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(Ars Technica)   A: Facebook bought it and made it creepy as fark   (arstechnica.com) divider line
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    More: Obvious, Virtual reality, themed mobile experiences, poor image VR, lead-up, mobile side, wanted Snow Crash, first Oculus developer kit, virtual reality  
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1970 clicks; posted to STEM » on 09 Oct 2022 at 12:53 AM (24 weeks ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



38 Comments     (+0 »)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
 
Wanebo [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-10-08 5:51:47 PM  
When did Tolstoy get hired as a writer for ARS?
 
Rev.K [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-10-08 9:47:35 PM  
There was a whopping 2 mentions of the Valve Index in that article. 

For anyone who has played Half Life:Alyx on a Valve Index (as I have) it is obvious that VR is capable of some absolutely spectacular things.

But FFS, article writer, VR is not the Holodeck from Star Trek, yeah, it's complicated and some setups require time, effort, and high end PCs, but hot damn, it's worth it.

/I just don't have the money
 
Naido [TotalFark]
2022-10-09 12:19:13 AM  

Rev.K: There was a whopping 2 mentions of the Valve Index in that article. 

For anyone who has played Half Life:Alyx on a Valve Index (as I have) it is obvious that VR is capable of some absolutely spectacular things.

But FFS, article writer, VR is not the Holodeck from Star Trek, yeah, it's complicated and some setups require time, effort, and high end PCs, but hot damn, it's worth it.

/I just don't have the money


The headline made VR sound a lot more failed than it is.  TFA makes it plain that things are proceeding as you'd expect.  Pregress, fits and starts.

All told, the Quest 2 has sold around 15 million units so far, according to IDC Research. To put that number into some context, that's roughly on par with estimated lifetime sales of the Xbox Series X|S in late 2020 and only slightly behind 22 million sales for the PlayStation 5 in the same timeframe. Then again, the Nintendo Switch has sold about 52 million units since the Quest 2's launch (and tens of millions more before it).

That's not the revolution that some idiots predicted, but it ain't hay, and generational improvements in both game quality and ease of use are happening much more quickly now.  This isn't 3D TV; it's a steadily growing sector with a bright future.
 
Ghastly [TotalFark]
2022-10-09 1:54:07 AM  
Yeah I'm not going to lay out a lot of money for something that will just make me motion sick as hell when there are perfectly playable games to be had on a traditional 2d monitor, keyboard and mouse system. Every VR system I've ever used has made me not only aware I'm wearing an uncomfortable and awkward monitor strapped to my face but has made me puke as well.
 
akallen404
2022-10-09 2:09:47 AM  

Rev.K: it's worth it.

/I just don't have the money


... is the current state of VR gaming for 99% of gamers. At this point, we might as well be asking why al few people engage in space tourism.
 
bostonguy [TotalFark]
2022-10-09 3:24:34 AM  
I saw CNN interview some high-up Facebook exist for a feature on the "metaverse."

It's like they don't realize that this looks absolutely silly to 99% of people. Facebook, of course, is a mass consumer product. But VR will always be a niche product used in just a few areas such as education, medicine, and gaming.

Seriously. Look at the guy.

Fark user imageView Full Size
 
Jaws_Victim
2022-10-09 6:40:03 AM  

bostonguy: I saw CNN interview some high-up Facebook exist for a feature on the "metaverse."

It's like they don't realize that this looks absolutely silly to 99% of people. Facebook, of course, is a mass consumer product. But VR will always be a niche product used in just a few areas such as education, medicine, and gaming.

Seriously. Look at the guy.

[Fark user image image 850x637]


Fark user imageView Full Size


And then look at what their solution is to have privacy microphones. All that's missing is chains and a wire mesh cubical, for that dystopian workplace of the future.
 
AdrienVeidt
2022-10-09 8:06:33 AM  
Dafuq is the use of a privacy dildo-gag 'microphone' if the reply speakers are open-air for everyone to hear?
 
trerro [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-10-09 8:07:12 AM  
Occulus anything requires a Facebook account and constant Zuckerbot monitoring. Valve Index is a grand... about the price of an entire generation of regular consoles, for something with far less games than a single one of said consoles. Those are pretty much the options right now, so you don't have a lot of people super eager to run out and get a set.

