I have now tried Virtual Reality and it is amazing

[pbj]

All the PSVR shovelware is on sale right now... feed from the trough.

 
 

[Titchgamer]

Might have a looksy cheers pbj.

[RandyT]

I finally found some time to try out the VR mode on Dirt Rally with my racing rig.  I don't think I'll look at other racing games the same again.  When combined with excellent FFB effects and graphics (which this title delivers), the VR adds an amazingly realistic element to racing.  For the first time, I could actually see and feel the contours of the road surface, and the feeling of actually being inside the car and having a physical presence on a track or dirt road somewhere else in the world, is nothing short of utterly convincing.  Only a motion platform added to this mix could make it any better, but I found that my brain started filling in even this missing aspect.

I'm starting to find that good VR experiences are easy to identify, and I can only describe it as a feeling one might have if teleportation were a reality.  Good ones deliver a feeling of disorientation from being somewhere a world away just moments before finding yourself back in your more familiar, and probably much more mundane surroundings.  It can be a little unsettling at times, and takes a few minutes to recover from after longer sessions.  But it's definitely a unique sensation to VR, unless you count anesthetics.    

[Titchgamer]

Might have to check that out sometime Randy.

I have not played any raceing games in VR yet, But I do need to get a wheel and pedals first lol

[RandyT]

I have not played any raceing games in VR yet, But I do need to get a wheel and pedals first lol

It's kind of "neat" with a controller, but it's definitely not comparable to the full setup.  The VR aspect is only half of the equation when it comes to racing games, as the physical cockpit goes quite a way on it's own, with regard to immersion levels.

If other racing titles start using Dirt Rally as a benchmark for VR implementation, there are some cool times ahead for that genre!

[Titchgamer]

I have not played any raceing games in VR yet, But I do need to get a wheel and pedals first lol

It's kind of "neat" with a controller, but it's definitely not comparable to the full setup.  The VR aspect is only half of the equation when it comes to to racing games, as the physical cockpit goes quite a way on it's own, with regard to immersion levels.

If other racing titles start using Dirt Rally as a benchmark for VR implementation, there are some cool times ahead for that genre!

Out of interest what wheel setup do you use with your PS4?

I need some inspiration LOL

If it works with PCto that would be a bonus

[RandyT]

Out of interest what wheel setup do you use with your PS4?

I need some inspiration LOL

If it works with PCto that would be a bonus

It's a Thrustmaster T500RS.  It lacks the PS button functionality on the PS4, but because Thrustmaster is "officially supported" by Sony, all of the PS4 racing games seem to work great with it.  It can also be had at a lower cost than the current gen wheels, and many prefer the T500RS over those offerings.  It also comes with some very nice metal pedals. It works with PS3, PS4 and PC.

The racing frame I use is the RaceRoom RR3055.  I'm very happy with it for the price.  I wanted portability (so I could wheel it out in front of my projection screen), so the whole thing is mounted to a custom platform with large locking casters and ground lighting effects 

[Titchgamer]

Cheers Randy,

Might have to buy one based on just the name

[pbj]

No pic = no racing rig

[fallacy]

Lack or racing and really any good cock pit games is a bit surprising, maybe it is the time of motion controllers or nothing now. I really wanted a good Mec game. They had this Demo for the DK2 called Vox Machine which was exactly what I wanted for a Mec game, Mec felt like it had weight movement was good, firing lasers and missiles felt good and than they just went def mute on the game.

[RayB]

I have not played any raceing games in VR yet, But I do need to get a wheel and pedals first lol

It's kind of "neat" with a controller, but it's definitely not comparable to the full setup.  The VR aspect is only half of the equation when it comes to racing games, as the physical cockpit goes quite a way on it's own, with regard to immersion levels.

If other racing titles start using Dirt Rally as a benchmark for VR implementation, there are some cool times ahead for that genre!

Here you go:

[Titchgamer]

LOL very cute :p

[RandyT]

No pic = no racing rig

Just for you, pbj

[Samson]

  Only a motion platform added to this mix could make it any better,

So, when does the fabricobbling start ?

 

[mimic]

Oculus Rift Summer Sale 6 weeks deal for "ONLY" $399!! I think the price says it all. There was never a better time to buy fully realized VR gear!

