VR Arcade

[EssexMame]

I'm interested in learning about, and using, some of the VR systems. Information on the web is a lot sparser than I was expecting. Does anyone have a bit more information on the systems and/or decent resources and articles to find out a bit more? I'm based in UK but obviously information from US is likely to be as relevant.

Are there many VR "Arcades" in the US and UK, especially south UK? Anyone used them? Are they a good experience? I figure an arcade would offset the high cost at present for a system at home. Much like when arcade machines were more powerful than home systems. Certainly, it would be a way to experience what it has to offer before a large outlay.

What are the pros and cons of each system? HTC Vive, Rift, Samsung, Google cardboard? It seems they are ranked much like their price as you'd expect but is Rift, say, as good or near enough to Vive? Rift is headset only, no walking, but is that not an advantage in some ways?

Any information greatly appreciated!

[Scassidy24]

I have a vive, I had ordered a rift but cancelled when the vive arrived.  I've seen plenty of reviews and if you YouTube for it you can find comparison videos by owners of both.  Personally I love the vive and have no regrets. Steem integration makes thing easy too.  You need the highest performance for anything VR with regard to PC specs. My friend has ps4vr he believes it doesn't stack up to the immersion on a PC based VR system.  I'm in Ontario Canada and I've never heard of a VR arcade.  Nor would I want to use one because those headsets can get steamy and the foam that rests on your face could/does get saturated in sweat with extended play of some games.   Room scale is awesome and definitely worth the extra coin . A lot of VR games are compatible with both th vive and the rift so the sit-down experience is there with the vive too.   Ultimately you won't use the VR headset as often as you think. But you won't regret buying one either.   You'll probably only make the purchase once so you might as well get the best for the extra money.  Nobody ever regrets having got the best for more money.  That is the Vive.  And make sure you have one of the most powerful video cards you can buy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Scassidy24]

The cardboard and Samsung VR are not for gaming, even if they think they are.  They are nice toys for smartphone users. I'm not even sure that google cardboard takes itself seriously it is literally a cardboard cutout for that you can put your phone in isn't it?  thought it was supposed to be a prank by google poking fun at the VR scene

[05SRT4]

I've been using the Vive for about 6 Months now and as mentioned above also I have no regrets. Room scale is a must for VR, I dont know why you would want to be in a Virtual world while sitting at your desk. Tons of content through Steam and a lot of Oculus games are now working on the Vive.

I thought I saw something about the price of the Vive coming down this year so maybe look into that.

The biggest issue with the Vive is the PC specs you need. I went for the Mid High build i7 with a GTX1070 and although I am able to run everything there are still a hand full of games I need to lower the resolution just to get it to run correctly. A friend of mine went with a GTX1060 Gaming laptop and has had nothing but problems.

Google cardboard is so cheap that you could pick one up just to try it out.

Please dont get a PlayStation VR set, its complete trash.

[Automark]

I wouldnt bother with VR until there a few decent games.
The games that are out there dont justify -at least for me- the amount of money you have to pay for a decent setup.

[EssexMame]

Thanks for your responses, all of them very interesting. I'd sensed the Vive was the way to go and it seems that is the case. Rift is cheaper but not a massive amount, certainly not enough to lose on the added benefits of Vive.

If anyone would be kind enough to complete this questionnaire on VR, please do (for those in the US it has some UK based questions but $/£ are much the same now anyway!) I'm researching VR at the moment not just for a home system but for a potential business idea and what better gaming group than everyone here. It is just 10 short questions and I'll be sure to share what the masses say on VR if anyone is interested. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6MLYT8S

I've ordered a Cardboard - thought I'd try some of the phone based demos/experiences to get a better feel of VR. I suffer travel sickness and I'm wondering if VR will have the same impact first person games, bus journeys and 360 degree cinemas have had on me in the past. It'd be a big no for many wouldn't it if that is the case.

I think lack of games is a bug bear for some but like all systems/consoles it just needs the one killer game and that sells the system, doesn't it? Perhaps Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will be the one, for instance. Who knows.. The Halo of the XBox, the Mario of the SNES etc.... I bought a PS2 solely for Gran Turismo 3. That said, it wasn't a £1000 PC (mine is ok for MAME and that's it) and £700 headset kinda outlay!!!