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[Mr.Green]

Welp. I just plunked down $300 for the dev kit.

Best thing you've done all year.

vomit rainbows

Awesome. They should trademark that.

 

[Throwaway123456789]

So how long until Oculus rift POV porn starts getting made?

It's already in development.
www.sinfulrobot.com

 

[jet1911]

Just Cause 2 with the first person mod...

Fuuuuuuuuuu

Mirror's Edge -> jump to your death -> real heart attack

 

[kittens]

It's not even the "immersion" that mainly excites me, though that is definitely appealing. It's how this will (hopefully) affect gameplay. We'll be able to do things we've never done before in games. Let's say you're playing Gran Turismo 7 with an in-car first person view. You'll frequently need to check your mirrors -- not push a button to reverse the camera perspective, but actually look at your rear view and side mirrors. That would be so fucking cool! And that's a super simplistic implimentation. There's so many other, more creative possibilities.

Immersion is cool, but damn, this thing could really revolutionize certain elements of gameplay.

 

[Conciliator]

Looks really cool but I'm still skeptical of its livelihood longer than as a novelty. Like, 3 years down the line, are you still going to want to put this thing on your hood to play your 200th hour of Skyrim more than just pick up a controller?

In any case, good luck to it and I may look into getting one after seeing what the public opinion is after it comes out and the release hype mellows a little.

 

[Acheteedo]

This is damping my excitement for the next gen consoles... unless one or both of them adopt the rift in some form.

 

[Hawkian]

Wow, that was waaaaay more compelling that I expected. Just pure joy.

"Holy fucking shit."

 

[Acheteedo]

Looks really cool but I'm still skeptical of its livelihood longer than as a novelty. Like, 3 years down the line, are you still going to want to put this thing on your hood to play your 200th hour of Skyrim more than just pick up a controller?

It's a valid concern, but somehow I'm extremely confident that once you go rift, it'll be hard to go back.

 

[User Name Here]

the dev kit in march is 7 instead of 5,6inch, have better Image Quality and around 50% less switching time.

Yes, they are using old display in all presentations. March devkit will have nice plastic body and better 7" display.

Urge to pre-order rising....

Then again how much different from this do you guys think the consumer version will be? Like aside from them adding another sensor for positional tracking and a higher resolution display.

What's the current resolution on the display?

1280x800 cut in half vertically, so 640x800 per eye.

 

[Hawkian]

What's the current resolution on the display?

 

[-COOLIO-]

This is damping my excitement for the next gen consoles... unless one or both of them adopt the rift in some form.

I feel you

 

[Sentenza]

It's already in development.
www.sinfulrobot.com

It may sound a joke, but the porn industry taking interest in this so soon in its design and development cycles pretty much *proves* it's going to be a successful product.

 

[BigTnaples]

Really though I am beyond hyped for this. Not only will this be an amazing device to own, but it will push the graphics card market considerably with everyone wanting all their games to run at 60+ FPS maxed in Stereoscopic with V-Sync enabled so they can enjoy them with OR.


Imagine the rig we will need to run Crysis 3/4, Elder Scrolls VI, Fallout 4, or Star Citizen with this. Between this and the next gen consoles raising the bar, it should be a great time for PC/Graphics enthusiasts.

 

[Mr.Green]

Palmer answered a bunch of questions over at MTBS.

http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=93604#p93604

After all the inane CES interview questions, maybe Palmer would answer some MTBS3D community questions? Should be more interesting then the same questions over and over. Let's try and keep them answerable. Here are a few:

- Have you tried a Rift prototype with racing or flying (cockpit based) games? Is the experience more compelling without 'fake-walking' with a controller breaking the immersion?
Yes, it is. Needs more research, though.

- What does it feel like to go from working alone in a garage to being the toast of CES? Did you ever worry that your view of how awesome VR is wouldn't be shared by the world at large?
Insane. I still work in about the same way as I did in my garage, except with the added advantage of ample funding and an office full of brilliant people! The connections you get from a show like CES is incredible, and so is the press. To be honest, though, I don't think the world at large knows how awesome VR is, not yet. Just the tech nerds for now!