As for all of us looking for Sword Art Online without the whole "kills you" part? A game like that would be obscenely expensive to make, and the megacorps that have the money to pull it off are soulless corporations that would much later just exploit "micro"transactions, lootboxes, etc, on far simpler games. The companies that would love to build something like that have neither the personnel nor the cash to make it happen.

So at least in the immediate future, it's not happening. Once the Facebook effort finishes crashing and burning, we should see more on the hardware side, and once a few indie companies do well on smaller VR games, we should start seeing their ambitions step up as their budgets increase... if I had to guess, we should start seeing awesome stuff sometime around 2030.
 
cendojr [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-10-09 8:44:24 AM  

trerro: Occulus anything requires a Facebook account and constant Zuckerbot monitoring. Valve Index is a grand... about the price of an entire generation of regular consoles, for something with far less games than a single one of said consoles. Those are pretty much the options right now, so you don't have a lot of people super eager to run out and get a set.

As for all of us looking for Sword Art Online without the whole "kills you" part? A game like that would be obscenely expensive to make, and the megacorps that have the money to pull it off are soulless corporations that would much later just exploit "micro"transactions, lootboxes, etc, on far simpler games. The companies that would love to build something like that have neither the personnel nor the cash to make it happen.

So at least in the immediate future, it's not happening. Once the Facebook effort finishes crashing and burning, we should see more on the hardware side, and once a few indie companies do well on smaller VR games, we should start seeing their ambitions step up as their budgets increase... if I had to guess, we should start seeing awesome stuff sometime around 2030.


There's some interesting & fun stuff happening now. As mentioned earlier, HL Alyx is amazing.  FS2020 and DCS World are amazingly immersive in VR.  There's a bunch of fun little indie games like I Expect You To Die and Pistolwhip (basically a John Wick simulator, it's great).  There's interesting VR-Couch games like VR Giants or Keep Talking & Nobody Explodes that are exploring how to make local VR multiplayer work.  Project Cars in VR is mildly terrifying, and even meh games like Obduction beginner really immersive in VR.

The problem is hardware.  The index is $1000, and a suitable gfx card is $700+.  The Quest is cheap, but it's FB in goggle form same three hardware isn't going to give the same immersion as the Index.  There won't be a better Rift because people willing to pay for higher fidelity don't want FB hardware.  Game developers don't have a common control scheme, so it's often a Vive controller scheme that gets implemented, and that stunts gameplay innovation.

I love my Index, but it's expensive & niche.  That's how VR will be until Sony makes a Halo level system seller for PSVR.
 
Tyrone Slothrop [TotalFark]
2022-10-09 9:20:25 AM  

Ghastly: Yeah I'm not going to lay out a lot of money for something that will just make me motion sick as hell when there are perfectly playable games to be had on a traditional 2d monitor, keyboard and mouse system. Every VR system I've ever used has made me not only aware I'm wearing an uncomfortable and awkward monitor strapped to my face but has made me puke as well.


Your loss, toots.
 
Tyrone Slothrop [TotalFark]
2022-10-09 9:21:50 AM  

bostonguy: I saw CNN interview some high-up Facebook exist for a feature on the "metaverse."

It's like they don't realize that this looks absolutely silly to 99% of people. Facebook, of course, is a mass consumer product. But VR will always be a niche product used in just a few areas such as education, medicine, and gaming.

Seriously. Look at the guy.

[Fark user image image 850x637]


"People who wear a VR headset look stupid" is the dumbest excuse for ragging on VR there is.
 
bostonguy [TotalFark]
2022-10-09 9:50:35 AM  

Tyrone Slothrop: People who wear a VR headset look stupid" is the dumbest excuse for ragging on VR there is.


