22
votes
Thoughts on VR?
Are there any other people on Tildes who regularly use VR?
- What has the experience been like for you?
- Which headset do you own?
- What do you use it for?
- Do you use it regularly?
- Any favorite/recommended games/apps?
I have the HTC Vive Pro and use it somewhat often, but it's basically turned into a piece of exercise equipment for use with Beat Saber.
Yep this was basically how I stayed active during Covid. It's way more fun than body weight exercises and there are so many great custom maps out there it makes it easy to stay fresh and challenging.
(Posting as a comment so I don't make the original post too long)
I’ve tried a bunch of headsets over the years, starting with the original Oculus Quest. I had a friend who backed the original Kickstarter and I have a very distinct memory of him inviting a bunch of us over the day it arrived so we could all try it out. We all had a great time watching everyone else try it out and be amazed at simply walking around a low res house. It was fun, but modern VR games didn't really exist at the time, so there wasn't much else to do.
Eventually I found a PSVR at a pawn shop for around $150 and bought it on a whim. It was fun, but the lack of games and the clunkiness of the setup made using it a chore.
When the PSVR2 came out, I immediately bought one. It was basically the perfect headset for me: no gaming PC required, one cable setup, worked with glasses. I don't really have the willingness/space to have a full PC-based VR setup. While the game selection is smaller compared to something compatible with SteamVR or the Meta Quest, there’s enough there to keep me interested. A few standout games have been:
One thing that I've fallen in love with is the movie watching experience. Having a massive screen to watch a movie on is fantastic. The only area that it disappoints is in sound quality. The headphones included are just a pair of generic earbuds that sound like crap. Good enough for gaming but not really up to snuff for watching a movie or anything like that.
Just out of curiosity, I did the in store demo for the Apple Vision Pro in late April. I was abolsutely blown away. The pass through latency was incredible. The window, hand and eye tracking are far and away the best I've seen in a headset.
So I kept my eyes out and managed to snag a Vision Pro on Swappa. It's a totally different beast than any other VR headset I've used. 99% of my usage has been consuming movies. And the Vision Pro is hands down, no contest the best solo movie watching experience I've ever had. Besides the obvious limitation that I can't use it to watch movies with other people, I love it.
Watching The Great Gatsby in 3D, 4K, and HDR was amazing. It's also a treat to sit in a virtual cinema environment and watch a monster movie like 20 Million Miles to Earth. Seeing it on the "big screen" is so much fun.
A few of the stand out apps/games I’ve found on the Vision Pro:
And the fact that its self contained and doesnt require a connection to a console or PC is great. One big limitation of the PSVR2 is that you're tethered to your PS5. With the Vision Pro, I can sit wherever I want (like on the couch in the living room) and enjoy the movie.
Based on the people I meet in VRChat this is clearly something that wasn't a careful enough consideration before they acquired their hardware. It should have been.
Audio (and microphone) quality are a top priority for me and I have rejected multiple headsets when it became clear that the manufacturers cheaped out on these things.
Have you tried the Bigscreen Beyond for PCVR? It was deliberately designed for movie viewing (I haven't tried it yet).
I didn't even think to look on Swappa, but $2500 for a Vision Pro really changes the calculus on whether it's worth buying.
I have the Oculus Rift S. In my opinion, Half Life Alyx is by far the best VR game out there. In comparison the others seem just like tech demos. Not to say I didn't have fun with them. Hellblade VR is quite an experience. Boneworks is also amazing. And there are some fun puzzle games as well.
However, I was playing Bonelab about a year ago, and I just... stopped playing. It's not that I don't want to play, just that I want other things more. I see a post like this and think: "I should play some VR", but I never do. I think it's just the added (small) hassle of getting everything set up.
I'll second this. I have a valve index and generally enjoy my time using it, but due to space limitations in the room I don't always have it setup. Once I got burnt out of half life alyx mods and skyrim VR it has started to gather dust.
