Rift, Vive, and Virtual Reality

[Kaotik]

I just got to test Varjo's prototype VR-glasses, the ones with the separate high resolution display in the center of each display. Screendoor is completely eliminated in the sharp vision part, but the area is far too small at least at this time. Sadly they've apparently given up on getting the sharp display to follow gaze

 

[Tkumpathenurple]

They've given up on making it functional?

 

[Kaotik]

They've given up on making it functional?

That's what I heard, but this is 2nd hand info since the guy doesn't actually work for Varjo, they just use Varjo's glasses too. The sharp portion still earns it's place in the glasses though, even if it wouldn't be good for gaming, it's great for many other applications from engineering to medial field and whatnot

 

[swordfissh]

I've worn VR glasses (should I call them this way?) once only. I was able to test an episode from a new game in the museum. I was acting as a detective and looked for some clues in the room. That was cool, but I always hurt people standing nearby.
I'd like to buy equipment for playing VR games once, but horror games are not the appropriate content for that, they are too scary to be felt like reality.

 

[Tkumpathenurple]

but I always hurt people standing nearby

Just for fun?

 

[Kaotik]

That was cool, but I always hurt people standing nearby.

Like this?

Spoiler

Her hubby was playing Skyrim VR, chopping the skull of a skeleton in half in-game, her in real life (it was just a small cut, not cracked skull really, head area just tends to bleed like there's no tomorrow)

 

[wco81]

TEaser for Hololens 2, which should be unveiled later this month:

The planned 2019 release of the next-generation headset was leaked last year. Codenamed Sydney, the new model is expected to be lighter, more comfortable, and sport a better display. The sensors are updated (likely to something close to the Project Kinect for Azure standalone sensor), and Microsoft has confirmed that it will include an updated Holographic Processing Unit (HPU) with AI acceleration capabilities. The processor is believed to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850, replacing the Intel Atom of the first-generation unit.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...ext-gen-hololens-ahead-of-february-24-reveal/


But nothing about price so this could yet be more of a vertical market thing rather than a consumer product.


Meanwhile, Google Maps AR appears to be in testing now, coming real soon, not requiring any HMD:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...gle-maps-is-coming-starts-testing-in-private/


Will fancy HMD products like Hololens or Oculus Rift be upstaged by modest AR implementations like Google Maps?

As was the case with Pokemon Go?

 

[eastmen]

AR on lcd screens have existed for a long time so I doubt it will upstage anything. The benefit of HoloLens and other AR headsets is that you don't have to hold up a device that blocks your view. The Augmentation is implemented into your field of view. Using HoloLens is a really amazing experience even with its current limitations.

 

[wco81]

AR on lcd screens have existed for a long time so I doubt it will upstage anything. The benefit of HoloLens and other AR headsets is that you don't have to hold up a device that blocks your view. The Augmentation is implemented into your field of view. Using HoloLens is a really amazing experience even with its current limitations.

The benefit of AR on LCD screens is that you don't have to buy a separate piece of gear, maintain it, charge it and take it with you to even have a chance to use.

 

[eastmen]

The benefit of AR on LCD screens is that you don't have to buy a separate piece of gear, maintain it, charge it and take it with you to even have a chance to use.

Why would you need an lcd screen when you have an AR headset ?

 

[Arwin]

What the heck ... the main benefit of Hololens surely is that it projects in 3D space of your own vision. That is not even close to comparable with AR on a regular phone screen.

 

[AzBat]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1099491061913636865

Should be getting the official details any minute.

Tommy McClain

 

[eloic]

 

[SlmDnk]

Rift 2 about one year from now?

https://www.oculus.com/blog/inside-facebook-reality-labs-a-new-blog-series-from-oculus-and-facebook/

Facebook Reality Labs is kicking off a yearlong series of blog posts that will take you inside our labs and show you how we’re building the future.

- - -

Here's the mentioned first installment of 'Inside Facebook Reality Labs' blog series: https://tech.fb.com/codec-avatars-facebook-reality-labs/

 

[eastmen]

Rift 2 about one year from now?

https://www.oculus.com/blog/inside-facebook-reality-labs-a-new-blog-series-from-oculus-and-facebook/


- - -

Here's the mentioned first installment of 'Inside Facebook Reality Labs' blog series: https://tech.fb.com/codec-avatars-facebook-reality-labs/

A year two late but would fit with them announcing at OC and releasing the following spring. They did it for the go and quest.

 

[manux]

Speculation based on current shortage on rift is that rift s launch might be close. Apparently oculus/facebook cancelled the more ambitious designs and real generational leap for rift might be quite a long wait still.

 

[SlmDnk]

Interesting Reddit thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/b1dd3d

 

[cheapchips]

Well it would be nice to tie the 'Rift S' to the Quest release, if it's a plug in version of essentially the same hardware. To my mind at least, but then I'm not a sales person.

 

[manux]

Well it would be nice to tie the 'Rift S' to the Quest release, if it's a plug in version of essentially the same hardware. To my mind at least, but then I'm not a sales person.

That's what I'm expecting as well. Probably done also to push price down by sourcing more of the same. Reuse displays&other "expensive" components. Quest should be high volume product if things go well for facebook/oculus.

I'm ready for next gen vr, but if that doesn't happen I think I will "have to" update to something with a lot better display. Rift is really starting to show it's age. I'm ready for less screen dooring, higher resolution and so on. For a while I was considering pimax but I feel uneasy about support as that is small company and I would prefer to have something more mainstream.

 

[manux]

I guess the time is near

An email sent to some Oculus developers by Facebook suggests ‘Rift S’ will be formally revealed at GDC 2019.

UploadVR confirmed with multiple developers the email mentions ‘Rift S’ alongside ‘Oculus Go’ and ‘Oculus Quest’. This suggests we should expect a formal announcement in the near future of the PC-based VR headset succeeding Oculus Rift.

The report revealed the headset would be an iterative update, increasing resolution and changing to the same inside-out tracking system as the upcoming Oculus Quest VR console.

https://uploadvr.com/oculus-email-rift-s/

Something doesn't add up in my mind. If rift s is essentially same as quest why not just allow using quest with pc instead of doing quest and rift s? Perhaps rift s delegates tracking computation to pc, this would make rift s quite a bit cheaper and simpler to manufacture than quest. It would be wild if quest turned out to be more expensive than rift s. On the other hand real cheap and ok. quality rift s might be just what pc market needs. Especially so if there is no external tracking sensors needed making setup simpler and more palatable to people who don't like to have wires and sensors in their living room.

Rift is 349$(2 controllers, 2 sensors included) at the moment and quest I believe is going to be 399$(includes 2 controllers). Will be interesting to see at which price point rift s lands.