That is precisely one of the main reasons they will never have mass appeal despite them being promoted every few years like clockwork. VR has been "the next big thing" every five years for at least 30 years.
 
bostonguy [TotalFark]
2022-10-09 9:52:28 AM  

bostonguy: Tyrone Slothrop: People who wear a VR headset look stupid" is the dumbest excuse for ragging on VR there is.

That is precisely one of the main reasons they will never have mass appeal despite them being promoted every few years like clockwork. VR has been "the next big thing" every five years for at least 30 years.


That is also way the newest "smart glasses" fail every few years.

Has ANYONE seen ANYONE wearing the Facebook Ray-Bans that came out last year? No.
 
log_jammin
2022-10-09 10:59:41 AM  
B: they forgot to make fun games for it.
 
BumpInTheNight [OhFark]
2022-10-09 11:10:43 AM  
Facebook's association with Occulus instantly poisoned it.  I picked up a Pimax for cheap off of a friend a couple years ago but never got it to work right for me, my eyes aren't the greatest but at least my naked eyes see things super-close better then with my glasses but my astigmatism kind of sinks the whole thing.  The FOV still wasn't comfortable either for me, felt like looking through a letterbox.

Its too bad, I am probably in the primary demographic they're looking for with this tech too.  I think in order to really make this stick they've gotta figure out some magic to get the display about a foot away from your eyes, probably using mirror trickery or something, and it needs to fill your entire field of vision.
 
Professor Horatio Hufnagel
2022-10-09 11:24:17 AM  
Like Dippin' Dots, virtual reality had been shilled as the wave of the future for at least 30 years, if not more. No one wanted it then, and no one wants it now. The goggles are dumb.
 
iron de havilland [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-10-09 12:14:51 PM  

Jaws_Victim: bostonguy: I saw CNN interview some high-up Facebook exist for a feature on the "metaverse."

It's like they don't realize that this looks absolutely silly to 99% of people. Facebook, of course, is a mass consumer product. But VR will always be a niche product used in just a few areas such as education, medicine, and gaming.

Seriously. Look at the guy.

[Fark user image image 850x637]

[Fark user image image 425x430]

And then look at what their solution is to have privacy microphones. All that's missing is chains and a wire mesh cubical, for that dystopian workplace of the future.


Does Meta run the same ad globally? Two guys playing a VR game online, then their neighbours are making a noise and they stop for a second to yell at each other. They each talk about how much they hate their neighbour. Pull out reveals that they are each other's neighbours

Really weird message though. Be friends online, hate each other irl.
 
Klom Dark [BareFark]
2022-10-09 12:17:46 PM  

Ghastly: Yeah I'm not going to lay out a lot of money for something that will just make me motion sick as hell when there are perfectly playable games to be had on a traditional 2d monitor, keyboard and mouse system. Every VR system I've ever used has made me not only aware I'm wearing an uncomfortable and awkward monitor strapped to my face but has made me puke as well.


Wuss
 
akallen404
2022-10-09 12:24:43 PM  

Klom Dark: Ghastly: Yeah I'm not going to lay out a lot of money for something that will just make me motion sick as hell when there are perfectly playable games to be had on a traditional 2d monitor, keyboard and mouse system. Every VR system I've ever used has made me not only aware I'm wearing an uncomfortable and awkward monitor strapped to my face but has made me puke as well.

Wuss


Which is the OTHER problem with VR: all the vitriol and toxicity of online gaming without the benefit of having any actual games you want to play.

Imagine if the game arcades in the 80s were infested with "git good" neckbeards but the only available games were pacman and pong.
 
Klom Dark [BareFark]
2022-10-09 1:20:13 PM  

akallen404: Klom Dark: Ghastly: Yeah I'm not going to lay out a lot of money for something that will just make me motion sick as hell when there are perfectly playable games to be had on a traditional 2d monitor, keyboard and mouse system. Every VR system I've ever used has made me not only aware I'm wearing an uncomfortable and awkward monitor strapped to my face but has made me puke as well.

