VR usage across the user base.

[Old Duck]

Total Steam VR users represent 1.92%

I bought ED through Steam but I launch it using the Oculus app, so I doubt I show up in their stats.

I'm NOT in the "I can't play 2D games" camp, but I really don't enjoy ED in 2D these days. I'm talking about the current game, which I've played to the point of boredom, so VR is the only thing that keeps me somewhat interested in ED. Radically new and different content (like space legs) could very well be compelling enough for me to enjoy even on a monitor, so I'm not signing any "I refuse to buy Odyssey" petitions until I see exactly what this new content is. After all, most my time in Elite was spent on PS4 with subpar* graphics!

* the fault of Frontier, not my PS4

 

[Jim Chapman]

Neither Steam nor Oculus data will give an entirely reliable figure for VR usage. I play in VR (either using Rift or Valve Index) but I have never yet used the Oculus launcher, or the Steam launcher - I always start the game using the Frontier launcher. So I think the only people who'll have reliable stats are Frontier ... and right now, I don't think they will want to publish the information.

 

[Dooguk]

Does Oculus provide stats like Steam?

That should give us a clear idea.

I doubt it. Companies like to keep this data. It's worth money I reckon.

 

[babelfisch]

Obsidian Ant is a renowned VR player, and he understands FD's choice.

Heck, even Yamicks supports FD in this one. And given the fact that he never looses a chance to throw shade at them, it should speak volumes!

So that means no open letter?!

 

[Dagwit]

It depends, as always, on what you're measuring. As a percentage of the people who bought the 3.5 million copies of Elite Dangerous, it's probably really small.

As a percentage of people who commit to playing Elite Dangerous long-term, it's probably a lot higher.

As a percentage of people who spend serious money in the Frontier Store, it's probably higher still - if you've got VR, you're probably not struggling for cash to support your gaming habit.

Now the Store, I believe, is a handy but not a huge source of revenue for Frontier. That revenue will dip a bit if VR players do what I'm going to do and refuse to buy any more ARX. But whether recovering that lost revenue would be worth the cost of implementing VR and the loss of face in reversing their decision only Frontier management can know.

 

[C Royle]

The thing that angers me is that the VR players think another 6 month delay to New Era would be justified so they can do spacelegs VR.

I have never met a more self righteous and selfish group of people. The fact that they would try to delay the New Era to benefit just a tiny <5% speaks volumes of those who spend £500 on a VR set.

The only conclusion is that for the good of the community it is better that we do not have space legs VR so that we can get a quicker release date. For the many not the few.

 

[VR Mr Teatime]

Last time I looked Steam wasn't registering Pimax HMDs even though the things use SteamVR, so there could be some missing there. Hard data will be hard to come by and especially as GDPR makes data harvesting of that kind problematic.

Anecdotally at least half of the folks I spoke to at Expo had VR, which I found quite surprising and nearly everyone at Lavecon last year, although both of those venues are going to be skewed to a certain demographic.

 

[Old Duck]

The thing that angers me is that the VR players think another 6 month delay to New Era would be justified so they can do spacelegs VR.

They do?

I have never met a more self righteous and selfish group of people strawmen.

FTFY

 

[VR andysonofbob]

I play VR.
I don't use Steam to play ED
I don't think you can use Steam for stats here.

What did Einstein say about statistics again?

 

[Fibblesnork]

View attachment 175991

You may doubt me all you want, that is your right, Sir!

Seriously though, I was genuinely curious. I was considering moving to PC VR and still might but for the progress wipe. Anyway, doubt away, I don't really care.

 

[heathenlamb]

I have not played ED in anything but VR.

 

[ECity]

I don't know how many ED customers use VR but FD knows.

 

[[VR] Goooost]

This isn't a post or something to stoke up a flame war but I've been considering this for a few days now. With VR being the "hot issue" around the Odyssey reveal (and I have to admit that this was a surprise) just how prevalent is it? Genuine question.

Some personal context here, I'm on XBOX ONE which means I don't even get the option.

On PC and PS though, is it a lot?

I started playing Elite in VR mid may of this year. I got lucky enough that I was able to get a Rift S. Pretty much every headset is on backorder everywhere. I suspect there would be more people like me playing right now were it not for that fact. For some weird reason everyone is adopting VR right now and fighting over it. It's getting real.

 

[Dooguk]

I started playing Elite in VR mid may of this year. I got lucky enough that I was able to get a Rift S. Pretty much every headset is on backorder everywhere. I suspect there would be more people like me playing right now were it not for that fact. For some weird reason everyone is adopting VR right now and fighting over it. It's getting real.

I think it's all down to Alyx being a showcase for VR.
e: Have you played it?