- Besides techie mindshare, did you gain much else with all the CES exposure? Has it increased your chances of getting a better display in the near term, attracted talent, etc..?
That remains to be seen. We have only just gotten back, still following up with everyone.

- Now that you're back from CES, has anything changed because of all the new excitement and hype generated by it? Any surprises, or still taking things in?
Lots of surprises, nothing I can share!

- Could you tell us what the various dials on the Dev Kit do? The screw-driver dials on the sides, and the grip-dials around the lenses?
Nope!

- I'm always hoping for new blog updates, whether it's progress reports, updates on the production/shipping, or even just ideas/brainstorming/discussion posts, I hope we see more, instead of quiet before the dev kits go out. (Not really a question.heh)
Expect a lot more once the developer kits ship.

- Ok, like this, what is the approximate average of hours you have slept per night the last week, and how do you think it has affected your health. A real question eh?

- Oh oh oh. Will the foam on the dev-kit be replaceable? As I plan to bring my kit around to 200 people it would be nice as it'll get worn/insanitary.
It is replaceable in a mechanical sense, it remains to be seen if we can get it on its own without the Rift itself. It is modeled after ski goggle foam, so replacing it with that on your own would not be too difficult.

- How come you don't have a forum avatar?
I like to stay low profile.

- How is it possible that all those journalists at CES were able to enjoy the Rift event though they all have different IPDs?
The lenses have a wide exit pupil, and the generic settings we were using work pretty well for everyone, if not optimally.

- Basics of perspective tell us that, when we're looking at our flat displays, pixel appear to be larger in the center since our eyes are closest to the center. Lenses have opposite effect. Is it possible that those two effects cancel each other - leaving us with pixels that appear to be about the same size?
It is definitely exaggerated.

- How did you calculate the actual FOV of the Rift since usual calculations are off the table because of nature of the lenses on view?
We will outline all the work that takes once we ship.

- Are there any plans for additional models alongside the main ~$300 model? e.g lighter more exotic materials, higher res OLED display for those that are willing to pay a lot more.

We plan on sticking to one model. Even a tiny change would essentially require producing a whole new product, so it would cost many, many times more than a mainstream mass produced unit. The main model is going to have the best possible specs within a reasonable budget, so I would not worry.

How are you making developers support positional tracking when it's not included in the dev kit?

I'm also pretty curious about this... Any word on when devs might be able to get info on the positional tracking the rift will be using?
Nope.

Hi everyone!

my question: have you registered some patents about oculus rift or something?
I mean I know it is build upon some publicly available componentes but what if some big company are just now registering all sort of "ideas" about VR and when the rift is going to be out this big company will say "wait a minute! we got something to talk about..." that would be sad... :x

I think the modern patent system is a travesty, but unfortunately, it is the only way to protect yourself. We are building up up our IP.

- Why didn't you show people the 7 inch rift you had sitting on the desk at CES?
Our software was optimized for the old prototypes, particularly the warping code. Those prototypes were fresh from the factory, we did not have enough time to get things working well enough, though we tried.

- Is there anything to help short-sighted people use the Rift yet?
I am nearsighted. Can't say more than that right now.

- Can we use the Rift in other programming languages besides C++?
Yes, but development is going to initially target C++. We only have so many programmers!

- Are you going to give money to Cybereality for making his driver?
No comment.

- How many bits per pixel is the screen?
8 Bits.

Actual developer questions:

- Does the Razer Hydra interfere with the Oculus Rift's tracking?
Not in initial testing.

- Is it possible to do something different for each eye in a UDK game, for example having an injured eye, or having a character with a patch over one eye?
It is possible, we have not done that yet, though.

