Progressive Glasses and The Rift

[Desert63]

Hey Cmdrs,

I have read a stunning volume of posts here in my quest to talk myself into the Rift, but the biggest question is around glasses. Yes, I get that they work with glasses, but what kind of glasses? (you glasses wearers know what I mean).

With my vision I can see from several inches to two-three feet flawlessly. After that it gets worse as the distance goes on. I wear progressive (multi focal) glasses, which I love and never take off and give me 20/10 vision. The trick with these glasses was the 6 week adjustment period of learning where to look through the glasses to get the right view through the glass for the correction I need in that moment. It’s now automatic and I adjust my head and eyes without thinking and can see perfectly.

That is a bit more complicated sounding, but my glasses essentially have numerous corrections across the multi-focal lenses.

So in short, anyone wearing progressives with the rift? How does that work? As normally you slightly adjust your head (changing your angle to an object) to see it perfectly, but in this case the rift would move with your head movement, so…?

Thanks

 

[Mazhurg]

I wear progressives and I don't use them in the rift.

I can't stand the pressure of the mask against the glasses and by nose bridge. In addition, you have to place the glasses so that the best far correction is centred on the eye and the rift lenses which requires pushing the eyeglasses even further down the nose. However my NS is low enough that I can use the B lense directly and get an adequate quality (not perfect).

I've tried using contacts, but presbyopia prevents me from peaking easily outside the rift (would need reading glasses for anything close) so I tend to not use them either.

I've not tried MF contacts, but since there is no accommodation required (rift focuses user to infinity) the contacts would have to be reversed (i.e near on outside - far inside) for them to work properly as they are normally available as aspheric and I suspect that it would not play well with how the rift lenses works.

 

[Desert63]

I wear progressives and I don't use them in the rift.

I can't stand the pressure of the mask against the glasses and by nose bridge. In addition, you have to place the glasses so that the best far correction is centred on the eye and the rift lenses which requires pushing the eyeglasses even further down the nose. However my NS is low enough that I can use the B lense directly and get an adequate quality (not perfect).

I've tried using contacts, but presbyopia prevents me from peaking easily outside the rift (would need reading glasses for anything close) so I tend to not use them either.

I've not tried MF contacts, but since there is no accommodation required (rift focuses user to infinity) the contacts would have to be reversed (i.e near on outside - far inside) for them to work properly as they are normally available as aspheric and I suspect that it would not play well with how the rift lenses works.

Thanks Mazhurg, this is what I suspected. Both the problem of the glasses itself and trying to get the correction focal point right against the fixed Rift on my head. I rarely wear contacts, but when I do I can see distance just fine, and now cant see my keyboard, so I basically shift around my vision problem. MF contacts - not a chance, I am trying to limit the amount of messing with things I do all day.

It is looking more and more like I need to try a RIFT for any number of reasons, incluidng the B lenses first.

I could just buy a fixed lenses set of glasses and those would be my "Rift Glasses" but then I run into the same problem as I cant see things close. It really has to do with how the Rift 'technically' presents distances. When I am seeing my cockpit in the Rift is that expecting me to be using the part of my eye that sees Near? And when I see distance is it expecting my eye to be seeing actual distance. Again, since this is "virtual" there are some things going on here with respect to the eye, that may not work like looking at real near and far objects in Real Life. That could be to my advantage as it means the DOF is more narrow/wide than real life and a really thin set of single vision glasses could work for me.

Other glasses users? Tell us your stories please, the more technical the better. This forum is loaded with the most amazing setup and config guides, need one for glasses use and the Rift

Thanks!

 

[Mazhurg]

It really has to do with how the Rift 'technically' presents distances.

Technically the rift draws everything at the same virtual distance plane, so no near / far accommodation is required. So, once your vision is corrected to focal 0, there is no need to focus for near or far. In other words, the focal length looking in the cockpit or that planet out there is the same.