 

[WeComeInPeace]

According to this:

VR device shipments by vendor worldwide 2017-2019| Statista

With forecasted unit shipments of 2.2 million in 2019, Sony is expected to retain its title as the world’s largest vendor of VR devices.

www.statista.com

The VR HMD sales went from ~4 million units per year to 6 million in 2019. That should make a decent market for any dev. VR is expensive compared to a banana, but compared to a decent gaming rig, not so expensive. I run ED on a 3GB 1060. Nothing fancy.

The arguments with spacelegs and FPS not being possible in VR are wrong. There are plenty of VR games that involve all sorts of controls. Motion sickness? I get sore shoulders from the tension of playing FPS. That doesn't seem to be a problem to most FPS gamers.

If Fdev decides to ditch VR, and they are most certainly sending that signal, somebody else will pick up the baton. It's not that any game these days doesn't "borrow" from all the other games, and there now is a decent amount of VR users. More will come. HL Alyx being the current driver.

To those of you who have opinions about the VR community and VR in general without having even tried it, and no a 5 min demo is not trying it, you do not know either what you're missing, neither how wrong you are. For me, going back to playing outside VR would resemble a non VR gamer goind back to a C64. You could game on those. You could even "play" Elite. How about, in solidarity or whatever, you all go back to those? Then I'll move on to something else, and that something will surely be VR if I should want to spend my time there. Something tells me that I'm not the only one having thoughts like that

 

[[VR] Goooost]

I think it's all down to Alyx being a showcase for VR.
e: Have you played it?

Yeah, Alyx is amazing, but I've wanted VR since DK1 I just never had the PC for it till now. So that's not the reason I bought it.
I actually bought it with art in mind first. I kind of have this idea that I'd be good at 3d modeling in VR. But after I picked up a VR gun that idea went out the window and now I'm a full-fledged gamer.

 

[Dooguk]

Yeah, Alyx is amazing, but I've wanted VR since DK1 I just never had the PC for it till now. So that's not the reason I bought it.
I actually bought it with art in mind first. I kind of have this idea that I'd be good at 3d modeling in VR. But after I picked up a VR gun that idea went out the window and now I'm a full-fledged gamer.

Welcome to the club. I am part way though my bi/tri-annual PC update and sold off my Rift a few weeks ago (bored of playing Horizons to tell you the truth) in order to get a better headset to play the fantastic new ED expansion.
I'll still get the headset and a shiny new graphics card to power the rascal. Then I'll buy Alyx.

 

[Dragsham]

Ok o( so we're a small minority. I'd estimate less than 15% of the playerbase is VR. Prob ably closer to 10%.
So we are niche.
Has anyone tried to buy a headset lately?
Their on back order. All of em. They can't make em quick enough.
This VR trend is not like the previous roll outs which cost a fortune.
This wave of VR is the future of gaming.
The flat earth society pancakers hehe are right!
We VR players are doomed to being niche?
VR isn't going to last.... a fad.
And ed are right. Drop VR.
We will revert to pancake.

I can say what l like I'm a VR player. 42 years I've played games. I know sod all. I don't follow trends. I go with the latest tech to enhance my gaming experience.
From dial up to broadband.
From Sinclair to Pentium.
From old style tv monitors to huge 52 inch plasmas.
From jet set willy to edvr.
These are not trends....these are facts.
And the fact is... VR IS the future of gaming.
Anyone who thinks otherwise flys in the face of progress.
I will continue till I can't any more cos ed won't let me for now..perhaps a year or so after the rollout. Who knows.
So bring it on....fleet carriers drop tomoz I'm focused on that.
To all the VR players out there.....fab isn't it? Lol.
The pancakers have the floor.
We will abide by their will.
I support it as it stands I do. I just won't be playing it is all.
Which is a shame. A real heart felt shame. I'm privileged to be playing the best game in the world in its best format. I had a good run.

 

[kilvenny]

VR only here and I play through the launcher. Since VR is niche and ED is VR I would expect percentage to be higher. I also would expect because those are not many options many of those players will be part of the regular core. After 2.5 years in VR I tried going back it lasted 5 minutes, it just felt so poor and that is the problem once you have got used to VR.

I also think there hasn't been real clarity given on exactly what we will be getting in VR, based on the words it sounds like VR only in Horizons with Horizons current graphics, but you could imagine it to be with Odyssey graphics. Odyssey requires base, it doesn't require Horizons, so there is no need to retrofit stuff back into Horizons.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

I've tried vr and know how awesome it is.. but my setup is dodgy, only running a 10603gb and using psvr with one man drivers.. while it works, they haven't sorted out center drift with it so i don't use it as first choice. If there were other games to play apart from elite on vr (and one unmentionable simulator) id probably not have it packed up.

So no not for me.

The strongest point id like to make is its pretty amazing how elite is probably the best game on vr even today. Haven't tried alyx, but only that would have dethroned elite imo.