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Off by a factor of 10, looks like it was 500k but still, I think that is a function of VR headset ownership which is only at like 2% of the market or something.
by Grimm1 6y ago
Off by a factor of 10, looks like it was 500k but still,
I think that is a function of VR headset ownership which is only at like 2% of the market or something. Adjusted for the market it was likely pretty big. I grant that within the wider videogame market it is not nearly as relevant though.
- heelix 6y agoAnd.. even finding a VR headset at MSRP has been a real challenge. The wallet was willing, but the inventory was weak.
- Grimm1 6y agoThey are selling out continuously, I have a rift s but still choose to get the notifications when various headsets are in stock and it takes less than 30 minutes for them to sell out again. Supply chain issues from COVID are very real but the demand is pretty apparent regardless
- city41 6y agoAlthough I’d argue the real goal of Alyx was to entice more people to take the VR plunge. That’s bad luck with the pandemic, as I’m sure the $1k price tag (more if you need a better computer too) is hard to do for many in this climate.
- zlsa 6y agoYou don't need the Valve Index to play Half-Life Alyx. Windows Mixed Reality VR headsets can be had for under $300.
- cactus2093 6y agoYou still need a gaming PC though, lots of relatively casual gamers (like myself) still only have consoles.
- egypturnash 6y agoYou need to be able to clear out enough space to wander around a room blindfolded, too. That's really at a premium right now if you're not living alone; kids, roomies, parents, and spouses are all fighting for space in homes that were perfectly adequate when everyone went out to work or school most of the day.
- filoleg 6y ago>You need to be able to clear out enough space to wander around a room blindfolded, too. You really don't. I have a 3ft by 3ft playspace (at most), and I played through Alyx (as well as tons of other VR games) just fine. Sure, having more space would've made it a little bit better, but the overall experience is just as great.
- wincy 6y agoThe Oculus Rift has been out of stock since March when the pandemic started. It's really hard to find VR headsets right now.
- duxup 6y agoIt's funny it took them this long to add something like that. Most companies when they introduce a platform do try to push it with some of their own high profile content. Valve not so much until recently.
- vkou 6y agoThe whole reason Steam exists is because Valve pushed it with high-profile content, over a decade ago - initially Half-Life multiplayer (To a ton of community backlash), followed by Half-Life 2, as Steam exclusives. It's only been the past several years that Valve has completely stopped making games, and started working on other things.
- city41 6y agoI would guess it took quite a shift for the Valve of today to make Alyx. I barely even think of them as a game dev anymore.
- GlennS 6y agoThere was the Orange Box, which was an absolutely fantastic deal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orange_Box https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orange_Box
- barbecue_sauce 6y agoSteamSpy figures put it at 1,000,000+ but I don't think they're that reliable.
- user5994461 6y agoI just had a look and sales must be around 2 million so far. Confidence interval 1-3 million. It's easy to estimate roughly from the steam data that is publicly available.
- AmVess 6y agoPretty good guess. 1.91% of people who have Steam accounts have a VR headset. Up .62% with the release of the new HL game. https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey
- Impossible 6y agoI have multiple VR devices and for some reason, even with SteamVR active and my Index plugged in the last hardware survey didn't register my VR device, so its possible that the number is actually much higher than reported.