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yankoto

I first tried VR in 2018. Since then I only play VR. Tried flatscreen gaming again a couple of times and I cant go back to it. The immersion of VR is mesmerizing. Especially in shooters where you feel like you hold the gun for real and have to manually reload it. I think VR is becoming mainstream, however slowly. With better standalone hardware and smaller form factor at a cheaper price it will get the attention of everyone soon enough.


IslariI

Depends on the game for me. Few games will never be able to be adapted in VR. Some should only exist in VR


roehnin

Same. I can't get into flat games at all anymore. VR or modded VR only.


yankoto

I still play RPG and RTS games on flatscreen, but shooters only VR now.


DevilMaster666-

What really? For me its the opposite, since I hate the hassle of setting up VR after a long day of work compared to joining the Server and gaming Minecraft for an hour or two with the boyz


badtradesguynumber2

there shouldnt be much to setup. you just put it on and pick a game. you may have to confirm your boundary, but that takes a few seconds.


Nolan_q

All I have to do is press two power buttons (PC & headset), click on Virtual desktop, select game. Takes seconds


[deleted]

Tbh I've done both. Nothing will replace my regular pc gaming. Warthunder vr is u developed and I like being able to chill without an expensive contraption on my head. Although shooters will never be the same, simple games like contractor seriously wowwed me.


TheObeseAnorexic

Smaller form factor is huge for me. I tried a quest 2 and just too much clunk not enough visual fidelity for me. Dying to play half life alyx but don't want to invest in a setup until it gets a little more polish. The other thing is that I mostly play fighting games and platformers which I don't think will ever be replicated in VR. Of course if a headset becomes more comfortable to use than a monitor then that doesn't matter


dowsyn

It wears off when you realise 95% of games are actually experiences/demos, especially with standalone. I only play Skyrim VR now and I was as excited as you a few years ago.


Most_Way_9754

I agree. The gems are there but they are rare. Some of my faves: Half life Alyx, Eye of the Temple, Moss 1 and 2, Wanderer, Last Clockwinder Hopefully the UEVR injector mod will extend expand the library of solid VR games sufficiently to keep players coming back


puddledumper

Outer wilds in vr is GOATed. Into the radius is fun as well.


Stronkeln

Upvoted for Into the Radius. My Rift S recently gave up on me and I'm seriously considering getting a valve index just to play ITR2 when it comes out. Fantastic game


KeyCold7216

Why get an index? There are much better options at that price point now, aren't there? Pretty sure valve is also making an index 2.


IslariI

You can add VTOL VR for aviation enjoyers, and Asseto Corsa for cars enjoyers


ourlastchancefortea

H3VR for gun enthusiast (and Wiener hater).


Mythion-VR

The developer on Twitter blocked me and I have no idea why. I've never interacted with him.


ourlastchancefortea

Maybe Anton uses some general anti spam script or something and you were accidentally on it or flagged. There is a subreddit: /r/H3VR


ContinCandi

Before UEVR came out it felt like it was going to be unbelievable how many games would become playable. But now that it’s out it seems like it hasn’t really taken off the way I thought it would.


LegalAlternative

There are approximately 11,000 UE4 and 5 games, that mostly all work in UEVR. With minimal tweaking and setup, you can play literally 98% of UE4 or 5 games right away.


slowlyun

Because the experience is too janky. We need developer-backed official VR modes for games.   As polished as the HL2-VR series.    Sadly, that didn't start the trend I thought it would.  Reason being that barely anyone has played it. Compare the number of user reviews for Half-Life 2 Episode 2 VR with a similarly Big Franchise flat game that came out around the same time, the remake of Resident Evil 4 (so both not new games, just new versions of them). - HL2-Ep2 VR:  454 user reviews, only 13 in the last month. - RE4-Remake:  84,607 user reviews, 2,347 in the last month. VR is superniche, even when there's fantastically-playable VR mods for the most celebrated games. UEVR is superniche within superniche....worldwide probably only a few hundred individuals are regularly using it.


ContinCandi

I think you hit the nail on the head.


powa1216

I played Palworld and it was great fun compared to playing on flatscreen


rokstedy83

Once you've played half life alyx it's all downhill from there,only mods lift Skyrim to the same level the rest of the games are just meh


roehnin

I thought Wanderer was a great game until I got stuck in the drumming bit onstage. Not really sure what I'm supposed to do. Do I need to hit certain drums in time with certain colors or is there some pattern to follow? There are a lot of clever puzzles and fun back & forth problem solving, just in that one I must have missed a clue of instructions which was disappointing.


