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Rift / Vive / VR General

Dexter

Arcane
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
15,655
Second High profile Walking Dead VR game releases at the end of September, it'll have a tough time beating S&S though even with less Cartoony graphics:





o.O
 

Dexter

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Mar 31, 2011
Messages
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https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-facebook-account-required-new-users-existing-users/
New Oculus Users Required to Use Facebook Account Starting in October, Existing Users by 2023
By Ben Lang - Aug 18, 2020

As Oculus becomes increasingly merged with parent company Facebook, new users will soon be required to sign into their headset with a Facebook account. Existing users will be able to use their separate Oculus accounts until the end of 2022, after which “full functionality will require a Facebook account.” Facebook says the changes are being made to make it easier for users to find and play with friends in VR and to enhance moderation.

While a Facebook account is already required for some core social functionality on Oculus headsets—like cross-game messaging and voice-chat—Facebook today announced upcoming changes which require new users to use a Facebook account with their headset.

Facebook says that starting in October “everyone using an Oculus device for the first time will need to log in with a Facebook account.” Existing users will be given the option to log in with their Facebook account and permanently merge their Oculus account with it.

Further, the company says that existing users who opt not to merge their Oculus account with their Facebook account can continue using their headset as normal until the end of 2022, after which the company no longer guarantees “full functionality” without the use of a Facebook account.

“We will take steps to allow you to keep using [Oculus] content you have purchased [after 2022], though we expect some games and apps may no longer work,” the company says. “This could be because they include features that require a Facebook account or because a developer has chosen to no longer support the app or game you purchased.”

The company says that even when logged into their headset with a Facebook account, users will be able to maintain a unique VR profile, including a separate username and friends list, if desired. Facebook also plans to introduce a way for multiple users of a single headset to sign into their own accounts to keep things separate.

As it already does today, the company affirms that it will track how Facebook users use their headset and use that information for various purposes.

“Facebook will use information related to your use of VR and other Facebook products to provide and improve your experience. This information is also used to show you personalized content, including ads. For example, we might show you recommendations for Oculus Events you might like, ads about Facebook apps and technologies, or ads from developers for their VR apps.”

Users cannot opt out of sharing VR usage activity with Facebook.

“Even if you don’t log into your Oculus device using your Facebook account, we will use your VR information to create a consistent and safer experience across Facebook apps and technologies—for example, taking action on an Oculus account if it is flagged for spam or abuse,” the company says.

While the company says that it doesn’t currently display ads inside of Oculus headsets, it doesn’t rule out the possibility for the future.

The changes come ahead of the launch of Facebook’s long-awaited social VR application, Facebook Horizon, expected later this year, and rumors of a new headset.

The company says the changes are designed to streamline social functions of Oculus headsets and strengthen moderation tools by leveraging Facebook’s social graph.

“Giving people a single way to log into Oculus—using their Facebook account and password—will make it easier to find, connect, and play with friends in VR. We know that social VR has so much more to offer, and this change will make it possible to integrate many of the features people know and love on Facebook,” the company says. “It will also allow us to introduce more Facebook powered multiplayer and social experiences coming soon in VR, like Horizon, where you can explore, play, and create worlds.

As part of the upcoming changes, Facebook says its Oculus products will shift from the existing Oculus Code of Conduct and instead adopt the Facebook Community Standards in addition to an “additional VR-focused policy.”

“This will allow us to continue to take the unique considerations of VR into account while offering a more consistent way to report bad behavior, hold people accountable, and help create a more welcoming environment across our platforms. And as Facebook adds new privacy and safety tools, Oculus can adopt and benefit from them too.”

The company published an FAQ about merging Oculus accounts into Facebook accounts here.
 

Dexter

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Messages
15,655
https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/985950/view/5280989900255471813
Operencia: The Stolen Sun VR Update Arrives September 15
Hey adventurers!

Announcing that the FREE VR update for Operencia: The Stolen Sun will arrive September 15!

What does this mean?

A) For those of you who own the game already, you will get the VR compatibility for free. The game will ask at startup which mode you want to jump in.
B) Anyone who purchases the game starting September 15, will get both versions with the purchase.

e72436997b0b20250c4a97d218c1b8c0102c248a.png


We also have a DEMO going on until September 20! And to top it all off, we discounted the game 50%!

With stunning VR environments, Operencia: The Stolen Sun modernizes everything you love about classic first-person dungeon-crawlers. Gather your team of memorable heroes, and guide them through an immersive world inspired by Central European mythology, where history meets legend.

ba5c5a46fda2d7a35d415be08d4a79130c48855b.png


Harkening back to the dawn of RPGs, Operencia’s grid-based movement and turn-based combat feel right at home on your device – friendly to play sessions lasting hours.

See you on the 15th - next Tuesday!

Follow us on our socials to get the latest updates:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZenIndies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zenstudios
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zen_studios
Getting nao, it's even 50% Off:
 

Gerrard

Arcane
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
12,796
https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-facebook-account-required-new-users-existing-users/
New Oculus Users Required to Use Facebook Account Starting in October, Existing Users by 2023
By Ben Lang - Aug 18, 2020

As Oculus becomes increasingly merged with parent company Facebook, new users will soon be required to sign into their headset with a Facebook account. Existing users will be able to use their separate Oculus accounts until the end of 2022, after which “full functionality will require a Facebook account.” Facebook says the changes are being made to make it easier for users to find and play with friends in VR and to enhance moderation.

