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Oculus Quest 2

Sep 17, 2021#1

Ravenpoe

So despite my hatred of Facebook, I picked up an Oculus Quest 2 on sale and the thing is amazing. It's so much easier to use than a Vive. Weren't there some other people around here that were into VR?

Sep 17, 2021#2

Tinwhistler

I got an original Quest. Haven't really played with it in a while, though. I just picked up the star wars stuff just before the move, so I suppose I should make some time soon

Sep 17, 2021#3

ThatNickGuy

I keep thinking of getting one, but I REALLY don't like that mandatory Facebook thing.

Sep 17, 2021#4

Ravenpoe

ThatNickGuy said:
I keep thinking of getting one, but I REALLY don't like that mandatory Facebook thing.

I bit the bullet on that. I don't use my Facebook account for anything anymore, so it's mostly easy to ignore. If it didn't require Facebook I would immediately recommend it as the best VR device in affordability and usability

Post automatically merged: Sep 17, 2021

Tinwhistler said:
I got an original Quest. Haven't really played with it in a while, though. I just picked up the star wars stuff just before the move, so I suppose I should make some time soon

I've found myself surprisingly playing a lot of pokerstars vr

Sep 17, 2021#5

Terrik

I've gone from Oculus -> Oculus Rift S -> Oculus Quest 2 and I'm enjoying it as well. That being said, I still quite havent found that "killer app" quite yet..

Sep 17, 2021#6

ThatNickGuy

Dammit, I'm getting tempted. I've been looking into getting a PS5, but I can't find one anywhere. And I checked, my local Best Buy DOES have an Oculus Quest 2 available in the store.

Hmmmmmm.

Sep 17, 2021#7

Terrik

ThatNickGuy said:
Dammit, I'm getting tempted. I've been looking into getting a PS5, but I can't find one anywhere. And I checked, my local Best Buy DOES have an Oculus Quest 2 available in the store.

Hmmmmmm.

As someone with both a quest 2 and a PS5, I'd go with the quest 2. Don't get me wrong, the PS5 is great, but its still going to be a little while before we get games on the PS5 that make it a "must buy" If you haven't done VR before, it's a new and interesting enough experience to warrant the purchase.

Sep 17, 2021#8

PatrThom

Ravenpoe said:
Weren't there some other people around here that were into VR?

Most of that stuff went into the "What are you playing" or Dei's VR thread.

--Patrick

Sep 17, 2021#9

Tinwhistler

I think so far, the most fun (in terms of quanta of fun units) I've had in one sitting is making all my family (including my wife's 70 year old mother and aunt) walk the plank in Richie's Plank Experience. That's a one-shot deal, though.

Sep 17, 2021#10

Dei

Make sure you have a lot of space to use VR if you want to play games like Beat Saber. Hitting things when you are using VR hurts a lot.

Sep 17, 2021#11

GasBandit

Dei said:
Make sure you have a lot of space to use VR if you want to play games like Beat Saber. Hitting things when you are using VR hurts a lot.

Sep 17, 2021#12

GasBandit

I don't remember the last time I strapped on my Oculus Rift. I've got a bunch of VR games I never got around to playing. But now my VR space is taken up by my "work from home" setup so I guess I won't be doing much beat saber or gorn until Covid's over.

Sep 17, 2021#13

Tinwhistler

Dei said:
Make sure you have a lot of space to use VR if you want to play games like Beat Saber. Hitting things when you are using VR hurts a lot.

My basement had plenty of space around, but it's got a short ceiling, like 7.5 feet. There was this one time in Job Simulator where it asked me to get something up on a high shelf....

Sep 17, 2021#14

Ravenpoe

GasBandit said:
I don't remember the last time I strapped on my Oculus Rift. I've got a bunch of VR games I never got around to playing. But now my VR space is taken up by my "work from home" setup so I guess I won't be doing much beat saber or gorn until Covid's over.

I hated setting up my vive. The fact that the quest 2 is wireless and I can literally just put it on anywhere and play it makes it a lot easier to use

Sep 17, 2021#15

Dave

So the games are loaded right onto the headset? Do you not even need a computer? Also, can you load Steam games onto it?

Sep 17, 2021#16

Dei

Dave said:
So the games are loaded right onto the headset? Do you not even need a computer? Also, can you load Steam games onto it?

Yes to both, sort of.
You can load games right on it AND it can wirelessly connect to your Steam to play games from Steam on your PC, as long as you are on the same network.

Sep 17, 2021#17

Ravenpoe

Dave said:
So the games are loaded right onto the headset? Do you not even need a computer? Also, can you load Steam games onto it?

So, the quest itself is a mobile gaming platform, similar in power to a high end cell phone. You don't need a pc, you can connect it to wifi and download games from the oculus store directly onto it and play it off the headset hardware itself. It uses room tracking instead of the old lighthouse system of the vive, so it's literally just a headset and controllers and you can take them anywhere and play them anywhere with a battery life of, in my testing, about 3-4 hours (though if you are plugging it into quick charge capable chargers it charges very quickly)

If you want super high end graphics, or just games off of steam instead of the oculus store, you have to connect it to a PC. This can be done either through a usb cable, or there is a wireless option called oculus link that kinda works but my home network is not near fast enough to really use it so it's all wired for me. But what I'm finding is that the lack of super high end graphics isn't that big a factor for me. The quest is capable of 'good enough' graphics and the 3D element of the virtual space makes it all look that much better anyway. So the only time I plug it into usb is to play steam games.

Sep 17, 2021#18

ThatNickGuy

Welp...I bought one. It was kind of impulsive of me, but it was either that or a PS5 and I think @Terrik is right. The PS5 just isn't worth getting right now.

While I was at the store, I also got a long cord that someone there suggested for connecting my PC to the Oculus Quest 2. Unfortunately, I didn't realize until after I got home that it's USB-C to USB-C, which is no good for me since I don't have any USB-C slots on my PC. So I'll have to figure where to get a good, long USB-C to USB cord.

EDIT: And I've been fiddling with the Oculus Quest 2 since bringing it home. Ravenpoe is right. This thing is amazing. Bit of a pain setting up and syncing to my phone, but once I got it going, it's fantastic. Though the apps for it are kind expensive, which sucks.

Sep 17, 2021#19

Ravenpoe

ThatNickGuy said:
Welp...I bought one. It was kind of impulsive of me, but it was either that or a PS5 and I think @Terrik is right. The PS5 just isn't worth getting right now.

While I was at the store, I also got a long cord that someone there suggested for connecting my PC to the Oculus Quest 2. Unfortunately, I didn't realize until after I got home that it's USB-C to USB-C, which is no good for me since I don't have any USB-C slots on my PC. So I'll have to figure where to get a good, long USB-C to USB cord.

EDIT: And I've been fiddling with the Oculus Quest 2 since bringing it home. Ravenpoe is right. This thing is amazing. Bit of a pain setting up and syncing to my phone, but once I got it going, it's fantastic. Though the apps for it are kind expensive, which sucks.

