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[Matt_Fox]

BBC News have just released an article examining the state of virtual reality. Despite the title it does examine how virtual reality has made some positive footholds (such as group entertainment arcade centres and in medicine) but also at why it hasn't caught on to the mainstream in the way that many tech analysts expected it to. The BBC themselves who embraced the new tech with their VR hub have now shut it down just two years later.

I know there are occasional VR threads on Neogaf and a core 5 or 6 enthusiastic members that passionately evangelise it and see themselves as defenders. Will they one day be proven foresighted and correct, and VR will be commonplace in our homes? Or will VR remain a niche peripheral for the few, or even entirely disappear? Perhaps as the BBC suggests VR arcades similar to Lazer Tag and Paintball are the future for the tech? What do you think?

The BBC article is quite balanced and neutral and worth a read:

What went wrong with virtual reality?

It was thought VR would be as common as televisions, but despite improvements it is yet to take off.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Psykodad]

Seeing what PSVR has already brought to the front in the console space, I think the power of next-gen can make quite a difference, as well as a cheaper VR product.

I think Sony laid a good foundation, it's just that PS4 and Pro were only able to deliver the bare minimum.

 

[GHG]

What went wrong?

Nothing, it's still evolving and growing.

 

[PleaseWaitStation4]

Worst timed article ever.

 

[Spukc]

Next time..

Is nintendo DOOOOOOOMED?

 

[mckmas8808]

Why is it that people just can't understand that VR doesn't have to be mainstream in order to considered "doing well"? They don't have to sell 100 million units to prove themselves. VR is doing good as is.

 

[Mithos]

Headset ... that's where it went wrong. In a number of years when its VR glasses, then its going to be interesting.

 

[Spukc]

Headset ... that's where it went wrong. In a number of years when its VR glasses, then its going to be interesting.

Pretty much but to come to this point you have to start making the current ones better and better

 

[eot]

Why is it that people just can't understand that VR doesn't have to be mainstream in order to considered "doing well"? They don't have to sell 100 million units to prove themselves. VR is doing good as is.

Because it got a lot of mainstream attention, Facebook paid $2 billion for Oculus and the growth is kinda shit (for a new tech market). Of course there will be pieces like this about it.

 

[Jaxcellent]

It's growing less fast than predicted, but I have a feeling it will really pick up next gen, imagine PS4 visuals in VR next gen, it's going to be flipping amazing,

Looking at CES 2020 alot of improvemets are being made to the headsets, this is going faster than I expected.. you can see 2x4k screens becomming the norm here... You can see the eyetracking work very well, this is the same tech Sony is rumoured to be using for gen 2.

I would say I'm ready for next gen VR, but in reality it's going to be so freaking amazing and will blow our minds so hard, I can't possibly be ready for it.

 

[Gamernyc78]

This article is frivolous and definitely out of place with the latest positive momentum VR has been getting in the pc and console space lol

 

[CJY]

Apple was considered a "beleaguered" computer company not too long ago.

 

[Winter John]

It looks dumb. It's anti social. It's expensive (the decent ones are not that silly PS toy.) It's a pain in the ass to set up and the games are mostly shit.

 

[mckmas8808]

Because it got a lot of mainstream attention, Facebook paid $2 billion for Oculus and the growth is kinda shit (for a new tech market). Of course there will be pieces like this about it.

But the growth is still there.

 

[buizel]

we realise boning anime girls in vr is peak humanity and now we're sad scientific research is basically at a standstill

 

[Ryu Kaiba]

The problem is that even with all the advancements we've made the tech still isn't ready.

VR needs 4 things to finally land for mainstream success.

1.) it needs to be powerful (by powerful I mean the experience needs to be vivid. The graphics need to be good, the screen resolutions need to be dense so that it is very effective at transporting you to another place)

2.) it needs to be Lightweight (It can't be a huge clunky and weighty looking thing. It should look comfortable and easy to put on and take off)
like this:

3.) It needs to be Wireless (When I opened up my PSVR I couldn't believe the clusterfuck of cables it came with. it can't be that cumbersome for a consumer product. Wires detract from immersion)

4.) And It needs to be affordable
Relatively speaking, everything above should cost as much as a fancy phone in order for it to be attainable.


PS5 VR is the best bet. If Sony can hit all of these points it will be an out of nowhere smash hit!

On PS4 the VR effect is surprisngly decent but it should be something to behold with the power of PS5. And with it being an add on to a console it would be the most attainable price wise for people. Sony just needs to land points 2.) and 3.)

You can do it Sony.

 

[Smaller than Atom]

It looks dumb. It's anti social. It's expensive (the decent ones are not that silly PS toy.) It's a pain in the ass to set up and the games are mostly shit.