While a Facebook account is already required for some core social functionality on Oculus headsets—like cross-game messaging and voice-chat—Facebook today announced upcoming changes which require new users to use a Facebook account with their headset.

Facebook says that starting in October “everyone using an Oculus device for the first time will need to log in with a Facebook account.” Existing users will be given the option to log in with their Facebook account and permanently merge their Oculus account with it.

Further, the company says that existing users who opt not to merge their Oculus account with their Facebook account can continue using their headset as normal until the end of 2022, after which the company no longer guarantees “full functionality” without the use of a Facebook account.

“We will take steps to allow you to keep using [Oculus] content you have purchased [after 2022], though we expect some games and apps may no longer work,” the company says. “This could be because they include features that require a Facebook account or because a developer has chosen to no longer support the app or game you purchased.”

The company says that even when logged into their headset with a Facebook account, users will be able to maintain a unique VR profile, including a separate username and friends list, if desired. Facebook also plans to introduce a way for multiple users of a single headset to sign into their own accounts to keep things separate.

As it already does today, the company affirms that it will track how Facebook users use their headset and use that information for various purposes.

“Facebook will use information related to your use of VR and other Facebook products to provide and improve your experience. This information is also used to show you personalized content, including ads. For example, we might show you recommendations for Oculus Events you might like, ads about Facebook apps and technologies, or ads from developers for their VR apps.”

Users cannot opt out of sharing VR usage activity with Facebook.

“Even if you don’t log into your Oculus device using your Facebook account, we will use your VR information to create a consistent and safer experience across Facebook apps and technologies—for example, taking action on an Oculus account if it is flagged for spam or abuse,” the company says.

While the company says that it doesn’t currently display ads inside of Oculus headsets, it doesn’t rule out the possibility for the future.

The changes come ahead of the launch of Facebook’s long-awaited social VR application, Facebook Horizon, expected later this year, and rumors of a new headset.

The company says the changes are designed to streamline social functions of Oculus headsets and strengthen moderation tools by leveraging Facebook’s social graph.

“Giving people a single way to log into Oculus—using their Facebook account and password—will make it easier to find, connect, and play with friends in VR. We know that social VR has so much more to offer, and this change will make it possible to integrate many of the features people know and love on Facebook,” the company says. “It will also allow us to introduce more Facebook powered multiplayer and social experiences coming soon in VR, like Horizon, where you can explore, play, and create worlds.

As part of the upcoming changes, Facebook says its Oculus products will shift from the existing Oculus Code of Conduct and instead adopt the Facebook Community Standards in addition to an “additional VR-focused policy.”

“This will allow us to continue to take the unique considerations of VR into account while offering a more consistent way to report bad behavior, hold people accountable, and help create a more welcoming environment across our platforms. And as Facebook adds new privacy and safety tools, Oculus can adopt and benefit from them too.”

The company published an FAQ about merging Oculus accounts into Facebook accounts here.
36xzcTS.jpg
 

A horse of course

Guest
Is the Reverb G2 out yet? I thought it was scheduled for this month.
 

Doktor Best

Arcane
Joined
Feb 2, 2015
Messages
2,876
It got delayed for a bit due to shipment delays because of Corona. I think end of october is the new release. They also improved the specs in the process, i think they now have even better lenses.



Pretty sure this will be the next go to headset, as the price of 600$/€ is much more affordable compared to 1000$/€ for the Index.
 

Razor

Arcane
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
942


Cant say its a suprise. If you jury rig FEAR I into VR it turns out a good first person pew pew is really fucking intense. Frankly I am surprised the latter has not already has gotten a proper port, considering how good it already is half-raw. Upscaling/ repositioning UI elements is pretty much all it needs for bear bones commercial release.
 
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Dexter

Arcane
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
15,655
https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-quest-2-announcement-pre-order-release-date/
Quest 2 Announced with XR2, 90Hz, & New Controllers Starting at $300, Pre-orders Open for October 13th Launch
By Ben Lang - Sep 16, 2020

Today at Facebook Connect the company formally revealed Oculus Quest 2, its latest and greatest standalone VR headset. Although leaks have given away some of the surprise, there’s plenty of new details, like the Elite Strap accessory. Quest 2 release date is set for October 13th; pre-orders start today at $300.



After plenty of leaks, we’re finally getting an official reveal of Quest 2. In this article we’ll outline the major details of the headset, but you may also want to dive right into our full Quest 2 review.

From a hardware standpoint, Quest 2 is rocking a powerful Snapdragon XR2 chip with 6GB of RAM, giving it a big boost in speed over its predecessor. That chip will power a new LCD display with a resolution of 1,832 x 1,920 per-eye.

The display is capable of a 90Hz refresh rate but that will be available initially as an experimental feature before being unlocked by default some time after launch.

While the lenses are the same between the headsets, Quest 2’s IPD adjustment is no longer continuous but rather can be set between three physical settings of 58mm, 63mm, and 68mm.

Quest 2 is also getting new controllers with improved ergonomics and better battery life. The new controllers borrow heavily from the design of the original fan favorite Touch controllers that shipped with the Rift CV1 headset. They have a better grip, larger face with thumb rest, and improved haptics. Oculus says the controllers will last up to four times as long on a battery as the original Quest controllers.

