Virtual Reality Headsets - worth the money?

[Jon]

For those UK folks who are considering getting a Quest 3, I came across the following post about getting a 20% discount if purchasing from Very.

Quest 3 owners etc

I added the rubber skullcap attachment I used on my q2, to the back of my 3, with some foam wrapped around it. With a powerbank hanging off the back, it's pretty comfortable. I suspect a 3rd party might be able to improve it further, but not by enough that it's going to bother me, once I'm...

forums.overclockers.co.uk

 

[Gasman]

I think I am going to pass TBH.
It is a lot of money for me, and I do not think I would use it that often.

 

[Jon]

Eventually the tech will get so good that nobody will be able to resist. Its much better than it was, but weight, size and comfort could be better. Waiting to get a 3rd party headstrap to improve comfort and battery life but they are out of stock. Going for a Bobovo M3 thing.

 

[Gasman]

Eventually the tech will get so good that nobody will be able to resist. Its much better than it was, but weight, size and comfort could be better. Waiting to get a 3rd party headstrap to improve comfort and battery life but they are out of stock. Going for a Bobovo M3 thing.

Yes, I had a look at a few of the reviews on Youtube and not that impressed TBH.

You sold it more to me, with your boxing and table tennis.
I *might* still have a look in Currys, as I certainly would want to try it out first, if I was tempted, but it is a big MIGHT.

 

[Jon]

Yes, the best bet is to have a go first. Not sure if they have demos in these places or not. It is hard to know if you want one without trying it. I burned 300 calories on my VR headset yesterday, which is a Saturday. Normally I am bone idle on a Saturday!

 

[Jon]

I've had my Bobovr M3 Pro VR headset upgrade for a few days now. They are intended to improve both the comfort levels and battery life of the standard strap that comes with the Quest 3 headset. The Bobovr is a third-party brand, and not the official upgrade that sells for over twice the price of this £50 headstrap.

What I have noticed is not so much an improvement in comfort, but more a lack of noticing discomfort, if that makes any sense. I was playing Ping Pong and Beat Saber for over an hour yesterday and I never really thought about the head strap at all. Perhaps that is a good sign, for it is analogous to not noticing a waiter, which is supposed to be a sign of a good waiter. They operate in the background, doing what they do without interfering.

I burned over 440 calories in the process.

 

[moke123]

What I have noticed is not so much an improvement in comfort, but more a lack of noticing discomfort, if that makes any sense.

You didn't get the version with temple massagers and a back scratcher?

 

[Jon]

Some upgrades are beyond my budget.

 

[moke123]

Did you get Asgard2 for free when you bought the quest3?

I've only briefly played it but the graphics are incredible.

 

[Jon]

Yes, it comes with it but I haven't installed it yet. I was reading a bit about it last night, with rave reviews from many. I'm not sure it is my kinda thing though. I've never been a fan of these fantasy kind of games, where it is a bit cartoonish. I think they ruined games like Age of Empires by going down that route. Also, there is a lot of movement in that game which could give me motion sickness. I got motion sickness for the first time the other day whilst exploring some of the virtual worlds. I can't remember what it was called, but I was in some Wild West town shooting up things. Hardly anyone was around though. But, after a while, I felt nauseous.

I will install Asguard 2 just to have a look and perhaps sample the graphics. Incidentally, I've experienced zero motion sickness in Eleven Table Tennis, Beat Saber, Thrill of the Fight, or even VR Chat, which involves a small amount of walking around.

I've been having a play with Bigscreen, which is quite good. Sitting in a cinema setting watching a movie. I had real popcorn too, which I was steadily feeding myself without the headset obstructing the hole in my face. One annoying thing though was that some people were talking during the movies. The quality of the movie screen though was better than I thought you would get with a virtual reality headset. It really is watchable. There was one mad VR setting I went to on Bigscreen where 15 people were simultaneously singing along to a Karaoke video playing at the front. It was a kind of insane madness that you only see in VR. I thought they were all mentally ill!

 

[moke123]

I've watched some 3d movies in bigscreen. You can also have private rooms with friends. My brother in law and I have watched movies together in bigscreen.

 

[Jon]

They say it is in beta, but its pretty functional already. More control over silencing audience members would be good.

You hear some very funny things in VR. I was in one room in VR Chat and a young lady said, "Those men, burn them alive. But put grease on their balls so that they burn first." I couldn't stop chuckling to myself!

 

[moke123]

Funniest I had was during a round of golf. My Brother in law and I were playing in a multiplayer 4 some with some great guys. At one point one of the guys wife came up to him bitching that he was playing too long. She then screamed at him "You said you would get me pregnant"
We were laughing so hard we couldn't continue playing for 10 minutes. Of course he finished the round first.

Another time playing a foursome, one of the guys was casting our game to his TV and his wife and her friend were watching us play. They had a ton of fun joking and making fun of us. If you don't have one I suggest you get a google chrome cast. My daughter and her friends often watch us play. You can also cast to a phone. It's fun at parties too.

 

[moke123]

They say it is in beta, but its pretty functional already. More control over silencing audience members would be good.

It's been around for a long time. I think it's cross platform too. Not just quest users.

 

[Gasman]

I'm getting very interested in this tech. A candidate for a " buy my self a Christmas present"

And if it goes the way of your Google Mini (which I still have BTW ), then send it my way as well. rofl

 

[Jon]

I'm getting very interested in this tech. A candidate for a " buy my self a Christmas present"

Anything that has pushing you for it, besides the fitness aspect?

 

[Jon]

I've not tried the Samsung headset you previously use, so perhaps @moke123 could give you a comparison. But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I'm a bit fussy when it comes to new tech, often being disappointed when I finally get a new product. In this case, it was the opposite. Money well spent.

If you are looking to put down £480 on a headset, factor in say another £50 for a strap upgrade. They give a crappy strap just so they can ship it out the door at a low price. A quality head-strap will let you use your device for longer in more comfort, or should I say less discomfort. I mean lets face it, its better to not have some big tech gadget on your head than have it there!

 

[moke123]

The chance of having another profound experience like that is enticing...

Sounds like your looking for mixed reality porn.
To be honest, it's a little scary.

its better to not have some big tech gadget on your head than have it there!

Don't worry. Bill gates is modifying his vaccine chip to implant in contacts.

 

[Jon]

I think Bill Gates has been much maligned since he started Microsoft. His contribution to tech is immense, even if Windows 3.1 kept crashing!

 

[moke123]

If you want to see a weird mixed reality thing, download the free app DEO VR. There's a section that has Mixed reality stuff like a magician doing tricks.

Here's another free app right up UG's alley. Has some sort of AI involved. I'll be trying it later.

Fly Villa: AI World Travel & Creation on Meta Quest | Quest VR Games | Meta Store

Explore, create, and collaborate in immersive 3D worlds with Villa! Travel the globe in 3D, build stunning environments with AI, and host events, meetings, or socials for thousands. Enjoy hybrid Zoom-to-VR integration, unlimited full-body avatars, and multiplayer AI art creation. Build worlds...

www.meta.com