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[Compsiox]

edit: actually that should be ok. Just checked my light stands and they have a 1/4" screw thread on the top

you get these in the Vive Pre (assume it'll be similar for the consumer version). Not sure whether that means you can also adjust the angle when attached to a tripod/lightstand?

From official preorder page:

Includes the Vive headset, two wireless controllers, two base stations, link box, earbuds, Vive accessories, safety guide and warranty card.

https://store.htcvivecart.com/store/htcus/en_US/quickcart/ThemeID.40533800/OfferID.48383055501

Considering they mention the small things like a safety guide but don't mention stands/mounts I'm a little concerned.

edit: Probably under Vive accessories

 

[dofry]

Nice explanation and I get all of that. The limitation to a room is quite limiting at the moment though. Couldn't they just add an analog stick as well? And for the full immersion effect, 1st person will be the way to go and that's quite limiting as well in terms of game genres.

The problem with 1st person and a thumb stick is that it makes many people, including myself, sick. There's a reason why Palmer Luckey said game pads are shitty VR controllers. If you want to play a 3rd person game or cockpit game with the Vive, there is nothing stopping you. It will still work with your game pad, hotas, driving wheel, etc.

Room scale itself is the exact opposite of limiting though. Physically taking cover, peaking around corners, throwing things, shooting, painting, golfing, sword fighting, building a Rube Goldberg machine in mod box or whatever other action you want to perform is way more satisfying when you're actually doing it instead of just pushing a button and opens up 1st person to a whole new set of experiences. Tilt Brush, mod box, budget cuts, job simulator, the gallery, hover Junkers, audio shield, mini golf, sky world and whatever else I'm leaving out are all completely different types of games that support room scale and the device hasn't even launched yet. Give developers more than a year of development time and we should see a lot more unique experiences.

Just to extend a bit to Monger's post. That's the thing, you can't think movement in a 3D space the same way to a 2D screen when you are inside that 3D world. The rules don't apply. Some get easily sick when using traditional controls, some less. Mostly it's physiological stuff, like you don't have any focal point that grounds you into the real world which makes you a bit ill when moving, or it's something else. You have to understand that VR is developing fast with no established guidelines to everything we already have for normal games. So, implementing traditional stuff usually does not work in VR. Some do e.g. cockpit situated games as the cockpit itself acts as the focal point for your brain easing you to the environment. When you try VR I think it would be very clear for you what works and what doesn't.
I am not a crazy expert on all things VR, so someone correct me if I make mistakes here.

But regardless of people like it or not, the exciting part is that we get to experiment a lot now and make those new solutions a reality. Good times.

 

[Compsiox]

Now get another 980ti so you can have VR SLI!

Which is much easier to support at a driver level than standard SLI - essentially just using each card to render for each eye.



This is cool in many respects... but sadly, the combat looks really uninvolved. A shame, but I'm down to give it a shot!

I think a well done rouge-like for VR could be one of its big killer apps to be honest.

I talked to an Oculus team member and they said that it's a horrible idea to depend on VR SLI. Also I think you're kind of wrong about it being easier to support.

 

[Zaptruder]

I talked to an Oculus team member and they said that it's a horrible idea to depend on VR SLI. Also I think you're kind of wrong about it being easier to support.

Really? That sucks D:

Or did they mean horrible to rely on it from the perspective of the developer?

Well... I mean, I guess if devs are targeting 970s, and the resolution and frame rates are fixed... a super rig isn't going to add a whole lot of extra benefits...

I can't see devs spending significant budget on building graphical features that few of their userbase can properly utilize...

 

[Kysen]

Just saw the Lan party Budget Cuts video and that pushed me over the edge. Watching D play and seeing how accurate the tracking is was just mind blowing.

Is the SDK available to download somewhere when it arrives?

 

[Compsiox]

Really? That sucks D:

Or did they mean horrible to rely on it from the perspective of the developer?

Well... I mean, I guess if devs are targeting 970s, and the resolution and frame rates are fixed... a super rig isn't going to add a whole lot of extra benefits...