[fallacy]

I was going to say Oculus and touch for $399 I am almost thinking of buying a second one, oculus has gotten really good over the slow start of the year, I am using it pretty much full time over the Vive at this point.

https://www.oculus.com/blog/rift-touch-399-for-a-limited-time-summer-of-rifts-best-deal-yet/

[mimic]

I have pretty much stopped playing 2.5D games! Was just playing Arizona Sunshine The Horde mode. There is nothing more freaky than zombies rushing at me!
Just AWESOME!

[fallacy]

Was not really able to get into that one, but Drop Dead on the other hand really works for me using the oculus controllers, it really is the best of arcade shooters 2.0

[Titchgamer]

If i still had a gaming pc I would buy one at that price!

[fallacy]

watching some videos on Vives new motion controller that aparently they have been giving out to developers, so many things to buy so little time... 

! No longer available

[mimic]

I was going to say Oculus and touch for $399 I am almost thinking of buying a second one, oculus has gotten really good over the slow start of the year, I am using it pretty much full time over the Vive at this point.

https://www.oculus.com/blog/rift-touch-399-for-a-limited-time-summer-of-rifts-best-deal-yet/

So you've got both Headsets? Which one honestly you think is better and why? Considering tracking, controllers, visuals etc. I purchased Rift because that's all I was able to preview prior to purchase (They had it at BestBuy) plus it was JUST "discounted" (to $599)  plus I hated the doughnut look of the Vive controllers.   

[fallacy]

They both air quotes launched at the same time but vive was leaps ahead of oculus right out the door; oculus did not even get motion controllers until a year later. Once oculus got there motion controllers which did feel better than the vive they still had a lot or tracking problems which lasted for another 3 to 4 months where Vive again was perfect on tracking right at launch. Now that you can pretty much play any game on both headsets if you want, the tracking on oculus is %85 fixed, Oculus motion controllers feel way better than the Vive and the thumb stick is way better than that worthless trackpad, the Oculus headset is way more conferrable and lighter and a lot of other small convinces for oculus like you don’t have to power on your motion controls  you just pick them up and they are ready to go and when you put on your headset oculus home just comes up and goes away when you take it off instead of having to load steam VR and wait for everything to power on. Right at this moment Oculus is better

It looks like they will be playing leap frog because once I get the new head strap from vive which will hopefully make the headset not so top-heavy and that more functional motion controller and a few other innovations they are working on I might be going back to vive as the best experience.

[shponglefan]

the Oculus headset is way more conferrable and lighter

Reportedly the more recently manufactured Vives are 15% lighter, bringing them on par with the Rift for weight.

As for comfort, the one thing I've heard is the Rift doesn't play well with glasses.  It's the one thing that has kept me from buying one, especially having used the Vive and realizing I didn't have to compromise with my glasses to be in VR.

It looks like they will be playing leap frog because once I get the new head strap from vive which will hopefully make the headset not so top-heavy and that more functional motion controller and a few other innovations they are working on I might be going back to vive as the best experience.

IMHO, the next headset that looks like it could take the crown might be LG's.  Higher resolution than either the Rift/Vive, much better headset design, and likely could have the next version of Valve's lighthouse tracking.  I'm really hoping LG brings it to fruition and am eyeing it as my Vive replacement.

[pbj]

Amazon's throwing in a $100 gift card.  If I had the PC to run this, I'd bite...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071L1G57S/

[ChadTower]

No actual offers with that bundle, though. 

[pbj]

I can confirm that this "rumor" has derailed a research study....

https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/26/apple-acquires-smi-eye-tracking-company/

 

Be interesting to see what Apple does with it.

[Titchgamer]

Intresting...

[Howard_Casto]

I can confirm that this "rumor" has derailed a research study....

https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/26/apple-acquires-smi-eye-tracking-company/

 

Be interesting to see what Apple does with it.

House it in shiny white plastic, mark up the price to five times the norm and call it a day?

[pbj]

That would be in the ballpark of a quarter mil.   

[Howard_Casto]

So their budget line then. 

[fallacy]

I don’t think you people grasp how cool that Vive Knuckles Controller is though. Even 30 years ago it was always about getting your hands in VR with motion gloves… well motion gloves just are not going to work as a universal controller, what if you want to pull a trigger to fire a weapon, what if you want to pick up an item and fell like you are holding something, what if you need buttons for menus and tons of other functionality. These knuckle controllers are going to now give you both, a controller that you don’t actually hold onto because it is strapped on your hand and it is able to map out each individual finger like a glove but still gives you the joystick for all your functionality; that is true VR innovation right there.