The B lenses are approximately -3.0 diopers, although OVR does not say. My prescription is -2.25 and -2.00 and its not too bad. As my Presbyopia is about +2ish, I am lucky enough that I need no glasses to see close so using the rift with the B lenses makes sense to me.

YMMV though.

 

[Desert63]

Technically the rift draws everything at the same virtual distance plane, so no near / far accommodation is required. So, once your vision is corrected to focal 0, there is no need to focus for near or far. In other words, the focal length looking in the cockpit or that planet out there is the same.

The B lenses are approximately -3.0 diopers, although OVR does not say. My prescription is -2.25 and -2.00 and its not too bad. As my Presbyopia is about +2ish, I am lucky enough that I need no glasses to see close so using the rift with the B lenses makes sense to me.

YMMV though.

Thanks, this is a huge help. I suspected there was no actual...I don't know how to describe it but will call it DOF, so my progressives could work against me since they are designed for a world with essentially infinite distances. The fact that its a single plane would allow me to get ultra thin single vision glasses from one of those overseas discounters, something that might allow me to wear them in the Rift. And wait, that is a weird one, those are my exact prescriptions - wth. So then with the B lenses, beyond that everyone is saying is clearly reduced resolution, you are pleased? You can read the text, from your vision correction (sortof 3.0 to 2.25 correction kind of thing).
Thanks

 

[Mazhurg]

Text is readable, although you may have to squint a bit occasionally (you do get used to it though).

Also helping a lot is changing the HUD colour to one of the green variants described in some of the posts in this forum.

Last, while using a rift is an incredible experience, pleased might be a strong word so let say that it is adequate - but the next iteration of the rift (or other HMD) better have adjustable focus correction.

 

[Desert63]

Text is readable, although you may have to squint a bit occasionally (you do get used to it though).

Also helping a lot is changing the HUD colour to one of the green variants described in some of the posts in this forum.

Last, while using a rift is an incredible experience, pleased might be a strong word so let say that it is adequate - but the next iteration of the rift (or other HMD) better have adjustable focus correction.

As much as I like it, adjustable might be a big ask....is there such a thing?. Not even sure how that would work as we know the optometrist has to flip all those different lenses back and forth to settle on a correction. I would be wiling to pay extra for "B" lenses in my correction, or close to it, say -2. That is not unrealistic to be able to buy lenses as an addon that I purchase and put in myself. Seeing as how "I expect" a consumer version will be a long term thing (at least a year between versions) then it is worth the money to invest in customizing the headset for me. If this thing takes off like I expect, I bet a big aftermarket crops up for stuff like this.

 

[Mazhurg]

Adjustable as in binoculars, or something similar. Has not been done yet probably because of the weight, but I think the GearVr has something working, even if it only moves both lenses in unison.

 

[Desert63]

Adjustable as in binoculars, or something similar. Has not been done yet probably because of the weight, but I think the GearVr has something working, even if it only moves both lenses in unison.

Yes, I forgot about that, the diopter settings on binoculars, that would work. I had to have my diopter settings memorized when I was in the military. Yes, the weight would not be good for the majority of people who dont need correction. But again, a different version, or eyepieces that I am happy to pay extra for...Well not happy, but would pay extra for

 

[Pate]

I also wear multi-focal glasses, and don't use them in the Rift. My correction values are pretty low, so this does not pose much of a problem for me. The biggest problem I have is peeking out below the Rift to see the name of the target system I have written on a piece of paper, as I would need my glasses to be able to read what I had written.

 

[Desert63]

I also wear multi-focal glasses, and don't use them in the Rift. My correction values are pretty low, so this does not pose much of a problem for me. The biggest problem I have is peeking out below the Rift to see the name of the target system I have written on a piece of paper, as I would need my glasses to be able to read what I had written.

I believe this means you are farsighted, where the other poster and myself are nearsighted. I always get those mixed up but you are the opposite, as I can see on my desk just fine without glasses or with my progressive glasses. The problem for me comes with single vision or contacts as then I cannot see close anymore. I need to try out a Rift!