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so whats the verdict? Oculus or Vive?

Discussion in 'VR Headsets and Sim Gaming - Virtual Reality' started by Boomslangnz, Jun 26, 2016.

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  1. Archie

    Archie Eternal tinkerer

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    "BigScreen" is free at the moment on the Oculus store. Given it's still in Beta, it's a surprisingly polished app.

    https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1018613041536358/

    I used it to play FIFA 16 last night, and it's very good.
    Ever wanted to play FIFA on a 20-foot cinema screen?
    This works a treat!
  2. Tim McGuire

    Tim McGuire "Forever a work in progress"

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    I've had the opportunity to try both of them for about about two months each now, and so far here's my two cents on the competing headsets:

    Oculus:
    Pros:
    -Cheaper
    -Very light
    -Headset moves around less under motion than the vive does (as a consequence of #1)
    -Slightly more detail visible at a distance due to slightly smaller FOV
    -Somewhat larger of a sweet spot (how large of a render zone there is where no distortion is present in the image)
    -Integrated Headphones, make setting up and putting it on faster, the audio quality is also far better than what I was expecting
    Cons:
    -Integrated Headphones are on-ear, rather than over the ear (this is personal preference).
    -FOV is slightly smaller
    -IPD adjustment system is not as nice as the VIVE
    -"Walled Garden" game ecosystem, doesn't matter much for VR and simracing, but many people do not like how Oculus is going about its' business practices.
    -No motion controllers available as of yet (not a big deal for simracing)
    -Something about Facebook® having access to a camera in my house bothers me more than a little bit...

    Vive:
    Pros:
    -Slightly larger FOV than the Oculus
    -Motion controllers are available
    -Lighthouse tracking allows for potential use of motion cancellation tech in the future (could be a huge deal for large-throw simulators)
    -Motion controllers and roomscale are on a completely different level (if you're not doing simracing). Whenever I show people VR for the first time I make sure it's roomscale with motion controls. Gives the best first impression IMHO.
    -More open game ecosystem (no timed exclusives, no code slipped in to make sure other headsets don't work with Vive games).
    -Choice of using your own headphones is a big deal for some.
    Cons:
    -More expensive (but again, it comes with motion controls and two tracking stations, I'd wager that buying an oculus down the line with the same capability would likely equal out to the same price)
    -Headset is slightly heavier
    -Elastic straps rather than rigid ones can cause the headset to move around slightly more during intense motion (there may be a fix for this, I might not have had it mounted correctly)
    -Sweet spot is smaller than Oculus
    -Set up without integrated headphones can take slightly longer

    The tracking solutions to both headsets are very good, neither has any noticeable delay (so long as you stay within each respective tracking range). I've not had a chance to really dig in to how much of a difference ATW on the Oculus makes, as I'm anal about framerates and never want to dip below 90fps. Overall, in my opinion if you will be simracing with a seat mover, and doing only that, the Oculus wins out because of price, and mounting stability. However, if you're more interested in VR as a whole, rather than only simracing, I'd say save up for a couple more months and splurge for the Vive, you won't regret it.
    • Informative Informative x 2
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  3. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Both ATW and reprojection exist to avoid user discomfort when hardware/software fails to ensure 90fps rendering.

    Here is a brief overview of how ATW and Vive reprojection handle a failure to render in time: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/how-they-work-oculus-atw-and-steamvr-reprojection.8645/

    The advantage of ATW for sim racers is that none of the games they are likely to use are built specifically and optimised for VR. ATW disguise the almost inevitable frame drops better than reprojection as it degrades more gracefully.