A USB-C to A adapter is pretty cheap. Just make sure you get a name brand because otherwise they can be finnicky

Sep 17, 2021#20

ThatNickGuy

Good timing with this bundle:

Includes:
-Zero Caliber VR
-A Fisherman's Tale
-House Flipper VR
-Paper Beast
-Arizona Sunshine
-Until You Fall
-Wands

Redeemable through Steam.

Fall VR Emporium Bundle

Behold! A VR bundle of games like Arizona Sunshine and Zero Caliber VR that’ll amaze and delight!

www.humblebundle.com

Sep 17, 2021#21

ThatNickGuy

So I was just playing around a little with virtual desktop after connecting to my computer through Oculus Air. It's not a perfect set up, but it's neat. There's also apparently an app called Virtual Desktop that I've seen many people recommend. Didn't get a chance to try anything on Steam just yet, but I did snag the above linked bundle.

I also played around a little with Bigscreen, which is not only a free way of watching movies, but you can have rooms of people to watch it together. And it's amazing. I popped into a room that was just starting to watch Cell (based on a Stephen King novel). Didn't stick around to watch it, but just the experience was incredible. I could see myself watching more movies like this. And I guess there's a way you can download your own video files onto the Quest 2? I haven't looked into how yet.

Sep 17, 2021#22

GasBandit

ThatNickGuy said:
So I was just playing around a little with virtual desktop after connecting to my computer through Oculus Air. It's not a perfect set up, but it's neat. There's also apparently an app called Virtual Desktop that I've seen many people recommend. Didn't get a chance to try anything on Steam just yet, but I did snag the above linked bundle.

I also played around a little with Bigscreen, which is not only a free way of watching movies, but you can have rooms of people to watch it together. And it's amazing. I popped into a room that was just starting to watch Cell (based on a Stephen King novel). Didn't stick around to watch it, but just the experience was incredible. I could see myself watching more movies like this. And I guess there's a way you can download your own video files onto the Quest 2? I haven't looked into how yet.

I used to play around with Bigscreen, too, and Dei, Terrik, Snuffles and I all watched a movie in there once - I've already forgotten which one. Throwing popcorn at each other seemed to be the most engaging

Sep 18, 2021#23

Terrik

GasBandit said:
I used to play around with Bigscreen, too, and Dei, Terrik, Snuffles and I all watched a movie in there once - I've already forgotten which one. Throwing popcorn at each other seemed to be the most engaging

I think it was Bill and Ted 3

Sep 18, 2021#24

GasBandit

Terrik said:
I think it was Bill and Ted 3

You're right, that's exactly what it was.

Sep 18, 2021#25

ThatNickGuy

So I tried a little, free tech demo during my lunch break. It's called Elixir. Just a short, 15-20 thing that shows off the Quest 2's hands tracking option. Basically, you can do stuff without the controllers.

And I highly recommend trying it , because it's a total hoot. I think hand tracking is still relatively new, but with further developments, I could see it replacing controllers in VR environments. It's slightly clunky, but surprisingly responsive.

Sep 18, 2021#26

Dei

I recommend Walkabout Mini Golf btw. It's awesome.

Sep 18, 2021#27

ThatNickGuy

Dei said:
I recommend Walkabout Mini Golf btw. It's awesome.

"I'll add it to the list." - Steve Rogers, Winter Soldier

Sep 18, 2021#28

ThatNickGuy

Got the Steam VR working and played around with Steam's VR Home a bit, which was neat. Kind of redundant with Oculus Home, really. I'm still trying to find the most efficient way of going from the Oculus menu to Air (wirelessly connecting to desktop) to Steam VR to a Steam game. Annoying, there's a lot of steps just to get into a Steam game versus the convenience of going directly through the Oculus (and probably by design so people less stubborn just go "Screw it, I'll use Oculus").

Still, once I got it working, it was pretty fun.

I played a bit of Until You Fall, which is a sword-swinging rogue-like. Pretty neat and I worked up a bit of a sweat. I'll probably play that a bit more.

Also briefly played Paper Beasts, which was as gorgeous as it is strange. It's by the creator of Another World. There's apparently a non-3D version out, too, but I don't know if it would be as captivating.

Also tried Google Earth VR, which was...humbling. Aside from Toronto, I'm so used to smaller place that when it dropped me above, say, Hollywood, California, I had no idea how large that place was. Same as massive nature vistas. Also kinda odd dropping into San Francisco and seeing how much of Watch Dogs 2's design mirrors it (not exactly, but close enough that I was like "Oh wow, I was there!")

Finally, I got Bigscreen working, first through Steam VR and connecting wirelessly to my desktop. I could access pretty much any of my "legally obtained" movies, though some video formats weren't compatible. Surprisingly not many. But then I also discovered I could connect a USB-C to USB-A cord to my desktop (I have a very short one to charge my phone) and upload directly right onto the Oculus. And of course, the first movie I had to try was the horror movie...Oculus. And it works like a charm. Uploading them that way rather than streaming from my PC the whole time will probably be easier on the battery. So I'll likely be watching full movies that way at some point.

Sep 19, 2021#29

GasBandit

You've got one of the holy 3 VR apps, Bigscreen... now you need the other two: Beat Saber and Gorn.

Beat Saber:

Gorn:
(I don't know why the stupid plugin won't embed twitch highlights any more, but here's the link)

The single player mode of War Thunder (the game is free) is a real trip in VR too. I don't recommend it in multiplayer because everybody else using mouse and keyboard arcade (easymode) controls will rip your immersive VR self a new one.

And I don't know if it still comes with it for free, but my Oculus Rift came with RoboRecall, and that's actually pretty fun too.

Sep 19, 2021#30

Ravenpoe

Pistol Whip is pretty fun too. It's a combination shooter and rhythm game.

Sep 19, 2021#31

Dave

You guys are killing me here.

Sep 19, 2021#32

Ravenpoe

Dave said:
You guys are killing me here.

Quiet old man, we're talking about VR. You wouldn't know anything about that

Sep 20, 2021#33

ThatNickGuy

I feel like I've unintentionally hijacked this thread in my excitement. Sorry, Ravenpoe. (Although this is one of those "Nick is probably apologizing for something he has nothing to apologize for" things.)

Anyway, holy shit, my shoulders are sore as hell today after playing Thrill of the Fight last night. And of course, I played it more again today.

In fact, I figured out how to cast my footage onto our TV. Normally, I guess you need a Chromecast or something. But I discovered a workaround: casting to my phone through the Oculus app, then using "Smart View" on my phone, pairing with my Samsung Smart TV. So I played a round of Thrill of the Fight to Mom to show her the game that has exhausted me several times. It's pretty neat that you can do something like that. I love modern technology.

Sep 20, 2021#34

Ravenpoe

ThatNickGuy said:
I feel like I've unintentionally hijacked this thread in my excitement. Sorry, Ravenpoe. (Although this is one of those "Nick is probably apologizing for something he has nothing to apologize for" things.)