While Quest 2 will ship with a soft strap, Oculus also announced two rigid straps which will be sold as official accessories: the Elite Strap and the Elite Battery Strap, both of which are designed to act as a counter-weight for Quest 2. Other accessories, including a case and a ‘Fit Kit’ with face pads of varying sizes, will be available as well.


Image courtesy Facebook

Quest 2 has slimmed down a bit compared to its predecessor. Quest 2 at 503 grams is about 10% lighter than the original Quest. Despite the improved processor and slimmer figure, Oculus says battery life should be on par with the original at 2-3 hours.

With pre-orders beginning today, Oculus Quest 2 has a release date of October 13th and is priced at $300 for a 64GB model and $400 for a 256GB model.


Image courtesy Facebook

In addition to announcing Quest 2, Oculus also confirmed a handful of new content heading to Quest, including Assassin’s Creed & Splinter Cell VR games coming exclusively to Oculus, as well as The Climb 2 and Warhammer 40,000: Battle Sister.




https://www.roadtovr.com/facebook-discontinue-rift-product-line-2021/
Facebook to Discontinue Rift Product Line in 2021, Will No Longer Build PC-only VR Headsets
By Ben Lang - Sep 16, 2020

Capping off dwindling interest in the PC side of the VR spectrum, Facebook said today that it will discontinue the Rift product line early 2021 and will no longer build PC-only VR headsets. Though the company says “the Rift platform isn’t going anywhere,” it’s clear the Quest is its primary focus.

While Facebook is pitching Quest 2 as a great PC VR headset (thanks to Oculus Link which allows it to tether to a PC), the company is putting the final nail in the coffin for its dedicated PC VR product line, the Oculus Rift.

“We’re going to focus on standalone VR headsets moving forward. We’ll no longer pursue PC-only hardware, with sales of Rift S ending in 2021. That said, the Rift Platform isn’t going anywhere,” the company announced. “In fact, we’ve seen significant growth in PC VR via Oculus Link, and the Rift Platform will continue to grow while offering high-end PC VR experiences like Lone Echo II and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond well into the future.”

Though the statement paints a picture of new content still in the pipe for the Rift platform, both projects began development several years ago. New content announced today at Facebook Connect is focused entirely on Quest.

After launching its first VR headset, the Oculus Rift, in 2016 and struggling to grow it beyond an enthusiast audience, Facebook eventually launched its first 6DOF standalone headset, Oculus Quest, in 2019. It launched its latest PC VR headset, Rift S, at the time time, but by then the company’s enthusiast base had already begun losing trust that the company saw PC VR as a priority.

If it wasn’t already clear that its interest in Rift was waning, Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe’s resignation in late 2018 and the departure of Oculus founder Nate Mitchell a year later surely signaled Facebook’s position.

Since the launch of Quest, Facebook company seems to be very pleased with the traction it has gained, and in announcing Quest 2 today Facebook said it was “doubling down” on Quest and aiming to push VR to an even wider audience with a cheaper price point.
 
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Dexter

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Messages
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https://www.roadtovr.com/ubisoft-assassins-creed-splinter-cell-vr-oculus-quest-rift-connect-2020/
Ubisoft Announces ‘Assassin’s Creed’ & ‘Splinter Cell’ VR Games for Oculus Platform
By Scott Hayden - Sep 16, 2020

Ubisoft today announced at Facebook Connect that both the Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell franchises are getting made-for-VR games. Both games are set to be Oculus platform exclusives.

Ubisoft says that both the Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell games will be created from the ground-up exclusively for the Oculus platform, and will “include elements of the franchises that players know and love.”

Ubisoft has been producing VR games since 2016 with notable titles including Eagle Flight (2016), Werewolves Within (2016), and Star Trek Bridge Crew (2017).

The studio says development on Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell for VR will be led by Ubisoft’s Red Storm, in collaboration with Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Dusseldorf and Ubisoft Mumbai.

There’s no word on when either game will arrive, and no screenshots or trailers as such, so we’ll just have to wait patiently for now to learn more. As it is, these will be the biggest extant game franchises Ubisoft has brought to VR, so it speaks volumes about the studio’s confidence level now as they continue these long and storied franchises into immersive headsets.

It’s unclear whether these will be considered Quest exclusives, or will also be offered to Rift and Quest users via PC.
ubisoft.jpg






 
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Dexter

Arcane
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
15,655
Interesting, the Upcoming "Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond" game is apparently also going to be releasing on Steam, are they giving up on "PC VR" entirely even regarding their "Store Exclusivity" in favor of going Mobile only?
oculus-moh3ijf7.jpg


Chances are this will be their last big publisher-funded "PCVR" title anyway, and most of the upcoming shit will be Mobile/Nintendo Switch quality, since this or the "Battle Sister" game above is about what the XR2 can do graphically.
 
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Dexter

Arcane
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
15,655
QJgF98G.jpg


What do Ubi and EA see that 2K does not...
He's saying that after his company published L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files and updated it with new content as recently as earlier this year, Borderlands 2 and the NBA 2KVR Experience:



Oh and he also has an entire development team working on a new open world VR game:
https://www.roadtovr.com/rockstar-vr-game-open-world/
Rockstar Starts Production on AAA Open-world VR Title
By Scott Hayden - Jul 6, 2020

According to the studio behind L.A. Noire: The V.R. Case Files (2017), Rockstar Games is producing a new game which promises to be a “AAA open world title in VR”.