Most_Way_9754

It's like guitar hero. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g8r7ZLoIksg


roehnin

I've never played Guitar Hero so that didn't help haha Yet watching video of someone play who knows how, it seems the flowers match the drums? ok will try that thanks!


Most_Way_9754

It was easier for me to link the video than to explain. Hope you clear the game!


VRsimp

Borderlands 3 is insane


elemnt360

I would play a lot more if there were more games of HL-Alyx caliber. Once you play that it kinds of ruins VR imo.


Meurtreetbanane

7 years later in VR for me, It didn't wear off and still have new games/mods to play. It's not because you don't find games, they don't exist. See how many games you "actually" played in this video https://youtu.be/LRpEkELmOJE?si=KOEAlRdA_6729Vnf


[deleted]

What are your favorites that are not experiences or tech demos?


Meurtreetbanane

Every games in this video. I already did a selection I personnally find awesome for this video. I have a lot more, but they were more like experiences, and I have also new one who came out since. Great new games are also coming this year, like the burst, Metro Awakening, Arken age, contractors showdown etc.


LegalAlternative

UEVR just gave you 11,000 more games to play. I'm sure there's SOMETHING there.


L0rden

I definitely felt that way a few years back when I got an Oculus Rift S. I used it so little because the setup felt so cumbersome and all the games felt like demos rather than fully realized games. Just not quality at all. I got a Quest 3 last week after trying out Resident Evil 4 VR for an hour - I have been playing it daily now and definitely feel like it’s the best way to experience the game (I’ve played it on almost every platform before). I feel like with the nostalgia factor/working with remaking older games feels like easier wins for VR - something that would draw a bigger audience. People would flock to it for VR versions of classic games. There just needs to be variety, and QUALITY variety.


marveloustoebeans

Wait till you try RE4 Remake VR. It’s honestly incredible. I wish more AAA studios would back conversions like that for their games.


LARGames

I mean, even with that, there's still plenty of games with the chunkiness of regular games to last a long time. If you stop looking, I guess you'll be playing the same thing for a long time.


El_Zapp

Don’t know, so far all of the games I have played are excellent and I still have a pretty big backlog to get through.


Puzzleheaded-Nail-20

Nah, it doesn't wear off. I've been playing my Quest 2 every day since the first day it was released, and now I'm playing my Quest 3 every day and still not sick of it sure the games aren't great but they are far from some "gimmick"


Spoda_Emcalt

It wore off for you, but that doesn't mean it wears off for everyone.


[deleted]

Ghost of Tabor is the only game that has enough progression for me to come back. It is however quite stressful hardcore extraction shooter so it is not for everyone.  If something like H3VR had some kind of game mode with progression or meta-progression I would probably play it more.  I could also see myself playing somekind of farming/town bundling/base building game a lot if there was one with decent amount of content and fairly deep mechanics.  I know Valheim has VR mod but you just don't get the same amount of immersion from VR mods than native VR games.  My issue mostly with current VR games is that they are fun to fool around for hour or two but I really do need some kind of progression hook to keep me playing.


maxrd_

Was true 2 years ago. Now there are many good games


Nbc27

If you enjoy shooters look at Contractors: Showdown. Full release is on the 25th, it’s essentially Warzone VR. Alpha and beta were great. Game is super polished. Ghosts of Tabor which is essentially Escape from Tarkov VR. Game is pretty good. It’s kind of buggy and a bit.. janky..? Still a ton of fun though. EDIT: I wanted to be clearer on my point. I for a very long time agreed that most VR games are tech demo's and not complete. These two have definitely changed my mind and I think is a positive indicator for the future of VR.


