Support NeoGAF

[PuppetMaster]

I don't understand how this could be at $199

Do they think they are going to sell subscription based? Will there be forces ads? There has to be a catch.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop...

 

[Azure Dream]

I don't understand how this could be at $199

Do they think they are going to sell subscription based? Will there be forces ads? There has to be a catch.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop...

You're in Facebook's ecosystem. That's the catch.

 

[ArtHands]

santa cruz wont be running pc vr games based on the impressions coming out right now. Its somewhere between gear vr and rift so it will most likely (my assumption) have its own library seperate to gear vr and rift.

some more details from a reddit user:


and a preview from uploadvr:
https://uploadvr.com/hands-on-santa-cruz-full-freedom-controllers/

That's a bummer to see its closer to Gear VR too, and a bigger sigh if it has its own library. That's going to segregate and make things complicated. I will prefer it to have Samsung Gear VR library, and maybe devs can have higher fidelity version when played on Santa Cruz (like PS4 and PS4Pro)

 

[ZeroX03]

Even selling at a loss or ad subsidized, there's no way this thing is going to have the power/display/weight/battery life needed to be killer. Not even close. But it's a nice start.

 

[ronaldthump]

What sort of garbage tier visuals will it have if it doesn’t tether and has its own cpu?

 

[Dreamwriter]

What sort of garbage tier visuals will it have if it doesn’t tether and has its own cpu?

Better than you get from a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in a GearVR.

 

[Oneself]

Just as Palmer would have wanted

Thanks. This is why I like NeoGAF.

 

[ArtHands]

What sort of garbage tier visuals will it have if it doesn’t tether and has its own cpu?

Better than what you see on Samsung Gear VR right now.

 

[Digital0Reality]

That's what I am hoping for although it may be a bit too agressive. I would think the specs are going to be similiar to OculusGo, but they added in 4 cameras for tracking + 2 controllers.

Santa Cruz will be more expensive than rift. They are targeting people who want a high end experience without a high-end pc.

 

[Chobel]

That's really cheap. What's the catch?

 

[Compsiox]

Santa Cruz will be more expensive than rift. They are targeting people who want a high end experience without a high-end pc.

Nothing you put on your head (standalone) will be comparable to a high-end PC of the now for years.

 

[Dreamwriter]

That's really cheap. What's the catch?

No motion-tracking - it just sees your head orientation. So if you turn your head, it works great, if you lean left or right, or move your head forward or back, up or down, it doesn’t know you did that. And it just comes with one simple Wii-style controller.

 

[CamHostage]

so are we expecting santa cruz at ~$300?

That's what I am hoping for although it may be a bit too agressive. I would think the specs are going to be similiar to OculusGo, but they added in 4 cameras for tracking + 2 controllers.

If it's a 2018-or-beyond device, the specs of Oculus Santa Cruz should be a significant step up from Oculus Go, I would hope? Chipset development is a'hopping in the mobile and VR space, they must be looking at a lot of good options to lock in as hardware for what by my guess will be the "relaunch" of Oculus. (I think they see cord-cutting as being a major milestone for VR, and my assumption is that they'll fill it as future-proofed as they can at that time to be its own platform.)

The 2016 prototype of Santa Cruz was described as "a full-blown mobile computer strapped to the back of your head", and now they're shipping something like those specs in Oculus Go for $200 this year. So, they already have the device they need for the entry-level market. There's just seems to be no reason selling Oculus SC with full 6DoF and everything else it's capable of (?) yet just having it run the same mobile games as Gear and Go.

It will be interesting to see what price point they hit, though. They'll want the controllers in the box, they've got the positional tracking cameras and sensors, they're going to (I'm assuming) pack in more horsepower, they'll want it as close to high-spec performance as they possibly can get in a consumer product that straps to your head with no wires and doesn't light your head on fire. PSVR launched at $399 (and that didn't even include the Move and the camera,) and the current Rift is apparently comfortable at that same $399 price. So probably in that range if they're looking for Oculus Santa Cruz to be a competitive consumer device, and higher if they see it as still premium tech (and pack its chipset to match) for early adopters.