Video Games Deluxe, a Sydney, Australia-based studio working exclusively with Rockstar, released word via LinkedIn recently, stating that the company is currently hiring staff to build the VR game.

“Having finished the critically well received L.A. Noire: The V.R. Case Files we are now gearing up for a new project, a AAA open world title in VR for Rockstar. 2020 marks our 7th year of working exclusively for Rockstar in Sydney and we are excited to taking on this ground breaking project,” the studio writes.

Video Games Deluxe worked on both the PC VR version of L.A. Noire: The V.R. Case Files and the PSVR version, which arrived on PS4 late last year.

By the sounds of it, the small studio will be expanding by a fair bit too, as it’s currently hiring for Senior Programmers, Engine Programmer, a Designer and Animator.

It’s difficult to estimate the scope of the project from just this information alone; Video Games Deluxe may be handling only a portion of the game’s development.

Whether it’s a completely new IP or a continuation of the GTA series also remains to be seen. The dedicated VR studio cut its virtual teeth on adapting the non-VR version of L.A. Noire (2011) to the medium, so it’s also possible we could be seeing a VR-adapted re-release of an extant Rockstar title such as GTA V (2013) or Red Dead Redemption.
Maybe he just forgot.

As for what Ubi and EA see, it's pretty simple, they see Facebook money. Although UbiSoft had developed and released 5-6 VR titles even before that independently, I doubt they would've done AssCreed or Splinter Cell without the cash incentive.

If I was in his position I'd get me some of that near-infinite sweet Facebook cash too and maybe a leading position in a developing market might follow.

He's right about "Cloud Gaming" though, should have quoted that part:
He expressed similar doubts about the impact of cloud gaming, saying that he suspects "it will not be transformative."

"There were some parties who were saying there are 130 [million] to 140 million current-gen consoles out there. There are billions of PCs out there," Zelnick siad. "You know, if you can make in a frictionless way console video games available to everyone who has a PC or a tablet or a phone, then your market size automatically would be 20x just mathematically."

"Of course that doesn't make any sense at all. Because the implication is you are super interested in video games but you were just unwilling to buy a console. I mean, I'm sure there were people like that, but if they are so interested that they want to pay $60 or $70 for a front-line title, it's hard for me to believe they were unwilling to spend $250 on a console to be able to do it ever in their life."

Compounding that problem further is the age-old difficulty of infrastructure: "You may be out on the cloud, but if they're on a phone line, they won't be able to avail themselves of what you're distributing," he said.
 
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DalekFlay

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
14,118
Location
New Vegas
It was a genuine question, EA and Ubi obviously see profit to be made so why is 2k shitting on it. Apparently they're not actually doing so, so I guess he was looking for a headline? I dunno. It's a weird thing to say.
 

Dexter

Arcane
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
15,655
The Carmack Hour (and a half) for 2020:


And the encore hour:


Abrash talked solely about AR this year and it was a bit eh.
 

Venser

Magister
Joined
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Messages
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dm6
Review: We do not recommend the $299 Oculus Quest 2 as your next VR system
Issues big and small, and that's before we get into the Facebookening of this thing.
SAM MACHKOVECH - 9/16/2020, 7:30 PM

oculus-quest-2-listing-800x449.jpg

Enlarge / It looks the same as its predecessor, but Oculus Quest 2 is quite different—and mostly in disappointing ways.
Sam Machkovech
186WITH 153 POSTERS PARTICIPATING, INCLUDING STORY AUTHOR
The long-rumored (and recently leaked) Oculus Quest 2 is here, in my home, on my face. I received it earlier this month, along with news that this would be Oculus's cheapest "all-in-one" VR system yet: starting at $299 and shipping on October 13.

That's one hell of a price for cutting-edge VR. But it comes at a cost.

Part of that comes from Facebook's aggressive policy about making Facebook social media accounts (whose terms of service revolve around a "real name" policy) mandatory to use new Oculus VR headsets, including the Quest 2. Let me be blunt: that is a terrible idea. Attachment of a social media account and its massive Web of personally identifying data (as accumulated by everything from service log-ins to average Web-browsing cookies) to computing hardware (VR headsets, phones, computers, TVs, etc) is quite frankly an irresponsible move on Facebook's part.

If that's the beginning and the end of this review for you, I do not blame you. I also encourage you to move comments about that specific opinion to my August op-ed about the development. (Or, quite honestly, redirect that comment-writing energy to your state or country's regulators. I've already written to my home state's Attorney General.)

But let's say you already bought into Oculus hardware or software in the past, or you've made your peace with the company's Facebookening. Or maybe in spite of all of the bad news, you'd make a deal with the Mephi-zuck-eles for a higher-performing, "all-in-one" Oculus Quest that's now powered by a Snapdragon 865-equivalent SoC with more RAM, more pixels, and a higher refresh rate.

If that's where you land, you'll eventually find a different bummer about Oculus Quest 2: how desperate Facebook is to get the price down to that magical $299 number. It seemed like every single day that I tested this device in the pre-release period, I discovered some new corner-cutting issue that wasn't worth the savings. Those piled up to the point where Facebook will need to launch a Quest "2+" revision before I'm ready to recommend this headset.

THE TAKEAWAY: BULLET POINTS FOR THIS REVIEW
A better screen, both in pixel resolution and refresh rate.


90Hz, but when? Facebook isn't clear about higher frame rate support.

More powerful wireless-VR hardware, which powers nifty under-the-hood tricks.