    But even Oculus recommends that developers do not rely on ATW to save them from inadequate frame rates, as there are negative implications to using it because while orientation latency is kept low and smooth, animation and player movement may judder in lock-step with missed frames.
    • Informative Informative x 1
  4. monicamary

    monicamary Member

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    I do not own a Vive but I have a rift. I bought it because I only want VR for seated racing experiences. The Rift is very comfortable and I have managed a couple of long sessions(longest was a full 2Hr movie) with no problems. For me, the extra $200(which ends up being quite a bit more where I live) was not worth the experience. I chose the Rift for racing and now I cannot go back to single or even triple screens. However, the resolution is a bit low for the full sim racing experience. It is still very drive-able but certain brake markers can be tough to see. If you want to get into VR, I would definitely recommend it but I would probably wait until second gen.(It is not as far off as you might imagine. There are rumors that HTC are already working on wireless HMD technology that could be available at the end of this year or Q1 2017-The headset might even see a significant price drop with the new tracking chip that has been hinted at)
  5. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    The biggest draw card for the Triad chip is to make objects other than the HMD and controller trackable at an affordable cost: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/steamvr-tracking-modules-available-6-95.9101/

    The Vive wireless VR prototype is being done by a third party, Quark VR in conjunction with Valve, not by HTC itself: http://www.shacknews.com/article/96...-prototype-in-the-works-to-be-shown-this-fall
  6. monicamary

    monicamary Member

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    Ah yes. That is correct, got my HTCs and Valve's mixed up. The Triad chip is made up of less components so it is likely going to be more reliable and cheaper to produce. As for Quark VR, I believe that they are developing more like an accessory that connects to the Vive rather than integrated technology for a new headset. I may be wrong though.
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    You are correct in that what Quark VR is developing is a wireless prototype solution for the existing Vive, though as they are working with Valve I suspect there are elements that are needed on the SteamVR side as well.

    Making a current gen wireless has significant technical hurdles, particularly for hardware and efficient processing, but I do suspect that such project like the Quark VR/Valve collaboration are crucial to making wireless possible for future HMDs.

    Yes the Triad chip is relatively cheap and reported to be robust and I am really glad they are generally available as I am really looking forward to new types of tracked object solutions.
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2016
  8. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    Guys great news so far, I am one of the guys who could resist until today waiting for the next generation vr googles.
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  9. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    VERY interesting interview with Marco Massarutto from KUNOS, especially about VR (at the moment).
  10. Pierre Lalancette

    Pierre Lalancette Sir Lalancelot Gold Contributor

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    My first experience with VR was the GearVR. I worked with it.
    https://www.mcq.org/en/exposition?id=425961
    It was nice. They dropped the 3D aspect of it because they were loosing too much resolution and quality in the image. Also, we had the phone overheating many time. I must be better now with the new version of the phone.
    But it was nothing compare to the first time I put a Vive in front of my eyes. When I saw that room, those controllers floating and following my every moves, I was hook, like the first time I saw pong, play Elite on my little appartement TV (Commodor 64), saw an arcade video game station, played asteroid, played Out of this world, played Decent, played half-life. Those are defined moment in my life and the Vive was one of them. Does it worth the expense? Not sure. Not so much games, not all so great. Also, as I am getting old, and playing while standing is not great for a long period. Still, I own one. The headset can be heavy after a while and gives some head hack. But playing Elite Dangerous with over sampling is just a blast for me. Sometimes, I stop playing just to look around, and contemplate how I "feel" into the game. The game is buggy, the vision is restricted to a tunnel, but when all is working fine, I forget all this. I would say that only the weight of it does bother me sometimes, and the hanging wires. When I go back to my 4k resolution monitor to play it, it is cristal clear, but it does not "feel" the same. But don't forget that if you buy one and your computer can't run it, you will have to spend even more money that the Vive on a PC to make it run smoothly. I'm still paying my computer on my credit card.

    I tested the Oculus for about 15 minutes. Nothing to say. It felt great for a seated position VR. Totally forgot that I was on a Oculus instead of a Vive.

    For me VR is more a emotion than a define spec. Like "pong", it will get outdated. Still, everyone likes to play "pong". Everyone wants immersive games.