 

[Rice-Eater]

Very interested in the Go. Now I no longer need to contemplate buying a overpriced Smartphone to get a decent VR experience. I was definitely looking at the LG V30 but the very high price turned me off to that idea and the announcement of the Oculus Go pretty much solidifies that I don't need to look at any of these phones priced over $500 because they had the best specs required for a decent mobile VR experience.

I'll just keep rocking the Honor 5X until a good deal or a more budget friendly flagship gets announced. Really looking forward to the Go though as a cheap intro to VR since I'm not ready invest $400 on the Rift and another $300+ on a video card/RAM to run it.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

So this is only for using mobile VR apps, right? Basically a standalone GearVR? It's not a fully functional PC headset at all, am I getting that right?

 

[Lakuza]

So this is only for using mobile VR apps, right? Basically a standalone GearVR? It's not a fully functional PC headset at all, am I getting that right?

Thats correct for the oculus Go. Its reffered to by Oculus as binary compatible with gear vr (same games and same inputs).

The 2nd headset they announced, Santa Cruz (with no release date or price yet) is positioned to be between gear vr and rift in terms of capabilities (at the conference it was running altered versions of existing games that looked better than gear vr version and worse than the rift. However, people who tried it are saying they were walking for 100m physically and that was replicated inside the demos they tried.

 

[Deleted member 286591]

Ok, someone to enlighten me on why this first post is so great ? Don't really know much of Palmer.

 

[magnumpy]

santa cruz seems to be an all around improvement over rift. it's cheaper, has a higher resolution screen, and it's totally wireless. is that all correct?

it's as monumental of a leap as the old DK1 development kit compared to the current CV1 version of the rift!

 

[Lakuza]

santa cruz seems to be an all around improvement over rift. it's cheaper, has a higher resolution screen, and it's totally wireless. is that all correct?

it's as monumental of a leap as the old DK1 development kit compared to the current CV1 version of the rift!

except it won't be playing rift or steam vr games. Its positioned as a weaker headset in the oculus product range. Its a powerful mobile device that will offer "rift-like" experiences thanks to its controller but it won't be pc level in power. That leads me to believe it will have its own library, with dev kits being sent out next year.

The demos they gave conference attendees were altered versions of dead & buried and some monster pet game that looked better than their gear vr versions but worse than rift. On the plus side, people were walking around for 100m in physical space and that was replicated perfectly in the headset.

I'm also expect the tracking to not be as strong as rift, although it is uses 4 cameras on the headset compared to 2 cameras that windows mixed reality headsets use.

 

[Previous]

Just as Palmer would have wanted

amazing

Ok, someone to enlighten me on why this first post is so great ? Don't really know much of Palmer.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/palme...-funding-trumps-meme-machine?via=twitter_page

 

[Duchess O'Death]

Is this just a Cardboard VR with a built in computer? Type of applications and performance wise.

 

[Lakuza]

Is this just a Cardboard VR with a built in computer? Type of applications and performance wise.

no.
I dont think cardboard should even be considered vr anymore and if it is, it barely fits into that category.

Oculus go is gear vr level which is a significant upgrade over cardboard. What this means is better sensors than typical onboard smartphone sensors, better optics, lower latency (helped with Asynchronous timewarp too) which allows for more complex games, guarenteed input via motion controls or on headset buttons etc. Whilst gear vr(and daydream) is no where near pc level vr, its still a significant upgrade over cardboard.

it will play games from the gear vr store:
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/gear-vr/

tracking wise, it allows you 360 rotation tracking but no positional tracking so stepping forward or back, jumping and ducking will not be tracked. The controller also has the same rotational tracking.

EDIT:

So you can view the headsets like this in terms of power, capabilities, tracking and immersion: (weakest first to strongest)

Cardboard vr < Gear VR + Daydream + Oculus Go < Vive standalone < Oculus Santa Cruz standalone < PS VR < Oculus Rift + Vive

 

[Linkup]

That's really cheap. What's the catch?