I can't see devs spending significant budget on building graphical features that few of their userbase can properly utilize...

Yup it was talking specifically about getting a new GPU so it'd be horrible from consumer perspective cause nothing is really being done to support VR SLI.

So go for single powerful GPU.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Yup it was talking specifically about getting a new GPU so it'd be horrible from consumer perspective cause nothing is really being done to support VR SLI.

So go for single powerful GPU.

That's unfortunate. Fancy graphics aren't necessarily required for an immersive experience, but they could contribute to an even greater degree of immersion. I'm sure they'll get there eventually, but it's still a little disappointing.

 

[Zaptruder]

Palmer himself said so on his 2nd AMA on the oculous reddit on Jan.

Basically its a fucking nightmare unless its perfect on both driver and game sides. Pretty much rules it out for vr first gen.

Ah man. Oh well, all the more reason to upgrade to next gen vid card when they come out D:

 

[Raticus79]

Any more details about why VR SLI is bad to work with? I was really looking forward to it. (I have two Titan X cards and was hoping to crank up the internal rendering resolution)

I know it had been mentioned as being in the works for UE4.

Edit: maybe not as big of a problem with DirectX 12 multi-GPU coming up. http://www.roadtovr.com/nvidia-takes-the-lid-off-gameworks-vr-technical-deep-dive-and-community-qa/

 

[metareferential]

If SLI-VR really isn't getting good support with gen1 VR I'm going to sell my second 980ti and buy something else instead.

 

[Mihos]

I think a well done rouge-like for VR could be one of its big killer apps to be honest.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/433600/?snr=1_7_7_151_150_1

 

[jabberwocker]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/433600/?snr=1_7_7_151_150_1

Umm.. I wouldnt think that would be called a AAA title. It looks like a tech demo.

 

[jabberwocker]

Question for anyone that has a vive pre. as far as movement goes I heard that using a thumbpad for movement in room scale can make people sick. what about lets say using one of the controllers as a joystick instead to move and jump (bend a certain degree in the direction to begin to walk or run) other arm to shoot or swing?

 

[Mihos]

Umm.. I wouldnt think that would be called a AAA title. It looks like a tech demo.

No one said AAA anywhere in that conversation....


And what was the last AAA Roguelike......

 

[jaaz]

Perhaps a stupid question, but these base stations, can they be placed above and behind an objective that defines the playable space? For example, can a base station be mounted on a corner where immediately below it is a corner desk that extends 3 feet from underneath the base station? Or does the base station need to have clear space underneath it (i.e., defines the corner of the playable space)?

 

[mrklaw]

Perhaps a stupid question, but these base stations, can they be placed above and behind an objective that defines the playable space? For example, can a base station be mounted on a corner where immediately below it is a corner desk that extends 3 feet from underneath the base station? Or does the base station need to have clear space underneath it (i.e., defines the corner of the playable space)?

That'd be fine. The base stations have to be outside of the play space but do not define the edge - you define the edge by drawing it with your controllers.

So in your case you could mount the base station above the desk but define the edge to be in front of the desk

 

[Monger]

Question for anyone that has a vive pre. as far as movement goes I heard that using a thumbpad for movement in room scale can make people sick. what about lets say using one of the controllers as a joystick instead to move and jump (bend a certain degree in the direction to begin to walk or run) other arm to shoot or swing?

Sounds like a cool mech control scheme minus the jumping.

No Vive but VR experience. Any disconnect between your visual and your vestibular stimuli can cause motion sickness. 3rd person games where the camera swings can do it. Acceleration and moving one way while looking another can do it. Games like Windland use a comfort mode to snap turn vs a smooth rotation. There are other ways to minimize or delay it like a cockpit or a nose to focus on but it's always a potential problem when you have a disconnect between what you see and what you feel.

 

[Dreamwriter]

Umm.. I wouldnt think that would be called a AAA title. It looks like a tech demo.

Tech demo? It looks like a normal indie game to me. It's like a game that's all Zelda dungeon with rogue like gameplay, looks great.

 

[mrklaw]

oh - the limitations of room scale could bring back dungeon crawlers in VR. That'd be epic.

