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It really bothers me that VR is segmented between "full featured" and "mobile" as outlined in this report. Roughly speaking, the extra features needed to bring

It really bothers me that VR is segmented between "full featured" and "mobile" as outlined in this report. Roughly speaking, the extra features needed to bring a high end phone to Occulus/Vive level is 90fps (make it optional to save battery of course) and USB-C video in. The rest of the tracking sensors/LEDs and whatnot can be built into the headset. Meanwhile you're expected to pay $700 for a phone and $700 for a headset, each of which has about an 70% overlap in the most expensive components. On top of all that, it sucks that the headsets for full featured VR vary in comfort and design but are hard wired to the displays. Most reviews say Vive is the least comfortable of the batch but the most immersive. Ideally the head mount would be a separate thing from the display/processor like in the mobile VR space. That would allow you to find the head mount most comfortable for you, and also to upgrade your VR internals while keeping the same head mount for several generations of technology. So in my ideal world, VR would be a licensed or open standard system like Dolby whatever or THX are for audio. For example, if you bought a phone with the Whizbang VR logo on it, it would work with your Whizbang VR logo head tracking sensors, Whizbang VR logo head mount, Whizbang VR logo controllers, and be compatible with the Whizbang VR software API. But all that stuff could be made by different manufacturers.

increment_i 10y ago
I've had similar thoughts on the subject. Once the hype around consumer VR became palpable, I was amazed at how quickly it segmented and fragmented. Should be interesting to watch the market mature though..
DiThi 10y ago
> So in my ideal world, VR would be a licensed or open standard system like Dolby whatever or THX are for audio. For example, if you bought a phone with the Whizbang VR logo on it, it would work with your Whizbang VR logo head tracking sensors, Whizbang VR logo head mount, Whizbang VR logo controllers, and be compatible with the Whizbang VR software API. But all that stuff could be made by different manufacturers. That are exactly the goals of OpenVR and OSVR. Both APIs allow any vendor and any software to communicate with each other. In fact I used a Rift DK2 with razer hydras and leap motion (the driver for the latter being third party). Riftcat and trinus are two examples of third party OpenVR HMD drivers. You can now buy lighthouse sensors and make and sell devices royalty free (currently with a temporal condition for licensing of attending a seminar). The reason Vive controllers connect to the HMD instead to a USB dongle or link box is that dev kit users complained the wireless connection was problematic sometimes; But you can use them with a different HMD (through USB) or you can use different controllers with the Vive. There are limitations at this time with mixing different tracking systems but I think it's reasonable since it's currently unusual, and I'm sure there will be third party solutions for either API when it's not that unusual (in the case Valve themselves don't offer a solution). The Hydra driver already has a calibration step to have it match the HMD. In a few days Oculus users will be able to access a big library of Vive games using their Touch controllers. But unlike with the Vive and all other vendors, Oculus hardware can only be used with their runtime.
drewrv 10y ago
Not quite what you're looking for, but the vive is actually quite modular and the headstrap can be replaced/hacked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uDf6ayUQtk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uDf6ayUQtk

increment_i 10y ago

I've had similar thoughts on the subject. Once the hype around consumer VR became palpable, I was amazed at how quickly it segmented and fragmented. Should be interesting to watch the market mature though..

DiThi 10y ago

> So in my ideal world, VR would be a licensed or open standard system like Dolby whatever or THX are for audio. For example, if you bought a phone with the Whizbang VR logo on it, it would work with your Whizbang VR logo head tracking sensors, Whizbang VR logo head mount, Whizbang VR logo controllers, and be compatible with the Whizbang VR software API. But all that stuff could be made by different manufacturers. That are exactly the goals of OpenVR and OSVR. Both APIs allow any vendor and any software to communicate with each other. In fact I used a Rift DK2 with razer hydras and leap motion (the driver for the latter being third party). Riftcat and trinus are two examples of third party OpenVR HMD drivers. You can now buy lighthouse sensors and make and sell devices royalty free (currently with a temporal condition for licensing of attending a seminar). The reason Vive controllers connect to the HMD instead to a USB dongle or link box is that dev kit users complained the wireless connection was problematic sometimes; But you can use them with a different HMD (through USB) or you can use different controllers with the Vive. There are limitations at this time with mixing different tracking systems but I think it's reasonable since it's currently unusual, and I'm sure there will be third party solutions for either API when it's not that unusual (in the case Valve themselves don't offer a solution). The Hydra driver already has a calibration step to have it match the HMD. In a few days Oculus users will be able to access a big library of Vive games using their Touch controllers. But unlike with the Vive and all other vendors, Oculus hardware can only be used with their runtime.

drewrv 10y ago

Not quite what you're looking for, but the vive is actually quite modular and the headstrap can be replaced/hacked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uDf6ayUQtk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uDf6ayUQtk