It's a mobile SoC with a small bump in res and lens quality over Rift, but without the sensor, controllers, OLED, or positional tracking. Rift is $400 now. $200 at launch for Go sounds about right, but this thing will be $99 come 2019 holiday season.

 

[CaptainTiptop]

Just as Palmer would have wanted

Holy shit &#128514;&#128079;

 

[Refreshment.01]

The round of VR kickstarted in second decade of the millenium is so... uninspired (not that it matters).

Basically nothing groundbraking, it just relies on technology advancements achieved by the individual components. The rest is iterating and aping features from the competition.

Interesting that Oculus for it's 2 new products is crusing on the same tracks as Windows Mixed Reality. And im somewhat pleased that another company is putting resources in this method of positional tracking as it makes things more convenient and simple for the user.

As great as Vive is, it's preluded by a process with many steps and a feel of "attachment". i' ve seen high end VR headset owners claiming that they enjoyed mobile VR more; so i guess is a matter of convinience trumping technology.

Edit: Interesting to see Motion Controllers for Santa Cruz going with the trackpad instead of the Thumbsticks. i tought the majority of Oculus Touch users liked the fact that it had thumbsticks for games.

The other chance is obvious, the tracking ring was moved up so it has a more clear FOV for the cameras to track.

 

[IlGialloMondadori]

Just as Palmer would have wanted

Boom.

 

[Noisepurge]

That's really cheap. What's the catch?

It's just a google cardboard, but you can't take your phone out of the case. Ever.

 

[Lakuza]

The round of VR kickstarted in second decade of the millenium is so... uninspired (not that it matters).

Basically nothing groundbraking, it just relies on technology advancements achieved by the individual components. The rest is iterating and aping features from the competition.

Interesting that Oculus for it's 2 new products is crusing on the same tracks as Windows Mixed Reality. And im somewhat pleased that another company is putting resources in this method of positional tracking as it makes things more convenient and simple for the user.

As great as Vive is, it's preluded by a process with many steps and a feel of "attachment". i' ve seen high end VR headset owners claiming that they enjoyed mobile VR more; so i guess is a matter of convinience trumping technology.

Edit: Interesting to see Motion Controllers for Santa Cruz going with the trackpad instead of the Thumbsticks. i tought the majority of Oculus Touch users liked the fact that it had thumbsticks for games.

The other chance is obvious, the tracking ring was moved up so it has a more clear FOV for the cameras to track.

never heard or read anyone saying they prefer mobile vr over pc vr after owning both headsets. The experiences available are just worlds apart.

Yeah, the trackpad on the controller is a deal breaker but they probably think that having free + complete positional tracking will offset the need for analog sticks. Moving with analog sticks is the main reason why most prefer the analog stick over trackpads.

It's just a google cardboard, but you can't take your phone out of the case. Ever.

But it's not? Don't understand why so many people confuse cardboard to be the same level as gear vr and google daydream

 

[SirNinja]

Ok, someone to enlighten me on why this first post is so great ? Don't really know much of Palmer.

Funding a Trump shitposting site in the run-up to the election, contributing to the spread of misinformation (and worse).

Never buying anything from Oculus.

 

[BlackBanditSho]

The round of VR kickstarted in second decade of the millenium is so... uninspired (not that it matters).(snip)
i' ve seen high end VR headset owners claiming that they enjoyed mobile VR more; so i guess is a matter of coneinience trumping technology.

Agreed. My enthusiasm about VR has been tempered by the languid pace of advancement of ideas. There's a lot that I expected from VR that is actually possible now, but people really aren't doing much more than FPS games. I was hoping for more social experiences. The fact that PSVR still doesn't have the PS HOME equivalent for VR is...strange.