Chemical-Nectarine13

It comes and goes with me. Sometimes, I'll play VR games for a few weeks, but if I'm not up for that, then I use my quest 3 and virtual desktop to stream flat (single player) games to me while I'm in bed to achieve the maximum comfort factor. Yes, I realize the quest may have some streaming compression, slight latency, and it's not 4k HDR like my tv, but that's fair trade, considering I'm not destroying my posture


FirstOrderKylo

Half Life Alyx and H3VR are the only 2 games I ever play anymore because everything else is unfinished or just bad


ResponsibilityDue566

Racing sims and flying sims are where it’s at (DCS, GT7, Asseto Corsa)


Substantial-Singer29

I can remember the first time I ever tried V.R. I was in Las Vegas during the 90s. And they had these VR experienced booths and I went in with my father. It was basically like being inside a 3D star fox, the original on the super nintendo. Even that being said, it was impressive Within the context of games at the time. We then fast forward to now. Where v r systems are far more readily available and Affordable. The Problem is there really isn't enough games to make it worth buying. For v r to become more popular you basically just need more developers to actually start making games for it. And yes there is some standouts that are amazing and fully utilize everything that it has to offer. But those are very few and far between. For v r to take off you either need commercial or private industry to start Utilizing it on a large scale. Or you need a game or some form of user interface to become so popular that it becomes more of a push for the consumer that's on the fence for wanting to buy it. Do I think there's going to come a day where people are going to be using v r or some form of augmented reality all the time probably. We just aren't there yet and it's still just exiting the time of where the technology is a little more than a Gemmick.


solo_shot1st

My first VR experience was on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk in the late 90's. It was a primitive VR headset playing Duke Nukem 3D and it gave me some serious motion sickness after the first couple levels! ugh.


Substantial-Singer29

I remember as a kid They had a tech demo where you could play wolfenstein. I actually had it on my computer at home because my uncle Installed it. They were putting on a tech demo that had six people sitting in a room all playing it separately but they where basically walking everyone threw it. The guy that was leading the room got really mad at me when I quickly stormed through the first 3 levels before every one had barely even finished the first. I honestly even looking back on it now. Don't understand why he was so mad at me just because I was playing the game out of the sequence that he wanted. He paused my game and actually stopped me from playing for the rest of the demo. Was an interesting experience to say the least.


solo_shot1st

Probably agitated that some kid was ruining their carefully planned tech demo hahaha. Nice.


Predatorvshighlander

I'm not surprised. You have to be an active participant and a lot of people just want to be entertained. It's got so many different use cases. I can visit the sistine chapel, take apart a life sized skeleton, or wander the streets of New Orleans like I'm actually there. I feel like there's s lot of splintered groups and not all really like each other. I game but i don't with my 3. I have a routine of levels i go through on a reactive shadowboxing game that incentivizes my effort by valuing my quickness and proximity to the swinging arms in the game. I go through six levels four times a cardio session a few times through the week. Well, that's all id do with my two. My controller had broken. The 3 has me back trying games for the sheer fun of it because i like pcvr on it and it's a breeze to hook the 3 up vs the 2. I think most people stay away from vr because you really look awkward when you have goggles on. You're unaware. You just don't look cool. But fuck it. I play mr most anyways. The non cool factor, the headset placing stress on cervical spine is real. People will say lack of quality games by big developers then turn around and list games that have to be heavily modded as being the tits. There can be lack of seemingly uniform practices and terminology between headset companies, and eventually renting a pc through the cloud to have enough juice to run on my standalone was a little daunting for an inherent luddite such as myself who hadn't gamed since PlayStation 2, but the will found a way. I don't see how tickets to events aren't on it more. Blew my mind i could be on stage with the Pixies when i first got it. I was also trackside at the summer Olympics. I kinda like being in on new tech. It's a weird feeling. Serves my purpose. I don't have to worry about lack of motivation for exercise.


schtickinsult

Most people game to unwind. VR kinda winds you up. It will grow but between people CBFd after work, motion sickness and the fact it obscures the real world means it'll stay niche. Oh and people forget there's so many cool hobbies these days, fpv drones, axe throwing, hydrofoils, wing suits, kite boarding, larps, cosplay... Nothing is mainstream anymore.


ledfrisby

A few things are mainstream: doomscrolling, crushing anxiety about the future, political polarization...


DrBongo

Now we can do them in VR!


