Virtual Reality Headsets - worth the money?

[Jon]

Following a recent thread on the forums here, my interest in virtual reality headsets has been perked up again. There is a Quest 3 headset out there for about £480, but my main concern is that I don't want to buy something that ends up being used as a doorstop.

Several years ago, I bought an Oculus Go. It was I suppose on the budget end of VR headsets, but was stand alone and gave me an introduction to the genre. Whilst at first I found it interesting, I never really used it that much. The screen resolution wasn't that great, the headset felt uncomfortable for any length of time over 10 minutes and the apps seemed limited.

Some ideas on what I might use one for are as follows:

- Fitness. Apps that interest me include Punch Fit, Thrill of the Fight and Beat Sabre
- Google Street view
- Some chess game where you get a 3D board and sit across from a characters (figure it might improve training transfer for over the board games)

I know things have moved on somewhat, so I wanted to know who on these forums has a VR headset and if so, do you use it with any frequency? And what for?

 

[Edgar_]

I don't have a virtual reality headset yet, but I want to get one to try it out for architectural visualization and things related to construction. I got interested in them after seeing them used a lot in conventions, but I haven't used one myself. My mom, who is a nurse, once said they could be helpful for people recovering in bed. Oh, and speaking of which, I believe it could be helpful for people who suffer from anxiety.

 

[Jon]

Lots of potential use cases. Could provide some value to the elderly who are no longer able to go places. Instead, they can do the next best thing and go there virtually. Let them experience something else rather than their own 4 walls.

 

[moke123]

I've had the GearVR, original Oculus, Quest2, and now Quest3. I use it every single day. We have a regular 3 some on Golf+ at 5:30pm. A quick 18 holes then dinner. I recently just bought a golf club attachment that you attach your controller to.

The quest3 has mixed reality which is amazing. On thanksgiving I showed it to my 92 year old aunts. I showed them a demo game in MR. When you start the game you have to walk around your room looking in every corner and behind furniture, etc. It scans the whole room and maps everything out. When the game starts, all of a sudden a little small spaceship crashes through your ceiling and lands on the floor or table. Little fuzzy aliens jump out and hide behind furniture and you have to shoot them. If you shoot and miss it will blast a hole in your wall and when you look outside its an alien world. My Aunts loved it.

Another cool thing is connecting to your desktop or laptop and using it like Tom Cruise in Minority Report.

Lots of potential use cases. Could provide some value to the elderly who are no longer able to go places. Instead, they can do the next best thing and go there virtually.

Just wait until the porn industry catches up with the mixed reality tech. Here's an 8 year old video of old people seeing vr porn for the first time.

 

[Jon]

How long have you had the Quest 3 for and did you find it worth the upgrade from the Quest 2?

Aside from the golf game, how often do you use it for other stuff? I know some people talk about using it for watching movies, but is it eally that good with a bulky headset?

I had a play on my Oculus Go last night. Time went by fast but it wasn't a great experience. Apart from the screen door effect, I watched YouTube 360 and the resolution was terrible. Then I read somewhere that the YouTube app has poor resolution, but using the Oculus browser can help, or you can sideload Android YouTube app? All this PC connection and sideloading I presume dramatically extends its functionality.

I fancy getting a ping pong game too. Used to play at a local club but there is supposed to be a good VR game.

 

[moke123]

I pre-ordered so I had it on day one (10/10) so a little over a month. Definitely worth the upgrade IMO. The speed is definitely noticeable, bigger field of view, higher resolution, not to mention the mixed reality. Like I said in the previous thread you need to upgrade the headstrap with battery. Much more comfortable. You'd notice the difference from the Go strap.

I have about 25-35 games although I mostly play the golf. Occasionally watch a 3-d movie. You can also watch movies with friends. They also have sporting events and concerts you can attend. I've seen a few concerts live and your basically sitting in the audience along with all the other VR users and can talk with them if you so choose.

There is a ping pong game, i don't have it (yet) but have heard its really good.

The multi-player games are good too. I have some flying games where my brother in law and I fly against each other trying to shoot each other down.

This site reviews a lot of the games https://www.androidcentral.com/best-meta-quest-games

 

[Jon]

I've seem some 3rd-party headsets that are about half the price of the elite strap. If I get a Quest 3, I would go for one of those. I presume they are of similar comfort.