 

[T.O.P]

Since i followed the Vive a bit but i mostly heard stuff about the Oculus through the last couple of years, will i be able to play modded games and stuff like that with the Vive? I mean, am i forced to use it with Steam, and Steam only, or if a user decides to create VR support for, let's say, Alien Isolation i can go and play it like that? Or the other small games that i saw work with Oculus like the rollercoaster thingy, will those work not being on Steam?

Might be a weird thing to ask but i have no clue about what "limitations" each vr set offers tbh, and 1k is ofc making me questions my decisions more than once lol

 

[Durante]

Any more details about why VR SLI is bad to work with?

I don't think it's a "nightmare" to work with exactly.

They are not recommending depending on it because it requires explicit software support, which will not be there in a lot of software -- especially the first wave of VR software. So that suggestion makes a lot of sense.

oh - the limitations of room scale could bring back dungeon crawlers in VR. That'd be epic.

A tile-based dungeon crawler with 1 room per tile is something I've wanted to do ever since the first time I heard about room-scale tracking.

Since i followed the Vive a bit but i mostly heard stuff about the Oculus through the last couple of years, will i be able to play modded games and stuff like that with the Vive? I mean, am i forced to use it with Steam, and Steam only, or if a user decides to create VR support for, let's say, Alien Isolation i can go and play it like that? Or the other small games that i saw work with Oculus like the rollercoaster thingy, will those work not being on Steam?

Might be a weird thing to ask but i have no clue about what "limitations" each vr set offers tbh, and 1k is ofc making me questions my decisions more than once lol

From the point of view of mods, the Vive can be targeted using OpenVR, which is ultimately just a Windows dll and can be called from anywhere.

 

[T.O.P]

From the point of view of mods, the Vive can be targeted using OpenVR, which is ultimately just a Windows dll and can be called from anywhere.

Awesome, thanks for the anwer, gonna go and charge my cc in the next few days

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Alright, what games are on you guys short lists for VR around launch time? After watching some videos, my haul is looking like:

Descent: Underground
Windlands
Albino Lullaby
Mind: Path to Thalamus
Arizona Sunshine
The Brookhaven Experiment
Irrational Exuberance
Cloudlands VR Minigolf
Budget Cuts
Jeeboman
Audioshield
Light Repair Team #4
Modbox
Space Pirate Trainer
Job Simulator
Call of Starseed
Sluggy's Fruit Emporium
Tiltbrush

I already own Elite Dangerous so I don't feel a need to list that one. I know some of these are going to come with the Vive which is cool, but yea...I expect my collection to be quite robust from jump.

 

[Zaptruder]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/433600/?snr=1_7_7_151_150_1

Are you referring me back to the same game in which I'm implying in my reply is not quite up to scratch?

Yes, yes you are.

 

[Tesseract]

i'm devastated i can't afford this

$800 is a bummer

 

[simonski]

So that SteamVR performance test, does it actually run in VR, or just a simulation of VR (ie can I view it on my Rift?)

 

[BigTnaples]

So, questions.


1. Will Vive and Occulus easily show the VR image on TV/Monitor like the social screen on PSVR? Or will it need other software? I noticed the Fantastic Contraption trailer says the second screen adds a social element.. so is it native?


2. The VR stress test or Robot Repair Demo. Will this be available to play? Free? Price?

3. Is it known weather all of the previous DK2/Vive Pre hacked games will still work? Like Doom 3, Alien Isolation, Skyrim, etc.

In other words, non official VR games.

 

[KingSnake]

Alright, what games are on you guys short lists for VR around launch time? After watching some videos, my haul is looking like:

Descent: Underground
Windlands
Albino Lullaby
Mind: Path to Thalamus
Arizona Sunshine
The Brookhaven Experiment
Irrational Exuberance
Cloudlands VR Minigolf
Budget Cuts
Jeeboman
Audioshield
Light Repair Team #4
Modbox
Space Pirate Trainer
Job Simulator
Call of Starseed
Sluggy's Fruit Emporium
Tiltbrush

I already own Elite Dangerous so I don't feel a need to list that one. I know some of these are going to come with the Vive which is cool, but yea...I expect my collection to be quite robust from jump.

