Virtual Reality

[AsparagusTrevor]

How well does that facial interface fit? My bought VRCover is very loose, it falls off at the slightest touch. I might as well give this one a try, seeing as my Quest 2 is eligible for a replacement.

My replacement facial interface arrived today, I'm happy that the new plastic frame clicks nicely into the Quest and feels as secure as I'd expect. My previous one must've had a defect or something, or they've since improved the design.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Just ordered my replacement pad thing, thanks for the heads up Blue Jam. I haven't had any irritation, but won't say no to free stuff.

Haven't used the VR in a while due to being busy with other stuff but going to get back on it soon and give that robot shooter game a whirl. I did briefly try watching a movie but noticed the tracking is messing up in low light more than it used to, bit annoying.

[mobias]

Some Youtuber managed to get their hands on a $6000 Varjo VR headset and tried to run Steam VR games through it. Its quite interesting from the point of view of seeing how the tech from this ultra high end headset will inevitably
make its way onto cheaper consumer level ones. I think its already been leaked that Oculus plan on bringing eye tracking to a future Quest headset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rV5NHPW8Pk

[peanutbutter]

The replacement cover seems pretty great so far, way better than the knockoff one I got back in December. Have only used the more thickly padded cover so far but will give the slimmer one a try over the weekend.

[mobias]

I got one of these elite headstraps for my Quest 2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B091KXFG37/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 as they're meant to be much more comfortable if you're just sitting at your PC as opposed to leaping about the room. Not convinced yet. It seems more of a faff to get sitting properly.

In other news it seems like Facebook are going full steam ahead with putting adverts in Oculus games. Not sure if this will be subtle product placement adds within games or full blown 5 or 10 second adverts before you start playing, a bit like Youtube adverts. Probably the latter.

I'm getting off the Oculus bandwagon as soon as I can afford it.

[popcorn]

In other news it seems like Facebook are going full steam ahead with putting adverts in Oculus games. Not sure if this will be subtle product placement adds within games or full blown 5 or 10 second adverts before you start playing, a bit like Youtube adverts. Probably the latter.

AFAIK it's going to be in-game posters and stuff placed inside VR worlds.

I don't really understand the shrieking response to this online. It's going to be like ads in shit free phone apps. "But I paid for my Quest" - well you paid for your phone too.

Ads aren't going to invade Beat Saber or whatever your favourite paid-for VR thing is, just like they don't show up in Spotify or YouTube if you pay for those. You can have the ads, or you can pay for the app.

[peanutbutter]

Ads aren't going to invade Beat Saber or whatever your favourite paid-for VR thing is, just like they don't show up in Spotify or YouTube if you pay for those. You can have the ads, or you can pay for the app.

One of the first games to trial it was a paid for game (Blaston, I believe?), so there doesn't seem to be a hard rule blocking paid games from including ads anyways


Think the main issue here is that it does reframe VR gaming closer to mobile gaming and what it could mean is a few years of studios trying to bleed out money via ads and DLC to the increasingly dominant Quest market share. A few years of people repackaging existing stuff to be monetised in new ways rather than any kind of innovation at all because the market is so focused on free and cheap games rather than shelling out $30 for something impressive but short.

[popcorn]

there doesn't seem to be a hard rule blocking paid games from including ads anyways

so yeah, just like phones then?

Think the main issue here is that it does reframe VR gaming closer to mobile gaming and what it could mean is a few years of studios trying to bleed out money via ads and DLC to the increasingly dominant Quest market share. A few years of people repackaging existing stuff to be monetised in new ways rather than any kind of innovation at all because the market is so focused on free and cheap games rather than shelling out $30 for something impressive but short.

that's a more reasonable concern to me - though it sure isn't what the kids on reddit are complaining about.

I also have a feeling that "free and cheap" might be the future of VR games for the time being anyway, because VR is so limited in various ways - I don't see any way out of the current desert of interesting VR stuff - so the mobile model might exacerbate things.

[peanutbutter]

so yeah, just like phones then?

I dunno, the only android/ios games I've ever bought were Device 6 and Florence. Was responding to "Ads aren't going to invade Beat Saber or whatever your favourite paid-for VR thing is"

that's a more reasonable concern to me - though it sure isn't what the kids on reddit are complaining about.

