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Many HN'ers are probably like me, in that hearing about its imperfections is kind of a relief. If it really DID mean a new era of tech, well then frick I need t

by causal 3y ago

Many HN'ers are probably like me, in that hearing about its imperfections is kind of a relief. If it really DID mean a new era of tech, well then frick I need to learn some new skills to keep up, have to buy one for myself, etc. etc. That being said, it feels like a few small things would make a consumer version of this really take off: - Cut the weight in half (i.e., use plastic). - Drop the gimmicky eye TV (save weight, and probably make the whole thing thinner). - Make it thin/modular enough to collapse into a headphones-sized case. - And then if its light enough, a magnetic strap might be strong enough, making the transition in/out smoother and less likely to mess up hair. - Drop the price $1k. That is, simply paring things down might be enough to take this product out of the awkward-nerd-goggles category and into something more like a cozy-interactive-sleepmask for travelers.

spywaregorilla 3y ago
- have worthwhile apps
- causal 3y ago
  Fair. In general I'm assuming the software piece will develop regardless, but you're right that there isn't really any killer app to draw people in yet.
  - spywaregorilla 3y ago
    well we're in 2024 now and people still try to suggest Beat Saber (2018) is proof that VR gaming is good.
    - jwells89 3y ago
      The problem with VR gaming is that it’s been hamstrung by requiring either a substantially beefy gaming PC or limited onboard midrange smartphone with underwhelming developer buy-in. If the rumors are true that Valve is working on a standalone VR headset based around an AMD APU, I think that might be the shot in the arm that VR gaming needs, with hardware more powerful than can be found in the Quest lineup as well as x86/Windows compatibility and greater general openness.
      - spywaregorilla 3y ago
        eh. disagree. as someone with a beefy gaming pc there's nothing good. Alyx is very well made, but its not hard to see that they designed around fundamental limits that make VR suck. they don't overcome them. They perhaps manage to cover it with enough polish to get people to not notice. but its hard for anyone with design or, let's call it "gamer sense"
        deleted 3y ago
        [deleted]
    - RockRobotRock 3y ago
      Why does the age matter? It's a popular game for a reason, but VR gaming is still obviously niche. I think that HL:A is easily the best VR game that exists, but it doesn't have a lot of replay value and can only be played on desktop.
      - spywaregorilla 3y ago
        Platforms with so few noteworthy games in the past 6 years are a red flag of the health of it. Nothing wrong with that, but plenty of folks argue that VR gaming is great. HL:A, as I said in another comment, is just a case study on why VR won't work. With no disrespect to the devs because I think they really did do a good job with what they had, but it still sucks if you dare to peek under the hood. It coddles you (because it needs to).
        RockRobotRock 3y ago
        The people I know that are heavily into VR all play VRChat. The games might not be that fantastic, but the social immersion is really amazing. During lockdown, I was playing 8 hours a day. It became a problem.
        spywaregorilla 3y ago
        sure. VR chat is good. Closer to the metaverse and its defining features as described in the actual book than any self proclaimed metaverse fan seem to know. But yeah, not really game.
ramesh31 3y ago
>Drop the gimmicky eye TV (save weight, and probably make the whole thing thinner). Strong disagree. This is the single best idea they had with the headset. VR isolation is at the very top of things keeping back mass adoption, and Eyesight is a brilliant solution to that.
- causal 3y ago
  Maybe if done well, but the article makes it seem that sticking googly eyes to the front would work better under most lighting conditions.
  - oatmeal1 3y ago
    Sticking googly eyes on the front would be much better than the existing solution because that would be disarming and joyful instead of disturbing and dystopian.
NegativeLatency 3y ago
They’ll probably never do this but the idea of not being able to play PC VR games on it is a nonstarter. I’ve wanted a VR headset for a few years and if it was a bit cheaper and compatible with existing flight sims and stuff I’d be interested but the lack of compatibility is a deal killer for that price. I know I’m not the target market apparently but I’m all in on the rest of the apple ecosystem.
JeremyNT 3y ago
I just don't know if it'll ever happen, at least not until there are truly massive advances in miniaturization and display tech. I have much lower spec'd VR goggles and they mostly gather dust. There's just something about having a screen pressed up against your eyes that's weird and uncomfortable in a way that is hard to articulate. No screen door? Cool! Great motion tracking? Awesome! Premium materials? Eh, OK! But as long as I still need to strap a little box around my eyes with screens in it, I'm going to be limiting my exposure time. My eyes like air, and "better than the competition at all the things" doesn't actually make it solve any real problems I have. For me, such a thing just can't be more than a toy.

