When you have more time to talk about games, than actually play them.
Virtual Reality has made a comeback with headsets like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. It continues to grow and improved with the new offerings like the Valve Index and Oculus Quest 2. The generational improvements that consoles and PC hardware have enjoyed are now happening with new headsets.
For so many years, most of us had to experience games on a flat screen. Only a window into a virtual world. Now with virtual reality headset improvements, we are able to look around those virtual worlds, as if we were there. Motion controls make it possible to interact with these worlds using our hands and now VR treadmills make it possible to walk with our legs in those worlds.
There really is no way to explain the feeling of jumping into virtual reality that very first time. Being able to physically turn your head to see the world around you is so much better than using a mouse or gamepad. Using your hands and legs in VR adds to the magic.
The early days virtual reality were plagued by long setups (like the VIVE was with all the cables and mounting sensors to the wall) and bouts of motion sickness. These newer generations of VR hardware and VR games have found ways to mitigate the chances for motion sickness related to the artificial movement in the games or experiences.
The future of virtual reality is bright with new technologies like eye tracking (for foveated rendering), facial expression tracking, tactile vest that allow you to feel and more. It’s almost become as easy to play setup and play VR games as consoles have been. Now is a good time to explore those virtual worlds.
I loved Metro Awakening VR, but there’s a good reason Batman Arkham Shadow won GOTY. It’s a proper Arkham game that’s not ported, but designed for virtual reality from the ground up. Crazy that the thing runs off of the Quest 3 directly. It’s great to become Batman with so much immersion and a proper … Read moreWhy Batman Arkham Shadow was VR GOTY
Before I started to really dig into Stalker 2, I committed to finishing Metro Awakening VR. It nails the feeling and atmosphere of the Metro series with the added perspective of virtual reality. All the tension over bullet counting really hits harder in VR. That’s why it was disappointing to hear that it didn’t sell … Read moreMetro Awakening VR is That Good
Back when I bought my Quest 3, I missed my Valve Index audio and solved that. Well, the other thing I missed was the controller grips. Being able to fully open my hands without dropping the controllers is as freeing as going with the cordless headset. Kiwi, the makers of the pulley system I used … Read moreQuest 3 Controller Grips like Valve Index
Once I started racking up longer hours on my Quest 3, I ran into fogging issues. This happened with my previous headset, so I knew my solution was to buy a Quest 3 face fan. Although it does add some noticeable noise when running, it completely solved any headset fogging issues for me. Why is … Read moreMeta Quest 3 Face Fan to Fix Fogging
I still don’t regret upgrading from Valve Index to Quest 3, but I do miss the better sound. There’s no current replacement for what the Valve Index audio provided. There are several Quest 3 Battery and Audio Strap options to upgrade to. The one that I chose has headphones, a more comfortable strap and a … Read moreGet a Quest 3 Battery and Audio Strap
I bought my Valve Index at launch in 2019. Anything before COVID feels like forever ago. During this holiday season, I decided to upgrade from Valve Index to Meta Quest 3. I tired of waiting for Valve to do something with their rumored Deckard headset and have zero regrets with the purchase. If you are … Read moreUpgrade From Valve Index to Meta Quest 3