Anyway, holy shit, my shoulders are sore as hell today after playing Thrill of the Fight last night. And of course, I played it more again today.

In fact, I figured out how to cast my footage onto our TV. Normally, I guess you need a Chromecast or something. But I discovered a workaround: casting to my phone through the Oculus app, then using "Smart View" on my phone, pairing with my Samsung Smart TV. So I played a round of Thrill of the Fight to Mom to show her the game that has exhausted me several times. It's pretty neat that you can do something like that. I love modern technology.

On the contrary, I'm happy you're posting all this because I'm lazy and I feel less obligated to now

Sep 20, 2021#35

ThatNickGuy

Ravenpoe said:
On the contrary, I'm happy you're posting all this because I'm lazy and I feel less obligated to now

Figures, ya couch potato. Here I am working up a sweat every time I play and you're metaphorically sitting by the sidelines throwing popcorn from the cheapseats.

Sep 20, 2021#36

ThatNickGuy

Speaking of working up a sweat, I DID discover a kind of rhythm/exercise game I actually like: OhShape.

And oddly enough, I really like it. It's still a bit overwhelming when obstacles come hard and fast, but it feels more doable and fun. Maybe because it's a full body thing and I have more spatial/body awareness due to yoga? I don't know. And I dug more of the song selections.

Sep 24, 2021#37

CrimsonSoul

Oh, if anyone is going to buy a quest 2 BEFORE YOU ACTIVATE IT have a forum member send you a referral code, you get $30 bucks of store credit and the forum member gets $30 bucks of store credit

Sep 24, 2021#38

Ravenpoe

CrimsonSoul said:
Oh, if anyone is going to buy a quest 2 BEFORE YOU ACTIVATE IT have a forum member send you a referral code, you get $30 bucks of store credit and the forum member gets $30 bucks of store credit

They really don't advertise this, I totally would have made nick my referral bitch.

Sep 24, 2021#39

ThatNickGuy

Ravenpoe said:
They really don't advertise this, I totally would have made nick my referral bitch.

I totally would've bent over for that, too.

...wait, that came out wrong.

Sep 24, 2021#40

Tinwhistler

Sep 24, 2021#41

ThatNickGuy

Damn, I realized I intended on buying Half-Life Alyx and as luck would have it, it was on sale the same weekend I got the Oculus. But I got distracted by...well, everything else about the Oculus.

And now it's not on sale anymore. I think there's a big Steam sale coming soon, though?

Sep 24, 2021#42

GasBandit

ThatNickGuy said:
Damn, I realized I intended on buying Half-Life Alyx and as luck would have it, it was on sale the same weekend I got the Oculus. But I got distracted by...well, everything else about the Oculus.

And now it's not on sale anymore. I think there's a big Steam sale coming soon, though?

Seems like there's six a year now, so yeah, probably.

Sep 25, 2021#43

Bubble181

GasBandit said:
Seems like there's six a year now, so yeah, probably.

Spring, Easter, summer, back to school, Halloween, Christmas, at least.

Sep 25, 2021#44

figmentPez

ThatNickGuy said:
And now it's not on sale anymore. I think there's a big Steam sale coming soon, though?

Half-Life: Alyx Price History

isthereanydeal.com

Looks like it went on sale last year in Oct, Nov, and December. You'll have plenty of chances to grab it discounted soon.

Sep 25, 2021#45

@Li3n

ThatNickGuy said:
I think there's a big Steam sale coming soon, though?

Yeah, always.

Sep 25, 2021#46

Ravenpoe

So I think I may have found the killer app VR has been needing, a game called Boneworks.

Boneworks is basically half-life, both in content and spirit. It's a VR adventure game with an incredibly robust physics engine, which has you feeling as if you are actually occupying this world.

The story has been pretty good too.

Sep 25, 2021#47

Ravenpoe

Oh, I should warn that Boneworks isn't available on Quest 2 hardware, you can play it through link play and need a good computer. I bought it on steam because if I have to play it linked might as well choose the platform that supports all VR headsets

Sep 25, 2021#48

Terrik

Ravenpoe said:
Oh, I should warn that Boneworks isn't available on Quest 2 hardware, you can play it through link play and need a good computer. I bought it on steam because if I have to play it linked might as well choose the platform that supports all VR headsets

Great, I picked that up a couple months and havent gotten to it yet. Maybe its time I should.

Sep 25, 2021#49

Ravenpoe

Terrik said:
Great, I picked that up a couple months and havent gotten to it yet. Maybe its time I should.

It gives a warning that it is for advanced VR play only, and suggests some things like playing in seated mode if you aren't used to intense VR. I ignored all of this, naturally, and it has lead to some serious VR hangover after playing. I'd never experienced VR sickness before but damn is it real.

Sep 25, 2021#50

ThatNickGuy

Ravenpoe said:
Oh, I should warn that Boneworks isn't available on Quest 2 hardware, you can play it through link play and need a good computer. I bought it on steam because if I have to play it linked might as well choose the platform that supports all VR headsets

I have a USB-A to USB-C cable on the way that I ordered from Amazon. I intend on using it for more demanding games like Boneworks and Half-Life Alyx.

Surprisingly, I haven't really used Steam much for VR. I've played some of the games I got from that Humble Bundle (really enjoyed Until You Fall and Paper Beast, tried Wands it was...okay, but HAAAAAATED Zero Caliber), but overall, I'm happy enough just popping on my headset and playing it straight on the headset. I bought Gorn directly from there, as well, largely for that very convenience.

For one, it's just a few extra annoying steps to get onto the Steam VR, like remembering to click open the Oculus desktop app to link them, then getting through the Steam VR. Oculus Air Link has an option to just open the Steam games directly from it, but it doesn't work very well and the games/apps don't often open at all. Plus, I've noticed if I quit out of a Steam game then try to get onto another one, it tells me the other app is still running. So, the whole thing is just a little glitchy for my liking so far.

Sep 25, 2021#51

Ravenpoe

ThatNickGuy said:
I have a USB-A to USB-C cable on the way that I ordered from Amazon. I intend on using it for more demanding games like Boneworks and Half-Life Alyx.

Surprisingly, I haven't really used Steam much for VR. I've played some of the games I got from that Humble Bundle (really enjoyed Until You Fall and Paper Beast, tried Wands it was...okay, but HAAAAAATED Zero Caliber), but overall, I'm happy enough just popping on my headset and playing it straight on the headset. I bought Gorn directly from there, as well, largely for that very convenience.

For one, it's just a few extra annoying steps to get onto the Steam VR, like remembering to click open the Oculus desktop app to link them, then getting through the Steam VR. Oculus Air Link has an option to just open the Steam games directly from it, but it doesn't work very well and the games/apps don't often open at all. Plus, I've noticed if I quit out of a Steam game then try to get onto another one, it tells me the other app is still running. So, the whole thing is just a little glitchy for my liking so far.

Oh, if it's available to run on the Quest 2 itself, I'll buy it there because playing untethered is pretty boss, it's the whole appeal of the quest 2. BUT, if a game is only available linked, I'd rather future proof myself by buying on steam, because in the future I might buy a non-oculus headset and then the oculus store is useless to me.