[pbj]

Well, got a hands on demo with a bleeding edge eye tracker.  You walk around and it records your field of vision and then what you're actually looking at.  Beams it wirelessly to a laptop in near realtime where it can be endlessly analyzed.  The footage was something out of a dystopian scifi movie.  The VR application is that they lower the resolution of areas you aren't actively looking at.  You dirty peasants will probably get to touch something at the consumer level in 10 years.



 

[ark_ader]

Well, got a hands on demo with a bleeding edge eye tracker.  You walk around and it records your field of vision and then what you're actually looking at.  Beams it wirelessly to a laptop in near realtime where it can be endlessly analyzed.  The footage was something out of a dystopian scifi movie.  The VR application is that they lower the resolution of areas you aren't actively looking at.  You dirty peasants will probably get to touch something at the consumer level in 10 years.



 

I have been working with Tobii eye tracking hardware for a couple of years now, coupled with two Kinect 360 for head tracking, it is a great tool for software manipulation research and efficiency.  My current research for my doctorate is to go one step further than VR (which in its current form is helping) and be able to manipulate interfaces without physical interaction.  IF you are interested in this field, a good paper to start is: http://www.geo.uzh.ch/~sara/pubs/coltekin_cagis08.pdf

Yet there is a race on to enable VR without the hardware.  Our current hardware is not up to the task, as it is too slow.  We need to have speeds as a fast as our cognitive prefetch which is Optical Computing.  It is fascinating reading. 

http://www.princeton.edu/~bshastri/files/Tait_Springer_Chapter_2014.pdf

[05SRT4]

 

Well, got a hands on demo with a bleeding edge eye tracker.  You walk around and it records your field of vision and then what you're actually looking at.  Beams it wirelessly to a laptop in near realtime where it can be endlessly analyzed.  The footage was something out of a dystopian scifi movie.  The VR application is that they lower the resolution of areas you aren't actively looking at.  You dirty peasants will probably get to touch something at the consumer level in 10 years.



 

[pbj]

I have been working with Tobii eye tracking hardware for a couple of years now, coupled with two Kinect 360 for head tracking, it is a great tool for software manipulation research and efficiency.

SMI was our first choice, but Apple.  Our applications would be entirely different.  We'll just have to wait and see what company is willing to negotiate.

[RandyT]

The VR application is that they lower the resolution of areas you aren't actively looking at.  You dirty peasants will probably get to touch something at the consumer level in 10 years.

Did you get to demo that feature?  The foveated rendering looks like a leap forward in reducing hardware requirements, but I'm wondering about the possible negative effects.  I.e. lag in full rendering of objects as a result of quick eye movements. 

BTW, I doubt that it will be very long before this gets incorporated, if it works well.  It's kind of a necessity to do something like this to make mobile VR truly viable.  Of course, technology costs and patents might still get in the way of widespread adoption.

[pbj]

Nah, no interest in VR for our purposes.  Our demo was measuring the precision of the eye tracking against the established measurement systems.

Previously, I did some work with a quadriplegic scientist that used Second Life as a communications platform with disabled people but she doesn't have the funding to venture into this world.  (be thankful for your health, folks)

I just push paper, so I was mostly there to molest a $30,000 pair of sunglasses.

 

[ark_ader]

Our demo was measuring the precision of the eye tracking against the established measurement systems.

Biggest problem is the bandwidth from the receiver to the PC.  I started using the EyeTribe Tracker Pro, but the results were always mixed.  Luckily the Tobii uses a different algorithm and I got better results.  I tried to get a development unit from SMI, but I guess it is more who you know...  Lots of these companies will lend you the equipment for evaluation but have a sneaky discovery clause on your research.  Early days yet, but I think SMI future will see some bumpy roads ahead.

[Titchgamer]

Just thought ide leave this here

Hope I get to play this one day!!

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/amp.timeinc.net/thedrive/watch-this/12492/new-virtual-reality-mario-kart-trailer-looks-like-a-crazy-good-time%3Fsource%3Ddam

[fallacy]

Just thought ide leave this here

Hope I get to play this one day!!

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/amp.timeinc.net/thedrive/watch-this/12492/new-virtual-reality-mario-kart-trailer-looks-like-a-crazy-good-time%3Fsource%3Ddam

Are we now pretending that VR motion like that is not going to get you sick. I now get brain strain just thinking about playing something like that in VR.