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This just goes to show the rift vs vive argument is very much a subjective matter. However, objectively, the vives tracking technology is superior in design (an

This just goes to show the rift vs vive argument is very much a subjective matter. However, objectively, the vives tracking technology is superior in design (and elegance) to the rifts. Though they may effectively produce the same result in 90% of cases, the vive has way more potential (tracking multiple people and objects, as its passive). For this alone IMHO the vive wins. But of course, as there are many subjective factors to consider, so its going to be different for everyone. Having variety and choice is great for consumers though!

croon 10y ago
Fully agreed. I'm not settled either way, I only hope it all gets better. I really do like the idea of finger tracking in Rift, I wish that was featured in both devices. Valve obviously has a vested interest in Vive, but I can't help but root for the more... err... open OpenVR.
Tepix 10y ago
Both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages. Both allow tracking multiple objects (you need to add either LEDs or photodiodes to those objects) and adding more trackers (lighthouse towers or Constellation trackers). In practise I think for more cases they will be good enough, especially when the Oculus Touch controllers start shipping (they come with a 2nd tracking camera). I've experienced not-so-solid tracking on the Oculus Rift CV1 with a single Constellation tracker when facing away from the tracker. On the other hand, Tested.com reported in their HMD comparison that they have seen better tracking performance by Oculus than the HTC Vive. They are one of the few people seeing it that way, however - most reports indicate that the Vive tracking is superb. Whichever headset you buy, if you are aware that it is a first generation product and can live with the high price, you will not be disappointed.
- coldpie 10y ago
  > Both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages. I keep seeing this, but no one ever lists the Rift's advantages. Even in your post, you hedge on everything that might give the Rift leverage. At best it seems it will reach parity with the Vive when (if?) the Touch controllers ship, but even then I do think the Vive's fundamental tech is better designed. So, what is the Rift better at than the Vive?
  - HelloMcFly 10y ago
    For me, right now, it is only this: The Oculus is much more comfortable and much easier to get setup (both physically and on your computer). I didn't pay for either, I've just got a couple temporarily. So take that for it what it is worth.
    - killa_kyle 10y ago
      I have a rift and a vive on order, the rift isn't comfortable at all with my glasses, where the Vive pre I've used is fine. It's easier to setup, but it also lacks controllers and the second sensor right now so it's not really a fair comparison.
      - HelloMcFly 10y ago
        I too wear glasses. The Vive is easier to put on over my glasses, but ultimately I find it less comfortable than the Rift once it is on. I find making comfort comparisons more than fair, I'm not sure I totally understand you last point.
theschwa 10y ago
First off, I'm a huge fan of the lighthouse tracking system, and I'm looking forward to them opening it so I can use it in other projects. I do think it has some elegance to it. That being said, it's not necessarily "superior in design". Because it uses a sweeping laser, it can't know where every tracking point is at the same time. It can't even measure each axis at the same time. The laser sweeps top to bottom and then side to side. For each tracking point, it records it's position in one axis at one point in time and the next axis at another point in time. If the tracking point has moved in between sweeps (which is likely), then you have two separate position measurements from two separate times that have to be combined with data from the IMUS to determine exact location. The Rift doesn't have this issue. The Rift records the location of all visible tracking points at the same time using an infrared camera. It's important to keep in mind that Vive's lighthouse tracking system and Rift's constellation system only use the lasers and cameras to do drift correction. Most of the tracking is done by their IMUs (accelerators and gyroscopes), so the actual results you perceive will be very similar.
- elementalest 10y ago
  As you stated its not used for all tracking, but simply drift checking in pose estimation. So needing to update each axis simultaneously is not essential. The pose estimation is just updated with the latest values to correct for drift. At 60Hz this is sufficient, as the average movement speed of humans is likely not fast enough to produce noticeable problems. The rift on the other hand has to do image processing. This requires significantly more processing power and is only as good as the resolution of the camera. The further you move from the camera, the less accurate it gets. The tracking device must also be tethered to the PC (via usb), limiting potential for adding multiple tracking cameras to improve accuracy. Also the more cameras you add, the more processing is required. The vive does not have these issue - as long as the laser is in range, it will be as accurate as if you were right next to it. Adding more base units improves the accuracy at no extra processing cost. The design of the vive also allows pose estimation to be distributed. Ignoring occlusion issues in a small space, the lighthouse system could be used for tracking hundreds of devices. What this essentially means, is that you can walk around a room with the vive and have a great experience [1]. While this might be possible with the rift, the experience is likely not going to be as good as the vive, and may be quite poor at times. [1] https://youtu.be/VD4UlShicgY https://youtu.be/VD4UlShicgY

croon 10y ago

Fully agreed. I'm not settled either way, I only hope it all gets better. I really do like the idea of finger tracking in Rift, I wish that was featured in both devices. Valve obviously has a vested interest in Vive, but I can't help but root for the more... err... open OpenVR.