Less battery life. You'll barely exceed two hours of gaming on a single charge.

A cheaper, flimsier headstrap. You can pay more for a nicer one.

A baffling change to the "IPD" slider. Only certain skulls need apply.

The controllers are the same... but worse. I'm a bit shocked by this one.

The F-word. Yeah, we'll get into that.



Everything looks similar... but it's not

  • New box, with a much different, less sleek aesthetic compared to prior Oculus releases.

  • Inside this is an even simpler cardboard box.

  • But, I mean, you're just going to toss the box, anyway.

  • Headset, front-facing view. It's near-identical to Quest 1 in terms of dimensions.

  • Headset from the side.

  • Headset, on the author's head.

  • Those lens stickers have got to go.

  • Volume slider. But where's the IPD slider from Quest 1? Er... we'll get to that.

  • New controller (right) posed next to Quest 1 controller (left). Buttons are nearly identical, but now there's a larger pad for resting your thumb.

  • Closer zoom on both generations of Oculus Quest controllers. Yes, my original Oculus Touch 1 controllers have lived a long and full life.
Previous SlideNext Slide
Oculus Quest 2 should look familiar, as its design language and general form factor are nearly identical to the original VR system that launched in March 2019 starting at $399. Both versions have four outward-facing cameras to track your nearby environs, so you can put the headset on anywhere and expect a convincing "transportation" effect inside VR. This "inside-out" tracking model can be found in most Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and it differs from systems like HTC Vive and Valve Index, which won't work without infrared-spewing "tracking boxes" installed in your preferred playing space.

Unlike most other VR headsets, the Quest line does not require connections to a PC or console. Strap it onto your face, map out a "playing space" inside your home using your hands, and Quest 2's internal hardware will do all of the 3D rendering. (Like the first model, Quest 2 supports optional connections to PCs for their higher-end games, as well.)

Quest 2's pair of hand-tracked controllers include the same array of buttons, triggers, and joysticks as the first version, along with the same "halo" construction to hold their infrared sensors. You may glance at these and think you're in for identical performance compared to other "Oculus Touch" controllers. Not so fast.

Facebook reps mentioned that the controllers were redesigned with an emphasis on increased battery life and comfort, which I found curious. The original Oculus Quest controllers didn't last very long, but they only required one AA battery and were far more efficient than, say, the HTC Vive Cosmos controllers. What got the battery drain down further? This is when Facebook reps claimed that Quest 2's controllers have fewer infrared sensor points: "We're able to find computer vision algorithms tuned to achieve the same [level of controller] tracking in fewer LEDs, thus [requiring] less power," a Facebook representative told Ars Technica.

I went back to compare tricky "expert" Beat Saber levels on both Quest 1 and Quest 2, and sure enough, the older controller is noticeably more accurate. It's hard to perfectly measure VR controller detection without access to verbose data logs (which I've used to diagnose issues with SteamVR in the past). But I can safely say that after an hour going back and forth between Quest 1 and 2, the number of lost swipes on the newer hardware was higher. So this downgrade in sensor points checks out.

[Update, 3:30 p.m. ET: Since this article went live, we've seen infrared camera footage from Tested confirming an identical number of LED bulbs in both generations of Quest controllers, which puts Facebook's original statement into question. The FB rep may have been describing a downgrade in frequency or power for those LED bulbs in Quest 2 controllers.]

Worse, Quest 2 has removed the grippy, cross-grain texture found in Quest 1 controllers, while making the controllers slightly heavier (151g for the new controllers, versus 129g for Quest 1's controllers). As a result, I've felt them slip out of my grip much more often than with Quest 1. Having a wider pad on top of the controller to rest my thumb doesn't alleviate the issue. It's the first of many curious changes between Quest headset generations.

Fabric feelings, strap yaps
In terms of cosmetic changes, Quest 2 no longer lines the headset's sides with soft fabric, nor does it include a similar fabric lining in the inside. The former is a manageable bummer; I miss that soft sensation of picking the Quest up, but I can live without it. The latter genuinely impacts usability by allowing more light bleed into your field of view—it's not much, but with VR immersion, every bit of light leak counts.

The biggest "cosmetic" change is also incredibly impactful to the headset's function—the Quest 2 has a new strap. Ugh. I have never seen such an abomination in my years of reviewing VR headsets. It's worse than Oculus Go, the previous bottom-rung candidate for cheapest-feeling headset strap on the market.


  • This default, cheap, backpack-like strap must be adjusted every time you put Quest 2 on, or take it off, because it doesn't come with a nifty elastic strap a la Quest 1.
    Sam Machkovech

  • An awkward photo of this strap on the author's head.
Previous SlideNext Slide
Instead of employing a typical "halo" strap design, meant as much to shift support and weight to the back of your head as to allow a variety of hairstyles through, Oculus has opted for an uncomfortable split-strap design. This connects a top-of-head strap and two straps leading to the headset's left- and right-hand sides. If you have long hair, you now have one fewer organic way to pull that hair out comfortably.

Worse, you must adjust this strap's fit every single time you put it on or take it off, since it works like a strap on a backpack or messenger bag: you must pull the strap through a pair of double-looped buckles. Quest 2 asks users to pull to the left to tighten, to the right to loosen. (Ever heard the phrase "righty-tighty, lefty-loosie," Facebook?) It feels clumsy and obnoxious every single time, and its shape does a bad job of properly distributing the headset's weight. That weight, by the way, is nearly identical to Quest 1; the new headset's "10%" reduction in weight comes almost entirely from the change to this lighter default headstrap.