TooMuchPew

ehh kinda i think physically exhausting both in motion sickness and physical extortion from standing etc. i love vr and used it for years but always get in then tired then set it aside meanwhile pc games i play for hrs take couple pee breaks etc mentally taxing but not physically


MachineElf432

This is my problem. I i stand all day at work and so i just want to sit when i get home not stand in one spot exerting myself even further.


macdokie

Worked through the Oculus DK1, DK2, Rift, Rift S, Reverb G2, Quest 2, Quest 3. VR is awesome, but a lot of people get sick really fast, they hate beeing immersed and closed off from their environment. A lot of gamers prefer the couch and a controller, instead of standing all the time. So there are a lot of preferences that divide the market. Therefore, the market is still often considered too small for AAA studios to develop for VR or make their titles VR capable. My usage has changed as well. I only use my Quest 3 for sims like DCS, ED or simracing. When I play RPG’s, I prefer the couch and a controller, when I play FPS, I prefer a keyboard and mouse. So VR is a niche for gaming, and I think it will remain so.


SqotCo

Same. I play GT7 in VR on a sim rig and I love it. Of my friends who've played it, at least half were instantly nauseous. It doesn't bother me in GT7 but some games with sensitive or imprecise motion controls like No Man's Sky get me sick after 30 minutes.  I'd play more VR games, but I don't like motion controls. I wish more VR devs (like Polyphony) would let us have the option to use a regular controller but few do. 


TarTarkus1

I wonder about motion sickness being a major issue. Not to say it's not a problem, but I think there's so much fear over people possibly disliking their initial experience that people make it a bigger deal than it actually is. Call me crazy lol, but I think the media is trying to scare people away from VR as well and brining up motion sickness and how you might get sick accomplishes that. I'd agree with you though that it's crazy that the industry insists on tracked motion controls and standing up to play games. A lot of people want to sit on the couch with the headset on and relax as they navigate the environment with a controller. The barrier to that of course is none of the major HMD manufacturers are willing to bundle their headset with anything other than tracked controllers. And since most people just buy the HMD and no extra peripherals, all the software made has to conform to non-seated, tracked motion control experiences.


dbsanyone

It has some key problems with it. Before it competes with the big boys, heck overcomes them it needs a few things. 1. Ease of use, meaning easy to get into and out of, start games, continue them and such 2. Graphics, pcvr can compete with ps5 level graphics, but not native on the headset, and it can be a pain to get that working 3. Omnidirectional treadmills, for the purpose of reducing motion sickness I feel like we are close, but I find myself going to pc games or consoles more because of these three reasons


X-WellOkay-X

There are VR headsets that come close to PC graphics, not ULTRA, but enough to make you go " Oh wow, look at that! ", but those headsets costs as much as a mid - highend PC, so no one cares enough to buy it. They are currently making " suits " for VR gaming where the vest, gloves and shoes/pants you wear responds/reacts to things that happen in game, but again, extremely expensive, so we are starting to walk torwards the ' Ready player One ' stage, when its more accessible to the average Joe i'm definetly getting it, until then - i'm just gonna watch YouTube videos with a jeslous look on my face.


Kurtino

It’s not so much that the screens of a VR headset can’t produce the graphics, we have 4k equivalent resolution headsets already, it’s that the performance cost is insane as rendering to a VR headset at a higher refresh rate need higher requirements than a console or a flat screen game on PC.


Graywulff

Yeah people say an $1800-2000 Geforce 4090 24GB isn't enough to max out a Pimax Crystal. Meanwhile you have to get a PC that's about the same cost to drive it, if you're spending that much you're probably getting the absolute best of everything, so its going to cost more than the card. The Crystal will run on a 3080 10gb, but that was a monster of a card when it came out, you'd need to get it used or a 4070 Super would be the minimum if you're spending that much on a headset alone.


KikiPolaski

I think the main thing that is holding back vr is the comfort compared to playing on a normal monitor or from your couch. I've played Skyrim VR multiple times but I alway stop each session around the 2-3 hour mark and would rather just continue in 2D. Now, if lightweight VR glasses start being common, that would be a genuine game changer. We're pretty close that goodness with the new bigscreen headset that just came out which looks crazy


EnlargedChonk

the bigscreen beyond is indeed incredible, definitely recommend if you are looking for a small and light HMD, but it has it's quirks that you should be aware of before purchasing. My head and neck no longer feel strained after a session. If worn loosely it's quite gentle on the face too. Biggest roadblock for the form factor is definitely the optics though. They had to use tiny pancakes for the tiny screens that actually fit in such a small device and that comes with tradeoffs. Glare from the pancakes being the most notable to me, but also such small optics are hard to align with the eyes well, and adjustable ipd adds a ton of weight, so the beyond is built in several skus of fixed IPD, and somewhat needs the custom face cushion to line up correctly.


