Cheaper alternative to vive?

[Mr. Very Cool Guy]

I'll settle for an okay $300 VR experience but I don't know if I'd want to spend too much money on VR because I don't know if I'll like it. it's not for everyone I've heard.

[Nordomus]

Can't you test in somewhere? That would be best, and then if you really like it then you won't have any doubts. I didn't. If you have no way whatsoever to test VR then buy GearVR(if you have high end Samsung phone). Well actually even good phone with GearVR would be much cheaper than Vive. On the other hand if you will love it then Vive is the way to go and it is better to save some money and get that.

[Mr. Very Cool Guy]

Nordomus a écrit :

Can't you test in somewhere? That would be best, and then if you really like it then you won't have any doubts. I didn't. If you have no way whatsoever to test VR then buy GearVR(if you have high end Samsung phone). Well actually even good phone with GearVR would be much cheaper than Vive. On the other hand if you will love it then Vive is the way to go and it is better to save some money and get that.

I do have the latest samsung galaxy 99,999 vso maybe I'll check that out.

[Nordomus]

Great, then I think that is the best thing to buy if you want to test concept.

[VRManiac]

I'm guessing based on your grammar and currency choice that you are in US/Canada. There are lots of opportunities to try VR at retail stores, trade shows and festivals like Kaleidoscope.

Remember there are 3 'tiers' of VR:

1. Non-interactive: Watch 360 movies, either in 2D or 3D. Typically what you'd get on a phone-based experience.
   
2. Interactive, seated: Like Oculus (currently). You can play real, interactive 3D VR games while you sit in a chair and use a controller. Features head tracking just like the previous tier.
   
3. Interactive, room scale: Like the Vive, where you use an open physical space, walk around and interact with things like using your hands

There are many differing opinions on which is best, and you'll hear them all here loudly. The only way you can make an informed decision is to try all three as thoroughly as possible and decide what the experience is worth to you. It's also worth noting, that a 'tier 2' set like Oculus can function like a simple tier 1 (Gear VR), and the Vive for example can do all 3.

[Discgolf]

The OSVR HDK2 is $400, but that means no motion tracked controllers packed in, and a much less polished experiance. It should work with Steam VR software though.

[Astryx]

Wait for the Playstation VR. It's more than your $300 price point but hopefully you can save up by October. Of the 3 it's my personal favorite from a software and comfort standpoint.

I will say this- I had the Vive and just returned it as soon as I tested the rest out at E3 because the weight, all elastic straps, thick multi-cable, poor audio solution and poor visibility really made it hard to actually enjoy or be immersed in roomscale. About 15-20 minutes was all I could handle before headaches from the poor visibility and weight set in. Neither Oculus nor PSVR (even at a lower resolution) have the poor visiblity and blurring issue that the Vive has.

[shponglefan]

McBANE a écrit :

Neither Oculus nor PSVR (even at a lower resolution) have the poor visiblity and blurring issue that the Vive has.

A big part of getting decent visibility on the Vive is proper headset fitting. The Vive does have a narrower sweet spot that the other HMDs (reportedly), but with proper fitting blurring shouldn't be a significant issue. At least, it's not in my experience.

[Null]

shponglefan a écrit :

McBANE a écrit :

Neither Oculus nor PSVR (even at a lower resolution) have the poor visiblity and blurring issue that the Vive has.

A big part of getting decent visibility on the Vive is proper headset fitting. The Vive does have a narrower sweet spot that the other HMDs (reportedly), but with proper fitting blurring shouldn't be a significant issue. At least, it's not in my experience.

Not to mention Vive views better. My rift feels like I am looking through a box, reminds me of watching 3d movies at the theater, My vive feels like I am just wearing goggles in VR space.

Also, with supersampling now available, it looks better than my rift in steam "home."

[VRManiac]

McBANE a écrit :

Wait for the Playstation VR. It's more than your $300 price point but hopefully you can save up by October. Of the 3 it's my personal favorite from a software and comfort standpoint.