Wuss

Which is the OTHER problem with VR: all the vitriol and toxicity of online gaming without the benefit of having any actual games you want to play.

Imagine if the game arcades in the 80s were infested with "git good" neckbeards but the only available games were pacman and pong.


Dude that shiat is everywhere in real reality as well.
 
Glorious Golden Ass [OhFark]
2022-10-09 2:07:48 PM  
Fark user imageView Full Size


I generally play games to relax.  The one exception is Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure for the Switch.  But to relax, I want to lay on the couch and just kinda zone out.  I don't want to put in any effort.  VR brings awesome experiences, but it can also become the work I'm trying to escape.
 
leeksfromchichis [TotalFark]
2022-10-09 2:17:19 PM  

BumpInTheNight: Facebook's association with Occulus instantly poisoned it.  I picked up a Pimax for cheap off of a friend a couple years ago but never got it to work right for me, my eyes aren't the greatest but at least my naked eyes see things super-close better then with my glasses but my astigmatism kind of sinks the whole thing.  The FOV still wasn't comfortable either for me, felt like looking through a letterbox.

Its too bad, I am probably in the primary demographic they're looking for with this tech too.  I think in order to really make this stick they've gotta figure out some magic to get the display about a foot away from your eyes, probably using mirror trickery or something, and it needs to fill your entire field of vision.


To really make it work it's gotta be about fifteen dollars  for a new headset.
 
akallen404
2022-10-09 3:01:20 PM  

Klom Dark: akallen404: Klom Dark: Ghastly: Yeah I'm not going to lay out a lot of money for something that will just make me motion sick as hell when there are perfectly playable games to be had on a traditional 2d monitor, keyboard and mouse system. Every VR system I've ever used has made me not only aware I'm wearing an uncomfortable and awkward monitor strapped to my face but has made me puke as well.

Wuss

Which is the OTHER problem with VR: all the vitriol and toxicity of online gaming without the benefit of having any actual games you want to play.

Imagine if the game arcades in the 80s were infested with "git good" neckbeards but the only available games were pacman and pong.

Dude that shiat is everywhere in real reality as well.


Yeah, but we deal with it in reality because there's some kind of payoff that makes it worth it.

Why would I subject myself to that level of farkwittery just to play Coffee Shop Simulator in VR?
 
nytmare
2022-10-09 3:28:49 PM  

Tyrone Slothrop: bostonguy: I saw CNN interview some high-up Facebook exist for a feature on the "metaverse."

It's like they don't realize that this looks absolutely silly to 99% of people. Facebook, of course, is a mass consumer product. But VR will always be a niche product used in just a few areas such as education, medicine, and gaming.

Seriously. Look at the guy.

[Fark user image image 850x637]

"People who wear a VR headset look stupid" is the dumbest excuse for ragging on VR there is.


VR has bigger barriers to casual usage than 3D TV, which never took off because of those barriers. Zuckerberg's vision is costing the company dearly.
 
baron von doodle [OhFark]
2022-10-09 3:33:33 PM  

Jaws_Victim: bostonguy: I saw CNN interview some high-up Facebook exist for a feature on the "metaverse."

It's like they don't realize that this looks absolutely silly to 99% of people. Facebook, of course, is a mass consumer product. But VR will always be a niche product used in just a few areas such as education, medicine, and gaming.

Seriously. Look at the guy.

[Fark user image image 850x637]

[Fark user image image 425x430]

And then look at what their solution is to have privacy microphones. All that's missing is chains and a wire mesh cubical, for that dystopian workplace of the future.


That or some person's very specific idea of a good time.
 
Mad_Radhu
2022-10-09 4:15:37 PM  
1. It requires a generation video cards that until recently were unobtanium without going to a lot to extra effort.

2. I honestly really don't want gaming to be that immersive. I'm perfectly fine with leaning back on the couch and playing Deathloop with a controller on my Xbox Series S. I don't really want to invest thousands of dollars in a VR rig and rent a bigger apartment so I can turn one room into a Dreamatorium. VR is just too involved and uncomfortable.
 