    I had an interview with the guys of Vrvana for a job. Did not get it, but I was able to test their gear for about 2 minutes (I am an incredibly lucky individual). It's great.
    When I put on the helmet, I remember widening my eyes as I was expecting binocular type of view. It has nothing to do with it. It was like when I was little and I put on enormous glasses from an adult. It covers all your eye sight and still, not really touching around your eyes. The resolution felt ok, but I had no time to inspect it as I was processing the whole experience. I don't know about the frame rate, but felt no glitch what so ever. I also remember not turning much my head to looks at things around, like I do all the time with the Vive. The content was limited, but the direct cameras pass through worked like a charm, with only different color. The world felt a bit more like a washed out tv show. I could switch from VR to a convincing AR by the touche of a single button. The computer running it looked like a normal PC game to me. I read that they might incorpore the Vive Lighthouse tech to their headset. If they do, I will definitively try to get my hand on one of those.
    My 2 cents.
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  11. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    Yesterday one of biggest Swiss online dealers was selling over 100 Oculus Rifts for a lower price ($580 including tax and delivery, only 24h offer; please keep in mind that the Rift in the EU is more expensive than in the USA). I discovered this offer very late yesterday (one hour before midnight). I was giving in to the temptation but while the time was ticking I was overthinking my decision...the offer went out and I did not buy one. lol The main reason for hesitating: the according cons from the reviewers about the resolution while it is very immersive.

    Still waiting (or wasting my time) for VR generation II.
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  12. Historiker

    Historiker Dramamine Adict Gold Contributor

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    My in-laws are over for the Christmas holidays, they experienced the underwater world of The Blu the other night. They are still talking about it this morning, they want to do it again. I agree that the resolution is grainy and that makes things like operating an A10 difficult (hard to read the hud, instruments etc, although there are work around for that). However, the immersion is absolutely amazing. Did I have buyers remorse (cost)? Absolutely, would I return it if I could? Nope. I have not used it for driving sims yet, but from what I have read Euro Truck Simulator 2 is awesome with the Vive.
  13. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    While VR resolution does not match a monitor it does allow for far more natural driving. I am significantly faster in VR, like nearly 5-8 seconds faster in the awesome F138 around Nordschleife.
  14. Pit

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    i totally agree because i am using 3DVISION on triples. Since I bought my projector setup (which was 3 x more expensive than one Rift) I cannot go back to 2D. Honestly you will understand that for me it is a step backward as long the resolution is not as good as 3DVISION. Without 3DVISION I would have bought one since the very first release.
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  15. SeatTime

    SeatTime Well-Known Member

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  16. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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  17. Javo5

    Javo5 Active Member

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  18. SeatTime

    SeatTime Well-Known Member

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    http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/8/14550488/best-buy-oculus-rift-vr-demo-station-closure

    Re story above : Really does not surprise me as if it was not for my sim, I would have no interest in VR at the moment.
    I also have not used my Touch since I set it up and played a few games/demos over xmas. My son has my old DK2 and has not turned it on in ages (still plays lots of games on a flat screen). Hope VR can weather this evolutionary stage as I'm still the only one at work who has one (full of engineers/tech types) o_O- with the amount of money companies have thrown at this you would expect some action by now:think.
  19. SilentChill

    SilentChill Problem Maker

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    I think for the most part its the price. To get VR setup on a PC if you have not already got a good PC your talking best part of $1500 for a half decent experience.

    The PSVR is doing pretty well its been sold out in the UK since launch and my wife was unable to get me one for christmas I had to wait till the middle of January to get one when it came in stock. Problem is I have not used it. For £350 its as good as my Rift however the GFX on the PS4 are a bit poor.

    I think the main problem I am not playing all the other games is because of motion and I just can't get enough of it lol not enough time for everything :D

    Edit: If VR dies I think that motion for me would die too I couldn't face not feel like being in the game.
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  20. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    For me first gen PC VR is a niche enthusiast product with high entry cost, some technical limitations and problems, plus a significant content lead time.

    From what I understand the Best Buy demos have to be booked and staffing has not always be knowledge. I think it natural to also have a patronage fall off after the holiday season.

    It does not help that Oculus has stumbled time after time with their business decisions like customer communication, supply chain management, quality control issues, hardware DRM, not doing with Touch, signification tracking issues Palmer public gaffs, being sued, and shifting internal structure and profile.
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