Sep 25, 2021#52

Ravenpoe

Played another 2 hours of Boneworks before I had to stop. The game is really good, but goddamn vr sickness is real. I was playing seated this time, which honestly feels pretty good, and was doing fine right up until the very end. Around the 2 hour mark I suddenly realize that my stomach is turning flops, I'm feeling super nauseous, and I'm sweating profusely (and not from strenuous activity like from beatsaber or something). I had to stop and take a break, and now I'm sitting here 20 minutes later still feeling shakey.

My body is rejecting the simulation.

Sep 26, 2021#53

ThatNickGuy

I've noticed that, too. Not nauseous, but I notice some...discomfort after finishing a session. Especially when movement is involved, like moving around the arena in Gorn. Not dizzy or nauseous, but almost like I need to readjust to the "real world." It's a strange feeling.

Sep 26, 2021#54

ThatNickGuy

Spotted two VR game bundles on Fanatical that might be worth checking out:

VR Thrills Bundle:
-Fantastic Contraption
-Xing: The Land Beyond
-Starbear Taxi
-Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son
-Hello Puppets
-Skyworld
-Traffic Jams

Not gonna lie, I might get this just for Hello Puppets, which looks funny.

VR Adrenaline Bundle
-Electronauts
-Raw Data
-Battlewake
-Sprint Vector
-Creed Rise to Glory
-Walking Dead Onslaught (not to be confused with the much better reviewed Saints & Sinners; this one has a Mostly Negative score on Steam)

This might be worth it for Creed and Sprint Vector, the latter of which I've heard is almost like VR Mario Kart.

Sep 26, 2021#55

Ravenpoe

ThatNickGuy said:
Spotted two VR game bundles on Fanatical that might be worth checking out:

VR Thrills Bundle:
-Fantastic Contraption
-Xing: The Land Beyond
-Starbear Taxi
-Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son
-Hello Puppets
-Skyworld
-Traffic Jams

Not gonna lie, I might get this just for Hello Puppets, which looks funny.

VR Adrenaline Bundle
-Electronauts
-Raw Data
-Battlewake
-Sprint Vector
-Creed Rise to Glory
-Walking Dead Onslaught (not to be confused with the much better reviewed Saints & Sinners; this one has a Mostly Negative score on Steam)

This might be worth it for Creed and Sprint Vector, the latter of which I've heard is almost like VR Mario Kart.

It's been a couple years since I played Raw Data but it was a pretty fun early VR game that's been through a billion updates since.

Sep 26, 2021#56

ThatNickGuy

I just played a bit of Hello Puppets and I actually recommend it. It has a creepy vibe, a neat concept, and some of the gameplay mechanics with your puppet are quite clever.

I don't think it's a very long game, so getting it cheap in a bundle like this is like a good idea.

Sep 27, 2021#57

ThatNickGuy

Beat Hello Puppets. Definitely a short game. A little over 2 and a half hours, but would probably be shorter for most (I farted around and got stuck a few times on puzzles). Fun little game.

So imagine my excitement that a prequel - Hello Puppets: Midnight Show - is coming soon.
Then imagine my disappointment when I find that, while it's set in the same universe, it's also NOT a VR game.

Before I got an Oculus, I wouldn't have minded this. I hated when, say, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin was revealed as a VR game. But now it's the opposite. Why would you take such a clever VR game and make it non-VR? Not to mention it looks like it's going to be a poor man's version of Hello Neighbor or something. Very disappointing.

Sep 27, 2021#58

Ravenpoe

Resident Evil 4 VR comes out for the quest 2 in like a month, for those interested.

Sep 29, 2021#59

ThatNickGuy

Had the day off today, so I tried a few VR games that I got through those cheap bundles.

Arizona Sunshine

I dug this at first, even though I struggled. I couldn't hit headshots worth a damn unless zombies were within clawing distance. I persevered well enough, until I started dying early in, and discovered the checkpoint system for this game suuuuuuuucks. It sets you back farther than the average game. I really hated having to redo finding all the ammo and new gun in various cars, and fight the same zombie horde. I doubt I'll revisit it almost exclusively because of that checkpoint.

Sprint Vector

I think this will be one of those kind of games that I would LOVE to get into, but don't have the patience to "get good." It's a sci-fi styled foot racing game. You swing your arms to create forward momentum. And then there's all kinds of extra tricks like briefly gliding through the air, jumping, climbing, power ups, etc.

t's a LOT fun. But I also completely suck at it and wind up in last place for every race. I might try it a few more times, but I don't see myself playing it on a regular basis like Thrill of the Fight, OhShape, or Gorn.

Sep 29, 2021#60

ThatNickGuy

A Fisherman's Tale

This is a genuinely engaging, clever puzzle game. I don't want to say too much without giving anything away, but just trust me on this one. Get it if you can. If it helps, it's in the current VR Humble Bundle that I linked before.

Sep 29, 2021#61

ThatNickGuy

So, a question to other VR'ers out there. I discovered that if I'm playing Steam VR games through Air Link, it displays my view on my PC monitor. I imagine it that will be the same once I get a cable link going, as well.

So I've been showing some gameplay to my mother, who finds it really neat to watch me play. She watched me play Arizona Sunshine longer than I would have expected her to. But she's also not hearing any of what I hear, since the audio is through the Oculus headset.

Is there a way to change the audio settings to my desktop speakers, just for this reason?

Sep 29, 2021#62

Ravenpoe

ThatNickGuy said:
So, a question to other VR'ers out there. I discovered that if I'm playing Steam VR games through Air Link, it displays my view on my PC monitor. I imagine it that will be the same once I get a cable link going, as well.

So I've been showing some gameplay to my mother, who finds it really neat to watch me play. She watched me play Arizona Sunshine longer than I would have expected her to. But she's also not hearing any of what I hear, since the audio is through the Oculus headset.

Is there a way to change the audio settings to my desktop speakers, just for this reason?

Yes, it should be in your oculus app settings, you can have your pc play vr sounds as well as your headset.

Sep 29, 2021#63

GasBandit

On my rift 1, it was either or - I could have sounds coming out my speakers OR my headset. Maybe the newer ones are different.

Sep 29, 2021#64

PatrThom

Probably depends whether it's HDCP audio or not.

--Patrick

Sep 29, 2021#65

GasBandit

PatrThom said:
Probably depends whether it's HDCP audio or not.

--Patrick

Nope. Games are that way for me too.

Sep 29, 2021#66

ThatNickGuy

GasBandit said:
On my rift 1, it was either or - I could have sounds coming out my speakers OR my headset. Maybe the newer ones are different.

It'd be fine with either/or. It would only be a temporary thing to show some of the gameplay. And I'm close to my speaker, so I could still hear everything. I can sacrifice the immersion long enough to show the game.

Sep 30, 2021#67

CrimsonSoul

ThatNickGuy said:
It'd be fine with either/or. It would only be a temporary thing to show some of the gameplay. And I'm close to my speaker, so I could still hear everything. I can sacrifice the immersion long enough to show the game.

