Steam VR as a monitor?

[Vlad_The_Inhaler]

Sp Just wandering will I be able to use a VR headset as a monitor for my pc? Or does anyone know if the steam VR will only activate when you start a game?

[Black Blade]

Yes, right now its used as a Second Monitor as much as i am aware (for the Vive. the Rift has direct show)
So its very likely that someone will set a program that will set it as a screen, maybe even as a desktop VR (if they will not i will)

[jashan]

There already are VR desktop applications (like Virtual Desktop[www.vrdesktop.net]) that you could use. But I don't think you can actually work to well with current gen VR headsets due to the comparatively low resolution which makes it quite annoying to work with larger amounts of text.

Extended Mode does make the operating system register the headset as a second monitor. But that's actually a rather nasty thing because it results in the mouse cursor - or worse: some Windows - to be opened on the headset. When that happens, it's always a bit of a challenge to move it back because part of the screen is on your left eye, another part of the screen on your right eye and it's all heavily distorted due to the lenses. So it's not easy to hit the right spot in the Window with the mouse cursor to move it back to where it belongs. And it's always super-annoying when a Window opens in the headset because at first, it looks like it simply didn't show up at all.

I believe Oculus is dropping Extended Mode and only has Direct Mode in the current versions and it's quite likely that Valve will also drop that for the HTC Vive. A headset really isn't a monitor, it's a different kind of output device. But with an application like VR Desktop and higher resolution HMDs, you might eventually do well without a monitor.

[Vlad_The_Inhaler]

oh cool, is 3d a requirement that the vr headsets will use? What about for people that wear eye glasses?

[Black Blade]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von jashan:

There already are VR desktop applications (like http://www.vrdesktop.net) that you could use. But I don't think you can actually work to well with current gen VR headsets due to the comparatively low resolution which makes it quite annoying to work with larger amounts of text.

Extended Mode does make the operating system register the headset as a second monitor. But that's actually a rather nasty thing because it results in the mouse cursor - or worse: some Windows - to be opened on the headset. When that happens, it's always a bit of a challenge to move it back because part of the screen is on your left eye, another part of the screen on your right eye and it's all heavily distorted due to the lenses. So it's not easy to hit the right spot in the Window with the mouse cursor to move it back to where it belongs. And it's always super-annoying when a Window opens in the headset because at first, it looks like it simply didn't show up at all.

I believe Oculus is dropping Extended Mode and only has Direct Mode in the current versions and it's quite likely that Valve will also drop that for the HTC Vive. A headset really isn't a monitor, it's a different kind of output device. But with an application like VR Desktop and higher resolution HMDs, you might eventually do well without a monitor.

(You may want to give a space after the link so the ")" dose not break it)

I think over all if someone is to use it as a screen, its better to be more like an emulator, so you can have like how many screens you want show, not to use it in point blank as vrdesktop
Can make a full workspace with 6 screens with only spending on one kit

[Black Blade]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Mr. Jeff:

oh cool, is 3d a requirement that the vr headsets will use? What about for people that wear eye glasses?

Some glass frames can fit into the VR Headset, some do not
Abut the 3D.. not sure i got you there (@jashan may)

[jashan]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Black Blade (Card idling):

(You may want to give a space after the link so the ")" dose not break it)

Ah, thanks, I used to do this always even though it looks a little odd - but most forum softwares handle that correctly. Made it a "nice link" now (using [ url = ... ]Text[ / url ] ... without the spaces ;-) ).

About the 3D ... I'm not following that myself ;-) ... VR headsets usually render stereo because that's kind of the whole point of it (well, one part - the other is large FOV and head tracking, of course). I know some people who have impaired stereo vision so for them, the experience is kind of flat - just like in real life ... it's harder for them in VR than for people that can see "stereo", kind of like color-blindness. So it's a good idea to have people like that playtest your experiences to make sure they also work for that demographic. But I don't know if that's what you meant ;-)

Maybe ... well, yeah, you definitely need to distort the image rendered to the HMD so that it will look "normal" when viewed through the HMD (one area left eye, one area right eye, and pretty intense lenses). But still just guessing what was talked about ;-)

[nasKo]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Mr. Jeff:

oh cool, is 3d a requirement that the vr headsets will use? What about for people that wear eye glasses?

If with "3d being a requirement" you mean that the 3D effect is a must to enjoy the headset, then no. If you can't see 3D in real life, having he HMD on will not make a difference. The main aspect of it all is the head tracking, not the 3D. :)

"What about people that wear glasses?"
I can't see 3D and wear glasses and it didn't push against my head or anything. I have fairly narrow glasses (like this: http://s.stpost.com/eccstorefront/product_images/77822/f_77822_1.jpg) and when I removed the Vive from my head, they stuck inside perfectly.
A friend who wears bigger glasses (those hipster things for a lack of a better word) mentioned it was pushing against his head a bit but wasn't too bad.

[Vlad_The_Inhaler]

Oh Ok yeah i cant seee 3d either and i wear glasses so that's what I was wondering. What about the right eye being a lazy eye and the eye not being center like crossed eyed?

[nasKo]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Mr. Jeff:

Oh Ok yeah i cant seee 3d either and i wear glasses so that's what I was wondering. What about the right eye being a lazy eye and the eye not being center like crossed eyed?

Unless they have double vision (seeing everything twice), people like us have one dominant eye and one that's "suppressed" and only giving peripheral vision, since that's what the brain tends to do for us.
Using a VR headset will not make a difference to you and me. You will continue to see with your dominant eye and the effect will be the same.
It's basically like looking through binoculars doesn't make a difference since you look through it with your dominant eye.
You and me are able to enjoy VR just lile the rest (just without the 3D) :)

[Vlad_The_Inhaler]

ah i see