I will say this- I had the Vive and just returned it as soon as I tested the rest out at E3 because the weight, all elastic straps, thick multi-cable, poor audio solution and poor visibility really made it hard to actually enjoy or be immersed in roomscale. About 15-20 minutes was all I could handle before headaches from the poor visibility and weight set in. Neither Oculus nor PSVR (even at a lower resolution) have the poor visiblity and blurring issue that the Vive has.

Translation: I'm 80 and hate everything new. I will make sure you hate it too!

Also, I doubt this guy actually owned it. If he did, he sounds like a 6' tall waking talking ♥♥♥♥♥. The workout would have done him good.

[Mr. Very Cool Guy]

Null a écrit :

shponglefan a écrit :

A big part of getting decent visibility on the Vive is proper headset fitting. The Vive does have a narrower sweet spot that the other HMDs (reportedly), but with proper fitting blurring shouldn't be a significant issue. At least, it's not in my experience.

Not to mention Vive views better. My rift feels like I am looking through a box, reminds me of watching 3d movies at the theater, My vive feels like I am just wearing goggles in VR space.

Also, with supersampling now available, it looks better than my rift in steam "home."

Could be just a problem with his PC or something :/

[Null]

Flowey the Flower a écrit :

Null a écrit :

Not to mention Vive views better. My rift feels like I am looking through a box, reminds me of watching 3d movies at the theater, My vive feels like I am just wearing goggles in VR space.

Also, with supersampling now available, it looks better than my rift in steam "home."

Could be just a problem with his PC or something :/

Just sounds like he didn't take the time to adjust it and wear it properly. My 11 year old neice can play in the thing for hours with no complaints about heaviness. Everyone I put in it complain about blurriness until I tell them to adjust it until they find the "sweet spot" and then it's a wrap. Rift does have a bigger sweet spot but the trade off is the lower FOV, as I said, it feels as if you're looking through a box/window at the game where as my vive feels like I am just wearing goggles, in the game.

The cable thing is the only thing I can take seriously but you can attach it to yourself with a clip or hang it over head and it solves that issue as well.

The straps are replaceable so I am sure if you need to complai about it, you'll be able to replace them with something better in the future.

[VRManiac]

Null a écrit :

Rift does have a bigger sweet spot but the trade off is the lower FOV, as I said, it feels as if you're looking through a box/window at the game where as my vive feels like I am just wearing goggles, in the game.

Similar remarks from most people who have used both extensively. Oculus has made some great design decisions, but I just can't get over the FOV.

[shponglefan]

Null a écrit :

Just sounds like he didn't take the time to adjust it and wear it properly.

Proper fit is one of the biggest keys to getting enjoyment out of the Vive. I didn't fully appreciate this until I spent time adjusting it for a couple friends, then had some challenge in getting it back to my own comfortable fit. Even the straps being off here and there made a noticeable impact.

Once properly adjusted weight of HMD is definitely no issue, nor is movement or slippage during use (even action gaming).

Now granted this probably isn't going to be the case for everyone as everyone's head/face shape is different. For some people, they might be an outlier as to what is possible with the Vive's strap configuration. But that's going to be the case for any HMD I imagine. At least until we get more customized fitting options.

[Cygon]

+1 for Razer's OSVR, at $399
Same resolution and refresh rate as the Vive for $399. No room-scale VR, no controllers.

Used Rift DK2 on eBay for $300
Fully supported by Oculus 1.0 drivers, slightly lower resolution and refresh rate than Vive, but still a rock-solid product (and will likely survive all of the Vives out there since no moving parts).

Fove and StarVR are preparing to launch, but I expect them to be expensive and crazy expensive (first one has eye tracking, second one has 5K resolution).

[Lecuistot]

You have money : buy Vive
You have S7 : Buy 100$ item to have a bit of fun
You are poor ? Start to save money and buy brand new PC + top VR technology in 2019-2020

About 5k Resolution : LOL even a gtx 1080 cannot handle 4K normal screen with full details