4 ms·

I'll take the other, more optimistic side of this. The reason they're spending so much time on reinventing meetings is because they see that the killer use cas

I'll take the other, more optimistic side of this. The reason they're spending so much time on reinventing meetings is because they see that the killer use case for VR/AR headsets is to replace your laptop with a device that shows you a screen, or multiple screens, wherever you go, whenever you want it there. If you start from the premise that eventually people won't huddle over their 16" laptop screens to make calls, but will instead be wearing a headset that shows them as many giant monitors as they like, then everything else flows from that. How do you handle calls in a world where every user is essentially wearing a visor? How do you collaborate? These aren't solved problems yet, but I'm a firm believer that the headset will replace the laptop, and if that happens I'll be glad somebody has put the effort in to make everything else around that as seamless as it can be.

nomel 4y ago
This all reminds me of the tech communities reaction to the first iPod and iPhone.
- ryan_lane 4y ago
  The reaction to the iPhone was incredibly positive, when comparing it to the closest competitor. It was obviously, immediately, that it was a revolutionary change in UI for phones. Yes, the reaction to the iPod was negative, but honestly, at the time, the iPod wasn't dramatically and obviously better than the competition. It took a couple generations to show that it was not only better, but it was getting better considerably faster than the competition.
ohgodplsno 4y ago
Of course. Pop your VR headset on at a café, I'm sure it'll work out great. Bash people with your wide arm movements at Starbucks and look like a clown. Those meetings that could have been an email? Now they're the worst of both worlds, remote but still forced to have this meeting in VR. Instead of having a screen (or multiple screens), force people in a shitty virtual reality where you have to walk around still, but this time it's either by teleporting with joysticks or making you puke with smooth movement.
- nextlevelwizard 4y ago
  > Pop your VR headset on at a café, I'm sure it'll work out great. Bash people with your wide arm movements at Starbucks and look like a clown. Could you be strawmanning any harder? I've been now full time remote working for 3 years and I have done exactly zero work from any kind of cafe. I have however done one day of work in a virtual desktop, but currently (as of couple years back) I didn't find it any better than just using normal desk and monitor setup. >Those meetings that could have been an email? This is complete a company issue. This VR tech is meant for actual meetings. >Instead of having a screen (or multiple screens), force people in a shitty virtual reality where you have to walk around still, You are completely misunderstanding the tech. You can literally have infinite amount of screens in a VR environment if you still want to cling to the notion of screens. This all being said. I doubt this will catch on, however the facial expression capturing tech will be nice for future gaming and chatting applications.
  - ohgodplsno 4y ago
    I misunderstand the tech so much that I have a Valve Index. Working with multiple screens on that is absolute hell, taking up your entire view, locking you into a bubble. Enjoy your neck pain when you need to turn your head every other second. Oh and good luck with using both a pointer and a keyboard while in VR, I hope you remember where your keys are. Facial capture for gaming will be absolutely worthless, and so will it be for chatting. Firstly because it already exists without wearing an expensive helmet that makes you sweat and is uncomfortable, secondly because nobody wants to wear a damn helmet so that people can see you smile ingame, and thirdly because nobody wants to put 1k+ on a device whoses uses are extremely limited.
    - goosedragons 4y ago
      Businessy apps like immersed already have KB/M passthrough. How it works there is you define a box with the location of your KB/M and can see it all the time. With the better cameras of the Pro I imagine it'll be even better. Some popular keyboards like the Apple Magic keyboard are also supported for passthrough in a fancier way. If the resolution was bumped high enough you could probably use 3 monitors like you do in real life at a similar distance with similar resolution. Wouldn't facial capture make chat in an MMO better too? Certainly not a requirement but it could make it more immersive and enjoyable?
Hadriel 4y ago
You'll appreciate this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzRjtvMQds4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzRjtvMQds4
theshrike79 4y ago
If there, at some point, is a wireless capable VR/AR headset that can replace a ~32" 1440p monitor I'll be the first in line to buy one if it's priced under 1k. Maybe even under 2k. I've got so much more I want to use my desk space for than a monitor =)
croak3r 4y ago
I really cant understand why people want to spend 8 hours a day with a VR headset on. I have a Rift S and after a couple of hours I cant wait to take it off, I'm sure as hell not going to wear one all day just for my job no matter how good the software is.
- ilaksh 4y ago
  We don't, not with our current headsets, but also Rift S has been discontinued for awhile and the new Meta Quest Pro headset is significantly more comfortable and capable than Quest 2 and far better than the Rift S. Within a few years, very comfortable lightweight goggles or glasses will have capabilities that can replace phone and PC interfaces. Your comment is the equivalent of someone who bought an early airplane and based on that decides that commercial jets are impractical for long flights. Or someone who saw the early CRTs and decided that since they preferred reading paper teletype output that computer monitors would never be usable.
  - croak3r 4y ago
    I have yet to see any proof that the glasses style of VR is anywhere near being feasible. I have been an adopter of VR since 2014 when I bought the rift DK2 and the form factor is still practically the same, despite the costs being a lot higher for these new models. I don't think your analogies work at all. I think VR is great for games, which is what occulus originally marketed it for, it's only since Facebook bought them that the direction has totally changed.
    - ilaksh 4y ago
      Meta Quest Pro form factor is a very significant decrease. Multiple AR/VR glasses such as Leap 2 and Spectacles work great, they just need a wider field of view.
    - TheGeminon 4y ago
      While it doesn't have a ton of power, the Vive Flow[0] seems like a great form factor. A few more years of miniaturization and advancements, you will probably see some much more capable VR headsets in a more glasses-like form. They weigh 1/4 that of the Quest Pro. [0] https://www.vive.com/us/product/vive-flow/overview/ https://www.vive.com/us/product/vive-flow/overview/

nomel 4y ago

This all reminds me of the tech communities reaction to the first iPod and iPhone.

