Trying to justify spending £600 on a VR headset

Greyhawk · Sep 25, 2016

So I have Elite, I have a comp that can run VR and now I am having a very hard time convincing myself to pay for a VR headset. It seems like a heck of a lot of money for basically the one actual game that isnt a tech demo - which all the others seem to be.

I'm just not convinced this will be any more than a dust collector in a years time. I've looked at a bajillion comparison videos and I think the Oculus seems to be better for what I want. It also helps that its much cheaper than the Vive. But I still cant get to that all important commitment and add it to the cart!

I need someone to convince me this isn't a minidisc/Laser Disc/Video 2000 style technical dead end!

mp4x · Sep 25, 2016

VR changes the way you use your computer for ever.

I even like the tech demo stuff. It's exciting and interesting to be on the front-line while developers test out what they can and can't do with a new *thing*

As it(tech/gaming changes) was 30, 20 and 10 years ago.

Asp Explorer · Sep 25, 2016

Do any stores nearby offer demos?

VR isn't for some people - and it's just impossible to describe.

Soopyyy · Sep 25, 2016

I Jerry rigged a gearVR to play Elite, and even that was mind blowing.

Cliché · Sep 25, 2016

Greyhawk said:
I need someone to convince me this isn't a minidisc/Laser Disc/Video 2000 style technical dead end!

No guarantees on that, but I doubt VR is going anywhere but up.

Think of the cost to upgrade to a good QHD g-sync gaming monitor, or going 4K, and the price of a Rift can almost be a bargain. And IMHO, after playing in VR for 5-6 weeks, with it looking better every day, the VR experience, with the scale of being there, rather than looking into a small monitor, will blow any 2D gaming experience away.

With that said, if you are one of the few who don't like it, you should be able to sell it for little loss and having gained the experience.

Hell, I even got a good price for my old Pioneer Laser Disc player.

Seneleron · Sep 25, 2016

It's not our job to "try to justify" your purchase of an Oculus Rift. Only you can answer the question "can I afford this thing"?

But I'll tell you this, from personal experience. I came from the other direction: had a rift first, and the tech demos and some of the games were cool. . . but it wasn't something I really used for more than an hour or so a day, more to get used to it than anything.

Then I bought Elite : Dangerous.

My wife is ready to divorce me, my kid wants to know why the rift ranks higher than him in the hierarchy of the family. Twelve hour days? Oh, more than I'd care to admit. I'm actually surprised I don't have permanent "O" face.

I tried to play it on my 4k monitor once. I can't understand how it's playable for ANYONE on a monitor. . even if it were with three 21:9 screens.

It is NOT the same game in VR. When you have your cockpit around you, the full visibility from the front windows, the side windows. . . man. . the view from the courier and the FDL. . . .

No. . I don't need to help you justify your potential purchase. I need to find a way to justify being sucked into a virtual world so amazing I am chained to it every single chance I get.

And the best part is, if you can get one locally, and you REALLY REALLY hate it . . . . you can ALWAYS USE THE RETURN POLICY.

But you won't.

--Sen

Greyhawk · Sep 25, 2016

Seneleron, it's not your job but you do it well

bitstorm · Sep 25, 2016

VR + ED.

I have a Vive, I rarely use it.

Don't get me wrong the experience is great but ED is a game with a lot of down time. You'll have a website open or be watching telly or something at the same time and that doesn't really work well with VR.

In all honesty I don't even play ED in full screen anymore, it's always in windowed mode specifically for the reason that it's one of those "do something else at the same time" games.

For me ED/VR is an occassional thing, just stick on the headset now and again if I have something specific to do in game where VR is suitable.

Lowievisser · Sep 25, 2016

i sold all my monitors after buying vr. Most games are palyble with vr too , heck even skyrim works with oculus.

Pyrotiger · Sep 25, 2016

The price is ridiculous. It will come down, and improvements are surely going to be made to it, and software will improve.

I suggest waiting twelve months - well, that's what I intend to do anyway

mp4x · Sep 25, 2016

Spend your money where you spend your time.