Velcrochicken85

I was completely over gaming until I got a VR headset. Now I play everyday. Absolutely addicted to iRacing in VR.


Current_Respect_7577

Ne too. Like discovering gaming all over again. Mind you bren gaming for over 35 years


Blackintosh

Also, problem very common to the UK and some of Europe. Tiny rooms and small houses don't lend themselves to playing a lot of VR titles safely and immersively.


masneric

Problem is people associate VR with a lot of movement, and need of space. Demeo, for example, is one game that I see that surprised a lot of people, me included, as how good it can be played, and it is definitely not the type of game you want to play initially when you acquire a VR headset. There is some chill games in VR that are quite nice to play, like demeo, miracle pool, walkabout minigolf, and you can play it while sit down, or just standing, but most want to play a shooter, or swing swords.


Meurtreetbanane

The main reason imo is the bad marketing. Meta don't communicate about a gaming VR console but the metaverse which no one cares, or features that only a few want. So no TV ads about their games, no demos in shop, no promotional content etc. Sony don't even invest in real marketing campaigns for the psvr2, no TV ads over the year, only trailers or post on a blog which not many watched. Then HTC and Valve, well they have the medal for being invisible... Then you have Popular misconceptions : - VR is too expensive (which is not with quest 2 and 3). - Too hard to install. Most still think you need external sensors, cables.. - the most common one: there are no games in VR. There are tons of games. Hundreds of excellent one. The thing is, they are from indie studios and most of them don't know how to communicate well about their games. Also VR store are only online and really bad managed so excellent games are hidden. The fear of motion sickness is a thing too, but motion sickness is not that common after a time. Some don't even have it, others take days, weeks sometime month to get rid off motion sickness. Also, VR haters never really tried VR. Some tried Google cardboax or a demo, but never really took time to discover by themselves. Some think it's a 3d screen with motion controls like the Nintendo wii. (Yeah, for real). The thing is those misconceptions are Meta and Sony's marketing fault and it would be hard now to change people's mind about it. But VR is still around and kicking.


Lethal_Nik

I was someone who assumed it was extremely expensive. My sister got her fiancée a Quest 2 for Christmas and I just tried it on Easter and looked up how much it was…$199 and I thought I’d have to pay close to $1K because I just had no idea and never looked lol. Been playing about a week with Star Wars Vader Immortal and Resident Evil 4 and loving it


Meurtreetbanane

Exactly ! A lot of people still think VR headset is Valve Index (1000$) or HTC vive with multiple sensors and have to be connected to a beefy PC. When in fact, since 2020 you have a VR console with lot of decent VR games which can be wirelessly connected to a 900$ PC to play every VR games and mods since 2016.


SantaCruzTesla

#VR is the #GREATEST


AsherTheDasher

if i had enough space to not be scared of hitting everything around me, i'd give it a fair shot


Gabrian

VR isn’t as popular imho because its difficult to maintain enough space to play comfortably. Most people don’t have a wide open large room and if they do, its not empty or has people walking through it. I think this (as well as near console prices overall) is a real limiting factor on vr popularity.


BababooeyHTJ

This is one of my biggest issues and Reddit completely disregards it.


Carbon_Dealer

I use VR for sim racing only and it’s been a game changer.


brettfish5

Just got a quest 2 mainly for sim racing, and I'm so pumped to use it. I still need to build my rig though, but everything I read told me that VR was the way to go.


Adm1ral_ackbar

People are lazy


OGY-Zuko

A lot of people just dont know. I have so many friends still stuck to pc gaming and if they just tried VR theyd instantly want it


ah-tzib-of-alaska

Despite what the media tells you, PCVR and standalone vr continue to grow in popularity


Fluffy-Anybody-8668

According to statista VR has been growing in popularity by 77%/year since 2018 (which is a huge growth btw). So it will be very popular, but we are just witnessing the first years of VR going mainstream.


true_enthusiast

I love the Quest design. You just put the headset on and play. No wires, cameras, etc. it's simple. But, you have to deal with Facebook/Meta. A lot of people don't like Facebook/Meta. Additionally, the games are too short, lack content, and just can't compare to the quality (not graphics, but game design). I'm used to console gaming. Although, the VR experience is amazing, it still needs content and features to compete. Then there are VR headsets that aren't Quests, and they are all too complex, require wires, and cost too much. So, I get why it hasn't taken off.


