Post
by Raid » Sat Dec 28, 2019 11:54 pm
...yeah. Even if you accept that recent VR headsets just can't replicate the resolution of a good monitor (although they're significantly better than the DK2), the tracking, framerate smoothing and hand controllers are still transformative enough to make modern headsets a quantum leap over the DK2. With my limited experience (basically anecdotal evidence from Reddit), motion sickness isn't nearly as commonplace as it was with the dev kits. I've personally never had anything more than a flutter while pulling an extreme inverted maneuver and looking up towards the ground in DCS in my CV1. I've not had a single moment of motion sickness in the Rift S.
The reason pro-level simulators don't use VR is because the owners have much more money. Yes, they're probably better than a VR setup, but they cost thousands to put together, while I can have a virtual cockpit for a fraction of the price. Combined with some quality peripherals and I get 90% of the experience for maybe 20% of the cost.
Consumer VR isn't dead, it's just niche. The PC headsets aren't making a massive splash, but the standalone Oculus Quest is proving to be fairly popular, with 400,000 units sold between May and September (the most recent sales figures I could find). It featured in every tech-lovers Christmas buyers' guide I saw over the last couple of months, and I expect those figures will have grown substantially. VR is one of those technologies that was never going to be an instant blockbuster, because it's impossible really to demonstrate it without putting on a headset yourself. PSVR has sold more than 4 million units, and that's according to sales figures from March. Sony are suggesting there'll be a second generation headset for the PS5.