I'm still very curious about VR. AR on iPhone is totally uninteresting. I've tried every app and wished there was simply a pair of eyeglasses that I could 'turn on' to do the same thing. Holding up your phone to 'peer through this glass' feels silly and it's a little troubling that this is where Apple decided to dive in as opposed to doing their thing with VR.

never heard or read anyone saying they prefer mobile vr over pc vr after owning both headsets. The experiences available are just worlds apart.
(snip)

As a former proud PSVR owner and player of many MANY hours of Vive and Rift, at the end of the day I'd prefer my old Gear VR over all of it. Yes, i wish there was positional tracking. However, the biggest turnoff with GEAR was the fact that it was tied to my overheating phone. When i switched back to iOS, i suddenly lost all of my VR, and i've missed it since. PSVR is amazing for the price, but overall NO current player in the space is offering great mind-blowing experiences. At least with GEAR - and it's apparent successor - it'll be easy to use, doesn't require a nest of cords, and will tap into the very underrated GEAR VR library. I think there's a good product here.

But it's not? Don't understand why so many people confuse cardboard to be the same level as gear vr and google daydream

Yeah. I roll my eyes when people say this too. I went to LA VR show last year (yeah, I was big into VR), and I actually laughed out loud when I tried Google Cardboard for the first time because i was expecting something very comparable to GEAR VR. It's not. It's fine if that's your only experience, but the level of polish and immersion doesn't quite compare.

Gear VR has a pretty fantastic library and it's still growing. The Oculus store is GREAT, and the app integration with the ecosystem works well. Of my VR experiences, I miss Gear VR the most, so this news of creating a budget GEAR VR without a cell phone? It's what I've been waiting on.

 

[CamHostage]

As a former proud PSVR owner and player of many MANY hours of Vive and Rift, at the end of the day I'd prefer my old Gear VR over all of it. Yes, i wish there was positional tracking ... it'll be easy to use, doesn't require a nest of cords, and will tap into the very underrated GEAR VR library. I think there's a good product here.

Yeah, I wouldn't say Gear VR is my preferable VR experience ... but since my preferable entertainment experience at this point is still to not use VR and just play games on my TV or portable, the fact that I actually slap my phone into my Gear VR and enjoy myself now and again, while I just cringe at the idea of dragging out all the hardware and tethering the cords to play another form of VR, speaks volumes.

To me, it's not high-spec vs. mobile-spec VR, it is corded versus cordless VR. I recognize the scale and abilities that a big VR rig provides, but (especially as a small-room renter who doesn't have room for room-scale,) right now it's all just "time in VR" to me as even the big games/apps are gimmicky and limited, and I don't see that changing until the time getting into VR is no longer a deterrent to spending time in VR.

 

[Funyarinpa]

Just as Palmer would have wanted

A winner is you

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Just as Palmer would have wanted

Just here to pay my respects.

 

[emb]

This seems really cool.

 

[Lakuza]

Agreed. My enthusiasm about VR has been tempered by the languid pace of advancement of ideas. There's a lot that I expected from VR that is actually possible now, but people really aren't doing much more than FPS games. I was hoping for more social experiences. The fact that PSVR still doesn't have the PS HOME equivalent for VR is...strange.

I'm still very curious about VR. AR on iPhone is totally uninteresting. I've tried every app and wished there was simply a pair of eyeglasses that I could 'turn on' to do the same thing. Holding up your phone to 'peer through this glass' feels silly and it's a little troubling that this is where Apple decided to dive in as opposed to doing their thing with VR.


As a former proud PSVR owner and player of many MANY hours of Vive and Rift, at the end of the day I'd prefer my old Gear VR over all of it. Yes, i wish there was positional tracking. However, the biggest turnoff with GEAR was the fact that it was tied to my overheating phone. When i switched back to iOS, i suddenly lost all of my VR, and i've missed it since. PSVR is amazing for the price, but overall NO current player in the space is offering great mind-blowing experiences. At least with GEAR - and it's apparent successor - it'll be easy to use, doesn't require a nest of cords, and will tap into the very underrated GEAR VR library. I think there's a good product here.

I can understand the pref for wireless vr, definately and I do hope the high end headsets will get there eventually.

In terms of there not being mind-blowing experiences for you, I am curious to know what games you've played or tried on rift/vive. I've had a gear vr for a bout a year and a half before getting a rift and also have the motion controller for the gear vr but I haven't used it since getting the rift. Now I only keep it to demo vr to people when going to someones house or when taking it to work ("introduction to virtual reality" + "affected:the manor" are always favourites from people that try it).