I'm holding out hope somebody makes another great VR game. Everything I've tried since HL Alyx feels like a glorified tech demo more than a game.
I played Alyx and then that was pretty much it. It’s an amazing game and a one of a kind experience. Nobody else is trying to compete.
I'm sure some may remember I'm a long term VR user - there's alot I've written about VR on Tildes in the past, which I will try not to repeat too much. So the answer is definitely yes.
Quite good! Hardware and software can be a little (infuriatingly) janky since there are so many different parts working together but it's worth it.
I'm currently using a Pico 4 (good audio!) and PCVR over Virtual Desktop and hybrid tracking. In the past I owned a HTC Vive with a Deluxe Audio Strap (also good audio!) I also own a pair of Index controllers, which are very good (but fragile), and various trackers and accessories. The SteamVR stack is the perfect one for me because, like a PC, you can mix and match parts and upgrade them independently. I've been using the same base stations for five and a half years (still going strong!)
Lately it's mainly Beat Saber and VRChat. I've tried other social platforms and several games, and I definitely would like to play more games on it, but I've been quite busy with too many projects and commitments and chosen to use my free time differently.
Yes, not every day but every week, usually multiple times. There's good exercise in Beat Saber. My Index controllers, especially the right hand one, are very old and the tracking is somewhat broken, which makes the game a little infuriating at times, but I try!
VRChat has a lot to do, to the detriment of other VR applications. Here's a list of things I do in VRChat:
Here's a list of things I don't normally do in VRChat, but "you" can:
Definitely Beat Saber. There are other fun rhythm games, it's too bad it's so difficult to keep a strong playerbase.
The other types of games I want to play in VR are platformers (I like to move very fast, fly through the air and fall from high places, which is not for everyone), exploration and puzzle solving games mostly, not too different from a subset of the games I like to play outside VR - unfortunately, these types of games are relatively underrepresented as the lower budget projects most often found in VR tend to be first person shooters, combat, simplistic open world, strategy (for some reason) and such. The games I played earlier on like TO THE TOP or Windlands 2 are still good, I'm sure.
Do you have any recommendable spaces? I've wanted to be more social in VR, but I've never really found any place to truly connect in VRChat.
It can be difficult to break into it. There are lots of children and trolls with "Visitor" level accounts, so it can be a little difficult to build trust at first. Public instance experiences can sometimes be unpleasant, and increasing your trust level can take a ridiculous amount of time, as the requirements are vague and byzantine and haven't scaled well over the years.
It's not so much about selecting worlds as finding groups of people you get along with so you can edge into using more restricted access or moderated instances, or just joining your friends when they're online. The relatively recent Groups feature is abused a lot for novelty nametags and is flooded by many small groups whose purpose is completely opaque, but there are many genuine groups in there with clearly defined purposes that you can just join or request to join. I suggest you find some that match your interests, and join them! Having groups in your profile will also make it appear more trustworthy (trolls get banned often and cycle accounts, losing their groups).
When you meet people who seem nice or who you hit it off with, make sure you send them a friend request (if they don't do it first) or if it feels weird you can ask politely for permission. The VRChat system encourages erring on having more friends and acquaintances in your list than you'd think. Don't just friend complete strangers - that will be weird - but having more friends will increase your trust rank eventually.
You can see "Friends/Group" and "Friends+/Group+" instances in your socials tab under friend locations and group locations. These instances were created by friends or group members and are not visible in the public instance lists; if you selected your friends and groups correctly, the vibe should be better there!
I also strongly recommend investing some time in hunting down at least one good avatar that you feel isn't too common and represents you well - you can do this by scouring avatar worlds (these are often tagged). Much like in real life, your appearance will affect people's attitude towards you, and a unique appearance will help people remember you. Many regular users upload their own private avatars they they commission, purchase or create themselves, but there are thousands available for free and you can favorite multiple of them for quick swapping later. Keep in mind certain avatars will convey something about you, for example: If you wear eboy and egirl avatars people may assume you are a teenager. If you wear brush boy or five nights at freddy's avatars, people may assume you are a child. Do not wear knuckles avatars under any circumstances. More often than not, amusingly, children like to wear larger avatars and adults like to wear smaller ones. Adults also seem more likely to wear (outside certain interest groups like furries) inhuman avatars. I know someone in his 50s who's just Woody from Toy Story! Choose an avatar that doesn't do anything disruptive with its size, imagery or shaders.
