2nd gen VR headsets

[Sarsippius]

I watched the Tested review of the Rift S and they did mention the headphone issue, it seems like it might vary though from person to person, I noticed on one of the guys the halo is low almost touching his ears, the other guy it was higher up and there looked like enough room for the headphone cups, assuming the headphone band actually allows them over the halo.



This review of the HP Reverb looks quite positive so this could be an option for me assuming it gets sold here. If it doesn't but it's available from Amazon US then I might still buy it that way. There's a few issues with it but the form factor, essentially copying the rift headband design is a big plus and the screens and quality of the output looks superb. I believe it would also work out cheaper than the Index as it doesn't require the base station.

[Cursed]

My problems with the Reverb were that it is only a resolution upgrade and you will pay over $800 for it. You also have to fiddle around with things like Re-Vive to access your Oculus home stuff, so-so controllers and tracking.

[Sarsippius]

Yeah I guess for me the only thing I use the Rift for is iRacing so the controllers will sit in a box and the tracking will be fine for sitting in the cockpit. The only Oculus stuff I've bought was using the voucher we got when they screwed up that firmware update or whatever it was. The picture quality looks like it will blow the Rift S away but then I'm not that keen to use Steam VR, although I won't have much choice there when buying anything other than the Rift S. If Oculus had kept the same head band I'd be tempted but there's almost zero chance of being able to demo one and make sure it's not an issue.

[DarrenM]

Index appeals to me the most but it also looks like it'll be the hardest to get for a while. If not for the headphone issue I probably would have bought a Rift S now then switched to the Index 1-2 years later.

I can't use over ear headphones with the current rift because the headband passes close to my ear. Jeremy from Tested made some 3d printed headphone clips, so DIY could be an option.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3615447

[Cursed]

Oh yes, I saw those 3d-printed clips...might not be a terrible idea given that my CV1 headphones are essentially useless now. Buying a 3d-printer to make it might blow the value-for-money proposition up.

[DarrenM]

You can get things printed and delivered

https://www.thingiverse.com/apps/3d-pri ... treatstock

Some libraries have 3d printers available and there's a couple arses with 3d printers as well

http://arseforums.com/phpBB/viewtopic.p ... 88#p436188

[smithcorp]

A comparison video:

[Cursed]

You can get things printed and delivered...

Too late... I'm already down the researching rabbit hole for 3D printers

Seems like a cool thing to have, I just need space to put it and then reasonably convince myself I'd make use of it.

[Dr. Pain]

Rift S looks good!

[Exar Kun]

I don't have anything at the moment so have ordered a rift s. The integrated tracking is very appealing. I've used a Vive extensively for work but not for gaming so will be interested to see how the Rift compares. I've ditched my desktop for a laptop so need VR to get a decent immersive experience now.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

[Dr. Pain]

I love my Rift, it's the coolest thing I've ever owned and to see that picture quality on the Rift S is very appealing. I will make the change at some point but my Rift is not even 12 months old and for what I do it works fine.

[Cursed]

I only feel compelled to update mine because:
1. Failed headphoneand facial interface started to break down and required replacement - this was a signal that it's just getting old (3 yrs now)
2. My 13 yr old son expressed interest in pouring his pocket money into getting a VR headset.

I thought a hand-me-down path would help with #2 so that he could see if he wants something more, or if he could handle the headphone issue, he could take advantage of a free gift.

I'd also grown weary of the damned god-rays and smeary appearance in high-contrast scenes (Elite Dangerous, or night driving in any sim). News that the Rift-S had highly improved lenses in that regard was the biggest single trigger point for me. I just hope the IPD thing doesn't spoil the party. I can work around sound/headphone stuff, but I can't change the shape of my head.

[Cursed]

Well, the $649 charge to Paypal just went through. Shipping must be imminent. "Dispatches by May 23" is what my order page says.

Here's hoping it's a little earlier.

[Cursed]

Just got the shipping notification for my Rift. It's on its way from Hong Kong.

Oh and I emerged from the 3D printer rabbit hole too... Shipping notice for that came today too. So many toys!

[Sarsippius]

First impressions on the Rift S are coming in on the iRacing forum and it sounds good, I'm very tempted right at the moment just to pull the trigger. I'm still unsure about the headphone issue but I may just have to deal with it. This guys gives some impressions starting about 13min in, in his opinion vs the CV1 he thinks it's more of a v2 rather than a v1.5.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/427860092

[DarrenM]

The built in audio situation looks pretty bad. Nate Mitchell has stated they're working on a software update so maybe it's just not working properly at the moment.