This.

 

[Deleted member 740922]

This thread won't end well

 

[MDSLKTR]

I know there are occasional VR threads on Neogaf and a core 5 or 6 enthusiastic members that passionately evangelise it and see themselves as defenders

OP really wants to set the tone of the thread eh? Yeah not even worth the bait lol

 

[Dr.D00p]

If it ever looks like 'The Oasis' in my lifetime, I'll bite.

..but seeing as it will not look like 'The Oasis' in my lifetime, my money can be better spent elsewhere.

 

[ChoosableOne]

VR is like arcade joysticks, wii mote, racing wheel or surround sound systems; it's a gaming accessory, but much much more expensive.
I bought an arcade joystick for fighting games and paid 50 dollars, and bought a racing wheel for 10 dollars(psvr set is 500 dollars in my country). I'm using them time to time and i never regretted my decision.
I think VR will be the same. And at that price tag, if i use it 15 minutes in 3 days intervals, it will make me unhappy. So i decided to wait for price drop(which will happen in 5-10 years unfortunately ).

 

[PocoJoe]

Problem with VR.

Normal tv gaming = probably 99% can play without issues

VR = many get sick/nausea, could be even 30-50%.

I borrowed psvr and while some games did look really really immersive and would be game changer, they also made me sick as a dog

I had em for a week, didnt get used to it.

And infamous driveclubVR were the last nail in the coffin, it made me super sick and I felt weird/sick for two weeks.

Not worth it unless +90% can use it without issues.

Kind of same feeling when having problem with inner ear crystals that go into wrong tube and you feel unbalanced for weeks after the epleys manouver

 

[PleaseWaitStation4]

It's obvious the ones whom never tried VR in this thread. From their responses, I gather it's because of economic reasons. If you can stand and walk in real life, then VR won't make you sick. Watch any of the thousands of VR Chat videos on Youtube and you'll see little girls and 100's of people not being sick. The graphics don't need to be good for VR to convince you of your environment. That statement is a dead giveaway that you've never tried it. With the Rift S, it's as easy as plugging in a USB cable to get started.

 

[Dane]

Price and zealots.

it is an interesting stuff, but expensive, starting at around 300-400, way too much more compared to previous stuff like Wii Mote and Kinect, and people who want to force this stuff everywhere as if should be the new gaming standard.

 

[01011001]

honestly, the Oculus Quest might have saved VR... that thing is by far the most user friendly device on the market, and it doesn't need any external hardware to run.
and now you even have the option to use it on PC as an option...

this is the device that could make VR Mainstream and it completely sold out last month, so that's a good sign.
now we need the must have game, and that could be Half Life Alyx.

 

[Bogey]

Apart from the many technical and economic (price) restrictions VR still struggles with. The biggest issue in my view is that we haven't really come up with many game concepts that really work well in VR.

Sure, racing games and flight sims are great I'm sure. But look at the most popular gaming franchies in the world - shooters, MOBAs etc. None of these translate particularly well into VR just head.

We're now a few years behind what everyone hoped would be the VR breakthrough. And yet, even the arguably biggest VR game so far - Half Life: Alyx - needs to let players teleport to move around because of severe motion sickness many would otherwise face.

It's sympotatic for me of how either the tech just isn't where it needs to be yet, or we just haven't found the right game design yet. And I'm saying that as someone who truly believed in VR, and still hopes it'll have its breakthrough yet.

 

[Thaedolus]

It looks dumb. It's anti social.

This is silly, it’s the most social gaming has been for me in a long time. When we have friends and family over, dinner is just a countdown to when we get to go play VR. I have my PC set up with room scale in a big room with a big couch downstairs with the big screen mirroring the VR or showing co op info (like in keep calm and nobody explodes). Nobody cares how it looks, they’re just waiting for their turn to play.

It's expensive (the decent ones are not that silly PS toy.) It's a pain in the ass to set up and the games are mostly shit.

Yes it’s expensive, it’s really not hard to setup at all (and I mounted base stations to my walls), and it’s like any new platform in that there’s going to be a lot of unimpressive shovelware/tech demos in the mix, but if you know what to buy there’s plenty to keep you busy.

 

[petran79]

Problem with VR.

Normal tv gaming = probably 99% can play without issues

VR = many get sick/nausea, could be even 30-50%.

I borrowed psvr and while some games did look really really immersive and would be game changer, they also made me sick as a dog

I had em for a week, didnt get used to it.

And infamous driveclubVR were the last nail in the coffin, it made me super sick and I felt weird/sick for two weeks.

Not worth it unless +90% can use it without issues.

