VR is in a lot of trouble. The PlayStation VR2 is not doing well.
VR: PSVR 2
Review of PSVR2 one year in.
Games coming to PS VR 2
PSVR2 has stopped being manufactured. The games haven't been exclusive and the competition too strong
Is this the next Vita?
The Quest line is actually doing somewhat good.
Why Quest 3 could be the next Wii experience. That article is paid for.
Quest 3 is more powerful than expected. It can mimic a low level gaming rig.
But it's sales are not doing Switch or PlayStation style numbers. Mark Zuckerberg has been talking to other companies about releasing headgear without as much internal investment by Meta.
_M: LG and Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg visited LG To discuss VR hardware. The article was read by AI translation. .
Another article about the visit
Which leaves us to the Apple Vision Pro. This is expected to bring an upper middle class treatment for VR to continue.
This article talks about the popularity of the Quest series and how the Vision Pro will change the use of XR devices to much more expensive upper middle class workers. Personally I think it doesn't matter, because you need a good use for either and neither company really does that.
It is a popular idea with people lining up to help it move forward.
NVidia Omniverse now available on Vision Pro
By this Wired review it's more tech than actual experience.
Review of the Vision Pro by Wired. It's nice, but has problems and doesn't work very well. They sold tech, not an experience
VR as a home use just has a lot of problems with no real answers. The hype for it seems to be based on videogame console sales, but nothing is reaching those heights.
However the out of home market seems to be finding ways to use it. First off, it's not VR, it's mixed reality or MR. A wall has a projector, with sensors watching your movements. Headgear can be involved, but is not necessary.
Themed Experiences do this all the time with companies like Meow Wolf.
Area 15 by Meow Wolf is coming to Orlando.
Or the F1 Simulator experience.
TPM: Sim Racing Theme
An F1 Sim Racing experience is getting popular
The Lego Ferrari experience is coming to Legoland Florida
Pagani has a Sim Racing setup for the Huayra. This could also be in cars.
Using the new tech for an experience creates a Digital Interactive Experience.
TPE: Digital Immersive Experiences
The term means projections, actors, and interactive programs that let a guest become part of the experience, instead of passively viewing it. Here is an interview explaining the idea. Lots of buzzwords, but some good ideas.
Arcades have something for this called Immersive Gaming Rooms. I tried to build one for a class for my masters, but could only get one wall to work. It was a headache.
It's showing up for dinning experiences as well.
This article says VR at a pub, but it's actually a small immersion room.
Investment for entertainment is pivoting to a more digital interactive scene.
Companies are trying to find a way to make money off of XR in the public space
It really does look like the out of home experience is more likely to make enough than the in home experience. The problem is this takes away from the aim of the companies for the home use VR. They want VR to replace your work desk and home theater. If entertainment is pointing away from that, their take over of those household areas does not win.
There are arguments that the stay at home method will take over.
XR and education, an argument for more
Arcade experience via VR
There was a fairly open secret that XR was ring funded for military use, but now it has problems.
Blue Wave uses of XR equipment may be a new open spot for attack. Blue Wave is the equipment that works within the military to follow each member. Tech heads have wanted to have a full UI for servicemen for a long time. Attacks could make the equipment cause nausea.
VR not making it big at the home is not a new conversation either.
A two year old article about how VR hasn't risen to the heights expected. It's a good look at the problems VR is having, and the solutions being used.
Meanwhile movie theaters are getting VR chairs set up for group viewing
VR Chairs are coming to theaters.
VR is not making it to the home, but the ideas are working for themed experiences out of the home.
VR was always going to be a niche product. It's a gaming peripheral, like a flight stick or steering wheel. I've always said the people hyping it up on both sides were off-base. (both fanatics who think it is the future of gaming, and naysayers who think it's a worthless gimmick and keep saying "VR is dead!", "There's no killer VR game!")
These failures are tone-deaf corporations jumping on a bandwagon like they always do and realizing they were sold a lie and have no idea what they're doing.
I don't even see it as niche. It is just a tech demo until someone can solve the lateral movement problem, which would require some kind of 360 degree treadmill or a rig that holds you in the air and tracks your leg movements. And even that would just move it into niche territory, because it would be expensive and nobody wants to exercise while they play games.
Those gimmicks on top of the VR gimmick always sounded cool at first, but eventually I realized the headset alone was good enough for me. Sitting on my fat ass with a mouse and keyboard (not even touch controls) while able to look around as if I'm actually in the game world is plenty immersive. Admittedly most people won't care about that, but I think once the tech is the size of sunglasses and the price of a high-end HOTAS, it will enter that more mainstream-niche peripheral market.
For flight sims and racing games. For anything else, it's garbage.
I used to agree with you
Where VR shines is flight sims and racing games, and by extension anything with a cockpit. Mech games. Also on rails horror games, and potentially RTS/tabletop wargame/TTRPG style games could work. Arcade style rail shooters and tower defence things too, they can be good too.
Those few genres where you're more static, that's where it worked, absolutely.
But that was pre alyx. Movement has taken another leap up in VR, pushed by Alyx. It's still maybe not where you want it to be, but it is climbing, and that's opening up other genres.
I like that concept of a peripheral. It's not supposed to be used all the time. You can play dark souls with a Guitar Hero guitar, but you shouldn't.
There are absolutely delusional fanboys, but sometimes I question the detractors. Comfortable PC VR specs were top of the line specs like 8 years ago. Today we have hardware that eclipses the old GTX 980 + 4 core CPU, yet detractors still want to claim you need some kind of $5000 rig.
Considering how no major developers have even attempted VR games (except for Valve, but they're also selling hardware so...), I'm reasonably convinced a lot of that is astroturfing from AAA studios trying to poison the well against indies who are experimenting and developing in the space.
There are plenty of great games, too, although the titles are years ago because that same subversion is discouraging investment. A fulfilling prophecy. But, yeah, Half-Life Alyx, Elite, Hoverjunkers, Budget Cuts, all very satisfying experiences. If there's a dead genre it's probably the social VR genre, but only because it's 95% furries and pedophiles and TDS afflicted communists. But I repeat myself.
Still, it's a little weird that people can think about a flight sim / driving sim setup and say "nah, that's not for me" but when they think about a VR setup they jump up and down to proudly signal that it's a dead technology that nobody should ever invest in.
I'd been told for years I was definitely going to be using VR, all the games would be VR, life is going to VR, etc. Still waiting. They can't even get kids interested in it for more than a novelty, and that's where the future of games comes from. I mean, the first ones they sold on spending more money on cosmetic skins for a game and everything being live service were kids. They can't sell them on VR, so it's dead.
Even when we have full-dive VR simulations like Sword Art Online all the games won't be in VR. Sometimes you just want to play solitaire.
As long as it's nothing like the games/simulations in SAO. Those are some of the worst "game mechanics" I've ever seen, and why I start to dislike "Game World" animes.
There was a PSVR2?
I think past tense is an accurate description.
same comment I made on your other post. start a video channel on rumble or youtube. Do a monthly or bi-weekly recap of news. you could probably build a reasonable scriber count and get some sweet, sweet ad revenue.