Previous SlideNext Slide
Thus, Oculus Quest 2's starting price isn't really $299. It's $349, with the $50 cost of a Quest 2 Elite Strap tossed into the mix. This add-on, which goes in place of the default strap, revolves around a firmer plastic design that opens and closes with a clicky dial, all buffered by a rubberized halo (you know, the kind that supports a variety of hairstyles). This strap makes Quest 2 tougher to toss into a messenger bag, however, and if you have a giant head or wear glasses, it becomes much tougher to get onto your face, owing to the Elite Strap's weirdly limited "maximum" extension.

The Quest 2 Elite Strap beats the Quest 1's default strap in terms of weight distribution (which was my biggest complaint about it in 2019). But that comes at the cost of convenience and head-size restrictions. Facebook no longer offers the cleverly engineered last-gen strap as an option.

Today's lesson for pupils
Even if you make your peace with getting Quest 2 onto your face, you're in for another potential rude awakening. Oculus Quest 2 includes a higher-resolution fast-switching LCD display, rated at 1832x1920 per eye, compared to a 1440x1600 rating for each of Quest 1's OLED panels. But, yes, you read that correctly. That's a single LCD panel for Quest 2, not a pair of them.

Facebook tried this same engineering approach with 2019's Oculus Rift S, a PC-exclusive VR headset, but this decision changed the way users might adjust the headset's interpupillary distance (IPD) slider. Most VR headsets split their displays into two panels, then put them on a mechanical swivel that users can adjust at a sub-millimeter level so that they are properly aimed at each eye, perfect for anyone's uniquely shaped face. (IPD, for the uninitiated, is the distance between your pupils; it's comparable to the size of a credit card, though it can widely vary.)

The Rift S faked this by letting users artificially adjust IPD output via software, so that the pixels on this single panel might move leftward or rightward. The result was functional enough, but it left users with extreme IPDs out of luck and added an additional smear outside the lenses' "sweet spot" (meaning, pixels in the periphery looked blurrier than the center).

The eyes may not have it
not like physically touching any part of a VR headset's lens assembly, personally." style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 0.17s ease 0s; color: rgb(255, 78, 0);">
Enlarge
/ Facebook wants you to grip the edges of the Quest 2's lenses in order to physically shift them from side to side. I do not like physically touching any part of a VR headset's lens assembly, personally.
Oculus Quest 2 tries to split the difference with an adjustment system that both physically moves the lenses and digitally alters which pixels light up. Instead of pressing on Quest 1's plastic guide to adjust a headset's screens and lenses for utter precision, Quest 2 asks users to push directly on the edges of the lenses—quite firmly—to slot them into one of three settings. That's a pretty iffy proposition for an average user, since directly touching a VR headset's lenses is a big, fat no-no.

Quest 1 offered sub-millimeter precision with its slider. But Quest 2 only offers three rigid IPD settings, each 5mm apart: 58mm, 63mm, and 68mm.

My IPD is 61.1mm, almost halfway between the first two positions. When I use either of the closest default Quest 2 options, the results are just blurry enough to make me feel uncomfortable and dizzy after 10 minutes of use. Hmm.

(This lines up with my experience with headsets like Valve Index, which are similarly uncomfortable once I encroach the 1mm differential between my real IPD and the headset's setting.)

I asked Oculus Quest product manager Rangaprabhu Parthasarathy about this design change. He alleged that when testing Quest 1's calibration system, which let users guide their IPD slider until a series of green lines turned from blurry to crisp, "users didn't know which is clearer." In other words: Facebook blames dumb users, not trying to save money.

"I'm really sorry it's not landing in your sweet spot," Parthasarathy added.

Cheating the Quest 2 system
So how did I conduct my Quest 2 review without tossing my cookies? I set the lenses to the "2" position (meaning, 63mm IPD), then pushed them inward as if I were shifting them to the "1" position... but stopped as soon as they got stuck in between. As a result, the single-LED panel continues to serve VR images at a 63mm expectation, but the lenses are moved inward just enough to warp them into something that I find comfortable. Thankfully, picking up and putting down the Quest 2 does not dislodge the lenses from my preferred position, even though they're not "locked" into place.

When I explained this method to Facebook reps during an interview, VR content director Chris Pruett misunderstood me: "If you've forced the lenses into an in-between setting, you may be getting more discomfort as a result." I explained this was my only source of Quest 2 relief.

But as Pruett reminded me, I'm cheating the Quest 2's system, which is "warping" the pixels according to the lenses' fixed position. In other words: If your IPD lands outside Quest 2's advertised options, do not expect my little trick to necessarily work for your comfort level.

Quick-loading, quickly snatched away
Oculus Quest 2's leak from earlier this week revolved around the best aspects of this headset: the updated specs compared to 2019's first-gen model. That included confirmation of Quest 2's Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 (based off Snapdragon 865 architecture) as its core SoC, 6GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage. (The base $299 model includes 64GB of storage; a $399 model gets you up to 256GB.)

This increased power fuels a few things in Quest 2's pre-release state. One of those is a new and impressive fast-switching feature for apps, which is currently buried in the companion Oculus smartphone app. (Reminder: You cannot boot any Quest headset without first syncing it to either an Android or iOS device, which I still maintain is ridiculous.)

