Valve: Future Hardware Plans

    Quote from blackdog

    Yeah Big Pucture is also supported with Xbox (and normal controllers?) when pressing the Xbox button, ... ;)

    I didn't know :P Thanks!

    Sorry guys i'm on m'y phone, son i can't message something complete (but hopefully someone could share a link please? :D)

    The HTC Vive has been announced to cost 799$ and it will be able for pre-orders from April I think.


    (Occulus Rift : 600$ without the Occulus Touch)

    What do you guys think about this?

    The whole movement is very intriguing, the limitations caused by the computer requirements and even worse, the usability problems with all those cables, make it so not accessible.

    Also it's such a difficult thing to advertise, seeing people moving around with the VR helmet is somewhat unsettling I think (makes you think about alienation), but even worse you can't show it -- as Chet was saying at the EGX. On this aspect MS with the AR lenses has an advantage. You can see what it is, it's accessible, you can easily imagine party games (I think that Valve shouldn't have closed the AR department really).

    Right now that's how I feel, although I'm personally intrigued and for a bit I had in my head that I was going to buy the Vive/Oculus once it was clear what they would offer. I didn't really think much about requirements to run those things. One of the things I was skeptical is that at the beginning seemed like we were just going to get the same games, with the additional freedom of moving the camera, but we would still hold a pad - which doesn't seem that compelling.

    We might be blessed with somewhat shorter cycles, compared to other technologies, as a lot of the innards useful to make these helmets are already being pushed and improved upon by smartphone companies.

    On the plus side, there's a lot of interest and it looks like there are going to be lots of game/experiences early on, possibly more than what we've seen for example on the launch lineup of the latest consoles.

    The SteamVR Performance Test is released on steam now. It's using the Source 2 Portal scene that we saw a little bit of last year.

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    Quote from Sprony

    I'm convinced that VR can transport you to unbelievable fictional worlds, like a world where the mass market spends 900 euros on it.

    Early adopters always pay a premium. As time goes on it will improve.

    Quote from jackophant

    Early adopters always pay a premium. As time goes on it will improve.

    That's why I say mass market. The early adopters have to foot the bill :)

    Quote from Sprony

    That's why I say mass market. The early adopters have to foot the bill

    I realise you say mass market, but the mass market hopefully won't spend that much! That's if this ever gets to mass market and isn't another passing trend like 3D.

    They'd hopefully be spending a lot less, as that sum is more than what most people's computers are worth.

    Personally I'm very skeptical about it... Not yet seen anything that's caught my interest.

    Quote from jackophant

    Early adopters always pay a premium. As time goes on it will improve.

    I'm so ready to pay a premium to slap reality altering goggles on my face

    This is why I think Zuckemberg has been smart acquiring Oculus and then forging an alliance with Samsung, the cheap VR that you slap on with a smartphone is what is gonna get traction when on the other end of the market you have to spend 2k if you start from scratch. And you have to wear wires.

    We talked about that in class the other day, vhs was a poor standard but got adopted massively because.. well porn happened, so I guess we will have the same thing for VR device going cheaper for that industry?

    There were videos about crazy sex shit on VR already.

    This is the second part of what I intended to write in my post.

    In terms of adoption the other thing I wanted to mention is in fact what you can do with it. Although is a big underuse of technology, there's talk about using it for cinema, as it gives you the equivalent size of a tens of thousands $ of screen.

    I know that home 3D failed, and I don't expect VR to magically conquest everyone, but more and more people are enjoying home cinema, in that perspective a GearVR is actually an incredible value for money investment, in comparison. That, and other casual use, is much more graspable concept for the average consumer, than spending 1k "to play immersive games"; I would be really glad to have one of those kits for the times I don't feel like staying in the living room and I'd watch a movie in bed!

    Quote from blackdog

    There were videos about crazy sex shit on VR already.

    This is the second part of what I intended to write in my post.

    In terms of adoption the other thing I wanted to mention is in fact what you can do with it. Although is a big underuse of technology, there's talk about using it for cinema, as it gives you the equivalent size of a tens of thousands $ of screen.

    I know that home 3D failed, and I don't expect VR to magically conquest everyone, but more and more people are enjoying home cinema, in that perspective a GearVR is actually an incredible value for money investment, in comparison. That, and other casual use, is much more graspable concept for the average consumer, than spending 1k "to play immersive games"; I would be really glad to have one of those kits for the times I don't feel like staying in the living room and I'd watch a movie in bed!

    that's a good idea, but the sound may weigh down the system when compared to a 5.1 surround system :/

    Quote from laminutederire

    that's a good idea, but the sound may weigh down the system when compared to a 5.1 surround system :/

    yeah, but average people just have a cheap big TV, with a sound bar if at best. So… a movie guy could get good headphones, aren't there 5.1 headphones? :)

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