Tepix 10y ago

Both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages. Both allow tracking multiple objects (you need to add either LEDs or photodiodes to those objects) and adding more trackers (lighthouse towers or Constellation trackers). In practise I think for more cases they will be good enough, especially when the Oculus Touch controllers start shipping (they come with a 2nd tracking camera). I've experienced not-so-solid tracking on the Oculus Rift CV1 with a single Constellation tracker when facing away from the tracker. On the other hand, Tested.com reported in their HMD comparison that they have seen better tracking performance by Oculus than the HTC Vive. They are one of the few people seeing it that way, however - most reports indicate that the Vive tracking is superb. Whichever headset you buy, if you are aware that it is a first generation product and can live with the high price, you will not be disappointed.

coldpie 10y ago
> Both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages. I keep seeing this, but no one ever lists the Rift's advantages. Even in your post, you hedge on everything that might give the Rift leverage. At best it seems it will reach parity with the Vive when (if?) the Touch controllers ship, but even then I do think the Vive's fundamental tech is better designed. So, what is the Rift better at than the Vive?
- HelloMcFly 10y ago
  For me, right now, it is only this: The Oculus is much more comfortable and much easier to get setup (both physically and on your computer). I didn't pay for either, I've just got a couple temporarily. So take that for it what it is worth.
  - killa_kyle 10y ago
    I have a rift and a vive on order, the rift isn't comfortable at all with my glasses, where the Vive pre I've used is fine. It's easier to setup, but it also lacks controllers and the second sensor right now so it's not really a fair comparison.
    - HelloMcFly 10y ago
      I too wear glasses. The Vive is easier to put on over my glasses, but ultimately I find it less comfortable than the Rift once it is on. I find making comfort comparisons more than fair, I'm not sure I totally understand you last point.

theschwa 10y ago

First off, I'm a huge fan of the lighthouse tracking system, and I'm looking forward to them opening it so I can use it in other projects. I do think it has some elegance to it. That being said, it's not necessarily "superior in design". Because it uses a sweeping laser, it can't know where every tracking point is at the same time. It can't even measure each axis at the same time. The laser sweeps top to bottom and then side to side. For each tracking point, it records it's position in one axis at one point in time and the next axis at another point in time. If the tracking point has moved in between sweeps (which is likely), then you have two separate position measurements from two separate times that have to be combined with data from the IMUS to determine exact location. The Rift doesn't have this issue. The Rift records the location of all visible tracking points at the same time using an infrared camera. It's important to keep in mind that Vive's lighthouse tracking system and Rift's constellation system only use the lasers and cameras to do drift correction. Most of the tracking is done by their IMUs (accelerators and gyroscopes), so the actual results you perceive will be very similar.

elementalest 10y ago
As you stated its not used for all tracking, but simply drift checking in pose estimation. So needing to update each axis simultaneously is not essential. The pose estimation is just updated with the latest values to correct for drift. At 60Hz this is sufficient, as the average movement speed of humans is likely not fast enough to produce noticeable problems. The rift on the other hand has to do image processing. This requires significantly more processing power and is only as good as the resolution of the camera. The further you move from the camera, the less accurate it gets. The tracking device must also be tethered to the PC (via usb), limiting potential for adding multiple tracking cameras to improve accuracy. Also the more cameras you add, the more processing is required. The vive does not have these issue - as long as the laser is in range, it will be as accurate as if you were right next to it. Adding more base units improves the accuracy at no extra processing cost. The design of the vive also allows pose estimation to be distributed. Ignoring occlusion issues in a small space, the lighthouse system could be used for tracking hundreds of devices. What this essentially means, is that you can walk around a room with the vive and have a great experience [1]. While this might be possible with the rift, the experience is likely not going to be as good as the vive, and may be quite poor at times. [1] https://youtu.be/VD4UlShicgY https://youtu.be/VD4UlShicgY