We're working on a software update that will improve the audio quality of the on-board audio system. This will arrive as part of the monthly Rift platform releases. Stay tuned for more details.

With Index so far off and Reverb awol I'm getting tempted to get a Rift S for now. If it wasn't for this issue I would have ordered already.

There's a clip on version of the Koss headphones which would be preferable to in-ear buds for me. 3D printing a fixed set would still be better though.

[Sarsippius]

Well I just couldn't help myself lol and have put in an order, if I can't get my current headphones to work I might get some in ear ones or something or maybe those ones for the PSVR which I think are they Koss one's you're talking about Darren.

[smithcorp]

People who play flight sims seem to see the Rift S as more of an advance (being better able to read gauges etc) than other gamers.

[Sarsippius]

Yeah it seems racing and flight sims are pretty similar in that sense, I've seen a lot of similar comments.

[Cursed]

MIne is in the country according to Fedex. Expected delivery by end of tomorrow.

[Dr. Pain]

Looking forward to hear your thoughts on it Cursed especially if you play DCS world.

[Sarsippius]

I got my shipping notification earlier, all going well it arrives by the end of next week and I can use it for the Le Mans 24hr

It occurred to me today that the Rift DK2 also had a fixed IPD with only software adjustment, I used that for a couple years without any issues that I can remember so that should hopefully mean I don't have a problem with the IPD of the S.

[Cursed]

I got a notification that it was out for delivery and that I missed the delivery while I was at work today - and I only worked a half day

At least fedex will automatically attempt a redelivery the following day. I'll definitely be working from home tomorrow.

Doc, I do have DCS world (Because I bought A-10 way way back), but I have never fired it up. I like my planes simple (WW1), but have neglected to give them any time in IL2/Flying Circus. I tend to do my flying in space (Elite: Dangerous)

If I manage to get all my ducks in a row, I'll try and login tomorrow night for some FNF to give it a spin if there's something happening and the family doesn't demand attention.

[Cursed]

It's here!

I've given it a quick setup and looked at a few things. Here's some very preliminary impressions:

• Comfort - the halo isn't bad, but I feel that I might need to do something more to make it perfect. Fitting my chunky glasses into the headset is not a problem at all. It looks like if there was a danger of lenses touching, it would be way off in the top outside corners.
• Sound - built-in sound is very tinny. It will serve for the purposes of throwing on the headset to see what something looks like, but if you want to get immersed in your game, the built-in micro speakers aren't much chop. I understand there could be improvements coming on this though.
• Display - God-rays are very low. My immediate reaction was that stuff just looks clearer than on the CV1. The SDE is there and is noticeable, but it is a vast improvement on CV1. Black levels in the darkness of space in Elite: Dangerous are not very good. I'm hoping that there's some settings to gamma and other things that might help perk it up. Generally speaking, contrast levels are very good otherwise.
• IPD - Okay.. so not great. It took me a little while get the display centred nicely, but it is a little compromised. After a few minutes of use, central vision was perfectly fine. Looking too much off to outside of my periphery got blurry fast. I expect this is all IPD related. No headaches or anything like that, but I feel like I might need to be careful of the headset moving on my face so that I stay in the sweet spot - this was an issue for me on CV1 too.
• Headphones - Mine are difficult to make fit. My Bose qc25's can be made to fit snugly on my ears for complete outside isolation, but it takes a bit of fiddling around. My ADG1's are simply too large to clear the halo and sit against my ears. The upside is that the halo holds them off my ears much like the Valve Index headphones. I didn't hate the effect, but not sure how this would go long term.
• Tracking - couldn't really do a good test because available space in my office is limited. Playing at some archery in Oculus Home did show problem with tracking when your hands get close to the headset. It did lose my boundary setting between sessions, but I don't use that feature much in cockpit mode. The boundaries are very easy to set up.

So far not regretting forking out for it. There's a bunch of compromises, just like the CV1 had, they're just in different places. Time will tell how well I live with them.

Love the pass-thru mode for the cameras. Everything is blurry and monochrome due to the IR cameras, but it is perfectly usable for finding and picking up your drink thanks to the 3D perspective it gives.

[Sarsippius]

Cool thanks for your impressions, I guess we'll get further updates as you spend more time with it

I just found out on the iRacing forum you can buy these through Amazon.com.au and they're next day delivery, wish I'd known that before I ordered mine