Do you own a VR headset?
I recently got my significant other into Eurotruck Simulator 2 and was given the go-ahead to purchase a VR headset so that we can better experience the various sim games out there. Unfortunately, the complete Valve Index package is back-ordered about 8 weeks so it will be a while before I can take the plunge and buy one.
Was just curious though if anyone here also has a VR headset and what their experience has been with it. I had a 1st generation Oculus Rift a long time ago but ended up selling it since I felt the software wasn't there (2016) and I could really only play the seated experiences with a 360 controller so I felt I was behind the curve even on my 1st purchase.
Some prompts to help spur discussion, but feel free to share what you would like to share:
- How often do you play on your headset?
- What games/experiences would you recommend?
- What games/experiences do you not recommend?
- What headset do you own/have you tried any others?
- Are there any accessories or peripherals that are worth checking out?
I have a valve index, but I've had a few other sets before (DK2, original rift, original vive, rift S) so I've spent a lot of time in VR I guess.
Most of what I've been using my set for has been VRChat recently. Beat saber is awesome too, and I can honestly say HL:A is probably the "best" video game I've ever played. I haven't been using it as much recently as I just stopped drinking so I haven't had the urge to play VRchat as much but I use it enough for the price tag to feel justified
Oculus Quest owner here.
I think having an independant 6DoF headset is a very good move from Oculus. Not everybody has a PC powerful enough to run VR games, and I certainly didn't when I got it. With Oculus Link I can play regular PCVR games, and this certainly factored in when I decided to upgrade my computer. Plus, with Virtual Desktop, you can even play untethered.
However... It's Facebook. I doubt the Quest would be as good as it is without Facebook infinite money, but the latest news about mandatory Facebook login is disgusting.
Games: my recommandation are not that much original: Beat Saber for a long burning game, Superhot for an absolutely unique experience, and HL:Alyx because it's basically Half-Life 3 and it's the most polished experience there is apart from the introductory tutorials (that's what you get with infinite money and time).
Some recommendations I've yet to see in this thread:
Pistol Whip: a shooting gallery / rhythm game hybrid. Has an aesthetics very similar to Super Hot (abstract polygonal people), and a pumped up dark electro soundtrack.
The Under Presents: a nice mix of exploration and theater. Much more long burning than some other game in my opinion because of the multiple scenarios , although I haven't relaunched it since they switched to a freemium model.
Welcome to Light fields: it's a tech demo, and a two years old at this point, but it's still jaw dropping. Basically, this show 6DoF photo. You can actually move around a real space albeit on a smallish (1m?) sphere. Some recent paper showed how to do 6DoF video, but I've yet to see a demo in a headset
Moss: not all vr games have to be immersive first person experience. Moss is a rather simple 3D platformer, but with an adorable artistic direction. Each level / screen are like miniature dioramas that are just gorgeous to look at. Also, extra credit on the accessibility department because the main character will sign (ASL) you tell the game you are deaf.
I can't believe I forgot about Moss. I absolutely adore that game. It's only about 5 hours long, and after I finished it I immediately went and bought some posters from them just so I could give them more money to support them.
It was one of the first VR games I played and it did two things that made me really grok how amazing VR can be in terms of connecting with a character.
First thing was in the opening scene, you're introduced to the little mouse, she wanders out into the scene, looks around, and then looks directly at you. Because a VR game can know exactly where your eyes are, the character's head tracks you, and of course because you're in stereo 3d your brain can perceive that the character is focused at you not just in your general direction. In that moment that character came alive for me in a way that no other game had been able to do.
Second thing was an hour or two into the game. The game is a puzzle platformer, so you guide the little mouse around to dive the puzzles. After solving a moderately difficult puzzle, the mouse looks up at me and raises one paw in the air. Without any conscious thought I immediately put my hand up and gave her a little high-five. That one moment blew my mind. A game was able to induce a socially conditioned action from me in response to an artificial character, because it was so immersive that enough of my brain was convinced that that character was totally real.
