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The other massive advantage Oculus Quest has over headsets that depend on a computer (besides being massively more affordable not just in the cost of the headse

The other massive advantage Oculus Quest has over headsets that depend on a computer (besides being massively more affordable not just in the cost of the headset but also by not requiring you to have a $1000+ gaming rig) is convenience. When I grab my Quest, because I finally got some time and want to play, now, I press the power button, grab the controllers, select a game, and play. When I consider grabbing any other headset, I realize I'll have to boot my gaming rig, connect cables, and then likely spend at least 10 minutes getting it to work properly and will encounter random software issues. That alone makes the Quest amazing. Now, slowly, competitors are coming out (whose main advantage is "not owned by Facebook"), but most of them either aren't released yet, don't have a broad selection of games, or both. Unfortunately, that means that for casual gamers, the Quest is still king IMO, and has created quite a bit of lock-in. (Edit: The Quest also had the advantage of being available - while Index is still not officially available from Valve in most countries, so resellers easily drive the price up to $2k for the kit with controllers and base stations, on top of the gaming rig you need).

411111111111111 4y ago
> When I grab my Quest, because I finally got some time and want to play, now, I press the power button, grab the controllers, select a game, and play. When I grab my Quest I quickly remember how nauseating any games are that are actually good games. The only kind of decemt content that doesn't make me think "this game would be more enjoyable on my regular display" are arcade style like beat saber or pistol whip. Personally I still don't think the current approach to VR will ever get mass appeal for gaming.
thomastjeffery 4y ago
You don't get the other end of the spectrum, though. I'm told state-of-the-art quest on PC is running SteamVR through windows remote desktop. It's bad. Incredibly bad. Once the Index is set up and calibrated, all you have to do is turn on a controller, and put on the headset. It's really not as inconvenient as you have made it out to be. But my point here is not Index vs Quest. My point is closed-platform vs open-platform. The very issues that Carmack laments here are inherent in the closed-platform business model that Oculus (and later Meta) is built around. The very business that he was a core member of was explicitly designed to fail him in these respects. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Carmack got to do most of what he wanted: create VR tech and get paid big money; but he did not get to have the result he wanted: an open VR platform that works with (instead of against) its users. It's a serious compromise that he made. He didn't need the money. This is the man who famously gave away a Porsche at a Quake tournament! He could have put more value in his legacy than in his financial stability, but he didn't. I can only speculate on how that would feel, but I would be surprised to learn it feels good.
- BoorishBears 4y ago
  > I'm told state-of-the-art quest on PC is running SteamVR through windows remote desktop. It's bad. Incredibly bad. You weren't told that. You don't know what "Virtual Desktop" is (an app that makes using SteamVR wirelessly on a Quest a one click process) and apparently assumed it's the same as Remote Desktop, the two are unrelated. If you're willing to do wired you don't even need Virtual Desktop, AirLink and a normal Link cable both work just fine.
wkat4242 4y ago
The main competitor that came out is pico which is "not owned by Facebook" but it's effectively owned by the guys that own TikTok which is worse IMO.

411111111111111 4y ago

> When I grab my Quest, because I finally got some time and want to play, now, I press the power button, grab the controllers, select a game, and play. When I grab my Quest I quickly remember how nauseating any games are that are actually good games. The only kind of decemt content that doesn't make me think "this game would be more enjoyable on my regular display" are arcade style like beat saber or pistol whip. Personally I still don't think the current approach to VR will ever get mass appeal for gaming.

thomastjeffery 4y ago

You don't get the other end of the spectrum, though. I'm told state-of-the-art quest on PC is running SteamVR through windows remote desktop. It's bad. Incredibly bad. Once the Index is set up and calibrated, all you have to do is turn on a controller, and put on the headset. It's really not as inconvenient as you have made it out to be. But my point here is not Index vs Quest. My point is closed-platform vs open-platform. The very issues that Carmack laments here are inherent in the closed-platform business model that Oculus (and later Meta) is built around. The very business that he was a core member of was explicitly designed to fail him in these respects. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Carmack got to do most of what he wanted: create VR tech and get paid big money; but he did not get to have the result he wanted: an open VR platform that works with (instead of against) its users. It's a serious compromise that he made. He didn't need the money. This is the man who famously gave away a Porsche at a Quake tournament! He could have put more value in his legacy than in his financial stability, but he didn't. I can only speculate on how that would feel, but I would be surprised to learn it feels good.

BoorishBears 4y ago
> I'm told state-of-the-art quest on PC is running SteamVR through windows remote desktop. It's bad. Incredibly bad. You weren't told that. You don't know what "Virtual Desktop" is (an app that makes using SteamVR wirelessly on a Quest a one click process) and apparently assumed it's the same as Remote Desktop, the two are unrelated. If you're willing to do wired you don't even need Virtual Desktop, AirLink and a normal Link cable both work just fine.

wkat4242 4y ago

The main competitor that came out is pico which is "not owned by Facebook" but it's effectively owned by the guys that own TikTok which is worse IMO.