4 ms·

Mainstream VR is dead IMO.

owlbynight 5y ago
You're very wrong. It's waiting for an app that gets shared video viewing right. Bigscreen VR is close, but not quite there.
- nixpulvis 5y ago
  The headsets need to get a lot more balanced and lighter for extended use. I don't want a buff neck.
  - ChuckNorris89 5y ago
    Quest 2 is already very light and causes no issues to my girlfriend who is really petite. So no, you don't need a buff neck.
- GekkePrutser 5y ago
  I don't know, I love VR and I don't think it's dead but shared video watching is not something I'd be remotely interested in. Meeting people in VR would be nice but I think it's nicer to do something more interactive than watching video. The same way I'd never want to go on a date to the cinema. It's not really a social experience. But of course interests vary. Maybe it's a big thing, I'm all for it if it can drive VR more mainstream:)
  - jsjohnst 5y ago
    > The same way I'd never want to go on a date to the cinema. While I agree with you on this point, there’s a reason it’s half of the most cliche date night of all time (aka “dinner and a movie”), so readily dismissing that because our tastes defer from the norm seems misguided.
rejectedandsad 5y ago
The Oculus Quest 2 and Half Life Alyx beg to differ
swalls 5y ago
The first real 'killer app' game (Half Life Alyx) released coincident to GPU prices going nuts. People got interested in VR... then couldn't upgrade their PCs to run it.
- dexterhaslem 5y ago
  my 1080ti ran it fine so its not like you need bleeding edge gpus
  - shados 5y ago
    no but you need a GPU, and your average person with a work lap-top can't run it and probably postponed buying a desktop computer, if they ever considered it.
  - SamPatt 5y ago
    980ti here, also no issues.
- scrollaway 5y ago
  Alyx is wonderful but it is not the Killer App for VR; Beat Saber is. Beat saber’s popularity is absurd. Someone here on HN once mentioned it’s like if the most popular app on the App Store, ahead of WhatsApp, YouTube and all such free apps, was a game that costs 20 bucks.
  - justinclift 5y ago
    Yeah, that was going to be my major driver for getting a VR rig. I used to do Arnis/Escrima (stick fighting martial art), so this appeals to me greatly. Then Facebook bought them. So, all plans for getting a VR rig have been permanently shelved. :(
    - scrollaway 5y ago
      Ah i understand. You still have the option of buying a non-Facebook rig such as a VIVE or Index and not buying any DLC (there is an extremely active modding scene). If you really don’t want to give Facebook any money, nobody will judge you for acquiring the game itself via other means, either. As a fellow player, it’s worth it. I have TWO VR rigs and both of them only have beat saber on them.
moron4hire 5y ago
Not everything is built for you in particular. That doesn't mean it's irrelevant. I don't care who you are, you aren't representative of the aggregate.
shados 5y ago
The oculus quest 2 sold like 6 million units in 8 months. It's no Switch or PS4, but hardly niche.

You're very wrong. It's waiting for an app that gets shared video viewing right. Bigscreen VR is close, but not quite there.

nixpulvis 5y ago
The headsets need to get a lot more balanced and lighter for extended use. I don't want a buff neck.
- ChuckNorris89 5y ago
  Quest 2 is already very light and causes no issues to my girlfriend who is really petite. So no, you don't need a buff neck.
GekkePrutser 5y ago
I don't know, I love VR and I don't think it's dead but shared video watching is not something I'd be remotely interested in. Meeting people in VR would be nice but I think it's nicer to do something more interactive than watching video. The same way I'd never want to go on a date to the cinema. It's not really a social experience. But of course interests vary. Maybe it's a big thing, I'm all for it if it can drive VR more mainstream:)
- jsjohnst 5y ago
  > The same way I'd never want to go on a date to the cinema. While I agree with you on this point, there’s a reason it’s half of the most cliche date night of all time (aka “dinner and a movie”), so readily dismissing that because our tastes defer from the norm seems misguided.

rejectedandsad 5y ago

The Oculus Quest 2 and Half Life Alyx beg to differ

swalls 5y ago

The first real 'killer app' game (Half Life Alyx) released coincident to GPU prices going nuts. People got interested in VR... then couldn't upgrade their PCs to run it.

dexterhaslem 5y ago
my 1080ti ran it fine so its not like you need bleeding edge gpus
- shados 5y ago
  no but you need a GPU, and your average person with a work lap-top can't run it and probably postponed buying a desktop computer, if they ever considered it.
- SamPatt 5y ago
  980ti here, also no issues.
scrollaway 5y ago
Alyx is wonderful but it is not the Killer App for VR; Beat Saber is. Beat saber’s popularity is absurd. Someone here on HN once mentioned it’s like if the most popular app on the App Store, ahead of WhatsApp, YouTube and all such free apps, was a game that costs 20 bucks.
- justinclift 5y ago
  Yeah, that was going to be my major driver for getting a VR rig. I used to do Arnis/Escrima (stick fighting martial art), so this appeals to me greatly. Then Facebook bought them. So, all plans for getting a VR rig have been permanently shelved. :(
  - scrollaway 5y ago
    Ah i understand. You still have the option of buying a non-Facebook rig such as a VIVE or Index and not buying any DLC (there is an extremely active modding scene). If you really don’t want to give Facebook any money, nobody will judge you for acquiring the game itself via other means, either. As a fellow player, it’s worth it. I have TWO VR rigs and both of them only have beat saber on them.

moron4hire 5y ago

Not everything is built for you in particular. That doesn't mean it's irrelevant. I don't care who you are, you aren't representative of the aggregate.

shados 5y ago

The oculus quest 2 sold like 6 million units in 8 months. It's no Switch or PS4, but hardly niche.