- Will there be any restrictions to where we can show off the devkit Rift? Outside of private demonstrations would going to an event like DreamHack and bringing the Rift along be a bad idea? Or more bluntly, would buying a couple of table spots and setting up shop with official looking OR shirts, pamphlets, neon lights and fireworks be a bad idea? Erhm, yes my mind is spinning out of control.

[Edit] Realizing that hmm, yes, feels like this would be an important question for sure. We wouldn't want devkits to be displayed and mistaken for the final product, or without the information that the consumer version is not available for some time yet. Perhaps some kind of guidelines or even a license agreement should come with the devkit? Haha xD eh...

We don't plan on formally restricting it, but if people set up an official looking Oculus booth at a show, we would probably ask them to stop.

- We saw a lot of people use Rift over their glasses in CES videos. I think I read somewhere that it lowers fov. Can you estimate how much although it is probably a function and not a constant right? Just so I keep my expectation in check. Also does not wearing glasses with Rift pose risk of scratching the lenses?
It totally depends on the face of the person and the glasses. And yes, glasses do pose a scratch risk.

- Can you elaborate on different ways of dealing with bad eye sight including wearing glasses or contact lenses and what are their advantages and disadvantages relative to each other? Just so I quell my fears from the first question.
Contacts, gluing glasses lenses onto the headset, hoping for a last second announcement.

- Will you start taking preorder for consumer version of Rift soon? I'm too chicken for dev kit but I want to be among the first to get the consumer version and not knowing release date is no problem for me. It would also let you know what the demand is right?
Not soon, it will be a while. We won't take preorders till we have at least the specs worked out.

- Can you tell us how would curved display improve Rift design, not just fov but also maybe form factor?
Not until I have a chance to use some!

- You are getting pretty visible in the industry. I'm sure you have been dealing with some big screen manufactures. I know you probably can't talk any specifics but have you been able to get some super prototype screen maybe? If so can you talk about how it feels?
We have some prototype screens. It feels like being in a secret club.

- Follow up to that, if you have been in talks with some big fishes in the industry, can you say if in general they view you as some no-name garage company or if their attitude is changing? Like if they are starting to see the new trend emerging or if they're are blind.
They see us as a new company with a lot of potential, and also a lot of risk. I think their evaluation of us is correct.

- Is there an question that you wished someone had asked you but no-one did? If so can you tell us both the question and the answer?

People should ask what launching a startup does to your relationships. My answer: Do not expect good results.

-How thrilled are you that someone created a community questions for Palmer thread?
It gave me a good excuse to take a break from working on this sorry can't post about that.

- Will Oculus be able to tell each of the Kickstarter backers if their Rift is going to be produced in the first manufacturing batch of 5000 units?
- If so, when?
Not yet, don't know yet.

 

[whitehawk]

It's not even the "immersion" that mainly excites me, though that is definitely appealing. It's how this will (hopefully) affect gameplay. We'll be able to do things we've never done before in games. Let's say you're playing Gran Turismo 7 with an in-car first person view. You'll frequently need to check your mirrors -- not push a button to reverse the camera perspective, but actually look at your rear view and side mirrors. That would be so fucking cool! And that's a super simplistic implimentation. There's so many other, more creative possibilities.

Immersion is cool, but damn, this thing could really revolutionize certain elements of gameplay.

I actually think driving games will be the most immersive since your character is sitting down in the game as well. Get one of these setups that include vibrating seats and you're good to go.

 

[-COOLIO-]

It's a valid concern, but somehow I'm extremely confident that once you go rift, it'll be hard to go back.

Ell ya

 

[kittens]

Looks really cool but I'm still skeptical of its livelihood longer than as a novelty. Like, 3 years down the line, are you still going to want to put this thing on your hood to play your 200th hour of Skyrim more than just pick up a controller?

But you can use a controller and the Rift at the same time...? It's not an either/or situation.

This is damping my excitement for the next gen consoles... unless one or both of them adopt the rift in some form.

I feel the exact same way. I might just ignore next gen till this thing gains some widespread support. I mostly play old games anyways, so whatevs.