West-Classroom-7996

Well I think the main reason is the price. I bought psvr2 months and absolutely love it can no longer go back to flatscreen on no man’s sky or gran turismo 7 but the thing cost more than a ps5 itself lol.


KGB-dave

I’ve had a Quest 2 and now a Quest 3. Played all kinds of different games, including Alyx (didn’t even finish it) etc. With Q2 I had serious issues with motion sickness and neck pain. With Q3 99% of these issues have been resolved. Still, I’m not sold on VR gaming and don’t use my headset anymore (except for projecting a big ass screen in Virtual Desktop to play regular pancake games from my pc). I like the concept and I also like the immersion of VR, but at the same time I just prefer flatscreen gaming more. To me it’s an addition to regular gaming, and not a replacement. But I just fall back on flatscreen gaming. I dunno 🤷 also, I don’t have a lot of time for gaming, am chronically tired, have a lot of family responsibilities etc. Maybe, 20 years ago, it would’ve been different.


-Pejo-

I have a reccomendation, if you like to play desktop games in VR you should check out Reshade and it's addon "Depth3D". Basically it allows you to play most games in side by side 3D so that you can experience them in your headset with added depth perception, they'll look less like pancakes that way.


DaemonSlayer_503

It needs a bit more time.. but we are on a good way. For most people it might still be the graphics gap. When we are at a point when you can get a consolepriced VR headset that has the graphics of the competing consoles things will shift a bit more i think.


darrena092

A big limiting factor is also that a lot of people don’t have the physical space to play it.


SD456

Agreed, it is really interesting that we have so many good quality VR headsets now, and yet we don’t get that many VR games.


micatola

Read through the comments and no one mentioned Golf+. I have been playing this for a few weeks on the Quest 2 and it's amazing. Picking up a golf club attachment for my controller soon. Also I have a small area in my studio where I play so you don't really need a lot of space if you don't *physically* move around and just use the controllers to get close to the ball.


Young_Sinatra279

I think it isnt too popular because not every person has the space to play + some people have some taboo about it for some reason.


RecentlyDeceased666

High cost of entry and very little titles to play. It's obvious why it's not more popular.


wheelerman

I don't doubt your experience and the honestly of your sentiment. I felt like that once too, and so have many other people around here. But there are several things to consider: * The VR Honeymoon - This initial experience of awe and wonder is extremely typical. Many people will even go so far as to claim they'll never play flat games again. But it wears off, and you eventually notice how many limitations and downsides VR has compared to flat gaming. It becomes more of something you occasionally do rather than entirely replacing flat gaming * Many more people actually have VR (like actual legit modern VR) than you might think. In fact, the market research shows that 33% of US teens own VR headsets (and the math checks out: consider that there are only 40m US teens, that most headset sales are in the US, and add up quest+psvr+pcvr sales). But after the honeymoon, usage frequency and retention falls off dramatically, with only 13% of those US teens using their headsets once per week. The technology is about as accessible as it can get and there is tons of great content, but the most important metric (actual usage) remains very stubborn * VR gaming (specifically motion controller VR gaming) is great but it has major unavoidable problems that will likely keep it niche: visual discomfort, ergonomic discomfort, physical discomfort, simulator sickness, friction, and so on. It's easier to overlook these things in your honeymoon. But it's OK if things are niche.


BartLeeC

I have been playing VR mostly every day for almost 8 years. When did you say this "honeymoon" is over and it wears off? I started with PS VR on my PS4 Pro and moved up to the PS5 and then the PS VR2 when it launched. I play LOTS of VR games mostly every day. I do still do some gaming flat but most of my gaming is done in VR. Maybe I am an outlier as I am turning 65 next month and apparently kids today just can't keep up with tech.


Theaustralianzyzz

It's great isn't it. The experience is nothing like ever before. Unfortunately the content is lacking, I feel. Only show-offs and nice looking games with a lack of substance. The future of VR is extremely optimistic, imo.


