Will Sony and Meta Make VR and AR Mainstream? Microsoft Downsizing Their Mixed Reality Efforts

[Gizmo_Duck]

Those games don't really have the clout and pull that Fortnite and GTA Online have. Warzone maybe but that might be too chaotic / intense for VR. But providing familiar worlds for people to get lost in + a social aspect to connect with their friends / other people is probably key for getting a lot of people on board.

I think a big thing for VR is going to be how it requires you to be fully immersed, and with how people are becoming increasingly more attention deficient, its going to be hard for most people, and especially casuals, to use it for extended periods. I know its contrary to what VR is about, but people often check their phones during games / movies / shows / and even at events like concerts. They're going to need to make a way for your phone notifications to come through to the VR screen if they really want most people to adopt the technology and actually use it for extended periods.

Yeah, need something ultra casual to really get people tripping over VR, even a big sports game would maybe change hte tide a bit.

I honestly think a new PS Home is better upsell then a competitive shooter of any kind.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

People don’t want to wear a helmet and jump all around their living room. It’s that simple.

Playing games/watching TV is inherently a lazy and locally social thing. VR goes against the reasons people sit down in their living room to entertain themselves.

Unless/until it’s a small device you wear like a pair of glasses and it doesn’t cut you off from the world around you VR will stay a niche device.

 

[GoldenGlove]

Those games don't really have the clout and pull that Fortnite and GTA Online have. Warzone maybe but that might be too chaotic / intense for VR. But providing familiar worlds for people to get lost in + a social aspect to connect with their friends / other people is probably key for getting a lot of people on board.

I think a big thing for VR is going to be how it requires you to be fully immersed, and with how people are becoming increasingly more attention deficient, its going to be hard for most people, and especially casuals, to use it for extended periods. I know its contrary to what VR is about, but people often check their phones during games / movies / shows / and even at events like concerts. They're going to need to make a way for your phone notifications to come through to the VR screen if they really want most people to adopt the technology and actually use it for extended periods.

Microsoft just killed their VR social media platform. Meta has to beg their employees to use their VR social media platform.

I just don't think people are going to be for it, because the experience just seems extra. I know on Oculus people can browse apps and watch media content on it. Which is cool, but is that experience better to the point people will ditch traditional ways they consume content?

This is where I think Meta really could be fukking up


They literally are trying to take what we all are currently doing on the internet and make a VR version of it... with shytty graphics and avatars.

Sony is an interesting player into all this, and Apple is always a company to pay attention to. I say Sony is interesting, because they have great brand recognition and loyalty in gaming. If they get gamers adopting VR because of great games, it will be easier for them to create a VR social space because their users are already accustomed to using the tech. Less of a learning curve.

For these other companies, they don't have that advantage. And it's going to take them longer to create a truly immersive experience because the tech is too expensive and not there yet as a standalone device.

 

[Pressure]

VR hype is really just nostalgia from people’s childhood tv shows and movies.

There’s really no use case for it of note.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

Microsoft just killed their VR social media platform. Meta has to beg their employees to use their VR social media platform.

I just don't think people are going to be for it, because the experience just seems extra. I know on Oculus people can browse apps and watch media content on it. Which is cool, but is that experience better to the point people will ditch traditional ways they consume content?

This is where I think Meta really could be fukking up


They literally are trying to take what we all are currently doing on the internet and make a VR version of it... with shytty graphics and avatars.

Sony is an interesting player into all this, and Apple is always a company to pay attention to. I say Sony is interesting, because they have great brand recognition and loyalty in gaming. If they get gamers adopting VR because of great games, it will be easier for them to create a VR social space because their users are already accustomed to using the tech. Less of a learning curve.

For these other companies, they don't have that advantage. And it's going to take them longer to create a truly immersive experience because the tech is too expensive and not there yet as a standalone device.

Best thing to do is for sony to partner up with Epic (which i guess they are already doing) to bring fortnite to vr

 

[Nero Christ]

VR needs a big time shooter to properly gauge if it will take off or remain niche. You put COD with it or Sony brings back SOCOM for it, that'll tell us what the truth is.

 

[GoldenGlove]

Now this kind of projection/video technology is crazy, but with the amount of cameras needed, it just seems like a pipedream for regular consumer usage. Like... how long before this is reality in typical day usage?

No headset needed

 

[CoolinInTheCut]

Yeah, need something ultra casual to really get people tripping over VR, even a big sports game would maybe change hte tide a bit.

I honestly think a new PS Home is better upsell then a competitive shooter of any kind.

Yeah they need to lean into the social aspect heavy for VR to take off, otherwise it'll just be another console for niche experiences.

Microsoft just killed their VR social media platform. Meta has to beg their employees to use their VR social media platform.

I just don't think people are going to be for it, because the experience just seems extra. I know on Oculus people can browse apps and watch media content on it. Which is cool, but is that experience better to the point people will ditch traditional ways they consume content?

This is where I think Meta really could be fukking up


They literally are trying to take what we all are currently doing on the internet and make a VR version of it... with shytty graphics and avatars.