Like in the real world, you can connect over activities you enjoy. Some activities require specialized worlds, so you can bootstrap your friend group by finding people playing certain types of games or doing certain things in the public instances of that world. There are worlds for games like Among Us, Overcooked, Geo
cachingguessr [EDIT: No idea why I wrote geocaching here] or Cards Against Humanity. If you're interested in joining us for Karaoke, these are the more famous english language karaoke worlds:Timezones can be a massive barrier for connecting with people. Try to build your friend group in a timezone in which you can visit VRChat regularly.
A vast amount of worlds can only be accessed in PCVR mode, so in order to meet more adults I strongly recommend playing in that mode if you can. A PC is required. You use this mode when you connect in desktop mode, using a PCVR (SteamVR) headset, or when you connect your non-SteamVR headset to your PC using a cable or wi-fi and a system like Virtual Desktop, Steam Link or ALVR (some headsets also offer native connection software like Oculus Airlink). The other mode is Android mode, which is available on disconnected standalone headsets like the Quest and on mobile devices. It restricts you to explicitly compatible lightweight worlds and avatars.
I've also kept people I like around simply by creating my own VRChat-oriented communities on Discord.
Sometimes, one simply doesn't know the right quesiton to ask. Thanks for skipping past my request for recommendable spaces and instead telling me what I actually needed to know! Think I'll rewire F1 to bring this guide up when VRChat is running.
I started getting into VR with a knockoff of Google Cardboard, the gizmo you put a smartphone into to convert it into a HMD. This was, predictably, a pretty shitty solution, but it was enough for me to realize the potential.
So I ordered a Oculus CV1. Back then, there weren't a lot of VR titles. Every new title on Steam got positive reviews simply for existing. The CV1 didn't have hand controllers, instead it was shipped with an Xbox controller. So there were a lot of peculiar hand-free titles, even the mountainering game THE CLIMB started out with you having to gaze where you wanted to place your hands and then clicking left or right trigger. There were also the gimmicky DON'T LET GO, where you have to hold down both CTRL keys on your keyboard, so your hand position is synched with the in-game hands whilst facing an on-rails scare experience with impressively cheap visuals.
I began collecting Stereoviews (they work surprisingly well) and found out that the rather niche game engine App Game Kit had a VR add-on. So I bought it and it was surpringly easy to get into. It is pretty much the BASIC language with some extra bells and whistles, so not really that advanced. It was really amazing to just type in a line of code and then seeing that cube I made floating in 3D space.
There was a few bumbs on the road. Just after I had ordered my CV1, I learned that the crowdfounded Oculus has been sold to Facebook by some pro-Trump asshat. They promised that they would let Oculus do its own thing, there would absolutely come a CV2, and PCVR would not be abandoned.
The laser operation I had for VR turned out to be a mistake. I now have to use two sets of glasses instead of one.
I tried arranging a VR themed screening in a local cinema with VR tryout, and then of course the CV1 broke down at this exact time.
Later i bought a Valve Index, but by now my PC was too dated to be able to run it, and when I finally got a PC which could someone else had borrowed it — they couldn't use it either — and they didn't seem in a hurry to give it back.
The Quest came out and it just seem so bland and unispired with pure low-poly kiddie-friendly games, not to talk about all the VR games which got visual downgrades to fit the headmounted hardware. (Goodbye IN DEATH)
So I kind of soured on the whole thing. I just liked VR better when it was pioneering tech than now that it is bland consumer product.
