VR (Virtual Reality): Who does it?

[Jack Schitt]

Is there really a lot of people that primarily use VR?
For me personally I'm not a fan. I've given it a try on a friends set (he never uses) and it makes me dizzy, messes with my head and eyes so I can't do it, don't do it, won't do it.

Valve just announced Half-Life: Alyx is available for pre-purchase. And it's VR only.
Does VR really have that much of a user base? I truly never see anyone and don't know of anyone that has a VR set that uses it. The folks I know that have one never use it.
I'm wondering what valve is thinking launching another half-life sequel only releasing it for VR when there seems to be a much bigger audience to sell it to that will surely buy it that doesn't have or use VR.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

i rarely play any 2d/flat games now.

Had my sets since the CV1 was in pre order.

Cant go back now. ymmv :)

[Jack Schitt]

FREE HK -OrLoK- eredeti hozzászólása:

i rarely play any 2d/flat games now.

Had my sets since the CV1 was in pre order.

Cant go back now. ymmv :)

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not going to bother translating what you abbreviated means. I guess since you rarely play "2d/flat" games that means you use VR most of the time so we'll count your input as 1 person that uses VR.
Thanks...

Stern Warrior eredeti hozzászólása:

There are people who prefer VR over standard gaming, however, the majority of gamers don't have VR at all or use it only a little from time to time.

That's what I'm seeing of the few people I know that have VR devices. They rarely to never use it. Most people I know don't have VR because they can't afford or refuse to spend nearly $2k on all the stuff it seems VR requires to get the full effect of it.

Waiting for more replies. I'd sure like to play the newest HL sequel...but I'm not spending nearly $60 on a game that I have to spend another nearly $2k for equipment to play. Screw that...

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Jack Schitt eredeti hozzászólása:

I'm wondering what valve is thinking launching another half-life sequel only releasing it for VR when there seems to be a much bigger audience to sell it to that will surely buy it that doesn't have or use VR.

They told us a HL like game was going to be one of the 3 VR titles they were going to release in a few news articles a few years ago.

[wuddih]

this is public data Valve itself publishes.

https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey
<1% of Steam users even have any VR headset.

it does not matter how many people use VR atm.
it does not matter how financially successful this is.

the main goal of this game is to sell the hardware.

[Tev]

Considering I already work two jobs, I'm probably going to get a Valve Index next spring. So, as far as as I'm concerned: job done Valve.

[Nirnias]

Got VR headset as a gift about 5 or 6 months ago, when i first got it i enjoyed using it, some games made me feel quite ill which put me off using it, (e.g Gore and Megathon Rainfall), was told you gotta like use it and "get used to it" and the ill feeling goes away, but i'v not actually put it on in 2 or 3 months now. When i heard about HL: Alyx was quite disappointed as i cant see myself playing an FPS type game in VR for very long.

[Jack Schitt]

wuddih eredeti hozzászólása:

this is public data Valve itself publishes.

https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey
<1% of Steam users even have any VR headset.

it does not matter how many people use VR atm.
it does not matter how financially successful this is.

the main goal of this game is to sell the hardware.

Interesting info! I've seen that before, too, but haven't looked at it for a while. It hasn't changed much since I did = hardly anyone even has one, as you shared.

Alyx isn't going to make people buy VR. VR gear is too expensive, especially for the amount it's actually used. The technology has been around for quite a while now. It hasn't really gained any popularity so it's probably not going to.

Nirnias eredeti hozzászólása:

Got VR headset as a gift about 5 or 6 months ago, when i first got it i enjoyed using it, some games made me feel quite ill which put me off using it, (e.g Gore and Megathon Rainfall), was told you gotta like use it and "get used to it" and the ill feeling goes away, but i'v not actually put it on in 2 or 3 months now. When i heard about HL: Alyx was quite disappointed as i cant see myself playing an FPS type game in VR for very long.

It does that to a lot of people, so I've heard. It's a shame such a cool thing isn't able to be enjoyed by more people.

Teutep eredeti hozzászólása:

Considering I already work two jobs, I'm probably going to get a Valve Index next spring. So, as far as as I'm concerned: job done Valve.

Good luck with that. I suggest trying it before you spend all that money buying it. I thought I'd really like it but I don't. I won't ever put one of those things on ever again.

I wish they'd make games produced for VR compatible for playing them without it. Especially Alyx...I'd love to play it! But I refuse to do VR. So I'm bummed I won't get to play the new HL release.

[jfoytek]

I have no interest in it at all and see it as a black hole of resources being taken away from good pc gaming just like consoles are a black hole for pc gaming!