Kind of same feeling when having problem with inner ear crystals that go into wrong tube and you feel unbalanced for weeks after the epleys manouver

This is another issue. VR games have to meet certain standards. If normal games get the epilepsy warning, sit not close to the tv, catch a break every 10 minutes etc messages for VR should be much stricter. On PC anyone can make a VR game without taking anything into consideration.

 

[Rat Rage]

VR is a massive fad. People don't like wearing "anything", let alone any type of vr apparatus on their heads. In general, wearing anything in your face sucks, compared to not wearing anything in your face, just like wearing glasses (people wouldn't do it if they didn't have to).

 

[pr0cs]

ITT, commentary by people who have never tried VR discussing why VR is a failure.
VRs biggest fault is that it's impossible to explain or visualize without trying it.

 

[TBiddy]

I’ve tried VR on several occasions. Made me sick everytime.

 

[nemiroff]

Something went wrong with VR? That's news to me. Literally no one important has never said that VR was supposed to be mainstream by 2020 to be successful. GPU power and other acceleration features and form factor is not mature yet, and VR hardware manufacturers can't but wait until some contingencies manifests. VR needs to live on as a enthusiast product for quite a few years more before it inevitably goes mainstream.

These articles is failing to mention that there was an important context to all this "hype". Yes there was much hype, but it usually always came with a sober warning. Enthusiasts like myself ALWAYS ensured to mention that while the future for VR seems certain, we also made sure to be very clear to add that it might not be ready for true mainstream use until 10-20 years from now. Until then, why must it be mainstream anyway?

 

[Vawn]

Hasn't VR recently started growing at a faster rate than ever before? Really poorly timed article.

 

[jchap]

I’ve tried VR on several occasions. Made me sick everytime.

Yeah what went wrong for me is my distaste for vomiting. I wonder how sizable any eventual mass market adoption is when a good portion of people physically simply can't use the product.

 

[EverydayBeast]

You know it's funny if something doesn't sell billions it's considered kinda a failure, I remember VR not getting any attention lol and SONY kinda figured it out with their VR lineup.

 

[Jigsaah]

BBC News have just released an article examining the state of virtual reality. Despite the title it does examine how virtual reality has made some positive footholds (such as group entertainment arcade centres and in medicine) but also at why it hasn't caught on to the mainstream in the way that many tech analysts expected it to. The BBC themselves who embraced the new tech with their VR hub have now shut it down just two years later.

I know there are occasional VR threads on Neogaf and a core 5 or 6 enthusiastic members that passionately evangelise it and see themselves as defenders. Will they one day be proven foresighted and correct, and VR will be commonplace in our homes? Or will VR remain a niche peripheral for the few, or even entirely disappear? Perhaps as the BBC suggests VR arcades similar to Lazer Tag and Paintball are the future for the tech? What do you think?

The BBC article is quite balanced and neutral and worth a read:

What went wrong with virtual reality?

It was thought VR would be as common as televisions, but despite improvements it is yet to take off.

www.bbc.co.uk

Um, price....duh.

 

[rofif]

Vr will ruin your hair, make you hot, sweaty, red faced. It is uncomfortable in long run, can cause motion sickness, is pixelated, have terrible optics, sweet spot, god rays, requires expensive pc for good games and it's not friendly for glasses people.
And I've had every oculus since 2013. I still love vr and especially motion tracking of hands, grabbing etc... but I am no longer a vr apostle

 

[Pantz]

Not enough people tried VR Porn I guess

 

[joe_zazen]

I have vr and i totally thought the 5 seconds it takes to put it on wouldnt be a barrier. Turns out, i am one of the laziest motherfuckers alive.

 

[brian0057]

"VR will explode when it goes under $200."
"Everyone is gonna buy a VR headset when it no longer causes motion sickness."
"No tethers and no external devices will allow VR to grow."

People are so wrapped up in the technology and the features that forget to ask the most basic and the most important question: Why should anyone own one of this machines?
If you manage to answer that question within a single sentence and without using nebulous pablum like "the experience" or "the immersion", you'll sell VR headsets like hot cakes.

 

[gifgaf]

"Mass adoption remains impeded by the hardware required to run it, in my opinion. Take videogames - you need a very powerful PC, a good amount of space, sensors set up around it, and of course the VR helmet itself.

This quote shows that they did not do much research, Oculus quest (Which is selling out everywhere right now) is a stand alone headset that does not need a PC and is uses an inside-out tracking system, It's probably one of the most popular headsets on the market, how could they miss that? Oculus Rift S also uses an inside-out tracking system and is also selling out everywhere. as for a Powerhouse PC that is needed to play VR. Yes you can use a powerhouse PC just as you can use it to play flat screen games but a middling pc with a GTX 970 is good enough to play VR and there is also the PSVR which is also ignored.

