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.
As it was clear Grounded was going to take a lot more of my time, I took a break to play and finish Red Matter VR. I bought it and the sequel not long ago and I’ve thought about playing them for awhile. From what I saw in trailers, it seemed to lean heavy on … Read moreFinally Played Red Matter VR
My first VR zombie killing experience was the first Arizona Sunshine game. I loved all the looting mechanics, great graphics and funny story beats. I did not like some of the zombie hoard scripted sequences, but I survived them to reach the finish. Arizona Sunshine 2 managed to improve on the first in pretty much … Read moreArizona Sunshine 2 Dog is God
After playing weeks of Starfield, I finally moved onto other games. First up, I got back into Moss Book 2 VR. I actually took an involuntary break from it due to the need to fix my Valve Index controller batteries, then Starfield released. It only took a few minutes to hook me again and this … Read moreMoss Book 2 VR is a Must Play Story
Back in the 90’s, I played Pilotwings on my friends Super Nintendo and it hooked me in. The first Ultrawings was an obvious VR attempt at similar gameplay. Utrawings 2 takes things even farther by bringing together that nostalgia for me in the current VR tech. Graphics are simple, but it’s such a great game … Read moreUltrawings 2 May be Pilotwings VR
Vox Machinae VR was on my Steam wish list for awhile, but I never pulled the trigger. Now it’s on my Viveport Infinity subscription with a full single player story (was always multiplayer only), so I finally dove in. Without a doubt, it’s messy and very much an indie effort, but damn it has so … Read moreVox Machinae VR is Messy, but Great Potential
Back when I was buying fans for my new bequiet! tower, I decided to finally buy a Valve Index USB Fan. I figured while cooling my PC, why not cool my face and screens when playing VR. Valve Index screens fog up for me often so any help was welcome. Glad to report I was … Read moreMy Valve Index USB Fan Fog Fix