The Samsung Odyssey...

[VR_Yata_PL]

This headset is pretty nice for me, it's the headset with the best resolution so far (1440x1600/eye vs 1080x1200/eye for the rift/vive). This will be really good for ED
Don't compare it with Pimax, it's only a prototype and we don't know the release date, we will not get it before a long time if never at all.

Why not to Pimax ? Backers gets it in Dec/Jan. All windows reality headset sholudn’t be on the table untill ED or at least Steam vr official relase date annouced for them.
All Win HMD’s without games base looks only good on paper.

 

[KospY]

Why not to Pimax ? Backers gets it in Dec/Jan. All windows reality headset sholudn’t be on the table untill ED or at least Steam vr official relase date annouced for them.
All Win HMD’s without games base looks only good on paper.

I agree with you, without Steamvr compatibility or good game on their store this headset will be useless for gaming.

About Pimax, well it just seem "to good to be true" for me :

• 200° FOV
• "8k" * displays (3840x2160 per eye)
• Magical "brainwarp" (why valve & oculus never figured this?)
• 449$
• December 2017 release
• Lot of promises (hand motion, inside-out tracking, wireless, eye tracking)

I just have the feeling that they are trying to rush the 4k display for cash grab before the big one come in (gen 2).
If the majority of the constructor are staying below 4k and 200° fov there must be some technical issues atm.
I will be pleased to be proven wrong however!

*I don't like their marketing position about 8k, they are using two 4k displays, if I look at a 4k screen with one eye closed that will not halve its resolution

 

[Birdseed007]

I have similar concerns about the Pimax. It also seems that their current 4K display should blow the Rift and the Hive out of the water - it already sports much higher resolution and yet in the reviews I have seen such as this one: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/27/4k-vr-headset/ and the youtuber here who describes it as 'rubbish' on Elite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dq4ncp5cDs&t=1125s despite better specs it simply doesn't better the existing leaders.

Samsung are a huge tech company with a significant reputation to protect and a vast level of experience in screens. I thus think it's less likely they will release something that doesn't work properly than Pimax who are a Chinese tech newcomer seeking to push the state of the art so hard.

I'm also far from convinced that there will be a computer on earth that can run the new 8K headset smoothly whereas the Samsung is a modest upgrade in resolution from the current leaders - and we know they work well.

All of this makes for a very confusing picture as a prospective purchaser. What we have here is worse than VHS v Betamax. We have Samsung who don't even have a UK release date for their new offering and no guaranteed date for Steam games integration - maybe sometime before/around Christmas, we have Pimax promising the earth at the end of the year, or I could buy a Rift tomorrow and start enjoying playing Elite in VR.

I have to say I'm still perplexed - and I'm pretty tech savvy. If I was the confused non-techie parent of a 15 year old boy I'd probably just buy the bloody playstation VR and be done with it!

Birdseed

 

[willisit]

I thought I was registered here... maybe not.

So, the Pimax. Their marketing is a bit off but since they've already done a "4K" the 8K is logical, if misleading (and they've said as much in the KS commentary).
I've not tried it, but I'm backing the basic 8K which is 2560x1440 upscaled to 4K. It's, in reality, an exercise in SDE removal. The 8KX is native but even they have said it'll likely need 1080Tis in SLI or a next gen 2080 or whatever Volta brings. So, it's a bit early for that kind of thing.
Brainwarp is the same interleaving tech that Oculus and Vive use; it's nothing new, it just renders frames out of sync to fool you in to thinking its 90fps and relieves the stress on the GPU.

So, at $499 WITHOUT any tracking (i.e. you still need Vive lighthouses) it's not a bad deal if it works. The rest (wifi/eye tracking) are all add ons for later and at additional cost.

Me, I'm excited. For sat-down, Elite/pCars this could be amazing.

 

[VR Mr Teatime]

Perhaps another way of looking at the Samsung and other MS HMDs (and Oculus and Vive for that matter) is; "why are they going for small incremental upgrades to the initial Rift/Vive platforms on an annual basis?".

I can think of several answers, but the most likely is to maximise revenue over a number of years by tick-tocking between "accessories" one year and small spec upgrades the next.

I'm glad PiMAX are being disruptive, even if they are a "riskier" investment.

