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For me the biggest failure of all the VR headsets is there is no demo units at big box store and the lack of a TV app to see what the user is doing. People don

For me the biggest failure of all the VR headsets is there is no demo units at big box store and the lack of a TV app to see what the user is doing. People don't want to blindly buy an unproven expensive gaming system without trying it out first. You can't go into a local Best Buy, Walmart, or Target and try the units out. You have to wait till someone you know gets it an is kind enough to let you give it a go. With all the money Zuck has spent on developing these devices, it is surprising that no money was spent on demo kiosks.

JohnFen 4y ago
I think that the reason for this is that the devices aren't (yet) suitable for the mass consumer market.
cheeselip420 4y ago
Yeah I'd love to press my face into a greasy demo headset at the local Walmart. The hygiene aspect of VR is under-appreciated.
edent 4y ago
I refer you to this delightful paper: "Bacterial Load of Virtual Reality Headsets" > The results of these tests indicated that the Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from the headsets possessed high levels of antibiotic resistance. https://doi.org/10.1145/3385956.3418958 https://doi.org/10.1145/3385956.3418958
- smallerfish 4y ago
  I suddenly realize how I got sick after visiting Legoland in San Jose with my niece - there's a virtual reality "ride" there.
- dehrmann 4y ago
  I'm sure the shared controllers on demo units back in the day were just as bad.
  - Delento 4y ago
    Having that thing on/in your face is still different than holding it with hands. Your eyes and nose are much closer and sweat might go down your face.
    - gretch 4y ago
      I remember being a 12 year old running to the video game section of walmart to try the latest N64 game while my mom did the weekly shopping. Germs/bacteria were not even 1% of what was running through my brain. You're not the target audience for this, nor am I anymore.
      - Delento 4y ago
        I definitely was the opposite kid then ;P
charcircuit 4y ago
>it is surprising that no money was spent on demo kiosks. For the Quest Pro they had demo units in Best Buy. You can search YouTube to find videos of people checking it out.
Ajedi32 4y ago
They did. That was what lead to me buying my first headset; I tried a demo of the Oculus Rift at Best Buy. I'm pretty sure they did demos for the Rift S and Quest 1/2 as well once those came out. I agree it wasn't nearly as visible as it should have been though, and I don't think they were offered for very long.
the_snooze 4y ago
Fundamentally, VR just isn't very social unless all participants have the proper hardware already. Sure, you can have a TV output to see what the headset user is seeing, but the TV-viewing experience is still very different from the headset experience. Not to mention, it looks really jerky and jarring as a non-interactive user. I feel like VR is a technology that has no idea where it fits into the world. It's cool, but why should anyone care about it before they've put up the money to buy into the ecosystem? It's not like a TV which is an easily shared experience.

JohnFen 4y ago

I think that the reason for this is that the devices aren't (yet) suitable for the mass consumer market.

cheeselip420 4y ago

Yeah I'd love to press my face into a greasy demo headset at the local Walmart. The hygiene aspect of VR is under-appreciated.

edent 4y ago

I refer you to this delightful paper: "Bacterial Load of Virtual Reality Headsets" > The results of these tests indicated that the Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from the headsets possessed high levels of antibiotic resistance. https://doi.org/10.1145/3385956.3418958 https://doi.org/10.1145/3385956.3418958

smallerfish 4y ago
I suddenly realize how I got sick after visiting Legoland in San Jose with my niece - there's a virtual reality "ride" there.
dehrmann 4y ago
I'm sure the shared controllers on demo units back in the day were just as bad.
- Delento 4y ago
  Having that thing on/in your face is still different than holding it with hands. Your eyes and nose are much closer and sweat might go down your face.
  - gretch 4y ago
    I remember being a 12 year old running to the video game section of walmart to try the latest N64 game while my mom did the weekly shopping. Germs/bacteria were not even 1% of what was running through my brain. You're not the target audience for this, nor am I anymore.
    - Delento 4y ago
      I definitely was the opposite kid then ;P

charcircuit 4y ago

>it is surprising that no money was spent on demo kiosks. For the Quest Pro they had demo units in Best Buy. You can search YouTube to find videos of people checking it out.

Ajedi32 4y ago

They did. That was what lead to me buying my first headset; I tried a demo of the Oculus Rift at Best Buy. I'm pretty sure they did demos for the Rift S and Quest 1/2 as well once those came out. I agree it wasn't nearly as visible as it should have been though, and I don't think they were offered for very long.

the_snooze 4y ago

Fundamentally, VR just isn't very social unless all participants have the proper hardware already. Sure, you can have a TV output to see what the headset user is seeing, but the TV-viewing experience is still very different from the headset experience. Not to mention, it looks really jerky and jarring as a non-interactive user. I feel like VR is a technology that has no idea where it fits into the world. It's cool, but why should anyone care about it before they've put up the money to buy into the ecosystem? It's not like a TV which is an easily shared experience.