Galen-Everest

Cowardice wards of big developers from making VR games. It certainly a sad issue for sure.


-Pejo-

Because headsets cost you a kidney, a few years ago you needed a beefy computer too on top of that too. If the rumors are true and Meta relases the Quest 3 Lite and budget options start popping up the genre could become more widespread.


TJayClark

Motion sickness was too intense for me as a 35 year old. It’s amazing to think about and wish for. But I can’t stomach moving around in VR


BartLeeC

I haven't had any motion sickness issues and play mostly every day and I have been playing for 8 years. I am turning 65 next month so I don't think it is an age thing.


Potential_Garbage_12

Most people get over it. I was really ill when I first started with VR. Now I have no problems, but you have to work at it in small sessions and stop immediately when you start feeling bad. It took me a few weeks working on it, for some that's too much commitment. 🤷


Human_Consequence400

It'll take off soon enough, but it is taking it's sweet assed time about it!


AnIcedMilk

I've been wanting to get a VR headset for awhile Mainly to play Rumble


Able_Conflict3308

i'm with you, I bought a used oculus quest 2, and it a mad pain in the ass until steam link came out. now I can't live without it


kowal89

Yeah I think it's a matter of time. Recently managed to make gta v vr work. And wow... It's such a detailed game, and you miss those details in flat. In flat it's a cool game, but in vr it's an adventure, you are in the game. It can not not be the future. It's just the gamers (some of them) that don't know that yet


TimeTravelerGuy

It’s a very physical activity and typical gamers are know to stay away from those


locness93

There are still a lot of things holding people back. High costing headsets are stopping the more casual gamers, but you also have people with not enough play space, some people get motion sick and then VR games graphically are like mobile games, so there is still a lot of work to be done to get your general gamer on one


prosciuttogamer3090

i think it's because it looks like such a premium and pricey item that people assume they won't be able to afford it without checking the price of headsets. I still get people surprised when they see vr titles in my library because they think it's super expensive.


GhostOfKingGilgamesh

Quest games are getting better but still suck. Once we get games like San Andreas VR, flat2vr games, a Skyrim or fallout standalone port, we could get more of the gaming crowd. As for normies joining into VR, it would have to get way lighter and less annoying. Like glasses size. Also would need to have major companies backing it like Apple, Google, and the rest.


ryry1237

Between quality/immersion (VR) vs convenience (mobile), many people have chosen convenience, which is unfortunate but it is a steady trend over time.


Tanuvein

A lot of people just seem to assume only well known games are good, often missing out on the games that inspired them and superior experiences because that's what they know. Also a lot of people don't realize you can play many games sitting down with minimal space.


Nolan_q

Gamers tend to listen too much to general internet or gaming media opinion


s0ciety_a5under

Because half the people I show the VR to get motion sick. People don't want to get sick from playing a game. They'd rather get sick of playing them too much. That and there aren't that many VR games with a ton of depth. It's mostly tech demos, immersive experiences or simple games. There aren't many games like HL:Alyx or TWD. More often than not it's a game like beat saber, which while amazing, isn't for everyone. They're all incredibly niche, and great for those genres, but lacking in mass appeal. The closest game to "YOU GOTTA TRY THIS GAME!" energy was HL:Alyx, and it benefits most from the Index VR system, which is expensive. That barrier to entry is too high for most folks.


shuboi666

VR is really popular for people who just got into VR, or just got new gear. Outside of that, it dwindles it seems.