 

[willisit]

Perhaps another way of looking at the Samsung and other MS HMDs (and Oculus and Vive for that matter) is; "why are they going for small incremental upgrades to the initial Rift/Vive platforms on an annual basis?".

I can think of several answers, but the most likely is to maximise revenue over a number of years by tick-tocking between "accessories" one year and small spec upgrades the next.

I'm glad PiMAX are being disruptive, even if they are a "riskier" investment.

Possibly. A year or two ago, running either the Vive or the Oculus was almost beyond mainstream GPUs (I don't mean the Ti variants at £800+) and things have moved very quickly - so it's only natural to assume those vendors would want to milk the current tech as long as possible, or more likely, to see if the adoption rate is high enought to warrant a second generation.

 

[Birdseed007]

Just chatted to Samsung UK online and they have no release date yet for the new headset and no information on where and when it might be available.

Does anybody know if historically Samsung tend to release globally on the same day or do they tend to stagger releases by territory.

My new Alienware is arriving on Friday. This is bad news because I start a 3 day trip on Friday morning so won't be able to play with it until Sunday afternoon when thankfully I have two days off! I can't wait to try VR with Elite and I am toying with just ordering a Rift from Amazon or John Lewis to try it. If I am not blown away by it I can just send it back and wait for the Samsung. If I like it I can keep it and enjoy it for the next year or two until something definitively better turns up. So far my only experience of VR is trying it on a PS4 for a few minutes in B+H New York. As somebody who is used to flight simulators because of the day job I am well aware though how much your senses can be fooled by technology and I really do suspect that VR is a game changer for flight simulation type games like Elite in terms of immersion.

What I really need is to hire or borrow a headset from somebody with spares lying around to tide me over until the Samsung is available! It's one thing to buy a headset when it's early in the nproduct lifecycle but I don't want to buy for example a Rift if it's about to be superseded.

Birdseed

 

[VR_Yata_PL]

Perhaps another way of looking at the Samsung and other MS HMDs (and Oculus and Vive for that matter) is; "why are they going for small incremental upgrades to the initial Rift/Vive platforms on an annual basis?".

I can think of several answers, but the most likely is to maximise revenue over a number of years by tick-tocking between "accessories" one year and small spec upgrades the next.

I'm glad PiMAX are being disruptive, even if they are a "riskier" investment.

Samsung and others Win Mix Reallity HMD's will have a lot of problems with correct tracking in games and that was adressed by Norm from TESTED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JjiReFuQhs

 

[willisit]

Just chatted to Samsung UK online and they have no release date yet for the new headset and no information on where and when it might be available.

Does anybody know if historically Samsung tend to release globally on the same day or do they tend to stagger releases by territory.

My new Alienware is arriving on Friday. This is bad news because I start a 3 day trip on Friday morning so won't be able to play with it until Sunday afternoon when thankfully I have two days off! I can't wait to try VR with Elite and I am toying with just ordering a Rift from Amazon or John Lewis to try it. If I am not blown away by it I can just send it back and wait for the Samsung. If I like it I can keep it and enjoy it for the next year or two until something definitively better turns up. So far my only experience of VR is trying it on a PS4 for a few minutes in B+H New York. As somebody who is used to flight simulators because of the day job I am well aware though how much your senses can be fooled by technology and I really do suspect that VR is a game changer for flight simulation type games like Elite in terms of immersion.

What I really need is to hire or borrow a headset from somebody with spares lying around to tide me over until the Samsung is available! It's one thing to buy a headset when it's early in the nproduct lifecycle but I don't want to buy for example a Rift if it's about to be superseded.

Birdseed

The "other" MS headsets are releasing world wide this month and the Samsung is early November... but I've not seen anything to say if that's global, but the BBC is reporting the same date.

 

[Pville_Piper]

Samsung and others Win Mix Reallity HMD's will have a lot of problems with correct tracking in games and that was adressed by Norm from TESTED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JjiReFuQhs

I watched that video and I didn't see them downing the inside out tracking. They seem to me to agree that the problems are largely mitigated. They seemed to be impressed with the Samsung unit overall.

If they can get Steam integration before the holidays it should do well. My biggest concern is that people will think they can play games with a low spec computer and the experience won't be good. For people like us, we will do the research and understand the requirements needed as we do with games and hardware already. But casual players will likely look at the price and minimal specs for the low tier and jump in thinking they can play anything and will be sorely disappointed thus giving MR a black eye early on.