Look in Steam VR settings there's an option in there to mirror audio to another speaker

Oct 5, 2021#68

ThatNickGuy

Gave Arizona Sunshine a second chance and...yeah, this game is just bullshit. I got slightly further than where I last left off, where I enter a building to get keys to a car, which in turn leads to finding a winch to open a nearby gate. Naturally, the car alarm goes off, sending a horde of zombies. A literal unending horde. I tried ducking inside the building and could shoot them from safety until I realized they kept coming. So I tried running for the gate, only to be swarmed. It didn't help that the game forced me to drop one of my two guns, so I only had single revolver. So they killed me pretty quickly. So yeah, the game is bullshit and I uninstalled it.

In the meantime, the USB-A to USB-C cable arrived in the mail. I got the Cable Link working (had to disable Air Link), but honestly, I didn't notice any significant difference in terms of performance. In fact, I thought playing the same game through Air Link was slightly SMOOTHER. Maybe it would be different with a more demanding game like Half-Life Alyx? Plus, maybe wireless spoiled me, but I kept tripping over the damn cord.

Oct 6, 2021#69

GasBandit

'Oculess' Lets You Unlink Facebook From Your Oculus Quest 2

A sideloadable tool called ‘Oculess’ lets you unlink your Facebook account from Oculus Quest. You still need a Facebook account to set up the device in the first place and you need to give Facebook a phone number or card details to sideload, but after that you could use Oculess

uploadvr.com

Dec 2, 2021#70

ThatNickGuy

You know you've become a VR gamer when you rearrange furniture with the express purpose of creating more space for gaming.

Because that's what I did today. Just moved my bed another way but it gives me a few more feet of space.

Dec 2, 2021#71

ThatNickGuy

We have like three different VR threads going here so I don't really know which one to post on anymore. But I'll stick to this one, since I basically hijacked it.

Boneworks

When it's not janky as fuck, it's a lot of fun. The melee weapons don't really have the oomph that I like in, say, Gorn, but they're not bad. I also can't aim for shit and have to rely on near point blank range when shooting. I tried closing one eye to aim, but that doesn't seem to help any. My aim has always been piss poor in video games and doing it in VR like this is even worse.

Still, the concept is neat and the puzzles are interesting, though infuriating at points. Largely because picking up large objects doesn't really feel right since I can't get a good mental grasp of where it is. Like a long board that I need to place across a gap. I do appreciate that, at least so far, puzzles have different solutions. If I can't get a damn board to fit across a gap, I can climb across the wall like I'm rock climbing. Smashing boxes and playing around with the environment is fun, though.

Unfortunately, the game is really janky. Loading into the game is hit and miss. Either it doesn't load the level at all or its rendering is slow or jumpy to the point of being unplayable. But it's not consistent, so I can't explain what's going on there.

Half-Life Alxy

The recent Steam sale was drawing to a close and for days, I hemmed and hawed about buying this. Finally, I said "screw it" and bought it, and finally played it tonight after Boneworks' rendering bugged me too much.

This game is...jaw-dropping. The visuals alone are worth the price of admission. And it's a lot less janky than Boneworks. Although, in some ways, it's not quite as engaging as Boneworks. It was weird to go from seeing my arms and full body to just a pair of floating hands. There's no melee combat and as a result, you can't smash anything in the environment (which is weird for a series famous for its crowbar). Also, I think Boneworks' inventory spoiled me because I find it really frustrating to switch between a weapon, regular hand, or hacking device (so far). It's not the most immersive or intuitive system.

As with Boneworks, my aim is completely horrid and I've nearly run out of ammo multiple times (despite scouring every inch of an area I'm in). Even with a special aiming guide upgrade you unlock, my aim is still crap.

Everything else, though? Amazing, as I'd expect from a Valve game. It's a linear game, but you're carefully guided from one area to the next, with set pieces and things that properly draw your eye (even in VR).

I'm still getting the hang of the gravity gloves, where you point at something and then flip it towards you and are expected to catch it.

But I'm still digging the story and world, as I knew I would.

Dec 2, 2021#72

Far

Alyx spoiled me for VR cause it was one of the first things I played and I don't think anything I have since has matched it's quality. Boneworks has been the closest so far to be fair but I found the same issues you did.

Dec 3, 2021#73

Cat

Far said:
Alyx spoiled me for VR cause it was one of the first things I played and I don't think anything I have since has matched it's quality. Boneworks has been the closest so far to be far but I found the same issues you did.

Haven't tried vr yet but I think I'd like the view in games like new vegas or driving games with interiors even if they're not fully interactive with your hands or whatever vr is doing now

Dec 3, 2021#74

GasBandit

I can tell you, I think I prefer games that still use physical joysticks for control (like how War Thunder works in VR), as I tried another flight sim a while back where you "gripped" a virtual yoke with your VR touch controllers and flew the plane that way, and your arms get really tired holding themselves in midair without actually holding a physical object that it can kind of rest on, and if you relax or let your hands move then the plane swerves....

I can't imagine how exhausting subnautica would have been if they'd followed through with their original plan of having you move your hands as if you were swimming to move in the game. I'll take the XBOX controller even in VR, yeah, thanks.

Dec 3, 2021#75

ThatNickGuy

GasBandit said:
I can't imagine how exhausting subnautica would have been if they'd followed through with their original plan of having you move your hands as if you were swimming to move in the game. I'll take the XBOX controller even in VR, yeah, thanks.

On the one hand, I like the idea...in theory. It would certainly be immersive (more like SUBmersive, am I right? UP TOP!)

On the other hand, that would get exhausting fast, until you got the Seaglide and other vehicles.

Dec 3, 2021#76

Cat

Oh I know I wouldn't like moving to control a game, it's been so unreliable and I play games to chill out

Dec 3, 2021#77

GasBandit

ThatNickGuy said:
On the one hand, I like the idea...in theory. It would certainly be immersive (more like SUBmersive, am I right? UP TOP!)

On the other hand, that would get exhausting fast, until you got the Seaglide and other vehicles.

Even then, I've found that controlling "real" cockpits with touch controllers can get exhausting and the lack of tactile feedback breaks the immersion just as much, if not more, than just using a controller.

I mean, just hold your hand out in front of you, like, 2 feet in front of your chest. Now hold it there. Motionless. For 10 minutes. You can probably DO it, but it gets old fast. Not fun. That's what it would be like to pilot a seaglide with touch controllers.

Dec 28, 2021#78

CrimsonSoul

Has anyone tried out the supernatural fitness app? I downloaded it today on a whim and did the day 1 workout, it was about 30 minutes long and a "light" workout. When I was done I had to crawl to my bed because my legs were so weak haha. All in all it seems really good so far. It's subscription bases 180 a year or 19 a month. I'm on the 7 day free trial so I'm going to give it a few days before I commit to the subscription. It's a rhythm based game similar to beat Saber but WAY less intense. You to warm up stretches, the workout, cool down stretches, and then a quick meditation session (on the 1st workout of the 1st week). I'll try to update if I remember on day 3 I work tomorrow so it's going to be just the workout and shower with no update.