But I got my Valve Index back and VR feels pretty great! Although the games I bought on the Oculus store are gone, I'm glad to no longer use that Facebook abandonware HMD.
Some faves:
Beat Saber—Gorgeous visuals, tight gameplay and thousands of user-made maps. I remember it took a few games before I really got into it, but then it clicked.
SuperHOT VR—the gimmick of time only moving when you move work perfectly in VR. Despite being a remake from the screen version, this one fits the VR medium perfectly.
Ayahuasca—on rails drug simulator. Truly grand visuals in this one.
Spacecats with Lasers VR—This game is in a strange VR genre where you control a tiny avatar fixed to your hand controller. So you move your hand around to shoot and dodge enemies. Weird theme, frantic music and lots of powerups.
Tetris Effect: Connected—This is simply Tetris with a grand new age vibe. Works far better than it have any right to
Zaccaria Pinball—faithful recreations of a lot of old-school pinball machines.
Kayak VR: Mirage—Not a lot of content, but what there is is truly breathtaking. Also support tying your controllers to a broom handle for more realism.
Katana X—Fruit Ninja clone in VR, but with lifelike physics, so You really have to use full precise cuts.
Karnage Chronicles—Solid action RGB with lush visuals.
The Thrill of the Fight—simple solid boxing sim. One heck of workout!
Gladius—Still my favorite VR brawler. The gladiator setting is really inspirering, and it is designed with real-life locomotion in mind.
Chroma Lab—The controls takes a few tries, but this particle toy is pure joy, especially with some music in the background.
I forgot to mention Blaston. Despite having the low-poly aestetics I've never going to love, this wacky one-on-one duel game is just perfect for VR.
So I got a refurbished CV1 over COVID and got into a game called Blade and Sorcery.
Now if you know what Blade and Sorcery is you probably know that I turned into an absolute psychopath playing that game...
Anyway vr is great.
The first VR brawler, GORN, was fun too. Not perfect. but fun!
But my fave brawler is still Gladius.
I noted above: murder simulator.
Psychopath is the only mode for this game.
I have an Oculus Quest 2, but I’ve tried out most the popular VR headsets through friends. I don’t use it too much because despite not having vision issues it really puts strain on my eyes and makes me feel like I’m getting a migraine if I use it for more than 30-45 minutes.
I also wish it wasn’t owned by Meta; I’ve done my best to disable as much social / telemetry stuff as possible but I’m sure they’re still recording plenty.
The most fun I’ve with it was with Blade and Sword with Star Wars mods. Beat Saber is pretty fun too.
I think a version of the Apple Vision Pro that’s smaller and lighter with a more reasonable price point might draw me back into VR, but otherwise I’ve mostly lost interest.
I’d love to have a Quest, but I have no interest in them since they started requiring a Facebook/Meta account to use the headset.
I’m lucky in that I’ve never had any issues with eye strain except for the very first Oculus Rift development kit. That one was pretty rough.
If I recall correctly, when Facebook bought Oculus this was the exact thing they promised never-ever to require.
The account requirement may not be as terrible as you think it is.
There was a period of time where they did require a Facebook account to use the Quest 2, but they buckled due to all the negative push back and removed that requirement later on (including on the Quest 3). Now you only need a Meta account.
Meta accounts can be created with just an email address and password--there's no requirement to tie it to Facebook or other social media, or to identify yourself in any way (unless you decide to add a credit card so you can purchase stuff from the store). It's much more akin to the original Oculus account requirement that existed before Facebook bought Oculus.
It's true you can't use it without an account, which is annoying, but you can easily create one with a throw away email and never have to think about it again.
Out of curiosity, what exactly do you want from this future Vision Pro? Is it the Apple ecossystem?
Not OP, but the current VR OS market has bad UI and bad implementation. Apple is known for good UI and good software implementation. The Vision Pro has the polished experience to make VR/AR feel fluid to the average user, but the first generation of the headset is expensive and still a bit heavy. A future version that comes in at maybe $2500 and weighs half as much seems like the point where it can become a "casual" device instead of just something for enthusiasts.