 

[DieH@rd]

What's the current resolution on the display?

1280x800 [640x800 per eye]. Fisheye lenses clump more pixels to the center of your vision.

Its not perfect, but iits without a doubt enought to wow everyone who tried it.

 

[iceatcs]

For movie video. Like recording in E3 event etc...

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Ok, I think I want to pre-order one of these if it's possible.....next month. So good.

 

[Starphoenix]

I could only imagine what a game like Xenoblade would be like with this headset...

 

[Kurdel]

Considering the consumer version will have a better display, I am waiting.

But I am definitely buying this.

 

[Acheteedo]

I feel the exact same way. I might just ignore next gen till this thing gains some widespread support. I mostly play old games anyways, so whatevs.

I'm taking the opposite approach, I'm trying to ignore Oculus as much as possible, it might ruin standard gaming for me if I try it too early.

 

[Mister_Bubbles]

Interesting that Luckey is targeting a single release model rather than different tiers with better screens etc. At this point I suppose we have to be optimistic and put our faith in Oculus that the release Rift will not be compromised to meet the widely affordable price point that they're adamant on hitting.

 

[MikeE21286]

So this isn't something like a monitor but an actual piece of hardware that requires games to be made individually for it?

Was hoping I could just plug this into a 720/Ps4

Correct.me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't it really come down to designing with the game in mind as opposed to flat out having specific code within the game to be able to use the of your rift?

Or maybe there's programming but its not all that intensive?

 

[Concept17]

Interesting that Luckey is targeting a single release model rather than different tiers with better screens etc. At this point I suppose we have to be optimistic and put our faith in Oculus that the release Rift will not be compromised to meet the widely affordable price point that they're adamant on hitting.

Better to avoid confusion I imagine. Especially for a product that is well, completely different than what most consumers are going to expect these days.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

I want a Spider-Man game in first-person using this.

As someone has already said; this is what Nintendo should've used to one-up the Wii in terms of originality and sheer mass-consumer appeal.

Fuck, I want one, so bad.

I'd probably go PC-gaming full-time if this became a standard.

 

[Beerman462]

Man it seems so awesome.

Yet so scary

 

[xJavonta]

I need the consumer version to release already. One of these days my wallet may get a little bit loose and end up getting the developer kit if it's not soon...

 

[DieH@rd]

I really want to know how will Oculus Rift work with third person shooter games. There is lot of them out there...

 

[VARIA]

I'm more excited about the the Oculus Rift than the PS4,720,WiiU combined.

THIS is how you make a leap forward in gaming.

I'll be there day 1 for the consumer edition.

 

[DieH@rd]

Valve ported 'Team Fortress 2' to virtual reality, will share its thoughts at GDC 2013
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/15/3880790/valve-virtual-reality-game-developers-conference-2013

They will have two GDC lectures hosted by Michael Abrash:
- Why Virtual Reality is Hard (And Where it Might be Going)
- What We Learned Porting Team Fortress 2 to Virtual Reality

By the look of things action FPS games will not receive easy ports to VR. Aiming with our heads is not optimal way of controlling games. I wonder why did they not try to optimize Portal 2 for Oculus Rift?

 

[Mr.Green]

The OP video is awesome. Watching people's reactions to experiencing the Rift for the first time never gets old.

 

[J-Rzez]

So how long until Oculus rift POV porn starts getting made?

"Exploring Madison Ivy's Rift". Cums with a specially designed blue tooth flesh light peripheral. Pre-ordered!

 

[DieH@rd]

"Exploring Madison Ivy's Rift".

Good choice.

 

[GreggTheGrimReaper]

I want to fly down the starwars deathstar trench wearing these. It would be fecking epic. In fact. Any space game would be truly amazing.

How about driving that car from Roger Rabbit?

