I am still debating it in my head. I think the Vive is going to be more expensive … and I am not sure I need (or want) the controllers for either as I primarily want to use it for flight simming. The camera on the front of the Vive has me interested but I am not sure I am willing to pay a lot more than the Rift consumer version (and I am fairly sure that the Vive is only going to come as a package with the controllers).
It’s a tough decision for me. I am hoping that Vive has something to report at CES this week.
Pre-ordered this morning too, wish I’d done this on the 6th now for a March delivery! mine is slated for a June delivery.
£529 of our UK pounds is a wee bit more than I expected, thought it would be close to £500 though, but I feel if the improvements over the DK2 are as described it should be worth it, the price is about the same as a quality graphic card or monitor just now and I consider the Oculus Rift in the same area of luxury PC hardware.
Last summer I bought a used DK2 on Ebay to see what all the fuss was about, one of the best applications then was DCS and War Thunder (DCS being better of the two IMHO) but I soon stopped using it as it was not exactly plug and play, hopefully that aspect is more refined and I can just plug it in and fly in June? About November time with this release looming up I thought I’d best shift it on Ebay before demand dropped off for a DK2, sold it in ten minutes flat at a buy now price for just under what I paid, set it all up again for a final test before posting it and chose the DCS Bf 109 I’d not tried before, was absolutely blown away with the immersion, really was, was looking for excuses to keep it, but sent it on anyway.
One advantage of having to wait until June for mines that the guys who get theirs in March onwards before me will no doubt post up user experiences that normal reviews wont cover and if I feel (unlikely) its not going to be worth it I can cancel, we dont pay until it ships, cant lose really and if the worse comes to worst I know these things keep their value and I could sell at little to no loss I guess.
Fridge or anyone could someone please explain the screen-door effect? I don’t understand that phrase at all? I did have a DK2 but never used it that much but once I understand what it means I’ll probably recognise the effect?
I agree too the biggest problem after text on screen … even of this higher resolution consumer release is the keyboard barrier, after having used the DK2 I always thought a sort of flip down door at the bottom of the visor that could spring back up again maybe would have been a good idea, just for the odd glance down to orientate yourself in the real world … thank heavens for a good HOTAS though, wish there were more WW2 WW1 sims that supported Rift, its going to take some practise and time learning the A-10 controls well enough on a TM warthog using Oculus Rift, am prepared to do that though.
The screen door effect is basically there are few enough pixels in a screen that if you are close enough (I.E. strapping it two inches from your head), you can see individual pixels and the space between them. It resembles looking at something through a screen door.
Ahh, got you, thanks very much and I know why I never recognised the phrase now, in American movies you see lots of houses with mesh screen doors, not something we have here in UK really, but I understand the expression perfectly now thanks.
Yes, on my DK2 I could just see the spaces between pixels, was just about acceptable considering i knew DK2 was a penultimate release and the DK1 would have higher resolution.
I am hoping that their margins are a little better and that they want to compete for the space. If so, then the pricing may be a little more aggressive but I am not expecting it to be cheaper that the Oculus Rift.
They question is how much more expensive it will be for the content in the box.
The lens system make a difference too though. Just using the resolution as a guide isn’t the whole story, in that your field of view doesn’t have the same pixel density through-out it. The alignment and shape of the pixels also has a big impact, and that’s changed between what was essentially a phone-screen for DK2 and the custom-built screen and lens of CV1.
It’s definitely worth waiting for reviews, but if you had the resolution number you wanted then there wouldn’t be a PC on earth that could run something like DCS at the framerate you’d need not to feel sick. It’s a compromise, especially for titles not really written with VR in mind.
True, the technology just isn’t far enough developed for flight sims. Everything else is fine I guess.
Sad for me that the only thing I’d like to have it for are flight sims…
Aginor, have you tried a DK2 in flight sim for extended usage?
Cockpit environment stuff seems to be fine with resolution and other obvious problemettes aside, its the first person stuff like Alien Isolation that bought on the nausea / motion sickness for me and yes that was sitting at same chair desk machine ETC, not a flight sim.
I dont know why? but the nausea problem does not seem to happen in a cockpit environment? and that could be aircraft or fantasy space ship. perhaps because there is a point of reference to fool the brain all the time??
Rift is made for DCS it seems, yes there are limitations but “everything else”, at least on DK2 was not fine, cockpit environments really do seem to work best for some reason, just wish there were more flight sims that supported the format, not pleased with 777 studios for dumping it after saying they would support it, but very pleased ATAG are going to give it a shot for Cliffs of Dover, oh my that would be awesome
There is an FSX utility for the Rift too, never got a chance to test it on my DK2 but apparently its coming on very well.
I’m quite sure this final release will be a vast improvement over the DK2, I really cant wait to get mine now.
Adding to this, its amazing what the human brain can adjust to vision wise, I’ve heard of experiments where (willing I might add) volunteers would try on upside down goggles, you basically saw the world upside down and from left to right transposed, of course the volunteers were all over the place, but uncannily enough and not too long later, the brain adjusted and they saw the world perfectly, when the goggles were taken away the brain had to adjust again and it was life as normal.
What has this got to do with VR? well I guess it shows we can fool our brains with clever technology and I’m willing to be a flight sim Guinea Pig again, there really was no feeling like being in a cockpit than trying a well set up DK2 with a good DCS module. Its often been described that you strap on an aircraft in the Rift and that to me describes the feeling perfectly, its just one amazing sensation and hard to go back once you’ve tried it and can forgive or work around the limitations.
It’s all about rewiring the brain. The more you do it, the easier it is. The older we are, the harder it is as we get hard wired by the ruts we put ourselves in.
Interestingly as a Motorcyclist, once you gain a bit of speed you do actually tip your wheel in the opposite direction of corner you want to negotiate to get the bike leaning and then bring the wheel back to the direction you are going, its a very very subtle movement and dont even think about it while your doing it or you might crash The Brain just knows what to do and the most competitive racer riders like Valantino Rossi have it down to an art form.
I would love to try an occulus just to experience it. But the price i think will exclude me, not to mention the looks and secret photos of me wearing it appearing on facebook from the wife.
I stood in front of a 3d tv for five minutes and unfortunately the head started hurting… not sure if i have one of those weird heads that doesn’t do 3d. maybe thats the reason i land with one eye closed
Nice video Pete, a few comments regarding DCS + Rift:
1- Keypad 5 re-centers view
2- We now have DCS 1.5/2.0 working great in the CV Rift with 1.0 RC runtime. Night and day compared to DK2 with 0.8.
3- The big item we are now working on is better mouse interaction with the cockpit while in VR.
4- For Rift CV you will ideally want 90 FPS; however, we have “timewarp” working great now. So, even at less than 90 FPS, the experience is very smooth.