I'm a bit concerned about getting motion sickness so will probably limit my purchases to more static games, rather than those with lots of continuous movement, like car racing. That's if I get one, that is. Trying not to talk myself into it!

 

[Edgar_]

Could provide some value to the elderly who are no longer able to go places

Yes, absolutely. It must be really difficult when you have to depend on others to exist, but using this kind of technology can make the experience more passable. Less boring, definitely.

 

[moke123]

I've seem some 3rd-party headsets that are about half the price of the elite strap. If I get a Quest 3, I would go for one of those. I presume they are of similar comfort.

Anything is better than the crappy strap it comes with. The extra battery is a must have though. It adds a few hours to your playtime.

Sounds like your trying to talk yourself into getting one.

I don't have a virtual reality headset yet

I like that you qualified that statement with "Yet"

 

[Edgar_]

I like that you qualified that statement with "Yet"

It's a matter of time, I have to get me one someday. I hope it comes with those multidirectional treadmills or whatever they're called.

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

A few years ago, I bought a mobile phone and in the deal it had Samsung’s Gear VR headset. I used the virtual headset to play some of the games, but there was nothing really fascinating about the games they were just blocky 3D renditions of normal games. However there was a three-dimensional video of Patrick Watson in his Montreal loft-studio, playing the piano and singing. It felt like I was stood there, looking over his shoulder while he played the piano and sang.

Seeing your post I did a quick search and I discovered a link to the exact Samsung’s Gear VR headset video that Patrick Watson sang and the link below takes you to a stretched out image of the scene I was looking at while he was playing I remember the Dog Led there on the left, and in the video Patrick's mobile phone rings, and he chuckles! I am now a fan of Patrick and his work...

STRANGERS WITH PATRICK WATSON

Strangers with Patrick Watson – Headspace Studio

headspacestudio.com

Click on the panoramic image in this link and you will see the whole room as I saw it but as a Panoramic image not 3D video..

'Strangers with Patrick Watson' Remaster Coming to Oculus Rift

Strangers with Patrick Watson by Felix & Paul Studios has been showered with much acclaim. The VR video, which gives users a piano-side seat for an intimate performance by musician Patrick Watson, has only ever been publicly available on Samsung’s Gear VR, but a remastered version will make its...

www.roadtovr.com

This is the song Patrick played/sung....

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

, they can do the next best thing and go there virtually.

I realize you are talking about using a virtual headset, but I thought I would mention I went on a train journey in Scotland from Inverness to Kyle, this was in 2014. I reconstructed the journey best I could by following the route on Google Maps - Street View. I posted them on a classic Google website which has now been discontinued. Luckily, Google allowed you to export most of the information from your (now defunct site); so I kept the links, and they are now trapped in a Google sheet. There you go, another job for ChatGPT: take the information out of the Google sheet and create web pages from it in WordPress! I wonder if it can do that?

Anyway, I posted the links to Google Maps Street View so that anyone who fancied could virtually follow the train journey from Inverness to Kyle on Google Maps. Here is one of the links from Google Street View - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@57.4...uudr-8mUoSkjTjoQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu - from the A890, and you can see the railway track just there with the lake behind, I suspect it might be Loch Carron.

 

[moke123]

I bought a mobile phone and in the deal it had Samsung’s Gear VR headset.

That's how I got mine too.

video of Patrick Watson in his Montreal loft-studio, playing the piano and singing. It felt like I was stood there, looking over his shoulder while he played the piano and sang.

With mixed reality, Picture yourself sitting on your couch and him playing and singing in your living room.

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

This Meta Quest 3 review is worth watching:-

 

[Edgar_]

@moke123 How likely is it to fall to the ground using these things?

 

[moke123]

@moke123 How likely is it to fall to the ground using these things?

Not very IMO. The only time it gets funky is when you have a glitch like moving your head and your surroundings move with you. Doesn't happen often but it is a weird feeling.

 

[Jon]

 

[moke123]

I'll meet you at the Old Course at St.Andrews.

 

[Jon]

My first impressions? Amazing!

 

[moke123]

A little better than the oculus Go, isn't it.

now it's Edgars turn to go shopping.