Got my hands on an Oculus Rift -- my impressions of the technology. (Also, ask me anything)

[Lurkily]

I've got the setup working, and figured that with few having the opportunity to test-run these, I'd share my impressions.  If you have questions, ask away.  I'll answer any questions to the best of my ability.

Oculus Rift and the Vive/Vive Pro are on the pricey side; they're the high end of the market, retailing between $300-$500, so they're not poised to saturate the market quite yet.  According to most accounts, the tracking and quality on these two seems to lead the pack by a wide margin, but the cost is high on any system that's very capable.  (Oculus has a new system coming out, Oculus Quest, which is more like a console - depending on how that develops, it may be a kinder price point, and more like a standalone console than a PC accessory.)

As far as how well it works, I would call this a mature technology, just with a price point that's too high at this point.  Given good sensor placement, tracking is extremely good, matching my own nonvisual perception of hand position. (Proprioception.)  With a two-sensor setup, you DO have to face forward - some games with archery, if your pull is to the left and you aim to the left, the controller drawing the arrow might hide behind your head. (And thus not be tracked accurately.)  Tracking with sensor visibility though is good enough for no-look throws and blind sword swings.

The biggest issue currently is that content is limited, even with some classic titles converted to VR-compatible stuff.  There are good titles out there, but nothing like the availability of titles on a console, let alone the PC market.  With some work, you can get any Direct-X 9, 10, or 11 came to work, though you'll be using a controller or keyboard/mouse.  Still, just being able to turn your head helps a ton for immersion, and being seated helps limit disorientation from turning and moving.  Dead Space was already pants-crappingly terrifying, but now . . . yikes.

Sensor calibration is finicky as hell - but it's not really a calibration, it's more a guide to help you properly place sensors.  You can skip calibration to place them with more sense before laying out your play area.  This is actually a very good idea with three sensors, as calibration seems to be specifically designed for two sensors in front, and tries to conform to that ideal even with more sensors, when equidistant placement makes more sense.

Speaking of which - you trace your play area with a controller, then set the center of it.  This provides a boundary that tells the rift when you're leaving a safe space, and it will project a wireframe to show you where your limits are when you begin to stray in-game.

Motion sickness is an issue, for some.  With Skyrim set to free roam, I found myself leaning against in-game movement while I stood still, and strafing while turning is very dizzying. The divide between apparent motion and the motion I feel (or don't feel) is just too disorienting, though I didn't get sick.  Most games default to turning in snap increments and some kind of short-range teleport system for basic movement.  With no apparent movement on screen, this eliminates the issue, and some games have made very creative approaches to this, working it into gameplay.

[georgie]

I went on my best friend's vr thing a year or so ago and I ran into a wall. then I hit my head crawling around trying to find something lmao

[Broken]

4 hours ago, heyitsgeorgie said:

I went on my best friend's vr thing a year or so ago and I ran into a wall. then I hit my head crawling around trying to find something lmao

My cousin tried my Vr and we put on one of the free horror ones, and she got so scared a she fell out of her chair, then scooted herself backwards into the kitchen, while trying to grasp the wall.

This was a couple years ago.

[Lurkily]

8 hours ago, heyitsgeorgie said:

I went on my best friend's vr thing a year or so ago and I ran into a wall. then I hit my head crawling around trying to find something lmao

The rift, once you set up the sensors, has you trace your play area out with the controller.  This sets up a 'safe zone'.  When either controller (Or headset, I think) gets close to this, a wireframe appears, outlining the borders of your play area, so that you can orient yourself and back away from hazards.  I don't know if Vive does the same, (I expect it must,) but Steam's VR platform has something called a chaperone which I believe has the same function, though I haven't investigated it.

[Lurkily]

4 hours ago, Brokenshock said:

My cousin tried my Vr and we put on one of the free horror ones, and she got so scared a she fell out of her chair, then scooted herself backwards into the kitchen, while trying to grasp the wall.

Dead Space was terrifying the first time I played it.  In VR?  EEEEEESH.

I do find I have to scale back difficulty, without having free and reactive movement.

[jennymarlv]

On 1/27/2019 at 7:09 AM, Broken said:

My cousin tried my Vr and we put on one of the free horror ones, and she got so scared a she fell out of her chair, then scooted herself backwards into the kitchen, while trying to grasp the wall.

This was a couple years ago.

If you want true terror, Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted is amazing. I've had to remove my headset to avoid having a heart attack.