I also have a feeling that "free and cheap" might be the future of VR games for the time being anyway, because VR is so limited in various ways - I don't see any way out of the current desert of interesting VR stuff - so the mobile model might exacerbate things.

yeah it's kinda trapped between spaces right now, just expanding the market size in general is probably a good thing on the whole. Not totally sure that'll work all that well though, if they're so casual they're not willing to pay for anything beyond the device itself they'll probably be so casual they won't even bother turning on the device; but it's the kind of thing the industry probably has to try before it'll let itself move on.

[mobias]

Adverts are the price Quest owners are going to have to pay for getting a £700+ headset for £300. Facebook make a massive loss on them and its their way of clawing money back.

What bugs me most about the Quest 2 is that you have to have an active Facebook account to run it in any form. I bought mine fully aware you needed to have a Facebook account to run it but I didn't know it
always has to be active. I do like deactivating my Facebook page from time to time, for various reasons, but I can't do that and use my Quest 2. So onto eBay its going to go. I want an HP G2, if I can find one going for RRP.   

[Ferris]

I have a burner Facebook account in a fake name that is hidden from public searches and has zero activity. It is doable, but a pretty annoying (at best, and downright invasive at worst) practice to force upon users.

[popcorn]

I dunno, the only android/ios games I've ever bought were Device 6 and Florence. Was responding to "Ads aren't going to invade Beat Saber or whatever your favourite paid-for VR thing is"

Yeah fair enough. I'm just skeptical that it will actually change anything except give devs more way to monetise apps, exactly like they do on phones, which tbh I think is reasonable. It might flood the Oculus store with shitty ad-filled free apps, but I don't intend to download those.

[Cloud]

Quest 2 was one of the best purchases I've ever made.  Astounding value for money, a giant step up in quality from the CV1, and Virtual Desktop meaning I could play PCVR stuff from another room were all a game changer for me plus the standalone support for certain games.

VRChat (shit on Quest but the PC version is good when using link / virtual desktop) was pretty much my life through much of the pandemic.  It's one of those things that's hard to get into as since the Q2 came out the popular public worlds have basically been McDonalds - full of kids running around shouting and not an attentive parent to be seen  (and for god's sake if you have kids keep an eye on them in VRC or better yet keep them off it, as it's basically a kiddie fiddler's wet dream).  But then I found a community there (namely furry, don't hate) and made a bunch of friends and it's been amazing.  Quite literally a lifeline, as the various lockdowns / restrictions / personal decisions from living with the vulnerable got to the point sometimes, when we'd be teased with the light at the end of the tunnel and possibly seeing IRL friends again only to find the light was another oncoming freight train, that I questioned the desire to soldier on with life.  It just felt sometimes that the misery would never end.  Being able to escape the real world and honestly feel like I'm sat in a room with people less than 2m apart and chatting with them, feel hugs (yay phantom sense) etc was a massive massive help.

The tricky bit now is returning to the real world and not spending so much time in VR, which disappoints friends made there!

Those who like Beat Saber might want to check out Synth Riders.  On Oculus it has cross-buy too (unlike BS) and it completely converted me.  Though it depends how much you like the music genres on there which are stuff like electro-swing and synthwave.  I like them and how they seem to blend past and present music trends but it's all subjective.  But I find that Synth Riders really "flows" well to the beat/rhythm and feels like you're learning a dance almost, vs. BS where I always feel like I'm just memorising block sequences that don't really match up to the beat very well.  It could be that my audio latency setting is not right, but I've tweaked it several times and BS just never seems timed right to me at least once you get to the Expert and Expert+ levels.

Only downside I find with the Quest 2 aside from the obvious Facebook stuff, is the LCD display.  Dark environments are just a hazy smokey grey.  But 95% of the time (unless you like lots of dark environments) the immersion is superb, I very easily "forget" I'm in VR and have had several dreams featuring VR environments and avatars.  And yeah watching movies is like literally being at the cinema.

I got one of these elite headstraps for my Quest 2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B091KXFG37/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 as they're meant to be much more comfortable if you're just sitting at your PC as opposed to leaping about the room. Not convinced yet. It seems more of a faff to get sitting properly.