I agree that VR OSes (and even SteamVR, not technically an OS) have a lot of suck in them. One of the things that drives me up the wall about SteamVR is that while it recently-ish it became possible to dock a desktop to your wrist, there is no way to scroll it, making it almost entirely useless. Feels like that sort of thing would be obvious.
The Pico 4 doesn't let me customize my playspace limits at all - I can choose between "inconvenient" and "not there, so you'll run into a wall within 15 minutes".
I also feel though that it might be preferrable if the OS was open and separated from the hardware.
Hardware that is more open than Apple's will come out and be better than current offerings due to the pressure Apple is putting on them. I have other Apple devices and their ecosystem is so nice once you are invested in it. If devices were all standalone, an open OS may be competitive if they can learn some lessons from VisionOS, but if you own an iPhone or Mac, Vision Pro has extra benefits.
I think @ackables hit the nail on the head. I do enjoy the Apple ecosystem’s benefits, but that’s secondary to me.
Blade & Sorcery aka "Murder Simulator".
And it's absurdly fun.
Two thumbs up to "The Outer Rim" Star Wars mod.
First I thought it was just a gimmick and people were overstating how good it could be, and it'd mostly be like the Wii mote, neat but ultimately not the future for some time.
Then I used it myself in the right environment and had to admit that while it does face some disadvantages (mostly in user input accuracy), the benefits of how the user experiences the content are amazing, and I admitted there was a market for it.
That said, oddly, I feel like the developers have stuck to genres that are really harmed by the issues facing the platform, and haven't pushed hard enough into genre's that work around those.
The big two are:
User input and precision.
As neat as it is to have the game map to your real life movement, there are many genre's that are focused around precise inputs or movement that are very hard to replicate in VR.
Physical space.
Related to 1, some of the major games expect you to physically move A LOT, and these already expensive devices that require expensive computers happen to also want you to have a pretty decent space dedicated to it, which is often the most expensive part of the equation. The majority of the gamer market doesn't have a 4ft x 4ft wide area free of clutter near a computer to setup. There are some workarounds to this, but I feel like part of the issue is trying to stick to genres like FPS because they're popular, despite them clashing with 1 and 2, rather than looking at genres that meld much better with what VR offers.
So in short, what blows my mind is:
Where the fuck is the immersive space/flight/racer sim revitalization? Star Wars/Freespace/Wipeout/Ace Combat/etc are all games that would benefit a TON from VR, while not running into issues with 1 or 2. You can still play comfortably on a chair with a desk in front of you, no need for motion controls outside of tracking head movement, and a half decent joystick/wheel setup is going to handle the controls.
Sure it's extra cool if you can commit to having the hand tracking inputs as well so you're reaching around your cockpit to do things, but I just don't get why there aren't more games, mainstream and not, pushing harder on this. I know there was a star wars game, but it was a pretty standard "push it out the door" quality and certainly didn't take advantage of all the amazing things VR could bring to the genre. It was instead just a gimmick.
I really think we're not going to see VR take off until we see developers focusing on genres that work to the products strengths and around its weaknesses, rather than try to make products that appeal to current markets even when they're not a good fit.
Where the fuck is the immersive space/flight/racer sim revitalization?
There's a VR version of No Man's Sky that fits the bill for the first two.
Oh it has happened in car racing. The two main competitive sim racing sims (Assetto Corsa and iracing) support it. No one is picking up a new racing sim because these two do everything people want them to.
This isn't really my experience. Perhaps my Valve Index have greater precision than your VR device. Kayaking, ping pong, sculpting, grafitti, swordmanship, archery, moving-a-tiny-boat-with-a-pair-of-fans (Child of the WInds)—it all work pretty near perfect in my experience.
Yeah. I personally have plenty of VR space, but that's just a lucky coincidence. But although this luxury isn't available to everyone, I'm glad there are some experience katering to this, because I think the most natural locomotion input is simpy being able to just ... walk. Games like BLASTON or THE THRILL OF THE FIGHT really benefits from the cardio of physical movement.