Dec 30, 2021#79

ThatNickGuy

I haven't decided yet, but I'm thinking of selling my Oculus Quest 2 and other equipment I bought for it. I find I just haven't been using it in nearly a month. I bought Half-Life Alyx and played some of it, but it just didn't grab me like I thought it would. I haven't felt a pressing need to get back into it. In fact, even though it was much jankier, I found Boneworks more immersive.

But I've been severely depressed the last few months and already spend 99.9% of my time just siting in front of my computer, staring at the screen, doing nothing, that I don't feel like strapping on the VR stuff and stare at a different screen and strain my eyes in a different way. And I've been playing a lot of other games like Grounded and Timerborn.

I don't know. I'll think about it more. I actually thought, if I sold it and got a decent price, I could use the money towards getting a new GoPro, which would honestly get more use by comparison.

Jan 11, 2022#80

CrimsonSoul

So I've been using the "Supernatural" workout app for about 3 weeks now, I love it. I have tons more energy, I feel better about myself and I'm down somewhere between 2-4 pounds from when I started. I've been doing the "low" intensity workouts but I don't feel like I'm getting much from them anymore, so today I tried "Medium" intensity and about 4-5 minutes into the 21 minute workout I was gassed but I think that's where I'm going to have to stay because Low just doesn't hit me like it use to. If anyone is interested that has an Oculus it has a 7 day free trial then it's 20 bucks (after taxes) a month and you can have up to 4 family members for that price on your quest. There's also leaderboards and you can add and compete with friends for the "top score" of working out for the week

Jan 11, 2022#81

ThatNickGuy

Accounting+

There's a Fantasy Quest VR bundle on Fanatical right now with a bunch of games redeemable through Oculus (rather than Steam, surprisingly). Which I'm okay with, since I enjoy the convenience of playing right off my headset rather than streaming through my PC.

Anyway, Accounting+ was in this bundle. I heard it was funny, and I like Rick & Morty, so I thought I'd give it a try.

It's...okay. It's clever at times, but it's mostly just creator/voice actor Justin Roiland clearly improvising pretty much all his lines and making most of it up along the way. Which is funny at times, but mostly grating when you're trying to solve a puzzle and he just keeps talking, often repeating the same lines.

It's a short game, though there's more to unlock so I'll probably dive in again to try opening the extra levels.

Jan 12, 2022#82

ThatNickGuy

Ghost Giant

I haven't quite completed it yet, but I get the feeling I'm near the end. This is a wonderful, charming game like something out of a storybook. You're the titular ghost giant who befriends a small boy and helps him with various tasks, like helping with the farm.

It reminds me quite a bit of A Fisherman's Tale, one of the first VR games I played and enjoyed quite a lot. Though the puzzles aren't as clever as Fisherman's Tale, and the controls are a little more finicky. The game doesn't respond as smoothly for grabbing or poking things. And like most VR games, the throwing mechanic is horrible. But it has an undeniable charm to it.

I'm starting to realize that, aside from workouts games that work up a good sweat, my favourites have been charming little puzzle games like this. I find them incredibly endearing.

Jan 13, 2022#83

ThatNickGuy

Hey, so I had an idea. I think you can host private servers on Big Screen for movie nights. Would anyone here be interested in joining for that? I could host. Not sure what movies, off hand. Recently, I've been thinking of watching the Despecialized Editions of the original Star Wars trilogy. And I have tons of other movies "legally obtained" that I've been wanting to watch.

Jan 13, 2022#84

Ravenpoe

ThatNickGuy said:
Hey, so I had an idea. I think you can host private servers on Big Screen for movie nights. Would anyone here be interested in joining for that? I could host. Not sure what movies, off hand. Recently, I've been thinking of watching the Despecialized Editions of the original Star Wars trilogy. And I have tons of other movies "legally obtained" that I've been wanting to watch.

I'd be willing to give it a try, but I'm 100% talking during the movie

Jan 13, 2022#85

GasBandit

ThatNickGuy said:
Hey, so I had an idea. I think you can host private servers on Big Screen for movie nights. Would anyone here be interested in joining for that? I could host. Not sure what movies, off hand. Recently, I've been thinking of watching the Despecialized Editions of the original Star Wars trilogy. And I have tons of other movies "legally obtained" that I've been wanting to watch.

Dei, Snuffles, Terrik and I did that one night to watch the new Bill and Ted movie, and I'd done it another time or two with random people. It usually works pretty good (or did 2 years ago). I had to take apart my VR stuff though, or I would have liked to join :/

If the VR equipment is too much of a hurdle for a lot of people though, you can accomplish much the same thing (granted not in VR) in Discord.

Jan 13, 2022#86

ThatNickGuy

Ravenpoe said:
I'd be willing to give it a try, but I'm 100% talking during the movie

Oh, that's fine. It's not like we haven't seen Star Wars a billion times. I tend to talk a little during movies, though I try to time it during points when characters aren't talking.

Mar 6, 2022#87

ThatNickGuy

Synth Riders

Finally decided to snag the VR Discovery Bundle that included Synth Riders.

I only played a few songs, but I really dig this one. There's something about this that feel more like OhShape than Beat Saber and that's probably why I enjoy it. I especially enjoy the electro swing style songs. They're a blast and I actually found myself kinda dancing to the beat a little as I played.

Of course, whatever pathetic floundering I do, it will never top this:

Mar 6, 2022#88

GasBandit

That's a very swishy dress.

May 22, 2022#89

ThatNickGuy

I've barely used my Oculus in months and been on the verge of maybe selling it.

But this new video from People Make Games is a great deep dive into VR Chat. As I said in the comments, I tried VR Chat for like five minutes, jumping around to the public rooms. And I lost interest quickly because it was just a bunch of obnoxious kids. Since I'm 44 years old, I kept my mouth shut because I felt creepy just being an adult among all this. One kid followed me around shouting "HEY WOULD YOU DO ME?" over and over, to which I just ignored. But this video makes me feel like I missed something.

May 22, 2022#90

GasBandit

ThatNickGuy said:
I've barely used my Oculus in months and been on the verge of maybe selling it.

But this new video from People Make Games is a great deep dive into VR Chat. As I said in the comments, I tried VR Chat for like five minutes, jumping around to the public rooms. And I lost interest quickly because it was just a bunch of obnoxious kids. Since I'm 44 years old, I kept my mouth shut because I felt creepy just being an adult among all this. One kid followed me around shouting "HEY WOULD YOU DO ME?" over and over, to which I just ignored. But this video makes me feel like I missed something.

I had a similar experience to you when I tried VR Chat. Though, I stuck with it for longer. I tried five or six times to get into it, playing sometimes as long as 3 hours. But each time, I felt like...