I got the same one and hate it.  Tried to persevere with it for a couple of weeks but the arms kept sliding off (they give you a few spare foam grip pads and I can see why), the ratchet mechanism seems to be made of plastic which inevitably wore out in no time and so it kept coming loose etc.  Ended up tearing it off in a rage and put the original strap back on and was much happier :)

[Ferris]

i got a new silicon cover thjng for my oculus and it is dead good.

typing on here is still proper shit though.

gonna play new baseball game now, will report back

[mobias]

I got the same one and hate it.

I think its better suited to sit down gaming. I use my Quest 2 mainly for flight simulator and for that its not too bad. Having said that I get where your coming form. There's quite some faffing to getting it sitting just right. One thing I like about it is the fact you can push the headset up like a vizor when you need to use your PC monitor. 

[Blue Jam]

Those who like Beat Saber might want to check out Synth Riders.  On Oculus it has cross-buy too (unlike BS) and it completely converted me.  Though it depends how much you like the music genres on there which are stuff like electro-swing and synthwave.  I like them and how they seem to blend past and present music trends but it's all subjective.  But I find that Synth Riders really "flows" well to the beat/rhythm and feels like you're learning a dance almost, vs. BS where I always feel like I'm just memorising block sequences that don't really match up to the beat very well.

"electro" and "swing" are two words I don't like to see in close proximity but I took your recommendation anyway and I'm glad I did, cheers! Been playing it for a couple of weeks now and I think it may actually a better workout than Beat Saber, took me a while before I could play more than three songs without my shoulders feeling completely knackered.

There are free custom songs available too, no sidequesting needed. I admire the uploaders' choices, there's a good mix of popular new and old stuff, some surprisingly leftfield choices and a healthy ability to take the piss:

https://synthriderz.com/beatmaps

Spinal Tap's Big Bottom is in there*, hahahaha. As is Sh*t by Bo Burnham.

^{* EDIT: No it isn't, that one's a}

Spoiler alert

Rickroll

[close]

. Fuck's sake, are people still doing these in 2021?[/sup]

[Blue Jam]

More Quest 2 issues leading to more freebies:

https://www.oculus.com/quest-2/removable-facial-interface-alert/?locale=en_GB

Oculus has recently taken actions in response to a very small percentage of users reporting a generally mild skin irritation where the foam portion of the Quest 2 facial interface rests on the skin. The safety and comfort of every customer is our top priority. As part of this commitment, we are now offering a free silicone cover to Quest 2 headset and Quest 2 fit pack owners.

Get in... I've already got a silicone cover but I could do with a spare, and it's totally worth getting one if you play a lot of rhythm and fitness games. The improved grip means the headset doesn't move away from the "sweet spot" so much and you don't end up with sweaty foam near the precious electronics. They're also infinitely less minging.

[Cloud]

Glad you liked Synth Riders!

Still waiting for my silicone cover

Meanwhile a friend in the US seems to think he's just bought 2x Quest 2s for $90 from "oculus-rifts.store" and says they're cheap because of the recall..... I'm sceptical that anything will turn up.... he might say they did anyway as he's a bullshitter

[El Unicornio, mang]

Played Robo Recall (the PC VR version) for the first time, fantastic. Got a proper jump back fright moment during the intro when the robots turn on you. And also whenever those spider things jump on you. I'm just a massive wuss.

[Blue Jam]

Played Robo Recall (the PC VR version) for the first time, fantastic. Got a proper jump back fright moment during the intro when the robots turn on you.

Oh gawd yes. It's 100% obvious what is about to happen but it still gave me the jitters. Damn you, The Power Of VR.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

If anyone has a PSVR and wants to frighten themselves, try downloading the free Resident Evil "Kitchen" demo.

[Blue Jam]

Re: The quality of custom maps in rhythm games- I've download about 40 custom maps for Synth Riders and while the quality is variable there are some really fun and well-done ones out there. I had been looking forward to trying out the one for The Prodigy's No Good (Start The Dance) but unfortunately the timing was so off it gave me the aural equivalent of motion sickness. The one for Haddaway's What Is Love? is nicely done, with you swaying to the female vocal before punching the air for the synth stabs, and the one for Uptown Funk is good too, punching in time to the beats and the brass stabs. The one for Gangnam Style is really quite clever, with lots of obstacles making you squat down as you cross your hands over to punch the targets- it took me a while to realise it had got me dancing just like Psy in the video, heheheh clever.