Anyway, I think the vast majority of VR games are standing-in-place gameplay. But I can understand if encountering roomscale VR may lead to frustration.
And that's fine for games built around it. I'm more talking about competitive games like first person shooters, RTS, fighting games, MOBAs, etc, where you just don't tolerate any level of misconstrued input.
There have been some interesting games that try to work with motion controls limitations/advantages for things like this ( 2 fighting games stick out in my mind, one where you're basically earth benders and the other where you have to adopt sword stances to actually attack), but LOTS of games do not port well to an environment where you intend X but get Y.
Oh, now I get you! Yeah, established video game genres seldom translates well to VR, which is kind of its own medium with its own rules.
I had the chance to use PS VR 2 for half a day and try a few games. I tried Oculus Rift before for just some kind of demo.
In PS VR 2, I tried Horizon game (don't know name) and I liked it but had real trouble when changing height (ladders etc.) and especially when sliding down ropes across canyons - I had to close my eyes to not get motion sick. But otherwise good experience.
I have also tried Resident Evil demo where I was blown off by going with a flashlight to the garage - if I ignore kinda low polygon models and not that great textures, the lighting of the scene was absolutely incredible - it was just like in real life!
But I spent majority of time (80%) by tryon to complete 3D puzzle of some coastal castle town. This one game that I don't know the name of was unbelievably relaxing and time jest flew over and I had to stop just because controllers got low on battery. I did like 70-80% of the puzzle and if I had it at home I would finish it and I would play this game (relax) probably every day. It doean't have crazy effects, lighting, graphics or whatnot, but it's great to be able to make like 2 meters wide 3D puzzle in your living room and just put it away if you need to and it doesn't take any space! My friend (owner of VR 2) plays it from one place and uses controllers to "bring pieces to him" while I had very different styleof actually going for them in the VR - you play the game in say 2 meters diameter circle and I have probably walked a few kilometers in the living room in those hours.
My experience... I like the technology, I liked some things about games and particularly loved the puzzle game. I won't be spending like a 1000€ on PS5 and VR 2 though. Not worth it for me. I'm glad I had the chance and actually quite some time to try it, though. The headset fits on the head well, the "see through" mode is usable, the cable didn't bother me. Controllers are very good.
If I ever buy a VR headset, it may be Valve's one (due to me liking how they do their job) and especially for racing sims. This would probably be my go to for VR. I would have to try it though, as I don't know how my head would cope with going 200+ km/h while sitting still. Or braking from such speed. And Beat saber just to get some movement (I'm lazy and definitely not fit).
Another thing is how much strain it puts on your eyes... But this is speculation on my part.
I regularly use VR in two forms:
Beat Saber with community maps is great for exercise to break up sitting for desk work and other hobbies, especially when the weather outside isn’t nice. Watching stuff on the Vision Pro w/AirPods is cool because you get a movie-theater-sized-OLED-screen and surround sound experience without all the expense and physical space consumption such a setup IRL would involve.
The Quest 2 is fine but I don’t use the built in smartphone or battery at all — there’s no point when I’ve got a vastly more powerful gaming PC to hook it up to. That said, getting it to a point where it was comfortable to use for long periods took a fair bit of setup. It’s rigged up with the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap instead of the crappy stock strap by way of 3D printed adapters and has a counterweight on the back to balance out the front-heaviness of the headset that comes as a result of that redundant built in computer and battery. The fact that it uses inside-out tracking and doesn’t need lighthouse trackers is probably its best feature. I think I’ll probably wind up replacing it, because I’d really prefer to use a lighter PC-oriented headset instead.