Well, the closest analogue I can think of, is sometimes (in real life) I get sent to a High School to do something to their AV system in the library or the cafeteria or something. And like you, I'm a younger GenXer. So invariably, I am an outsider who stands no chance in being included in any social interaction there - and indeed, have little desire to be so.

The most fun I had in VR chat was usually in just... throwing the frisbee objects back and forth with random people in the hub world who were also clearly there for their first time (which lasted about 3 minutes per person, before they went off to find out what more there was to do) or just traveling from random location to random location looking at various people's avatars. Some people have really gone all out and they can be impressive.

Whenever I found an area where less immature people were having a conversation, it always felt like if I tried to interject myself into their conversation, I'd be intruding. Much like I'm sure first time lurkers on messageboards or chat rooms have felt for decades. So even when I found people closer to "my group," I still didn't think there was a graceful way to begin engaging with them. And I generally have no problem in real life introducing myself to new people and getting to know them! But most of these locations in VR Chat (at least the ones not serving as Preteen Zoomer Playpens) have a much more sedate and almost intimate vibe going on, which makes it feel much more like an intrusion to butt in.

But everything changes if you can get a gimmick.

For example, if you can make a cool avatar (or just find and copy one) and make that your schtick, people will come up and engage you.

Or you can do what I did, and become a Human/Anime Landmine.

There were two games that got me to learn to do stuff in Unity - Beat Saber, and VR Chat. I've imported the models of select Halforums Academy characters into both, converting them from the MMD assets (which themselves were ripped from memory while running the game and then converted into MMD format). The whole process made me learn (the hard way) a lot about Blender and Unity, and it's probably not for everyone. Heck, I'm a bit of a tech-head and even I found the process less like recreation and more like work. But once I was cloaked in the guise of a small anime highschool girl that nobody outside HF had ever seen before, people seemed more interested in coming over to look at me - and then came the landmine part.

I roleplayed someone similar to Mr. Torgue from Borderlands, if he'd been possessed by Zuul. The snarly 40 year old voice coming out of the tiny anime girl got a lot of chuckles and interaction for a bit... but then I realized it was not the kind of interaction I really wanted. It was more like acting the clown for preteen cousins at a family reunion.

The conclusion I came to was basically the same that I have had for online gaming in general for the past 10 or so years - online interaction is ok and all, but it's best when experienced alongside people you already know. I often thought how cool it would be if headsets were ubiquitous and as cheap as earbuds, and, say, there was an easy way to transition straight from HF into a private Halforums-access-only bar- or restaurant-themed landing area. There's been many a night on Jackbox Night where even when the games stopped, the voice conversations continued. And if it was as easy as it were in "full dive" pop fiction to hop in and out and converse with friends, I think it'd be a much more enjoyable experience.

But just being dropped into the middle of a high school cafeteria where none of the other adults have bothered to show up for months and are not expected to come back ever again... well, it feels out of place at best, and icky-creepy at worst.

I used it a lot less, but I think I had more positive social interactions in Bigscreen. At least there, everybody's there for a common purpose - they want to watch movies or shows with other people. A few times I would watch a movie or something, and I'd do it in a public room I opened in Bigscreen, and it was very common for people to hop in and watch with us. Of course, the down side is, if it is a movie you're seeing for the first time, social interaction may be a detriment rather than an enhancement to the process. But if you're watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail for the 35th time, why not do it where other random people might join you? At least there, unlike VR Chat, you know you've got something in common to start from.

Jul 13, 2022#91

ThatNickGuy

Half-Life Alyx

My Quest 2 has been collecting dust for months. I've been on the verge of selling it. I'll turn it on briefly, get all the updates, fiddle around with some stuff, maybe play a game for a few minutes, and then shut it all down.

Well tonight was different. I decided to dive back into Half-Life Alyx. I tried getting back into it before but when I loaded my save, I'd completely forgotten the controls and there was no real helpful way for me to relearn them. So I restarted from scratch.

Several hours later, I made it well past the point I'd last left off and I'm hooked again.

I think part of the reason I fell off is Boneworks spoiled me in how I could interact with the environment. HL Alyx felt confining or limited by comparison. But Boneworks isn't fresh in my mind anymore, so I think that's why HL Alyx grabbed me tonight.

My only problem is the same as I had previously: my aim absolutely suuuuuuuucks. I waste half my ammo just trying to take down a room of enemies. You get a mod early on for your gun which highlights weak points, but I'm lucky to hit them at all, let along the weak points unless they're nearly breathing down my neck. Headcrabs are the worst because they won't hold still. I fought my first Combine soldiers before I logged out for the night and Jesus Christ, I could barely hit them. And yet I still managed to get one lucky shot on one soldier's weakspot and caused their backpack or something to ignite (earning an achievement).

Structurally, it's similar to other Half-Life games. They telegraph a trap a mile away. Like a long, dark hallway with a new thingamabob at the end of it. And I KNEW, as soon as I grabbed it, that everything would go to Hell.

Still, I want to keep playing because the game is GORGEOUS. There's one point early in, with a certain mural, that I spent several minutes pouring over every detail. And I want to experience the ending for myself, even though I've seen playthroughs of it on YouTube. Hopefully I don't let the damn thing collect dust again before playing again.

Maybe I can finally get around to doing that Star Wars movie night in Bigscreen if people are still interested in doing that.

Jul 14, 2022#92

PatrThom

ThatNickGuy said:
There's one point early in, with a certain mural, that I spent several minutes pouring over every detail.

(skip to 3:32 if the link doesn't already do that for ya)

--Patrick

Aug 3, 2022#93

ThatNickGuy

I only played a bit of Beat Saber and didn't care for it, but holy shit, I would fail at this level so fast.

Aug 3, 2022#94

GasBandit

Rush E, in all its incarnations, is not actual music. It is weaponized MIDI data.

Nov 6, 2022#95

Squidleybits

I have what may be a silly question. How does one buy games for this? Credit card only?

Nov 6, 2022#96

GasBandit

Squidleybits said:
I have what may be a silly question. How does one buy games for this? Credit card only?

Generally through some manner of online store - most commonly Steam or the Oculus Store. Both of which pretty much go by credit card, yeah (though you can buy steam gift cards with cash)

Nov 6, 2022#97

Bubble181

And steam also allows PayPal etc.

Nov 6, 2022#98

Squidleybits

Thank you both

My son wants one and I am looking into Christmas gift ideas for family to give him games for one. So Steam cards or cash?

I would welcome any game ideas. The one he’s looking at comes with Beat Sabre.

Nov 6, 2022#99

GasBandit

Squidleybits said:
Thank you both

My son wants one and I am looking into Christmas gift ideas for family to give him games for one. So Steam cards or cash?

I would welcome any game ideas. The one he’s looking at comes with Beat Sabre.