Lots of cheesy 90's stuff in there, great fun. Also lots of gay stuff, from Electric Six to RuPaul, also great fun.

[Blue Jam]

Worth mentioning that https://sidequestvr.com/apps/staffpicks/1/rating has a lot of premium quality free games, including Pavlov: Shack which is considered the best first person shooter VR game on the market. It's also multiplayer.

FYI: Pavlov: Shack is now available in beta from the Oculus Quest store, and for free. I guess this means it won't be free forever.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Deffo worth getting! I think it will probably remain free. Through Sidequest it was always free and just optionally funded by fans through Patreon. Could end up like the Fortnite system where people just pay for things like add-ons and custom items.

[Blue Jam]

Streaming films and TV via the Oculus Quest 2 really is just like being in a cinema isn't it? Before lockdown I made a New Year's resolution to try and catch more new films at the cinema but frankly that seems pointless now I can watch them at home in an eerily realistic VR environment, and without wearing a fucking mask or having to put up with people mindlessly eating loud and/or smelly food.

One Odeon near me has an attached pizza restaurant and actually allows people to take slices of pizza into screenings. Fuck that.

[Cloud]

Picked up "Wander", which I had on the Oculus Go a while back.  My only complaint is you can't really "wander" as you're constantly floating about 10ft off the ground, it's a shame they don't alter the perspective to be more immersive. But a pretty neat way to explore Google Street View and at least feel like you're "there" as a bird :)

[Blue Jam]

Skrillex has done a music pack for Beat Saber, lads.

Been having a go at Pavlov: Shack, struggled a bit as it doesn't appear to have been designed for British people and anyone else unused to guns and without the first clue how to reload one. Was pretty satisfying when I actually did manage to load the automatic rifle though. Decided to leave it at the grenade-throwing tutorial for today and ended up wishing I'd watched this first. A walkthrough for a tutorial, what a time to be alive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKWGpn_L1E0

Still not able to get past the VR motion sickness that made me give up on Echo Arena (that and being punched in the head by kids). How the fuck do you get past that? I might have to stick to shooters with a teleport mechanic like Robo Recall.

[Ferris]

I'm a big fan of Gun Club VR which reminds me of ranges in general. It's quite tame and feels like those games you'd get in arcades on service stations on the M6 but weren't allowed to play because it was a quid a go and we're only here to get a sandwich and a wee - but now you own it so you can play as much as you like[nb]like 20 minutes at a time normally, but still![/nb]!

I'm a bit put off by Pavlov's multiplayer aspect. It feels like doing COD multiplayer with the microphones turned on (no thanks) so it's like 12 year olds swearing at you constantly. Is that what it's like?

[Blue Jam]

If anyone is thinking of buying a Quest 2 and you want a referral code, PM me and I can send you one and we'll get £23 of store credit each. Or PM someone else who owns a Quest 2 if you like, I don't want to be greedy.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Streaming films and TV via the Oculus Quest 2 really is just like being in a cinema isn't it? Before lockdown I made a New Year's resolution to try and catch more new films at the cinema but frankly that seems pointless now I can watch them at home in an eerily realistic VR environment, and without wearing a fucking mask or having to put up with people mindlessly eating loud and/or smelly food.

Great isn't it! Have watched quite a few of my favourite films that I never got a chance to see at the cinema and it's a damn good replication. The main environment I use has an exit door to the left and I sometimes find myself glancing over at it, stupidly thinking someone is going to walk in. It does feel a bit eerie sitting in an empty theatre.

I'm a bit put off by Pavlov's multiplayer aspect. It feels like doing COD multiplayer with the microphones turned on (no thanks) so it's like 12 year olds swearing at you constantly. Is that what it's like?

I found that a bit annoying. The FPS scene definitely has a lot of individuals I don't want to spend time in VR with (sometimes because they're kids, other times just because they're just really shouty anti-social freaks). Onward is a very similar game that has a single player/campaign element.