With the smartphone interface loaded, I can tap any app listed in its library, so long as it's installed on my Quest 2 headset. Doing this will instantly boot that Quest 2 game or app—without necessarily closing other apps. I tested this out by bouncing from Beat Saber to Space Pirate Trainer to Rez Infinite to Tetris Effect, and back again, either with instant loads or faster-than-usual ones. Doing this on Quest 1 forces you to stop, quit to the main Oculus interface, and sit through each game's loading screens—which can draaaaag time-wise.

However, Oculus representatives have suggested that this cool functionality will be disabled once Oculus Quest 2 reaches store shelves in October. Please, Facebook, don't take something away from this headset that I actually like. (There's a chance it will still work if a game supports Oculus's new "Universal Menu" system. But that's not the same as the across-the-board speed I noticed in my tests.)



will soon force anyone who wants to sideload apps to either supply a working phone number or a credit card. Yes, that is separate from the FB account requirement.)

Quite frankly, I had designs on testing Oculus Quest 2 with a burner Facebook account. I'd set one up years ago with a spam email address, and Facebook's reps asked me for my Facebook account address before they shipped me the review unit. I gave them my burner profile URL, then went to reset the password. By wrongly typing my new password one time, I was locked out. "Please send us proof of your identity," the site sternly warned me.

I actually went to an Ars Technica colleague and asked how he felt about mocking up a "frequent shopper card" with my burner account's fake name on it. He declined. He said something about "ethics." Fair enough. I had to shift gears and give Facebook a real-name account to use Quest 2.

I mention this goofy anecdote because you may be tempted to do the same thing... but Facebook is both incredibly firm and incredibly arbitrary about leveraging the "real name" policy in its ToS. This service has waited to wipe hundreds of thousands of fake accounts, created by governments and political campaigns for illegitimate purposes, until after a PR nightmare emerges. The same service can flag the slightest weirdness in your attempts to connect real Oculus Store purchases with an account by the name of Guy Incognito.

Suspensions, invisible moderators, and rolling recordings
Should the latter happen, Facebook is clear: You can kiss your purchased software goodbye. The same goes for anyone who enters a Facebook-branded VR social zone, like Facebook Horizons or Facebook Venues, and breaks a Facebook ToS in those spaces. (Facebook says it's still working out the kinks in these policies, in terms of whether offending users will face "30-day suspensions" and what kind of software restrictions those may entail.)

On top of those issues, my Quest 2 tests have expanded upon what Facebook previously announced in terms of how they'll moderate their Facebook-branded social spaces. Facebook Venues' beta includes a notice that the app, at all times for all users, performs a "rolling recording" of everything you see, say, and do within VR, so that you can tap a button to upload that footage and report other users' behavior. (Facebook insists this recording happens entirely locally on your device.)

Even if you're minding your own business, your behavior may be tracked by invisible FB moderators.

Should you ever tap the "report" button, the app's terms confirm that Facebook is well within its rights to retain any data you upload for as long as they deem necessary, with no statute of limitations. A similar data-retention scenario emerges every single time you block or mute someone within VR. If a stranger approaches you and does something unwelcome, and you choose to proactively push back with built-in block or mute functions, Facebook may silently and invisibly sic a moderator upon the situation to see what happened and how you may have reacted or what you might have said or done in response.

Even worse, if someone "near" you in an official Facebook VR space blocks or reports a user, even if you're just minding your own business, your behavior (including motions and speech) may be tracked by these same silent, invisible Facebook moderators. That data can be stored on Facebook's servers indefinitely without you being notified.

If you'd like to learn whether anyone on Facebook's staff watched you within any of these apps and for how long, Facebook advises you to take off your headset and visit the catch-all URL of facebook.com/support for more information. From there, you have to figure out where exactly to file such a request. (So far, searches for Facebook Venues at that site turn up zero results.)

As we at Ars Technica know, that kind of constant data collection is a bonafide recipe for disaster. If you're looking to reduce stress on your VR apps' servers, Facebook, policies like these are a good start, because I certainly won't be using that app again.

Oculus Quest, now with more friction
In good news, Oculus Quest 2's current "hub" zone, where users access menus and load games, has yet to be fully Faceburrito'ed. The default hub doesn't include Facebook-fueled feeds, and no such "rolling recording" notice appears in that space. But once you log into Quest 2 with a Facebook account attached, there's truly no telling how far the social media company can go with your data.

Last year, I was charmed enough by Quest 1's frictionless path to standalone 6DOF, and relieved enough by its distance from full Facebook integration, to easily recommend the system as a viable VR option. This year, I cannot say the same. The hardware ships with zero brand-new features, particularly built-in wireless VR support, and it scrapes away many of the prior model's gains in VR quality-of-life tweaks.

Too much annoying stuff gets in the way of Quest 2's improved power and improved screens, and that's before even uttering the dirty F-word.

Verdict: Avoid.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020...he-299-oculus-quest-2-as-your-next-vr-system/
 

Venser

Magister
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
1,887
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dm6
"Facebook Venues' beta includes a notice that the app, at all times for all users, performs a "rolling recording" of everything you see, say, and do within VR, so that you can tap a button to upload that footage and report other users' behavior. (Facebook insists this recording happens entirely locally on your device.)

