03-13-2021 12:31 AM - edited 03-13-2021 12:32 AM
Full interview with Mark Zuckerberg: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/mark-zuckerberg-on-mind-reading-apple-and-the-race-to-mainst...
(but you need to sign up to read it)
RoadToVR summary: https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-quest-3-4-zuckerberg-the-information-interview
My summary of the RoadToVR summary:
Zuckerberg says Facebook already has teams working on the next few generations of VR, including the Quest 3 and Quest 4.
Some of the considerations he mentions are improved optics, smaller, lighter, and "adding a lot of functionality that you'd want".
That's all fairly expected vague stuff. But one interesting bit is that many of their feature priorities are for social presence. Mark wants eye and face tracking in a Quest to make avatars more realistic. He also mentioned varifocal optics and HDR as challenges for future headsets.
03-13-2021 01:12 AM
Was an interesting read. Like with the Half Dome, it seems to list a number of features and self-respecting VR user would want to see in the next headsets, though vague enough to offer a rebuttal to the immanent arrival of the Samsung, Apple and Sony devices. 2022 is shaping up to be a crowded VR headset year - just wonder if a updated Quest2 would be able to stay relevant in that...no matter how cheap?
03-13-2021 02:37 AM - edited 03-13-2021 02:38 AM
Absolutely expected - this is such a rapidly evolving technology and we know that HP's Reverb Omnicept will have facial and eye tracking, HTC have just released their add-ons so it makes sense that all high end HMDs will follow suit.
edit: good to see you back Kevin 👍
03-13-2021 03:05 AM
Yep, it seems like face tracking may be the next common feature the big headsets are targeting.
I wonder what support (probably none at the moment) OpenXR will have for face tracking. The last thing developers need is proprietary APIs for each headset's face tracking.
03-13-2021 03:15 AM
Well I think take-up will be slow for games but enterprise - training, education. Could be really useful.
I'm excited just for the fact that things are advancing, not dying a slow death.
03-13-2021 03:21 AM
Agreed - it is interesting that Enterprise seems to be the new growth market. The Varjo, Pimax, Depoon, Lynx, HP G2 and Index are all selling strongly in enterprise and the Pico and new HTC systems also seem focused more on a Enterprise position. For obvious reasons with the abandonment of the Go and Quest1 Oculus has not really grown from their original Oculus for Business aspirations - but this may change with the recent management changes and a Quest3 with a proper Enterprise facing business strategy.
03-13-2021 03:55 AM
Whilst I am not much a fan of Oculus direction currently I do see this as a good thing for the VR industry overall.
Anything that brings VR more into the mainstream even if it is in the social aspect is a very positive thing.
03-13-2021 04:01 AM
Agreed - my position on the previous management is clear. But getting VR into the largest community's hands was a lordable plan. Just lets hope that the price of entry is not handing over control within a walled garden.
As @kojack stated, we want to see a API for the face tracking shared with the VR community, not held by only one manufacturer and their agenda.
03-13-2021 05:40 AM - edited 03-13-2021 05:56 AM
Interesting with all these new hmds.
Personally the quality and performance I'm getting using Index in Alyx is so amazing I don't need more hmds. I need more Alyx class content. Even low-end cards like RTX 3060 now provide enough performance even for the most demanding VR games and apps.
Of course getting better image quality with profound reduced PC hardware requirements would be nice and might fuel adoption (might make the XR2 shine much more by reducing the burden of rendering) - but I do believe more great content is key.
I've seen several users complain that after finishing Alyx and Lone Echo, VR feels empty for content. I doubt a new hmd would make these users happy. 2c.
Oculus Rift CV1, Valve Index & PSVR2, Asus Strix OC RTX™ 3090, i9-10900K (5.3Ghz), 32GB 3200MHz, 16TB SSD
"Ask not what VR can do for you, but what you can do for VR"
03-13-2021 12:18 PM
Yes, with the amount of good HMD's currently available presently, there definitely needs to be more VR content to go with them. Unfortunately for devs who need to make money during development...that can be a major reason why we aren't seeing much more than what we have. For devs who have other sources of income (myself, Valve, etc), the development can take as long as needed to perfect.
Most users would cringe at the amount of time it takes to get an idea to take shape and become usable during the process. Many ideas don't make it, unfortunately. To give perspective to the process and the time it takes to bring ideas to existence, I've been working on just the environment for my project for over 2 years now (but the environment is huge). This is tough work, I have on many occasions almost given up for various reasons, but I've learned so much during this process and to give up would be the wrong choice. I do know first hand why devs scrap prospective projects...even after years of development. Things can rapidly get out of control and to get things back under control would take more effort than it's worth.
Not to speak ahead of progress, but as a dev, I'm quite excited to where things are heading presently, both from hardware to software...and literally can't wait to show something VR from myself. I know you all will be pleasantly surprised!!
One last thing, with the release of so many HMD's to the market...that can be a great indication that the future of VR looks to be better and better. Let's hope there are more and more VR devs that can continue to make it better. Valve has proven that a AAA VR title can happen that rivals anything in pancake land...and they haven't stopped there. Others just have to catch the vision and endure just like the early day's of pancake.
Cheers to VR!!
i7 8700k; 5ghz (water cooled), Asus Rog Strix Z370-E Gaming, Corsair 270R case, EVGA 3090 FTW3 Ultra, 32 GB Corsair Veng DDR4 2666 Ghz, Adata SX900 SSD, 1TB M.2 SSD, Adata Su800 SSD, Adata SU650 SSD, BarraCuda 2TB HD, Toshiba 3tB HD, Rift (dead), Rift S, Win 10 Pro 2004, Inateck KT4006 USB3.0