The Vision Pro is a bit heavy too but this is less of an issue because one of the included straps is actually decent (unlike the Quest) and I’m usually using it while chilling in bed where my head is a bit reclined anyway. As others have noted, UI and overall experience are smooth with a few notable rough edges. I’ve been meaning to try it for other use cases (seems like if paired with a keyboard, it should be good for getting some organizational sorts of work (email, calendar, etc) done away from my desk without the neck-craning associated with a laptop, for instance) but have been so busy lately there there just hasn’t been time.
I got a Rift S about 4 years ago. Initially I subscribed to Viveport Infinity for a couple months to try out a dozen or so games, none of which held my attention for more than a couple hours.
Unlike most people I did not enjoy Half Life Alyx. Sure it was an impressive experience, but it wasn't actually fun to play and I had to force myself to finish it.
The incongruity between physical and virtual space absolutely ruins a lot of VR games, and none of the movement control methods feel good (teleporting, analog sticks, swinging your arms walking in place).
The one game that keeps me using VR is Beat Saber. I have been playing about 8 hours a week for the last 2 years. It never gets old, has limitless content (except on PSVR since no custom maps), and I have never been in better shape.
I own the Quest 3 and use it as semi-regularly
I use the stock strap and put a powerbank in my pocket and get around 8 hours of battery life in one go.
Main uses are Beatsaber and Pistolwhip for exercise, but i have Cubism and Puzzling places installed for times of just calm turning-off-brain playing.
Sometimes i draw random things in Open Brush, maybe, rarely.
I really enjoy watching movies on it, i understand the colors aren't the best with its LCD screen, but bringing down the brightness and bumping up contrast just the tiniest bit has made the colors good enough to forget it.
Sometimes when reading epubs/pdfs or going down a wikipedia rabbit hole i decide to do it on the headset, and honestly i get less eye strain then on a phone (somewhat same level as a monitor), but since i can be lying down or in any position, i've been finding myself reading inside the headset more lately.
Just one small annoyance i got is that my right eye is a tiny bit weaker than my left, so i see the left eyes diagonal pixels more, but if i squint my right eye so that it can see the pixels, i can no longer notice pixels when viewing with both eyes (the different angles in the displays makes my brain think it's higher resolution for some reason).
I picked up a Quest 3 last month on a whim. I'm very interested in how Apple grows the Apple Vision product but I'm not going to be an early adopter at that price point. Since passthrough and AR is one of the interesting features I went for the Quest 3 knowing that it doesn't have the same passthrough quality as Apple's product.
Beatsaber was honestly the impetus. I played it years ago on an Oculus Rift. But my partner was telling me that some of her friends were playing it and she was curious about it. Between her interest in Beatsaber and my interest in understanding the current state of the technology I decided why not see what's going on.
Main thoughts:
Overall, I'm optimistically mixed on VR. The stuff that gets me excited about VR is the idea of what can be done with educational content. I haven't seen much of that available. If it continues being this kind of "game console but not" it will struggle for wider adoption. I have yet to find many use cases where the technology is makes a great case for itself. So far the Ayahuasca experience is the best example. But I want to see this type of thing use to explore science, engineering, math, history, literature etc.
I am an occasional VR user, but relatively bearish on the technology.
I had one of the early Oculus headsets, and own the Quest 1 and Quest 3. A partner and I did VR "dates" for a while, playing Rec Room games together during a time when we were long-distance. I just got the Quest 3 recently and use it rarely.
I feel that the immersion provided by VR provides only a marginal boost to my enjoyment of a game or experience. The tech has definitely come a long way, but I still feel that the trend isn't leading to a place where it will meaningfully displace a traditional laptop setup. That would require a level of immersion that I doubt is technologically in the cards any time in the near future (possibly not ever).
This is a loosely held belief though - and I'd in particular like to try the Vision Pro before I state it with real certainty.
I'm more bullish about augmented reality experiences (i.e. Google Glass or Hololens-like devices). The waveguide tech seems to get smaller and cheaper every year. Eventually, it would be nice to just carry a keyboard and trackpad around, and have the rest of my laptop in my glasses (as well as my smartphone and smartwatch).