Disclaimer, I am not saying VR is mainstream ready yet, just pointing out flaws in the article.

Better bait needed imo.

Vr will ruin your hair

Seriously the most weakest argument I have ever heard, Do you not ever wear a hat/bike helmet/hard hat etc because it "will ruin your hair". People use that because they need to add as many "flaws" as they can to bolster their arguments.

VR right now is more popular than it has ever been, and it's increasing.

 

[rofif]

This quote shows that they did not do much research, Oculus quest (Which is selling out everywhere right now) is a stand alone headset that does not need a PC and is uses an inside-out tracking system, It's probably one of the most popular headsets on the market, how could they miss that? Oculus Rift S also uses an inside-out tracking system and is also selling out everywhere. as for a Powerhouse PC that is needed to play VR. Yes you can use a powerhouse PC just as you can use it to play flat screen games but a middling pc with a GTX 970 is good enough to play VR and there is also the PSVR which is also ignored.

Disclaimer, I am not saying VR is mainstream reeady yet, just pointing out flaws in the article.

Better bait needed imo.


Seriously the most weakest argument I have ever heard, Do you not ever wear a hat/bike helmet/hard hat etc because it "will ruin your hair". People use that because they need to add as many "flaws" as they can to bolster their arguments.

VR right now is more popular than it has ever been, and it's increasing.

It is still an argument tho - comes down to convenience. Just as I will more often use speakers than headphones. Again - I've had dk1,2,cv1,S and used them a lot.

 

[ArchdukeChocula]

"VR will explode when it goes under $200."
"Everyone is gonna buy a VR headset when it no longer causes motion sickness."
"No tethers and no external devices will allow VR to grow."

People are so wrapped up in the technology and the features that forget to ask the most basic and the most important question: Why should anyone own one of this machines?
If you manage to answer that question within a single sentence and without using nebulous pablum like "the experience" or "the immersion", you'll sell VR headsets like hot cakes.

Yeah, this. I owned a vive, gave it to a friend because I didn't care to do anything with it after a month. Went to a friend's house to try the vive pro and boneworks, and absolutely hated the game. When VR action experiences become more than breaking boxes and fighting hordes of boring enemies, it'll start doing better.

 

[joe_zazen]

Oh, and having to put on the box “dangerous for anyone under 12” is a big turn off.

 

[gifgaf]

It is still an argument tho

The earth is flat is an argument, does not makeit a good one.

 

[rofif]

The earth is flat is an argument, does not mean it is a good one.

stop with this bs
I put vr on my head, it's hot and sweaty and I need to do something with my hair if I want to go out that day. That is a fact... not flat earth crap
Need more serious vr problems? I cannot walk - only teleport since I could get motion sick. I am shortsighted and only S is the good headset that I don't need glasses with.
You need to adjust the thing on Your head to minimize chromatic aberration and target sweet spot. Sometimes apps launch on a monitor, or sound does not switch.

The problems are endless but the VR definitely works and is amazing. It just needs much more developement

 

[gifgaf]

stop with this bs
I put vr on my head, it's hot and sweaty and I need to do something with my hair if I want to go out that day. That is a fact... not flat earth crap
Need more serious vr problems? I cannot walk - only teleport since I could get motion sick. I am shortsighted and only S is the good headset that I don't need glasses with.
You need to adjust the thing on Your head to minimize chromatic aberration and target sweet spot. Sometimes apps launch on a monitor, or sound does not switch.

The problems are endless but the VR definitely works and is amazing. It just needs much more developement

Haha

 

[rofif]

Haha

we have vr fanboys now? What headsets have You owned?
Dude I am just saying how it is. Not imagining it... I had every major headset there was. I am the vr fanboy and I still can see many issues with it

 

[Romulus]

Everyone trying to piggyback on this article and needs to understand something--2019 was undoubtedly the biggest year for VR. The article had terrible timing.

The second thing to understand is the article is based out of ignorance:

It was thought VR would be as common as televisions

No, it wasn't. Not by anyone with a brain. Just with that quote above, the writer loses all credibility. Not even the PS2 was as popular as TVs, yet somehow in a magical world of stupidity, a peripheral will be as popular as the TV. Ridiculous.

 

[gifgaf]

we have vr fanboys now? What headsets have You owned?
Dude I am just saying how it is. Not imagining it... I had every major headset there was. I am the vr fanboy and I still can see many issues with it

I have a HTC Vive, Rift CV1, Rift S, PSVR x2, and an Oculus Quest. I also invested in a hair brush to fix my ruined hair after I wear a headset or a hat or anything that fits on my head.

I am not saying VR does not have flaws, of course it does, I am taking issue with your Ruined Hair comment, It's weak man.