[Dynamonic]

I got a HTC Vive when that first launched, loved it initially and thought it was fantastic and had great potential, but I found myself going back to the normal 2D games on my monitor for the 'proper' story-driven games. I've not played in VR in months.

But...

Half-Life: Alyx is undoubtedly the VR game (and Half-Life game) I have been waiting for, and there are other recent and forthcoming great additions to the VR game library too! For that reason, I will be getting an Index within the next week.
I have full confidence that Valve will give VR the breakthrough it needs to propel it into the mainstream!

[SpunkyJones]

I play VR on/off, depends on my mood. I find it fun, but see it as a compliment to main normal gaming. Can’t wait for Alyx though.

[mohit9206]

i think Valve will launch Alyx as VR only game but shortly after it will be made available to non VR users as well. From a business perpective it makes sense.Make the hardcore VR and Half Life fans buy initially and then make it available later to rest so profit can be maximised and almost everyone is happy.

[Dynamonic]

mohit9206 eredeti hozzászólása:

i think Valve will launch Alyx as VR only game but shortly after it will be made available to non VR users as well. From a business perpective it makes sense.Make the hardcore VR and Half Life fans buy initially and then make it available later to rest so profit can be maximised and almost everyone is happy.

Valve have already stated that whilst they wish they could have made a non-VR version, the game would need to be drastically changed to allow that to happen, and it would be vastly reduced in quality as a result for both VR and non-VR gamers.

[Ussul w+m1]

I love the controllers. Can i use it with big monitor?
bc I am afraid that VR would make me dizzy.

[The Maddog]

Jack Schitt eredeti hozzászólása:

Alyx isn't going to make people buy VR.

Half life wasn't going to make people buy dedicated GPUs ... but it did.

Half Life 2 wasn't going to make people upgrade their PC's to much more powerful hardware...but it did.

Half Life: Alyx may or may not sell VR headsets...but it wont hurt the ecosystem either.

Never ever assume something will fail based on your own supposition and never assume Steam hardware surveys are accurate either. They are far from accurate.

There are millions of PC headsets out there. According to Nvidia, there where 4 million PC headsets in use with their GPU's as in January this year.

https://www.dualshockers.com/4-million-pc-vr-nvidia-ces-2019/

This was before any of the 2019 headsets released. The Rift-S, Index, Quest, HP Reverb and Vive Cosmos have all launched since then and all sold very well according to the manufacturers.The Index alone just released to Canada and Japan in the the last week and has constantly been out of stock since it's launch.

I have read that current estimates between the 4 platforms (Steam, Oculus, Viveport and WinMR)
there are about 8 million users now. This game caters to them all.

Fact is, VR is starting to pick up. It might not be your medium of choice for gaming and it may not be the future of gaming for everyone but it's here to stay. It's a given at this point that it's going to exist just fine alongside desktop, console, hand held and mobile gaming and I'm sure not everyone of those platforms appeals to everyone as well.

This is just the first of three AAA VR games from Valve with more to follow from them. The spend years making the hardware, building a platform and eventually making even their own headset. This is the path Valve is taking and they'll only be making VR games for years to come because they are trying to push the medium. As they keep saying (and I know first hand) you can do things in VR that just do not translate to or can be replicated on desktop gaming...and that's something they are interested in.


Buy in or don't. It's all a choice but Valve just wont be making anything for desktop for a long time, if ever again.

[Kelthorian]

wuddih eredeti hozzászólása:

this is public data Valve itself publishes.

https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey
<1% of Steam users even have any VR headset.

it does not matter how many people use VR atm.
it does not matter how financially successful this is.

the main goal of this game is to sell the hardware.

The best answer to OP's question.

Valve know that VR is a small niche. Both because it is expensive and not many people can actually play it without getting sick.

That doesn't matter to them. It's arguably the only avenue that exists right now that is not fully explored and exploited yet by the giants of the industry. They are betting that, much like the digital store, they can get there first and do it well enough that it's attracts the mainstream.

Personally I don't think VR in it's current form will reach mainstream consumption in many, many years. It's become a solid niche but the vast majority won't be picking-up VR just to chat as anime girls anytime soon.

Still these are the owners of Steam in case people are forgetting. They could only ever run maintenance for Steam for the rest of their lives and never worry about running out of money.

But then again I suppose that's what many people are upset about. The laziness and stagnation of a near monopoly of a company that only EVER pursues ideas ABSOLUTELY NOBODY ASKED FOR.

Artifact, Steam Machines, Paid Mods and other ideas that have since been lost due to a complete failure and public disinterest.