Depends! Less now that my gym is open again, but usually about once a week
I haven't tried much besides the ones which get recommended a lot. Half-Life: Alyx, Supherhot VR and Beatsaber are fantastic. Until You Fall is fun, but runs like crap (at least on my machine), same with Grip: Combat Racing
Stay away from Borderlands 2 VR. I'm a huge fan of the BL games, but this is just a super crappy VR port
The Valve Index. It's my first, but I tried my friends Oculus (dev kit 2 IIRC) a while back. Can fully recommend the Index
Haven't tried any
I don't have a VR headset at the moment, but I am on the 8-week waiting list for the Index, and I would definitely suggest that if you're looking at getting an Index, you should order one as early as possible. The 8 week wait is more like 15 weeks (I ordered mine on June 12th and I still have at least a month to go), and they don't charge you until your order is ready to ship. Also, definitely check out the r/valveindex subreddit, as they have a community-driven spreadsheet of everyone tracking when their orders are getting filled. It's a really helpful resource.
I put mine in about two weeks ago! I did check /r/steamvr and saw they had base stations in stock for individual sale. I hope that translates to faster shipping times, the wait is agonizing when I let my mind slip to dreaming about the day it will arrive.
I think if I were 12 weeks into an 8 week wait, I would be opening up my email every few hours looking for the confirmation email!
I am constantly checking my Steam orders page to see if I have any updates. None so far, tragically.
with the base station restock it seems like some people are ordering piecemeal instead of the full kits to get around the backlog for an extra $50. it's kind of tempting...
I've got a dell visor, one of those windows mixed reality headsets. It's pretty decent, especially for the price, but I don't end up using it much for the simple reason that I don't have any friends with headsets, and don't find most single player experiences to really have staying power, though the latter is subjective. I haven't yet played Alyx, but I might pick it up soon.
In terms of what to try, most of my favorite stuff has been free. VRChat is pretty neat, rec room and the lab are absolute blasts. Even just messing around in people's steam home environments is extremely entertaining.
I have an Oculus DK1 (in a box on a shelf), and currently use an HTC Vive that I bought 3 years ago.
I am currently employed as an XR developer by the University of Michigan and so also have an Oculus Quest and a GO that I do development on. I would have hands on experience with probably a dozen more devices if I hadn't started this job one damn week after my state locked down.
I probably actually play on my headset (s) once a week, though I use them every day. I still haven't actually finished HL:Alex, though I want to.
I love putting people who have never been in VR into Richie's Plank Experience. It's very amusing. Beat Saber is a must have, as is Superhot. HL:A is an absolute must have, it is extremely well polished both graphically and it's UX. Make sure you GFX card can handle it though. Also be sure to check out the many many non-game experiences such as TiltBrush, 360 movies, and cultural experiences such as Traveling While Black.
For accessories, you might consider some alternative face cushions depending on your comfort with your particular HMD, how much you find yourself sweating, and how fastidious you are about cleaning things.
Because the Index is wired, you should also consider a cable suspension system. Which are literally any kind of elastic or spring you can attach to the ceiling and clip onto the cable. There are kits Amazon, but they're literally just repackaging stuff from a hardware store if you want to try and find it yourself. I had one set up at my previous residence and don't now, and I miss it.
You could also consider a subscription to Viveport Infinity, which is basically Netflix for VR, which allows you to try out a ton of stuff. I picked up a year for $7 when they ran a special at the beginning of the pandemic and I haven't utilized it nearly as much as I should yet.
I have the PSVR due to it's relative convenience, though I have played on some family's Vive which offers a far superior experience - if you can afford the hardware and space requirements.
I can only play for bursts at a time, maybe 30-90 mins. It does depend on the game, the type and speed of movement involved, and how well rested I am. Tired eyes cannot handle VR.
I recommend trying out whatever you can get your hands on really, if it's free or on sale for a couple of dollars, as there a lot of novel experiences to be had. Below are not necessarily the best VR games, but are some of the experiences that stayed with me the most:
Thumper
It's really a basic game, and doesn't look like much in gameplay trailers, but for some reason the overall experience really wowed me. If you have decent headphones, Thumper can make you feel make you feel completely isolated and ungrounded.
Statik
I'm a huge fan of puzzle games, and this is a completely unique puzzle experience that manages to intelligently incorporate the controller into the game-world.
Job Simulator
More of a tech demo or toy, but the interactivity and intuitiveness of how objects interact is very fun.
Accounting+
Just absurd, but worth it for the mind-f*ck of a ride.