Sony is an interesting player into all this, and Apple is always a company to pay attention to. I say Sony is interesting, because they have great brand recognition and loyalty in gaming. If they get gamers adopting VR because of great games, it will be easier for them to create a VR social space because their users are already accustomed to using the tech. Less of a learning curve.

For these other companies, they don't have that advantage. And it's going to take them longer to create a truly immersive experience because the tech is too expensive and not there yet as a standalone device.

Honestly I wouldnt mind regular games on VR with traditional controls, except you use the helmet to move the camera around (I'm picturing a regular third-person game). Idk why they dont just keep it simple like that, because a lot of the shyt where you're climbing and whatever is just gimmicky and lacks replay value.

And yeah Meta fukked up by not caring about the actual fidelity of their experiences, which Sony is obviously going to try to capitalize on with their specs of their machine. But Sony seems to be fukking up by chasing these gimmicky experiences too - like the Horizon VR game for example.

I really think Fortnite and GTA Online are perfect because these are proven products, so you have the familiarity, and they're casual enough + provide a social element to get a lot of people onboard to play these games from a different perspective.

It all comes down to what types of experiences they develop for this, and whether they can be enticing enough for people to get on board. And right now, there isn't anything that looks great (outside GT7 / sim racing games, but thats just me).

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

People always put down VR for AR. Honestly they both will have their pros.

VR feels like you're inside the game/movie
VR you can tour Residential and Commercial Real Estate.
VR you only need a headset and nothing else.

For a large scale AR, you'll probably need multiple projectors, especially if you want to get dropped into a gaming world.

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

COVID/ quarantine/ lockdown was the chance for VR to get embraced in the mainstream.

and for whatever reason it didnt really get there.

Though I for one bought an Oculus during lockdown and still love it, something about it didnt quite stick.

I am not sure what the disconnect is/ was and why it felt short... it really is impressive/ fun technology and most people that experience, love it

Because VR really ain't all that great without a $800 PC and $700 VR headset.

Sony is making it much more affordable. We'll have AAA games with great graphics.

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

It's gonna take Fortnite or GTA Online getting a VR version for VR to become mainstream.

I don't think so. Resident Evil is all that's needed to garner a lot of attention. Granted Fortnite will bring a bigger fanbase, so I see your point there.

 

[Big Jo]

Because VR really ain't all that great without a $800 PC and $700 VR headset.

Sony is making it much more affordable. We'll have AAA games with great graphics.

I dont really agree. I have a quest 2, MSRP was $300 at the time and its a solid headset.

In fact I think its perfect for the casual gamer. I am still surprised they didnt take off during the pandemic

I could see PVCR being more attractive or a necessary entry point for hardcore gamers. but by definition "mainstream" is more casual and the Quest 2 is great for that demographic imo. maybe VR in general intimidates people - I dunno.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

I dont really agree. I have a quest 2, MSRP was $300 at the time and its a solid headset.

In fact I think its perfect for the casual gamer. I am still surprised they didnt take off during the pandemic

I could see PVCR being more attractive or a necessary entry point for hardcore gamers. but by definition "mainstream" is more casual and the Quest 2 is great for that demographic imo. maybe VR in general intimidates people - I dunno.

It requires a lot from people, people that may not physically be able to even use it.

It requires you to wear something on your head, put something over your ears and sometimes stand up or require arm movement. For a lot of people theres multiple physical factors preventing them from enjoying it.

A lot of people need special lens unless they want to wear their glasses in the headset. There are people who can’t play without getting motion sick or getting headaches, people that just can’t stand for that long, etc.

For that reason a lone, no matter what vr will always be niche, until you can install a chip inside your head for it

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

I dont really agree. I have a quest 2, MSRP was $300 at the time and its a solid headset.

In fact I think its perfect for the casual gamer. I am still surprised they didnt take off during the pandemic

I could see PVCR being more attractive or a necessary entry point for hardcore gamers. but by definition "mainstream" is more casual and the Quest 2 is great for that demographic imo. maybe VR in general intimidates people - I dunno.

Yeah but if you want the people who spend money on games, $60 to $75 a pop, you need AAA with AAA graphics. Oculus ain't nowhere near enough for me to stop playing on my CX OLED.

 

[Kamikaze Revy]

People don’t want to wear a helmet and jump all around their living room. It’s that simple.

Playing games/watching TV is inherently a lazy and locally social thing. VR goes against the reasons people sit down in their living room to entertain themselves.

Unless/until it’s a small device you wear like a pair of glasses and it doesn’t cut you off from the world around you VR will stay a niche device.

Except you don't have to do this at all.
Some of the best games that I've mentioned ad naseum can be played entirely sitting down on your couch.
The immersion comes from the overall sense of scale and the ability to look up down left and right.
I'm not arguing/betting that VR is going to be a big commercial success.
I've really only argued against what I consider to be invalid critiques that typically come from an audience of people that haven't experienced it themselves and often times just flat out dismiss it for random reasons.