ryan_lane 4y ago
The reaction to the iPhone was incredibly positive, when comparing it to the closest competitor. It was obviously, immediately, that it was a revolutionary change in UI for phones. Yes, the reaction to the iPod was negative, but honestly, at the time, the iPod wasn't dramatically and obviously better than the competition. It took a couple generations to show that it was not only better, but it was getting better considerably faster than the competition.

ohgodplsno 4y ago

Of course. Pop your VR headset on at a café, I'm sure it'll work out great. Bash people with your wide arm movements at Starbucks and look like a clown. Those meetings that could have been an email? Now they're the worst of both worlds, remote but still forced to have this meeting in VR. Instead of having a screen (or multiple screens), force people in a shitty virtual reality where you have to walk around still, but this time it's either by teleporting with joysticks or making you puke with smooth movement.

nextlevelwizard 4y ago
> Pop your VR headset on at a café, I'm sure it'll work out great. Bash people with your wide arm movements at Starbucks and look like a clown. Could you be strawmanning any harder? I've been now full time remote working for 3 years and I have done exactly zero work from any kind of cafe. I have however done one day of work in a virtual desktop, but currently (as of couple years back) I didn't find it any better than just using normal desk and monitor setup. >Those meetings that could have been an email? This is complete a company issue. This VR tech is meant for actual meetings. >Instead of having a screen (or multiple screens), force people in a shitty virtual reality where you have to walk around still, You are completely misunderstanding the tech. You can literally have infinite amount of screens in a VR environment if you still want to cling to the notion of screens. This all being said. I doubt this will catch on, however the facial expression capturing tech will be nice for future gaming and chatting applications.
- ohgodplsno 4y ago
  I misunderstand the tech so much that I have a Valve Index. Working with multiple screens on that is absolute hell, taking up your entire view, locking you into a bubble. Enjoy your neck pain when you need to turn your head every other second. Oh and good luck with using both a pointer and a keyboard while in VR, I hope you remember where your keys are. Facial capture for gaming will be absolutely worthless, and so will it be for chatting. Firstly because it already exists without wearing an expensive helmet that makes you sweat and is uncomfortable, secondly because nobody wants to wear a damn helmet so that people can see you smile ingame, and thirdly because nobody wants to put 1k+ on a device whoses uses are extremely limited.
  - goosedragons 4y ago
    Businessy apps like immersed already have KB/M passthrough. How it works there is you define a box with the location of your KB/M and can see it all the time. With the better cameras of the Pro I imagine it'll be even better. Some popular keyboards like the Apple Magic keyboard are also supported for passthrough in a fancier way. If the resolution was bumped high enough you could probably use 3 monitors like you do in real life at a similar distance with similar resolution. Wouldn't facial capture make chat in an MMO better too? Certainly not a requirement but it could make it more immersive and enjoyable?

Hadriel 4y ago

You'll appreciate this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzRjtvMQds4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzRjtvMQds4

theshrike79 4y ago

If there, at some point, is a wireless capable VR/AR headset that can replace a ~32" 1440p monitor I'll be the first in line to buy one if it's priced under 1k. Maybe even under 2k. I've got so much more I want to use my desk space for than a monitor =)

croak3r 4y ago

I really cant understand why people want to spend 8 hours a day with a VR headset on. I have a Rift S and after a couple of hours I cant wait to take it off, I'm sure as hell not going to wear one all day just for my job no matter how good the software is.

ilaksh 4y ago
We don't, not with our current headsets, but also Rift S has been discontinued for awhile and the new Meta Quest Pro headset is significantly more comfortable and capable than Quest 2 and far better than the Rift S. Within a few years, very comfortable lightweight goggles or glasses will have capabilities that can replace phone and PC interfaces. Your comment is the equivalent of someone who bought an early airplane and based on that decides that commercial jets are impractical for long flights. Or someone who saw the early CRTs and decided that since they preferred reading paper teletype output that computer monitors would never be usable.
- croak3r 4y ago
  I have yet to see any proof that the glasses style of VR is anywhere near being feasible. I have been an adopter of VR since 2014 when I bought the rift DK2 and the form factor is still practically the same, despite the costs being a lot higher for these new models. I don't think your analogies work at all. I think VR is great for games, which is what occulus originally marketed it for, it's only since Facebook bought them that the direction has totally changed.
  - ilaksh 4y ago
    Meta Quest Pro form factor is a very significant decrease. Multiple AR/VR glasses such as Leap 2 and Spectacles work great, they just need a wider field of view.
  - TheGeminon 4y ago
    While it doesn't have a ton of power, the Vive Flow[0] seems like a great form factor. A few more years of miniaturization and advancements, you will probably see some much more capable VR headsets in a more glasses-like form. They weigh 1/4 that of the Quest Pro. [0] https://www.vive.com/us/product/vive-flow/overview/ https://www.vive.com/us/product/vive-flow/overview/