Wipeout
I recommend this more for a laugh. You will feel nauseous. Quickly. Pick a track with more verticality and challenge your friends to see who can last the longest.
I've got an Index and a PSVR. I haven't been able to leave the house much for various reasons (even pre-pandemic) so it felt like the closest I could get to the experience.
I used to play it a lot, but I do not feel like playing it in this hotter weather. Yes I know there's AC, and I can put a fan on, and I've even got a Chilldex, but something about slapping a headset on is just the last thing my brain wants to be doing in this weather. When Fall comes around I'm sure I'll get back into it.
I think if you're a horror fan and love being scared, you have to try VR. Resident Evil 7 was the scariest friggin' thing I've ever experienced in my life and it was just so much fun. Even the Until Dawn: Rush of Blood rollercoaster's a hoot. And then there's the Exorcist: Legion, which is a walking simulator horror experience, and Dead Secret, a horror mystery puzzle game. I can't get enough of it-- and by "can't get enough" I mean I have to play in 20-30 minute segments before I have to take it off and relax.
If you're trying to be frugal, I would not recommend most ports, as it's just a controller + VR view, and I'd rather play something that embraces my knuckles.
I've gone all-out with my Index so far on peripherals: I got prescription lenses so my wife can play without her glasses, I got a Chilldex to help cool my face while I play, some plastic covers for my knuckles to help with grip, and extra gaskets so we can swap them out between plays/don't have to put each other's sweat on when we switch the headset between us.
Yo, this is what is up. If you don't mind me asking, what outlet did you get yours from? I wonder if I can cover these with my FSA...
Worst experience with my first VR kit was trying to wear it with glasses. I ended up putting the headset on too tight with glasses on and scratched both my glasses and the lens inside the Oculus Rift.
I got mine through VR Optician and got two pairs; one for my wife, and just a scratch-free lens for everything else.
Compared to the PSVR, the lenses on the Index feel like they're right there up against your eyes. And I'd heard enough horror stories in the Index subreddit that I just didn't wanna risk scratching them.
I would recommend getting them now if you haven't already, as the order can take a while. Same goes for the Chilldex and gaskets, or at least put the gaskets on your wishlist.
I have a Rift S, as you might have heard from me talking about all the time.
So here's my opinion; it's every bit as revolutionary as you have been told. It's amazing how it makes everything feel real.
The best experience you will get are the so-called roomscale experiences. Those let you stand and move around without having to teleport or have the experience of being carted around. Those quickly break your immersion. But those are necessarily limited - the game needs to fit in your room, which is a design restriction, and you need to have a room big enough for the game, which restricts the potential audience. I can tell you that the only roomscale experiences I have been able to enjoy are Accounting and Oculus First Steps, both of which essentially keep gameplay in a tiny 3m^2 play area.
I haven't really spent any money on VR games yet; all of the VR games I own are either free, given to me, or came bundled with a non-VR game (aside: Minecraft VR is flippin' weird). So for me so far, I mainly use it to play Tabletop Simulator with my sister. Honestly, it's crazy buggy and a terrible experience (when you load or attempt to rewind time the screen will move out of sync with your head movements and flash rapidly - and that's only 1 issue out of 50 or so), but it's the only way I can feel like I'm actually with my sister who lives out of state - even if I'm not actually seeing her.
The Rift S is an incredible value; it does so much and is really inexpensive. And if you don't have a great computer, the Quest is probably the best way to get into VR. But that being said, with the recent Facebook requirement announcement, I will never recommend Oculus to anyone. If you've got the money, buy an Index; it's probably the best experience you will get right now.
I have a samsung odyssey hmd+. I haven't really touched it in a few months now, but I used to regularly play beatsaber for 1-2 hours at a time a few times a week. The tracking is pretty bad as opposed to outside in, or the newer gen inside outs.
Recs: beat saber, audica, half life alyx, superhot, sairento, hellblade.
I have a Rift CV1. I bought it right before the quest and s came out (I don't regret that). I have it on a pulley system with 4 sensors. If you don't get a wireless system, setup a pulley system along with a program like cable guardian. I play my headset pretty rarely. I have not been gaming as much as I used to, so that may factor in. My most played VR game is, by far, beat saber. I have considered buying a quest just for beat saber, but I really don't like what Facebook is doing with oculus. I really wish someone else would come out with a product like quest.