For now my list is as follows (excluding the games that are packed in with Vive already):

Mind: Path to Thalamus
Irrational Exuberance
Audioshield
Modbox
Space Pirate Trainer
Call of Starseed
Hover Junkers
Fantastic Contraption
P·O·L·L·E·N

Might try also A legend of Luca.

I have Elite Dangerous already.

 

[Dreamwriter]

So, questions.


1. Will Vive and Occulus easily show the VR image on TV/Monitor like the social screen on PSVR? Or will it need other software? I noticed the Fantastic Contraption trailer says the second screen adds a social element.. so is it native?


2. The VR stress test or Robot Repair Demo. Will this be available to play? Free? Price?

3. Is it known weather all of the previous DK2/Vive Pre hacked games will still work? Like Doom 3, Alien Isolation, Skyrim, etc.

In other words, non official VR games.

1. Yes, both devices mirror the image to the computer monitor by default.
2. Dunno
3. All the previous DK2 apps don't even work with DK2, when Oculus upgraded from one of the older SDKs to a newer one, it broke any app that didn't get recompiled with the new SDK. And DK2 apps aren't compatible with Vive. And you do NOT want to play games in VR that weren't designed for it, that will make you sick - especially games like Doom 3 and Skyrim.

 

[T.O.P]

The Brookhaven Experiment

Currently 25% on Steam if interested

I still have no clue on what games i'll play first lol Probably the rhythm game if it's a D1 release

 

[Vyse The Legend]

So, other than Tilt Brush, do we know of any non-game VR stuff coming?

 

[BigTnaples]

1. Yes, both devices mirror the image to the computer monitor by default.
2. Dunno
3. All the previous DK2 apps don't even work with DK2, when Oculus upgraded from one of the older SDKs to a newer one, it broke any app that didn't get recompiled with the new SDK. And DK2 apps aren't compatible with Vive. And you do NOT want to play games in VR that weren't designed for it, that will make you sick - especially games like Doom 3 and Skyrim.

Nice. Thanks for the responses.


That said, I would still like to experience things like Doom 3, Alien Isolation, Brutal Doom and such. I know some get motion sickness, but I also know many do not from watching hours of people playing said games on YouTube. (Also some games being developed for VR still use traditional gamepad controls and FPS view.) I also don't get headaches, motion/seasickness, hangovers, or any other such ailments that plague many people.

 

[mrklaw]

So, other than Tilt Brush, do we know of any non-game VR stuff coming?

good question. What is HTC/Valve's approach to non-game apps, and also browsing/buying from within VR? We know Oculus have a storefront and I expect/hope the likes of VR cinema etc will be in there. But if Valve are relying on steam, are they going to add a dedicated VR section, or expand their apps area, or just rely on people using the various filters to find things?

 

[Onemic]

1. Yes, both devices mirror the image to the computer monitor by default.
2. Dunno
3. All the previous DK2 apps don't even work with DK2, when Oculus upgraded from one of the older SDKs to a newer one, it broke any app that didn't get recompiled with the new SDK. And DK2 apps aren't compatible with Vive. And you do NOT want to play games in VR that weren't designed for it, that will make you sick - especially games like Doom 3 and Skyrim.

Why would they make you sick? I personally have never gotten motion sickness in my life, Vive is definitely gonna put that to the test.

 

[Soi-Fong]

I have to recommend Space Pirate Trainer to y'all!! Lots of awesome fun, but don't blame me if you get hurt when you're diving around and such.

Hover Junkers is a no brainer as well.

If you have little kids they'll love Final Approach. There's also a version of Surgeon Simulator for the Vive, but not sure if they're releasing to the public that my small cousins have had a blast on. Haha

I have some others I've been playing a bunch, but I dont think they've been revealed yet.

Also, just so you guys know Budget Cuts isn't releasing along with the Vive on April. They'll release later in the year I think.

 

[Nzyme32]

Why would they make you sick? I personally have never gotten motion sickness in my life, Vive is definitely gonna put that to the test.

