Oculus Rift SDK + headset - should I get one?

**ferrus** · 12-25-2013, 08:41 PM

I have some spare cash right now. I know Heph has had it for a while. Is it worth getting?

**Hephaestus** · 12-26-2013, 01:25 AM

It depends on how comfortable your are with getting your hands dirty--and what you want from it. If you are seriously interested in development for it, and comfortable writing your own code, I'd say start by browsing the devkit documentation, peruse the forum and see if there's a project you want it for. If there is, then there is only one other thing I would consider before pulling the trigger: How far off is the V2?

If you can wait for the next version? That's a tough question because there isn't any solid info on when it will be.

Still, there are now lots of demos and toys to play with. People have laid out groundwork for getting the Rift to function with many different games. If you want it to play games rather than develop with, that's a quasi-viable thing to do so long as you are comfortable with taking a step back graphically.

Personally, I don't think it's that bad of a backwards step. The screen door effect is not worse than say, playing on an older Gameboy. It becomes even less of an issue if you play around with the graphics settings--the trickiest bit is text. Text tends to look like crap.

It's a fun little device, but shouldn't be braved by anyone uncomfortable with the idea of a hobby that can make them nauseated, or gear that always feels a little jury-rigged.

**ferrus** · 12-26-2013, 12:15 PM

Fair enough. I might wait for the v2 and get a Nexus now instead for some mobile development work.

I was kind of hoping to use it as a motivator to get to grips with 3d games programming.

**Stigmata** · 12-26-2013, 03:35 PM

*patients awaits VR Sonic game* that requires me to run fast and roll across the floor*

*also welcomes the imminent rug burn associated with said game

**Sistamatic** · 12-30-2014, 10:47 AM

Just finished watching a movie in the Gear VR theater. There was a point when I forgot I was at home. I kept trying to set things on the imaginary arm of my imaginary theater chair. The resolution isn't as high as a movie theater, but other than that, the experience is as good as one. At first the resolution is noticeable, but after a few minutes, your mind accepts it. When I took the gear off at the end of the movie, my study didn't seem real.

I am blown away by this thing.

**Hephaestus** · 12-30-2014, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Sistamatic

I am blown away by this thing.

Virtual theater was one of the first things I thought of as a "killer application" for VR gear. On one hand, that's a little sad. On the other hand, you can have the equivalent of a movie theater in your home while living in an efficiency studio.

Then, I saw a demo of someone's VR theater project where they displayed a truly mind-spinning ability. The showed 3d movies on a simulated 2d screen in simulated 3d space.

Turtles all the way down.

**Sistamatic** · 12-30-2014, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Hephaestus

Then, I saw a demo of someone's VR theater project where they displayed a truly mind-spinning ability. The showed 3d movies on a simulated 2d screen in simulated 3d space.

Yep. The movie was avatar in 3d on a simulated 2d screen in a simulated 3d theater. I could smell phantom popcorn - that was the extent to which my brain bought it. The real room seemed fake when I took the gear vr off of my face.

I'm sure the Bose quiet comfort noise canceling headphones added to the immersion.

**stigmatica** · 12-30-2014, 09:00 PM

My Opinions:

If you happen to have a Note 4, get the gear VR when/if it's released over there. Well worth it if you already have the phone. If you're wanting to get into VR development, now is the time to get your foot in on the ground floor before the market is flooded with content. The gear will have a much less techy driven audience on average right now, so getting something in now could be a big deal exposure wise.

If you don't have a note 4 but would like to get into VR development and already have a decent computer and graphics card, get the DK2. It's not a plug and play experience as is the Gear VR, but there's a lot more content out there for the developer to sniff than the gear. I do think waiting for the first consumer Oculus would be best if you're not looking to develop though. Rumor has it releasing in October 2015 (Rumor as in Lucky Palmer stating in October that it would be releasing in months not years). I suspect it will be a huge improvement over the DK2 for a similar price, and by then will be a plug and play experience. I imagine if you went for a DK2 now you'd regret it when the consumer version launches.

**ferrus** · 12-30-2014, 09:04 PM

I would like to develop on it. It seems a good motivator for learning 3D graphics programming in some more depth.

**stigmatica** · 12-30-2014, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by ferrus

I would like to develop on it. It seems a good motivator for learning 3D graphics programming in some more depth.

Get it.

If I had the motivation I did 15 years ago, I'd get it in a heartbeat and spend all my waking hours developing for it. VR dev is like the 1980's of PC dev right now. Get in quick.