to make pixels indiscernible on a display this close to your face.
DrawtheLine70 - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
Have you had an opportunity to use PSVR yet? From my understanding, it's the pentile display on the rift that aren't doing it any favors for SDE. The PSVR uses a more traditional display that, from what I've read, has less SDE than the Rift despite having a lower resolution (something to do with sub pixels from my understanding). I wish I could try them all in person before buying one.Spencer Andersen - Friday, March 18, 2016 - link
I appreciated the objective analysis Ryan, this is the first review I've read from an intelligent tech persons point of view and it makes me excited to hear its as legitimate as I hoped. BTW I never realized how big your hands were until I saw you holding a gamepad! How the heck are you going to be building any of these super compact pc's coming down the pike. lolserendip - Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - link
Interesting article but AT really needs a good editor. By cutting out all the vague phrases in the article, it would come out more concise and be a better review. I hope you're not chasing word count as a benchmark for quality.Paydogs - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
"Overall there’s nothing I’ve seen running on the Rift that couldn’t be done with a traditional 2D display, and to be honest I’m not sure if a game/experience that truly only works in VR will ever exist."How can I look really above my head while searching the landing pad I need to land with my spaceship with traditional 2d display?
Paydogs - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
really = trulySven Viking - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
To be honest I'd hate to have to try to make Job Simulator for a traditional display. Even if players had the hand controllers (which are very functionally different from Wiimotes, by the way, but PS Move would suffice), performing the same tasks and juggling sauce bottles etc. would be quite a different prospect with your hands ten feet in front of you and inside a TV.ianmills - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
Sounds like you are trying to land your spaceship upside down haha. Its easy actually, if you have an xbone controller then just use the right thumbstickAnnonymousCoward - Saturday, March 19, 2016 - link
Agreed. I've never even used a head mounted display but recognize this statement to be false: "...experience that truly only works in VR will ever exist"looper - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
I'm an old school, strictly PC gamer (mouse/KB) since the early '90's. If the device will be strictly console-controller based, then I don't know if I'll leap into VR at some point...jacksonjacksona - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
welcome toW_W_W_._a_j_k_o_b_e_s_h_o_e_s._C_O_M
n i k e $38
molotovpopsicle - Thursday, March 17, 2016 - link
In my experience, the quality of the screen and the refresh rate has a greater impact on the screen door effect than the resolution. I have had a better experience with both the Vive and the OSVR Hacker Dev Kit than the consumer rift. OSVR is less comfortable for me though. The Vive blows them all out of the water. The ability to stand up and interact with the environment, even on a basic level, is not only a more interesting and full experience, but it also abates motion sickness for me because I am actually moving around. Sitting down in a chair and using the Rift for too long in vehicle games or fast paced shooters makes me nauseous.AnnonymousCoward - Saturday, March 19, 2016 - link
I bet those phones got nothin on my Sony MDR-7504.I can't blame Occulus though; most people I know watch TV with the dismal integrated speaker(s).
AnnonymousCoward - Saturday, March 19, 2016 - link
I think this article should have also mentioned OLED's gargantuan improvement in contrast ratio and completely black blacks.The mix of infinite contrast ratio, 3D, 90Hz, and large FOV seems killer.
I bet the gen 2 Rift makes the FOV wider.
Badelhas - Tuesday, March 22, 2016 - link
what I really like to read is a HTC Vive reviewSimplex - Wednesday, March 23, 2016 - link
Rock Paper Shotgun has a nice writeup on Vive: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/17/htc-vi...Simplex - Wednesday, March 23, 2016 - link
ArsTechnica too:http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/03/no-longer-vi...