 

[Flapdrol1337]

Samsung and others Win Mix Reallity HMD's will have a lot of problems with correct tracking in games and that was adressed by Norm from TESTED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JjiReFuQhs

Not perfectly tracking the controller when you're not looking at it is not a "massive problem".

The only worry I have is if these headsets have an alternative to async spacewarp. If they have that this headset will probably be the best choice for elite.

 

[KospY]

For a seated experience like Elite there is no need of the controllers

The only worry I have is if these headsets have an alternative to async spacewarp. If they have that this headset will probably be the best choice for elite.

I don't think that will be in, I seriously doubt Microsoft implemented something like this. Also the headset will be compatible with SteamVR so no ASW.
Our best hope is Steam implementing it one day.

 

[Mazhurg]

The "other" MS headsets are releasing world wide this month and the Samsung is early November... but I've not seen anything to say if that's global, but the BBC is reporting the same date.

I've ordered it through he MS store (Canada). Releases early November.

 

[Mazhurg]

For a seated experience like Elite there is no need of the controllers


I don't think that will be in, I seriously doubt Microsoft implemented something like this. Also the headset will be compatible with SteamVR so no ASW.
Our best hope is Steam implementing it one day.

SteamVR has async time warp. Also MS has dabbled with some form of ASW. Whether it will show in the Windows VR API is unknown at this point.

 

[VR_Yata_PL]

For a seated experience like Elite there is no need of the controllers


I don't think that will be in, I seriously doubt Microsoft implemented something like this. Also the headset will be compatible with SteamVR so no ASW.
Our best hope is Steam implementing it one day.

but steam implemented asynchronous reprojection already - working great with ED and most Rift users I know turns off ASW with Elite..

and guys the best options will be Pimax 8k
please read fresh review from last show in San Francisco : https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualrea...t_to_demo_the_pimax_5k_and_8k_headsets_heres/

 

[loribee]

I thought I was registered here... maybe not.

So, the Pimax. Their marketing is a bit off but since they've already done a "4K" the 8K is logical, if misleading (and they've said as much in the KS commentary).
I've not tried it, but I'm backing the basic 8K which is 2560x1440 upscaled to 4K. It's, in reality, an exercise in SDE removal. The 8KX is native but even they have said it'll likely need 1080Tis in SLI or a next gen 2080 or whatever Volta brings. So, it's a bit early for that kind of thing.
Brainwarp is the same interleaving tech that Oculus and Vive use; it's nothing new, it just renders frames out of sync to fool you in to thinking its 90fps and relieves the stress on the GPU.

So, at $499 WITHOUT any tracking (i.e. you still need Vive lighthouses) it's not a bad deal if it works. The rest (wifi/eye tracking) are all add ons for later and at additional cost.

Me, I'm excited. For sat-down, Elite/pCars this could be amazing.

I got to try the 8k Pimax last night and I have to say I left very impressed with it. The 200degree FOV is the game changer ... I would liken it to 4:3 Televisions (remember those!!) and then we went to widescreen 16:9 -- that's what this is like .. yes, its *that* much of a leap

 

[Pville_Piper]

More likely 4x3 to 21:9...

 

[loribee]

More likely 4x3 to 21:9...

I was going to say that, but I don't think many on here have made the move to 21:9 yet, so wouldn't know how big a difference that was. I recently picked up a 21:9 on massdrop, and yeah -- it's a huge difference to playing the game on a standard 1080 screen, let alone an old 4:3 'tube' ... or even around your friends house on his television back in 1984

 

[Red River]

it's not just FOV
it's way higher resolution than other HMD as well.

 

[loribee]

it's not just FOV
it's way higher resolution than other HMD as well.

Well, yes ... the picture was definitely pin sharp, but that's to be expected with 2 x 4k screens in it. I already own the Pimax 4k BE model and that's already higher res than the rift and vive and light years ahead of my PSVR (which I would consider more of a casual VR unit anyway) but truly, what utterly blew my mind was the increased FOV with this. I already have a great FOV when not in VR with my 21:9 monitor, and this is basically taking that experience into VR.

I can't wait to try this headset with Elite.