 

[BlackBanditSho]

I can understand the pref for wireless vr, definately and I do hope the high end headsets will get there eventually.

In terms of there not being mind-blowing experiences for you, I am curious to know what games you've played or tried on rift/vive. I've had a gear vr for a bout a year and a half before getting a rift and also have the motion controller for the gear vr but I haven't used it since getting the rift. Now I only keep it to demo vr to people when going to someones house or when taking it to work ("introduction to virtual reality" + "affected:the manor" are always favourites from people that try it).

There have only been a few experiences that I absolutely loved in VR.

Faves:
Smash on Gear VR
VTime on Gear VR
Re7 on PSVR
Dirt Rally on PSVR
Job Simulator / MULTI
The Accounting / Vive

Until Star Trek Bridge Crew came out, which is, ironically what I purchased VR for in the first place (I sold it just before), I played every game available on PSVR. This is pre-superhot, etc.

ON Vive and Rift, I played Raw Data, that awesome military shooter made by one guy who's name escapes me, Serious Sam, and too many other games to count.

 

[FLAguy954]

No specs?

This.

Pass until I know the full hardware specs (needs to at least have a GTX 1060 in there).

 

[MattAces]

This.

Pass until I know the full hardware specs (needs to at least have a GTX 1060 in there).

This thread is confusing so many people.

Oculus Go, this thread main topic is a Gear VR without phone. It doesn't have any positional tracking. 3DOF. Using Gear VR store.

Oculus Santa Cruz, we have extremely limited amount of information, but it's wireless, has built in chipset that will most likely spawn a new line of games in store. It has positional tracking and doesn't require external tracking devices/PC to power it. No price, no release date. This is below standard Rift/Vive and most likely will be using the same library as upcoming Wireless Vive.

 

[Prodigal Son]

I feel a little uneasy for Jill Steiney reasons about having a internet-connected computer right near my eyes and brain. I'll stick with my regular rift

 

[Dreamwriter]

This thread is confusing so many people.

Oculus Go, this thread main topic is a Gear VR without phone. It doesn't have any positional tracking. 3DOF. Using Gear VR store.

Oculus Santa Cruz, we have extremely limited amount of information, but it's wireless, has built in chipset that will most likely spawn a new line of games in store. It has positional tracking and doesn't require external tracking devices/PC to power it. No price, no release date. This is below standard Rift/Vive and most likely will be using the same library as upcoming Wireless Vive.

How do you figure? Personally I think Santa Cruz is an Oculus Go with motion tracking and tracked controllers, which means it’ll use the Gear VR library and not be compatible with any PC games.

 

[Dreamwriter]

It's just a google cardboard, but you can't take your phone out of the case. Ever.

Um, no? It’s better than a Gear VR, which means it’s 10,000 times better than Google Cardboard.

 

[kennyamr]

Just as Palmer would have wanted

10/10

 

[AllIsOneIsNone]

This.

Pass until I know the full hardware specs (needs to at least have a GTX 1060 in there).

What?

 

[CEJames]

Just as Palmer would have wanted

I guess I know what it feels like to have peaked now.

Don't worry. Inspiration will strike again.

 

[MattAces]

How do you figure? Personally I think Santa Cruz is an Oculus Go with motion tracking and tracked controllers, which means it’ll use the Gear VR library and not be compatible with any PC games.

Just my own speculation that's why I mentioned we have limited information and "most likely".
Although Wireless Vive headset itself is 6dof while controller is still 3dof, also it seems like it's using Daydream library. So I guess your statement make sense and will most likely be the case. Separating too many categories are always a bad idea.