by causal 3y ago

spywaregorilla 3y ago

- have worthwhile apps

causal 3y ago
Fair. In general I'm assuming the software piece will develop regardless, but you're right that there isn't really any killer app to draw people in yet.
- spywaregorilla 3y ago
  well we're in 2024 now and people still try to suggest Beat Saber (2018) is proof that VR gaming is good.
  - jwells89 3y ago
    The problem with VR gaming is that it’s been hamstrung by requiring either a substantially beefy gaming PC or limited onboard midrange smartphone with underwhelming developer buy-in. If the rumors are true that Valve is working on a standalone VR headset based around an AMD APU, I think that might be the shot in the arm that VR gaming needs, with hardware more powerful than can be found in the Quest lineup as well as x86/Windows compatibility and greater general openness.
    - spywaregorilla 3y ago
      eh. disagree. as someone with a beefy gaming pc there's nothing good. Alyx is very well made, but its not hard to see that they designed around fundamental limits that make VR suck. they don't overcome them. They perhaps manage to cover it with enough polish to get people to not notice. but its hard for anyone with design or, let's call it "gamer sense"
      - deleted 3y ago
        [deleted]
  - RockRobotRock 3y ago
    Why does the age matter? It's a popular game for a reason, but VR gaming is still obviously niche. I think that HL:A is easily the best VR game that exists, but it doesn't have a lot of replay value and can only be played on desktop.
    - spywaregorilla 3y ago
      Platforms with so few noteworthy games in the past 6 years are a red flag of the health of it. Nothing wrong with that, but plenty of folks argue that VR gaming is great. HL:A, as I said in another comment, is just a case study on why VR won't work. With no disrespect to the devs because I think they really did do a good job with what they had, but it still sucks if you dare to peek under the hood. It coddles you (because it needs to).
      - RockRobotRock 3y ago
        The people I know that are heavily into VR all play VRChat. The games might not be that fantastic, but the social immersion is really amazing. During lockdown, I was playing 8 hours a day. It became a problem.
        spywaregorilla 3y ago
        sure. VR chat is good. Closer to the metaverse and its defining features as described in the actual book than any self proclaimed metaverse fan seem to know. But yeah, not really game.

ramesh31 3y ago

>Drop the gimmicky eye TV (save weight, and probably make the whole thing thinner). Strong disagree. This is the single best idea they had with the headset. VR isolation is at the very top of things keeping back mass adoption, and Eyesight is a brilliant solution to that.

causal 3y ago
Maybe if done well, but the article makes it seem that sticking googly eyes to the front would work better under most lighting conditions.
- oatmeal1 3y ago
  Sticking googly eyes on the front would be much better than the existing solution because that would be disarming and joyful instead of disturbing and dystopian.

NegativeLatency 3y ago

They’ll probably never do this but the idea of not being able to play PC VR games on it is a nonstarter. I’ve wanted a VR headset for a few years and if it was a bit cheaper and compatible with existing flight sims and stuff I’d be interested but the lack of compatibility is a deal killer for that price. I know I’m not the target market apparently but I’m all in on the rest of the apple ecosystem.

JeremyNT 3y ago

I just don't know if it'll ever happen, at least not until there are truly massive advances in miniaturization and display tech. I have much lower spec'd VR goggles and they mostly gather dust. There's just something about having a screen pressed up against your eyes that's weird and uncomfortable in a way that is hard to articulate. No screen door? Cool! Great motion tracking? Awesome! Premium materials? Eh, OK! But as long as I still need to strap a little box around my eyes with screens in it, I'm going to be limiting my exposure time. My eyes like air, and "better than the competition at all the things" doesn't actually make it solve any real problems I have. For me, such a thing just can't be more than a toy.