Munial · Sep 25, 2016

I just got mine this Friday. Put myself into some kind of trance to be able to hand over the money. Had some buyers remorse for a while there. Now I've tweaked my settings and had a proper elite session in it - utterly transformative, it's just amazing. I spent an hour driving up a mountain in the srv for no damn reason - best gaming experience Ive ever had. Very hard to describe how amazing the effect is - but it wasn't immediate, took some getting used to after being accustomed to a super sharp monitor.. I was almost disappointed with the muddy pixels.. But then either I found the right settings (or my brain did) and now it all looks stunning. So a quick demo in an imperfect setup might not be the best approach.. Also, at John Lewis they give you 30 day refund no questions

Sure in 1/2 years the next gen will come along, but I'll need a whole new pc by then too, and I can always sell this one on then to get some cash back from some cautious soul who wanted to get one but didn't. Hey maybe it will be you?

But I think you already know what do!

avow555 · Sep 25, 2016

The problem is the price of the headsets, 600 quid is way OTT.

I invested in a 40 inch 4k monitor instead, photo/video editing has no VR requirment.

Greyhawk · Sep 25, 2016

Thats the problem - I think they have made VR due to the high price. Even though the market has pretty much stopped now after the initial flood of orders, prices still stay on the extremely high side with no sign of going down.

And I am still not convinced this is dead tech since there's just nothing coming out for it that's got any depth (pardon the pun). Apart from ED what else is there?

CMDR-Bullsey · Sep 25, 2016

Greyhawk said:
Thats the problem - I think they have made VR due to the high price. Even though the market has pretty much stopped now after the initial flood of orders, prices still stay on the extremely high side with no sign of going down.

And I am still not convinced this is dead tech since there's just nothing coming out for it that's got any depth (pardon the pun). Apart from ED what else is there?

How about Project cars / Assetto corsa / DCS world / Subnautica ETC , if you have a one track mind and only want to be a space cowboy then no don't bother

Aio · Sep 25, 2016

The current headsets will be obsolete pretty quick but the vr as such is here to stay. The main thing missing is currently the eye tracking and software optimized for the rendering hardware. Currently we see quite bad vr software and elite is no exception.

Jypson · Sep 25, 2016

My 2cr,

1) Don't buy into the hype. If you find an opportunity to do so, try before you buy! Check local electronics retailers, friends, family, anything! Try before you buy...or buy from somewhere where you can get a refund!

2) Do you enjoy racing games? I use my CV1 for Project Cars / DIRT Rally way more than for Elite: Dangerous.

3) As with all tech, the initial commercial offering is not great, and will get much better in the future (I hope!), so maybe the question should be when should I buy instead of should I buy.

Globusdiablo · Sep 25, 2016

Greyhawk said:
...I need someone to convince me this isn't a minidisc/Laser Disc/Video 2000 style technical dead end!

I've been in your exact shoes, and have one thing to say: when in doubt, don't.

If money is no obstacle, if you play E: D every day, if you're happy to sacrifice visual quality for immersion. Then by all means splash. If not, wait for next gen. I decided for the latter and bought an EDTracker to help me with the wait.

Plus Sony VR is just around the corner, and it will be a matter of months before someone has modded it for pc.

Captain N · Sep 25, 2016

The Vive is the single best thing I ever bought. People buy TV's that are more expensive and have fewer uses.

It's a bit wrong to talk about it as a sacrifice in visual quality, when it's such a completely different experience. Yes, the first gen has bad visual quality. Compared to what? Tiny flat rectangles that take up a few degrees of your field of view and where everything you see is small, distant and abstract. VR is a different world, cannot be compared to a monitor. There's nothing else like it.

If you want to buy into VR, you should either get the Vive now, or wait for Touch. Without roomscale and motion controls you get only half the experience at best, and can't play any of the more interesting games like Onward.

PIXEL · Sep 26, 2016

Greyhawk said:
I'm just not convinced this will be any more than a dust collector in a years time.

There's plenty of folk playing ED in VR right now and they are very happy bunny's

The only thing round here collecting dust seems to be you! - Joking aside, if you get a headset now and never look at any forum regarding specs and what is just around the corner you'll join the happy, esp regarding ED + there's way too much to explore....