 

[Lakuza]

More details about oculus go from the Oculus connect 4 event, copy+pasting this over from the event discussion thread so it includes all old info that was announced on day 1 too:

• Oculus GO announced - Standalone Headset for $199 (shipping early 2018).
• Oculus GO uses Next Gen VR optics (New lenses WQHD 2560x1440)
• Oculus GO binary compatible with gear vr (apps and motion inputs)
• Oculus Go uses LCD (full RGB) with screen switching/shutter being faster than what LCD's has traditionally had.
• super quick boot, always in the environment
• still Android at the base
• built-in sound, even less hassle than Rifts built-in solution
• full software-stack control (no more updates every time you turn it on)
• Wi-Fi only

There have only been a few experiences that I absolutely loved in VR.

Faves:
Smash on Gear VR
VTime on Gear VR
Re7 on PSVR
Dirt Rally on PSVR
Job Simulator / MULTI
The Accounting / Vive

Until Star Trek Bridge Crew came out, which is, ironically what I purchased VR for in the first place (I sold it just before), I played every game available on PSVR. This is pre-superhot, etc.

ON Vive and Rift, I played Raw Data, that awesome military shooter made by one guy who's name escapes me, Serious Sam, and too many other games to count.

Smash is great on gear vr, definately one of my fave games on it too just to relax in
Deadelus is another good gear vr game if you get chance to play it (needs motion controller) but its pretty short which is an issue I have with most of gear vr library.

Games like Lone Echo(ready at dawn) on the rift is a game I'd argue for being a killer amazing experience. Robo Recall(epic games) is amazing as a jump in arcade game if you haven't had chance to try that one out. There's also games like chronos, gunheart and social games like rec room etc.

If you were interested in Star trek bridge crew the new "from other suns" looks like it takes that ship crew gameplay to the next level by combining FTL elements with fps elements (raiding enemy ships, trading with merchant ships, ship battles, crew management, ship repair etc).

Rift has been releasing big budget vr games almost month this year although not all of them were a hit of course (mages tale,Lone echo, killing floor: incursion, Arktika.1(metro devs) are some of those oculus games I can remember right now).

 

[ZAMtendo]

Better than Google Cardboard.

 

[dragn]

Hope next years announcment includes a new rift with 4K and wider fov like pimax does

 

[mrklaw]

Oculus go is almost at impulse buy price, but no positional tracking makes me pause. Wireless is great though.

Santa Cruz may be about the same price as Rift, and lower powered but likely better lenses and the huge bonus of being untethered. But if you have a strong PC it would be difficult to decide between Santa Cruz and the Rift. The new price of the rift is tempting but I’m not sure about how annoying to would be to mount the cameras..

 

[nampad]

More details about oculus go from the Oculus connect 4 event, copy+pasting this over from the event discussion thread so it includes all old info that was announced on day 1 too:

• Oculus GO announced - Standalone Headset for $199 (shipping early 2018).
• Oculus GO uses Next Gen VR optics (New lenses WQHD 2560x1440)
• Oculus GO binary compatible with gear vr (apps and motion inputs)
• Oculus Go uses LCD (full RGB) with screen switching/shutter being faster than what LCD's has traditionally had.
• super quick boot, always in the environment
• still Android at the base
• built-in sound, even less hassle than Rifts built-in solution
• full software-stack control (no more updates every time you turn it on)
• Wi-Fi only

Smash is great on gear vr, definately one of my fave games on it too just to relax in
Deadelus is another good gear vr game if you get chance to play it (needs motion controller) but its pretty short which is an issue I have with most of gear vr library.

Games like Lone Echo(ready at dawn) on the rift is a game I'd argue for being a killer amazing experience. Robo Recall(epic games) is amazing as a jump in arcade game if you haven't had chance to try that one out. There's also games like chronos, gunheart and social games like rec room etc.

If you were interested in Star trek bridge crew the new "from other suns" looks like it takes that ship crew gameplay to the next level by combining FTL elements with fps elements (raiding enemy ships, trading with merchant ships, ship battles, crew management, ship repair etc).

Rift has been releasing big budget vr games almost month this year although not all of them were a hit of course (mages tale,Lone echo, killing floor: incursion, Arktika.1(metro devs) are some of those oculus games I can remember right now).

I am sure they won't let you install the Google Playstore or sideload apps. Would be too good to be true.