Meat's dream [OhFark]
2022-10-09 4:36:10 PM  
I absolutely loved my Rift CV1.  I had the best gaming experiences in it, hands down.  I'm confident it's part of the future of computer interfaces in some capacity.

But it's been gathering dust for about a year because I have grown so disgusted with Zuckbook that I won't even have an account with it, and all Oculus products are bricks without it.  So screw it.  Valve's success with the Steamdeck and the Index show that they are maturing into a company that can produce good hardware, and eventually they can make a standalone VR set that is worth owning, if someone else doesn't do it first.  I can wait.

Screw "meta".
 
Lord Bear
2022-10-09 5:55:54 PM  
I love my Index, but it really needs more content.  There is very little reason to turn it on once you are thru Alex a few times and you beat Derude Sandstorm in Beat Sabre.

The whole platform just needs a few more great games to make it a thing.

/ Star Wars Squadrons, Flight Simulator and Elite:Dangerous are occasionally fun too.
 
Rev.K [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-10-09 6:11:01 PM  

Lord Bear: I love my Index, but it really needs more content.  There is very little reason to turn it on once you are thru Alex a few times and you beat Derude Sandstorm in Beat Sabre.

The whole platform just needs a few more great games to make it a thing.

/ Star Wars Squadrons, Flight Simulator and Elite:Dangerous are occasionally fun too.


Alyx is truly mind-blowing tho.

A friend of mine who hasn't played it is hooking up with my other friend who owns an Index to do a playthrough. I said I have to be there to see it because I want to see his reaction.

My buddy streams the Index to his huge TV so we can have an audience.

I can't wait.
 
farkitallletitend
2022-10-09 9:35:48 PM  
Using a strap on just for a headache and nausea isn't what I had envisioned.
 
SomethingBetter76
2022-10-09 11:02:18 PM  

farkitallletitend: Using a strap on just for a headache and nausea isn't what I had envisioned.


It's supposed to go in the other end, you're doing it wrong.
 
Nexzus
2022-10-09 11:47:09 PM  
I remember when VRML was supposed to usher in a new wave of shopping and communication experiences.
 
dbrunker
2022-10-10 12:21:09 AM  
The article didn't mention social VR like VRChat or ChilloutVR.

In social VR you can be anything you imagine.

Fark user imageView Full Size


You can create any place you can imagine.

Fark user imageView Full Size


If you don't have the skills, talent or imagination to make your own, you can see the creations of other people that are beyond your imagination, all in real, stereoscopic 3D.
 
backhand.slap.of.reason
2022-10-10 1:14:49 AM  
I would rather not eat to the point of starvation rations than name Zuckerberg, Luckey, and Gaetz a penny.
 
akallen404
2022-10-10 9:03:55 AM  

dbrunker: The article didn't mention social VR like VRChat or ChilloutVR.


That's because those are niche use cases that only a handful of bored hipsters with too much disposable income would even care about (and the ones that do care will just port a VR headset into Second Life).
 
dbrunker
2022-10-10 10:14:04 AM  

akallen404: dbrunker: 
That's because those are niche use cases that only a handful of bored hipsters with too much disposable income would even care about (and the ones that do care will just port a VR headset into Second Life).


Wha-... that isn't true at all.  I'm on social VR everyday.  I'm sure I must have met at least one rich hipster but I can't remember when.  I meet people of all income levels.  You don't even need a VR headset for either VRChat or ChilloutVR, it just looks nicer if you have it.  Social VR is an important resource for trans people because they can go to VR and instantly have the body they've always wished they had.

Personally, I don't go to social VR so I can be someone or something other than what I am.  I go because I love the beautiful worlds and I meet nice and silly people and make friends with them and I don't have to leave the house or be concerned about catching a disease.
 
DecemberNitro
2022-10-10 10:24:06 AM  

dbrunker: The article didn't mention social VR like VRChat or ChilloutVR.

In social VR you can be anything you imagine.


Posts like this are what keep most people far, far away from VR.
 
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