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Initial Reaction Comparisons/Ratings

Tyler
Honored Guest
Hi everyone,

After following the Oculus Rift for a few weeks now, I finally ordered one yesterday after finally deciding that waiting for the consumer version to come out just wasn't possible and that I had to get my hands on one sooner.

Everyday, I've been watching Oculus Rift reaction videos (which are getting better and better as demos improve) because I just find it absolutely AWESOME how people are reacting to their first experience.

I am incredibly excited for this experience myself and would like to ask those of you who have tried is so far a few questions. Please answer honestly and as accurately as possible:

1. What other experiences could you compare trying the Rift for the first to, in terms of "wow" factor? Ex. losing virginity, first time on a roller coaster, or playing your first video game such as Mario Bros. for the first time?

2. From what I gather, the relatiavely low resolution is definitely noticable, yet doesn't take all that much away from the experience. When (hopefully 'when' and not 'if') a higher resolution comes along, how much of an increase in immersion and detail do you think it would have? Would twice the resolution have close to twice the effect? 10% increase? 20%?

3. How much of a difference does headphones have for immersion? I'm going to guess like a 20% improvement...

4. On a 'realism' scale from 1 to 100, where 1 is Pong, 10 is Super Mario Bros., 20 is Half-Life (1), 25 is Skyrim, and 100 is actual reality/life, what would you rate the Oculus Rift?

As I say, I already ordered the Oculus Rift, so these questions are purely for my own (and others) enjoyment and to kick up my excitement and anticipation even further.

It's hard to imagine what the experience is like having never tried any sort of VR before and just going by seeing other people's reactions, so I'm really looking forward to some of your responses!

Thanks!
8 REPLIES 8

LouisB
Honored Guest
"Tyler" wrote:
3. How much of a difference does headphones have for immersion? I'm going to guess like a 20% improvement...


Don't underestimate the importance of audio.. Good quality headphones are very important. You want to be immersed in the environment, and if what you hear conflicts with what you see or isn't very good then it's not going to be nearly as good.
Email: reigndev@gmail.com - Skype: louis.bartlett2

VRMatthew
Explorer
Hello Tyler,

Your enthusiasm is what these forums are all about and your questions put a smile on my face. Allow me to take a crack at your questions from my perspective:

1. I would put it on par with going to Disneyland for the first time from a WOW factor. Just add a high-end motion simulator similar to the Harry Potter Ride robotic arm (http://www.snitchseeker.com/harry-potter-news/first-harry-potter-and-the-forbidden-journey-ride-behi...) and Disney/Universal can have virtual theme parks in any city with a decent population base. If they don't, someone will eventually.

2. I was taken out of immersion here and there when all of a sudden my eyes somehow focused on the pixel grid. IMO the resolution needs to be more than twice as good to prevent this from occurring. 1080p is roughly four times the current panel resolution and even that will not likely be enough but a big step in the right direction. That said even the current resolution despite its clear pixilation is still very immersive. Surprisingly so. Greater resolutions will help to avoid a user from being distracted and falling temporarily out of immersion as well as improve the overall believability of the environment. I eagerly await Dev 2 to see how that changes the experience.

3. A lot! To my knowledge the demos today have not really exploited sound as of yet, but even the limited sound on some demos certainly helps with immersion. Just wait till binaural audio engines appear in demos as they without the visuals are already very immersive. Checkout yourself with headphones: http://www.qsound.com/demos/binaural-audio.htm

4. On a 'realism' scale from 1 to 100 I would put the Rift demos in the 15-20 range for graphics. What is interesting is that while for example the Tuscany demo is by no means a graphically impressive demo when viewed on a monitor, it somehow seems MUCH more real in the Rift. From a non graphical perspective the immersion feels awfully real, maybe 50-70 on your scale despite the resolution limitations.

The potential for VR is clearly demonstrated by the Rift despite it's shortcomings. You will enjoy your Rift when it arrives and when it is replaced by Dev 2 or the consumer model you will own a piece of history.

VRMatthew
VRMatthew (AKA MARKUS|edge) https://MetaverseXXX.com | Sex Positive Virtual Reality Porn

Tyler
Honored Guest
Hi VRMatthew,

Thanks for the reply. I was beginning to worry that nobody would!

A robotic arm + the Rift would be absolutely perfect... never that about that but you're right, that would take things to a whole other level for such rides.

Regarding the realism scale, I didn't mean so much pure graphics as an actual comparison to real life. A manmade representation of life. So, I'm thinking your 50-70 rating is what I'm looking for compared to your 15-20 (Half-Life).

If so, man that's crazy high!

VRMatthew
Explorer
All I can say Tyler is that it indeed feels real. You can read a light review that I posted that eludes to some of the real aspects I experienced.

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=677&p=6514#p6514

VRMatthew
VRMatthew (AKA MARKUS|edge) https://MetaverseXXX.com | Sex Positive Virtual Reality Porn

metrowave
Honored Guest
It'll be interesting to see when the next versions come out (maybe the consumer one) how many of the dev. versions will end up on eBay with eventual prices as low as $120 or less.

I'm very happy to order mine early as I need to participate in the development stage, and also for my academic research. And when the next version is here, I probably dive into that too.

jwilkins
Explorer
"metrowave" wrote:
It'll be interesting to see when the next versions come out (maybe the consumer one) how many of the dev. versions will end up on eBay with eventual prices as low as $120 or less.

I'm very happy to order mine early as I need to participate in the development stage, and also for my academic research. And when the next version is here, I probably dive into that too.


Unfortunately it always seems like when I expect something to drop significantly in price on eBay that it can be rather stubborn. I still remember when completely obsolete laptop computers would cling to most of their original price when you couldn't even give away an equivalent desktop.

In this case though, the lack of position tracking will probably kill the value.
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VRMatthew
Explorer
When VR takes off and Oculus becomes a household name, those with a dev kit may find themselves with a very collectable piece of history. How much would a alpha version of the NES, GameBoy, or iPod go for even if not the final consumer spec?

I am proud to own a piece of history regardless of how big VR gets. It is the first truly affordable and capable VR entry to date and it is only going to get rapidly better over the next 5 years.

VRMatthew
VRMatthew (AKA MARKUS|edge) https://MetaverseXXX.com | Sex Positive Virtual Reality Porn

Tyler
Honored Guest
I'm actually not all that worried about my $375 ($75 shipping) "investment", knowing that a consumer, and possibly a v2 developer version will be coming out.

Like you mentioned VRMatthew, one day the 1st developer model might actually be more valuable than current models at the time, although I don't think that will be all that likely since tens of thousands have already been made.

But then there's also waiting times to take into consideration. For example, it could be a very long wait until the dev2 or consumer versions are actually shipped out. It shouldn't be too difficult to sell the Rift locally at cost or even at a profit to other fans who don't want to wait and just want one right away without all the waiting anxiety.

The first thing I did before I ordered it online was to see if there were any available locally on Craiglist, Kijiji, etc., and as time goes on and more people learn about the Rift, I'm sure others will too.

They seem to currently be selling for around $700-$800 on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/csc/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=oculus+rift&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc)... I actually should have considered just doing that before ordering one... I have the money and wouldn't have to wait until what is likely going to be August at the earliest.