Vive shouldn't give you motion sickness unless a game is designed poorly. You are using your own very highly accurately tracked 1:1 movements. Where you might feel motion sickness is if a game tried to move you and you are not moving, eg hover junkers, though that has a reasonable speed and large enough vehicle cockpit to ground you more

Standard games directly in VR are very likely to give motion sickness. There is a vestibular disconnect between what your brain knows you are doing and the rapid movement the game is pushing. These don't conform to what is expected, you become disoriented, experience motion sickness etc. That is why you design games for VR rather than port or wrap them

 

[Bookoo]

Really? That sucks D:

Or did they mean horrible to rely on it from the perspective of the developer?

Well... I mean, I guess if devs are targeting 970s, and the resolution and frame rates are fixed... a super rig isn't going to add a whole lot of extra benefits...

I can't see devs spending significant budget on building graphical features that few of their userbase can properly utilize...

It has been said that VR SLI really depends on if the dev implements it. It isn't going to just work out of the box.

I also recently upgraded to a 980ti from 2 670s that may have been able to skate by until Pascal if games were optimized for SLI. Either way I can't wait....this month sucks.

 

[Soi-Fong]

It has been said that VR SLI really depends on if the dev implements it. It isn't going to just work out of the box.

I also recently upgraded to a 980ti from 2 670s that may have been able to skate by until Pascal if games were optimized for SLI. Either way I can't wait....this month sucks.

Yup. Don't depend on VR SLI guys. This has to be implemented on a game by game basis.

 

[BigTnaples]

Why would they make you sick? I personally have never gotten motion sickness in my life, Vive is definitely gonna put that to the test.

The reason it makes some sick is because the VR headset tells your brain you are running while your body is still.

His is why many games have you either teleporting, or in cockpit view.


However this doesn't affect everyone, and some(many) people are able to play these games with no motion sickness at all.


Though I can't be 100% certain, I have been blessed my not getting motion sickness, sea sickness, hangovers, headaches, etc that hit others when experiencing the same things. This gives me some relative confidence that it won't make me sick.


Also, certain games are being developed as VR remakes/ports (Ethan carter for example) that use standard FPS like controls and viewpoint. As well as many indie games built for and played in VR with the same type of view/control. And many have said playing games like Doom 3, even on non consumer versions of the rift, is an amazing experience. I have also seen games like Brutal Doom, Alien Isolation, Metroid Prime, Half-Life, etc played in VR with positive impressions all around and no mention of motion sickness.

But I guess we will see.

 

[JMZ555]

It was a really tough call but i just cancelled my order.

The excessive delivery cost and the fact i need a new GPU has tipped me into the waiting a year or so.

Add in the amount of top games coming out in next few months i want , Darksouls,uncharted etc and i cant justify the price for myself.

I enjoyed my time with the Oculus DK2 so know what VR is like and i think ill let it cook for another year or so.

I will just have to avoid all the impression threads on launch day so i don't cry

 

[Z3M0G]

I'm watching this video right now that was released today and it's doing a pretty good job of explaining the features and benefits of the Vive along with impressions on a bunch of demos. Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWproPHhHd0

This is a must watch... wow THIS is how you demo VR through a video.

Edit: where he flips the controller and catches it should be .gif'd. (5:56)

Edit:... Ok... this guy goes on and on about how much better this is from Oculus... doing basic things like flipping the controller because Oculus is not 1-1 enough to allow that to be possible... and the shooting demo with the shield he is doing...

Is he off on this? I'd expect the same from Oculus and even PSVR...

 

[Onemic]

The reason it makes some sick is because the VR headset tells your brain you are running while your body is still.

His is why many games have you either teleporting, or in cockpit view.


However this doesn't affect everyone, and some(many) people are able to play these games with no motion sickness at all.


Though I can't be 100% certain, I have been blessed my not getting motion sickness, sea sickness, hangovers, headaches, etc that hit others when experiencing the same things. This gives me some relative confidence that it won't make me sick.