Beat Saber is the quintessential VR experience imo, so it's a good place to start.
One of the current games in the zeigeist that supports VR is Phasmophobia.
War Thunder is an excellent VR-supporting flight simulator, and is free to play, but some people might have vertigo issues with it.
Subnautica supports VR, though it's best played with an xbox-style controller as vr handheld controllers don't really work with it.
My Oculus Rift came with a game called "Robo Recall," I don't know if yours will, but it's a very fun game.
Bigscreen isn't a game, per se, but it's a great way to watch movies and shows in a virtual environment. And it's free.
Skyrim has a VR version but I've heard some people have motion sickness issues with it.
There's a VR mod for Minecraft, and I've tried it... it's neat but it REALLY gave me motion sickness and usually I don't have that kind of problem.

Honorable mention: Job Simulator, Superhot, The Lab.... also there was a mini golf game whose name escapes me that @Dei said was really good

How old is your son, and how much violence do you want him to be exposed to?
If you're not worried about blood and violence, other fun games are:
Gorn
Killing Floor: Incursion
Blade and Sorcery

Nov 6, 2022#100

Dei

Nov 6, 2022#101

Ravenpoe

Squidleybits said:
Thank you both

My son wants one and I am looking into Christmas gift ideas for family to give him games for one. So Steam cards or cash?

I would welcome any game ideas. The one he’s looking at comes with Beat Sabre.

One thing that's important to remember, and I think a lot of people here are forgetting, is that there are two ways to use the quest. You can either use it plugged into your computer (or connected via high speed wifi) to run games off of your computer with the quest as the VR display/interface, or you can use it as a stand alone using the built in hardware. Running it off of PC requires a good gaming computer to be able to push the framerate needed not to feel sick in VR, and you can use whatever you want for PC, steam, the occulus store (I think called the meta store now), etc. If running as stand alone hardware, however, you are limited to only meta.

And while most enthusiasts probably use the quest connected to a PC, the vast majority of people who have a quest only use it in stand alone mode.

Nov 6, 2022#102

GasBandit

Ravenpoe said:
One thing that's important to remember, and I think a lot of people here are forgetting, is that there are two ways to use the quest. You can either use it plugged into your computer (or connected via high speed wifi) to run games off of your computer with the quest as the VR display/interface, or you can use it as a stand alone using the built in hardware. Running it off of PC requires a good gaming computer to be able to push the framerate needed not to feel sick in VR, and you can use whatever you want for PC, steam, the occulus store (I think called the meta store now), etc. If running as stand alone hardware, however, you are limited to only meta.

And while most enthusiasts probably use the quest connected to a PC, the vast majority of people who have a quest only use it in stand alone mode.

That's a good point, and one I had forgotten, as you say.

I think it's still called the Oculus store

Shop Meta Quest VR Games, Apps, Deals and More | Meta Quest

Shop VR games, apps, and entertainment available on the Meta Quest headsets. Download hundreds of action, sports, and multiplayer VR games on Meta Quest.

www.oculus.com

But it does have a lot of games we'd previously mentioned, like Beat Saber, Walkabout Mini Golf, Bigscreen, Robo Recall, Gorn...

Also a couple I forgot about - Dead and Buried (which is better as a multiplayer experience tbh, and apparently has a sequel now), and also there's been a lot of hype for the Iron Man VR game.

Dec 21, 2022#103

ThatNickGuy

So, I've officially uninstalled all my VR apps and games from my PC. Charging the Quest 2 now but going to turn it on one last time to do a factory reset and then sell it through Facebook Marketplace (which is kind of ironic, since it's a Facebook product).

I've said a few times that this thing is collecting dust more often than not since I bought it. Once the novelty of VR wore off, I find there isn't enough to keep me there. I don't like shooting games because either my aiming is awful or trying to aim in VR is awful (probably the former, but either could be true). Out of all the games I enjoyed the most, it was Ghost Giant and A Fisherman's Tale. Boneworks didn't do it for me for long. Alyx was gorgeous, but too frustrating to continue playing. It's a neat experience to watch something in BigScreen, but having this giant slab of plastic on my head gets uncomfortable after awhile, especially on my neck. So it's a neat experience to sit down in a BigScreen theater and briefly watch Rick & Morty while it's streaming, but it's another to have the patience or endurance for watching a full 2 hour movie. I find my eyes get watery after awhile, too, but I don't know if that's common.

For me, it seems like VR is good for one of three biggest experiences: 1) FPS, of which my aim is always atrocious, 2) Rhythm games like Beat Sabre, which are just not my thing, or 3) Things like VR Chat, where are definitely not my thing. If your enjoyment doesn't primarily come from one of those three things, you're probably not going to play it for long. And of the ones I do enjoy - charming puzzle games - there far and few of them.

So yeah, maybe I'll give VR another try in a few years if the technology improves and we get lighter headsets. I honestly think the future is the hand tracking technology, but I don't think it's there yet, either. I feel like VR is on the edge of something REALLY great for casual idiots like me that like it, but not everything about it, but it's just quite there yet.

Dec 21, 2022#104

GasBandit

Until there's better tactile feedback (IE, weight and resistance), I think VR is just another "guitar hero" special controller fad. I still have my oculus but I haven't used it in years. And with the changes to how facebook has put its claws deeper and deeper into it, I'm not sure I'm really enthused at the prospect anyway.

Dec 21, 2022#105

ThatNickGuy

GasBandit said:
Until there's better tactile feedback (IE, weight and resistance), I think VR is just another "guitar hero" special controller fad. I still have my oculus but I haven't used it in years. And with the changes to how facebook has put its claws deeper and deeper into it, I'm not sure I'm really enthused at the prospect anyway.

I was thinking the other day about the Guitar Hero/Rock Band craze that died off almost as soon as it arrived. And VR has kind of taken its place, in that the most popular game on it is a similar rhythm game in Beat Saber. So the genre didn't die so much as it just moved peripherals.

Dec 29, 2022#106

GasBandit

Speaking of custom controllers... here's your custom controller emulating a custom controller to make you think it's the 90s again.

I'm tempted.

Dec 30, 2022#107

Frank

That black disc being fucked up hit me right in the nostalgia.

Jul 6, 2023#108

ThatNickGuy

The Meta Quest 3 was announced.

One of the reasons I quickly lost interest in playing VR was how heavy, clunky, and uncomfortable the Quest 2 headset was. This...looks like it's considerably improved. They're boasting it to be about 40% smaller than the Quest 2. And with a lot more bells and whistles.

I also like that it's reverse compatible with Quest 2 games.

I probably won't jump right on this, but I'm mighty tempted to get back in the VR world.

Meta Quest 3 announced for $499 with 40% slimmer design and mixed reality features

Zuckerberg calls the Quest 3 "Our most powerful headset yet"

www.tomsguide.com

Oct 23, 2023#109

CrimsonSoul

Bought a quest 3. I like the passthrough, it's really nice on the games that support it, and I bought a game called painting VR (I can't paint btw) mainly for my kid, It does support passthrough so I have my canvas and stuff that I can see, but I'm also in my house and I can see all my kids so I don't punch them in the face. Anyway, I took a crack at a painting today and here it is, my very first painting ever. I title it "The Stormy Day" If you're good you can actually make good portraits lol. Now I want to get kingspray vr and try graffiti

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