Should you ever tap the "report" button, the app's terms confirm that Facebook is well within its rights to retain any data you upload for as long as they deem necessary, with no statute of limitations. A similar data-retention scenario emerges every single time you block or mute someone within VR. If a stranger approaches you and does something unwelcome, and you choose to proactively push back with built-in block or mute functions, Facebook may silently and invisibly sic a moderator upon the situation to see what happened and how you may have reacted or what you might have said or done in response.

Even worse, if someone "near" you in an official Facebook VR space blocks or reports a user, even if you're just minding your own business, your behavior (including motions and speech) may be tracked by these same silent, invisible Facebook moderators. That data can be stored on Facebook's servers indefinitely without you being notified."
 
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A horse of course

Guest
Even worse, if someone "near" you in an official Facebook VR space blocks or reports a user, even if you're just minding your own business, your behavior (including motions and speech) may be tracked by these same silent, invisible Facebook moderators. That data can be stored on Facebook's servers indefinitely without you being notified."

I didn't know Facebook wanted to compete with OnlyFans
 

Doktor Best

Arcane
Joined
Feb 2, 2015
Messages
2,876
So they fucked up IPD adjustment AGAIN...

Man i just want a higher resolution oculus rift with more fov and a bigger sweet spot. Is that so much to ask?
 

Razor

Arcane
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
942
Yeah that IPD moment is a real WTF. The difference between a correct IPD and incorrect is severe eyestrain if used for any prolonged time. At least thats my experience...

They must be trying to force the price down as much as they can because they believe thats whats keeping the VR from spreading more widely. IMO the Alyx situation, ie the through the roof backlog sales of the mega pricey index shows its a question of high quality semi-exclusive software. Its kind of dickish but from the console market experience one can see that it works: how many have bought a PS+PSVR just to get Bloodborne or RE7 VR, after which they stayed native to the console because they have it and why not get the most out of it?

Diluting the base hard/software will only give more negative rep for VR because a lemming convinced this is just a gimmicky fad is not going to pony up even a hundred bucks for the existing poor mans versions just to try it out.
 

Dexter

Arcane
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
15,655
So they fucked up IPD adjustment AGAIN...

Man i just want a higher resolution oculus rift with more fov and a bigger sweet spot. Is that so much to ask?
It looks just like a cheap piece of plastic with an Android chip in it to me. It's basically what this was warning about 2 years ago: https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/279364-oculus-rift-2-canceled-co-founder-leaves-facebook
According to TC, Iribe and the other FB executives had very different views of what the Rift 2 should be. Iribe reportedly wasn’t interested in a “race to the bottom” for the VR market.

The CV1 actually had good shit in it, even the materials it was built out of were sturdy and higher quality, and shit like IPD adjustment and a passable or good sound solution was taken for granted.

The "Quest 2" apparently doesn't even come with a proper headstrap, and you apparently have to buy the "Elite Strap" for $50 if you want even some basic comfort: https://www.oculus.com/accessories/quest-2-elite-strap/

Same with the battery that apparently barely lasts for 2 hours, so you have to buy a separate "Battery Pack" if you believe it might become annoying to barely be able to watch a full movie in one go for $130: https://uploadvr.com/oculus-quest-2-accessories-revealed/

The "Oculus Link" cable to have it connect to the PC and not only being able to use it as a Mobile gaming device with shit graphics is $80.

They have partnered with Logitech for an "Over-Ear Headphone Accessory" for $100 that's basically just a pair of Headphones with a short cable for the jack: https://uploadvr.com/quest-2-logitech-headphones/
Logitech-Quest2Headphones-Lifestyle1-768x720.png.webp


They can't change the IPD drastically because it only has one 3664x1920 screen built in (instead of two separate screens that can move), making them likely to lose a lot of pixels for both eyes to start with and as Carmack said in his talk at the upper ends of the IPD people will lose FoV on the sides instead.

It's a giant compromise trying to get the price as low as possible in the hope of getting people to bite and the only thing it has "going" for it is the RGB LED that's higher resolution than on most other HMDs so far.
 
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Joined
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Messages
1,976
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Delegating telepathy. Yes, no, maybe.
Codex USB, 2014
"Facebook Venues' beta includes a notice that the app, at all times for all users, performs a "rolling recording" of everything you see, say, and do within VR, so that you can tap a button to upload that footage and report other users' behavior. (Facebook insists this recording happens entirely locally on your device.)

Should you ever tap the "report" button, the app's terms confirm that Facebook is well within its rights to retain any data you upload for as long as they deem necessary, with no statute of limitations. A similar data-retention scenario emerges every single time you block or mute someone within VR. If a stranger approaches you and does something unwelcome, and you choose to proactively push back with built-in block or mute functions, Facebook may silently and invisibly sic a moderator upon the situation to see what happened and how you may have reacted or what you might have said or done in response.

Even worse, if someone "near" you in an official Facebook VR space blocks or reports a user, even if you're just minding your own business, your behavior (including motions and speech) may be tracked by these same silent, invisible Facebook moderators. That data can be stored on Facebook's servers indefinitely without you being notified."
This is why Microsoft and Nvidia and Apple among others try to sabotage the Index and SteamVR. The cabal wants full satanic control over VR. These people want power over others and they have bad intentions with that power. They in turn are being used by evil higher dimensional beings that want to farm the misery of the people of planet earth.

I am guessing it is the reason that Windows has problems recognizing the sound output of the Index and why I cannot play VR twice in the same instance of my computer being up and running without my pc crashing.

I am not joking when I say Valve is at war with satanists.
:mob:
 

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