Also, certain games are being developed as VR remakes/ports (Ethan carter for example) that use standard FPS like controls and viewpoint. As well as many indie games built for and played in VR with the same type of view/control. And many have said playing games like Doom 3, even on non consumer versions of the rift, is an amazing experience. I have also seen games like Brutal Doom, Alien Isolation, Metroid Prime, Half-Life, etc played in VR with positive impressions all around and no mention of motion sickness.

But I guess we will see.

Ya Im in the same boat as you as I never gotten motion sick/sea sick etc. so I'm pretty sure I wouldnt get motion sickness from games that werent made with VR in mind, but we'll see.

How many non-VR native games are available for VR? Is it only Doom 3 and Elder Scrolls?

 

[jacksepticeye]

Ya Im in the same boat as you as I never gotten motion sick/sea sick etc. so I'm pretty sure I wouldnt get motion sickness from games that werent made with VR in mind, but we'll see.

How many non-VR native games are available for VR? Is it only Doom 3 and Elder Scrolls?

You'd be surprised, I never got motion sick ever until I tried VR. I don't get it anymore because I'm used to it but now and then I'll get super barfy from it.

Good VR won't do it to you but a sloppy implementation will tell your brain something is wrong and your stomach will nope the fuck out

 

[artsi]

Ya Im in the same boat as you as I never gotten motion sick/sea sick etc. so I'm pretty sure I wouldnt get motion sickness from games that werent made with VR in mind, but we'll see.

How many non-VR native games are available for VR? Is it only Doom 3 and Elder Scrolls?

vorpX has a compatibility list on their website. Note that there's not yet support for Rift CV1 or Vive, but the developer is working on it.

http://www.vorpx.com/supported-games/

 

[Onemic]

vorpX has a compatibility list on their website. Note that there's not yet support for Rift CV1 or Vive, but the developer is working on it.

http://www.vorpx.com/supported-games/

Thanks. How would a 3rd person game even work in VR? That I can see giving motion sickness.

If only my Vive was shipping in April instead of May

 

[mrklaw]

This is a must watch... wow THIS is how you demo VR through a video.

Edit: where he flips the controller and catches it should be .gif'd. (5:56)

Edit:... Ok... this guy goes on and on about how much better this is from Oculus... doing basic things like flipping the controller because Oculus is not 1-1 enough to allow that to be possible... and the shooting demo with the shield he is doing...

Is he off on this? I'd expect the same from Oculus and even PSVR...

He is high on the motion controls and has only used a DK2 so the comments about no screen door and the resolution etc are to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

It is a fun video though.

 

[YuShtink]

This is a must watch... wow THIS is how you demo VR through a video.

Edit: where he flips the controller and catches it should be .gif'd. (5:56)

Edit:... Ok... this guy goes on and on about how much better this is from Oculus... doing basic things like flipping the controller because Oculus is not 1-1 enough to allow that to be possible... and the shooting demo with the shield he is doing...

Is he off on this? I'd expect the same from Oculus and even PSVR...

Pretty sure when he says "Oculus" he's referring to DK2 and generally has no idea what he's talking about in that regard. But he still does a good job of describing the Vive experience.

 

[Bookoo]

This is a must watch... wow THIS is how you demo VR through a video.

Edit: where he flips the controller and catches it should be .gif'd. (5:56)

Edit:... Ok... this guy goes on and on about how much better this is from Oculus... doing basic things like flipping the controller because Oculus is not 1-1 enough to allow that to be possible... and the shooting demo with the shield he is doing...

Is he off on this? I'd expect the same from Oculus and even PSVR...

From impressions I have heard Oculus touch is also 1:1. Pretty sure he is referring to his DK2.

 

[Jimrpg]

anyone changed their mind since preorder day and got one since?

I really want one! Room Scale feels like a game changer. Will make escape room games come alive.

(Not shipping to my country though but I'm going back to Australia at the end of the year so I'll pick one up then.)

 

[Sky Chief]

So, other than Tilt Brush, do we know of any non-game VR stuff coming?

Star Wars http://uploadvr.com/star-wars-experience-for-htc-vive-teased-in-video/