 

[CountAntonius]

Valve ported 'Team Fortress 2' to virtual reality, will share its thoughts at GDC 2013
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/15/3880790/valve-virtual-reality-game-developers-conference-2013

They will have two GDC lectures hosted by Michael Abrash:
- Why Virtual Reality is Hard (And Where it Might be Going)
- What We Learned Porting Team Fortress 2 to Virtual Reality

By the look of things action FPS games will not receive easy ports to VR. Aiming with our heads is not optimal way of controlling games. I wonder why did they not try to optimize Portal 2 for Oculus Rift?

I still feel they should have a loose cursor that moves independently from your vision. Your head controls where to look and your mouse or analog stick your crosshairs. Giving it a more lifelike feel. Maybe have iron sights lock your head movement and allow you to aim strictly with your input device.

 

[Nightstick11]

Shocked that the herpy-derpy "gimmixxx!!!11" crowd isn't in here.

I'm dying to try this thing. Very skeptical due to the VR "boom" of the 90's, but definitely willing to give it a shot. A bit concerned that it won't add much to the immersion for my favorite genres, but still curious, nonetheless. Any word on release date?

 

[Psychological Intellect]

how about 3rd person games?

 

[TimmiT]

Wow, my fascination with virtual reality raised up again after watching that video. It's actually happening! :O

 

[Vilam]

Considering the consumer version will have a better display, I am waiting.

But I am definitely buying this.

This is where I'm at. Sounds badass, but I can bide my time and wait for the best one.

 

[shira]

I'm so super mega giga sold on this thing. Just give it to me!!!!

It's not feasible for long gaming sessions. If the Sony HMZ is any indication 2 hours is max time before your eyes dry out.

There is a major difference between looking at a screen or television compared to having it shining directly into your eye.

 

[GreggTheGrimReaper]

It's not feasible for long gaming sessions. If the Sony HMZ is any indication 2 hours is max time before your eyes dry out.

There is a major difference between looking at a screen or television compared to having it shining directly into your eye.

Not if the optics are set in a way where you are eyes are focused on infinity like the ones in the Rift.

 

[MickeyKnox]

No one can run DayZ at 60fps. Unless the engine gets significantly more optimized, it's not going to happen.

Arma's engine is significantly bottleneck'ed at the CPU level, the cost of rendering out two frames for something like the Rift won't have a significant hit on performance compared to other titles.

And seeing as Arma already supports TrackIR which was a significantly more niche product than this will be, you can depend on Bohemia adding this to Arma3 native and retroactive for Arma2

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Guy said in OP video "fuck PS4/Xbox720, this is where its at"

 

[orioto]

I still feel they should have a loose cursor that moves independently from your vision. Your head controls where to look and your mouse or analog stick your crosshairs. Giving it a more lifelike feel. Maybe have iron sights lock your head movement and allow you to aim strictly with your input device.

Yeah something like that. At least i'm sure there is a way to make most games to work with added value with that thing, and i hope people actually work on it. it would be sad if it turns out a fps only feature.

anyway

For movie video. Like recording in E3 event etc...

Is there any technical way to actually visualize photo sphere or google street view way a video shot with that ?

edit : Ooooohh The next years will definitely be fun

 

[toddhunter]

I don't think this idea will last very long.

The lawsuit when somebody has a heart attack and dies when their cat jumps up on their lap will shut down production very fast.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

I didn't know anything about this till I saw the thread but that video is getting me giddy.

I don't think this idea will last very long.

The lawsuit when somebody has a heart attack and dies when their cat jumps up on their lap will shut down production very fast.

hahahaha

 

[iceatcs]

I still feel they should have a loose cursor that moves independently from your vision. Your head controls where to look and your mouse or analog stick your crosshairs. Giving it a more lifelike feel. Maybe have iron sights lock your head movement and allow you to aim strictly with your input device.

I think it will not work very well due of the wire attaching to the VR, you cannot turn your body round too much.

Is there any technical way to actually visualize photo sphere or google street view way a video shot with that ?

Of course, lol
http://www.ptgrey.com/products/ladybug2/large.html

 

[statham]

second life users will never leave the house. I may never leave the house.