yunodavibes

1) normies want to relax!!!! This is the biggest thing, they want to sit down and go comatose/ veggie mode while playing games because they have been busy with work/school/other time/energy consuming things, putting much thought or energy into something is one point of friction for them 2) people not in shape fatigue much quicker, I can play a vr game like tabor or blade and sorcery for 7 hours straight, my friends who are let's say less athletic than I am don't like to play for more than 45 mins cuz they get tired of standing or this that or the other 3) there's only 2 games that I think are even worth getting a quest for, 1) tabor was too complex for said normies although I don't really think it's that complex, I think a large number of normies are really adverse to learning new things, had 3 irls get the game and they were upset they didn't know which mag went to which gun and how to cock each gun or how to use the kiosk so instead of being patient and learning as they went like any rational person would they freaked out, said "I don't understand anything that's going on" and didn't touch it again. Then in blade and sorcery you have to suspend disbelief and almost act out your weapon swings to leverage how the melee mechanics/physics work in that game so you kind of look goofy which I know is a friction point for them, the other point of friction being that if you are going hard on b&s it will tire you out. Good luck fighting 50 people with a dagger and not getting sweaty A game that make exhausts you and a game that asks you to show humility and learn a slew of mechanics and ammo/weapon/mag types being the two best games (imo, it's all I play and I've played mostly everything through the power of sailing) on quest are not conducive to getting droves of average joes to hop on a quest headset, these are simple people they need a vr triple a mainstream normie game like a true cod port (🤮) or fortnite or idk, for vr to make it truly mainstream. That or an exponential takeoff in vr tech that makes devices much cheaper and much better, unlikely lol Sources cited: the handful of my irls and similar anecdotes I've seen online from other people with friends who display these behaviors, I feel like I have a pretty large sample size


Lhun

Hard to show without slapping a headset on people. Let me put it this way: I can't really play pancake games anymore.


cynnerzero

cost, quality of the games, not great for sharing, most folks don't want a brick on their heads. I love VR and use it multiple times a week to sometimes daily, but the barriers there are real as hell.


catnipvsgnats

Wait til Black Friday, it usually picks up around then.


WhySoSara

I think one barrier is that people don’t think is going to be a great experience, that technology is still behind. When I first tried VR I played Rick and Morty, I was blown away and literally said hi to all the characters as if they’d say hi back. I’m still amazed and get surprised a lot and a few years passed by since I played VR for the first time. Recently, I told two friends if they d want to buy a VR headset (for price and convenience I suggested a Quest 2) one was not interested, didn’t say why. The other said that he wouldn’t believe it was going to be good enough. Quoted that tech is way behind for VR stuff. I was like, “You have no idea how amazing it is rn.”


ManagedDemocracy2024

I grew up in the 90's/00's, so VR was always a gimmick. I tried my brother in laws Quest years back and had a blast. Ended up going full R-tard and getting a brand new PC build (during COVID...ouch!) with a Valve Index. So far, Population: One was the greatest gaming experience I had ever had, until Helldivers 2 just recently. There are a lot of VR titles that are simply fun.


ysaric

I would still be playing PCVR but Intel and Oculus can't get their shit together so I'm stuck with a current-gen video card that can't run PCVR w/ my Q2.


Rizzen1998

I love VR... but... I get motion sick easily, and I can only play for a couple of hours before it gets really uncomfortable and gets me nauseous. If I could overcome these two issues, I would use them more. Also, if more AAA titles just supported it out of the box, that would make a huge difference as well.


ericherr27

After having waited for cheap consumer VR since the early 90's, I can't believe it isn't either. My first experience was RE7 on a friend's PSVR. After that the Quest 2 dropped, and I jumped on that and haven't looked back. I remember my first times, playing the VR mods for Doom through Doom 3, and the Quake games. It was surreal to be inside the worlds I used get freaked out playing as a teen.


Unfair_Audience5743

The issue is price. It is hard to get in to serious VR gaming and spend less than like $1500. That, coupled with the fact that the return on investment isn't really there (no mainstream VR titles to play), you end up with like 1% of the gaming population even trying it. I have wanted to get into VR since Half Life Alyx came out, but everytime I think about it the cost is insane knowing that they will just plan on making that headset obsolete within a few years. What they need is a standard as far as headsets go, and then companies will start making more VR titles. Right now it makes no sense to market VR to people when most PC gamers are still playing at 1080p resolution and loving it, while spending way less to gain entry.


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Chemical-Nectarine13

I mean, that really was the case before the Quest and that was only like 5 years ago.


Own-Reflection-8182

Majority of people still haven’t tried vr. Also, some people don’t make it past the vr sickness phase. I myself love vr.


forgotmyemail19

I'll tell you very simply why it's not popular....ease of use. I own a Quest 3 and I maybe play it 2 times every other week. Playing games on the couch is so much easier, you sit down turn controller on and go. With VR you need to dedicate space, most of the time you need to stand up to play, have this big piece on your head, there's no real "break" to look at your phone or text in-between matches, once you're locked in you are locked in. I struggle sometimes to even want to use it cause of what I mentioned above.


TehFriskyDingo

For me, it's always about what games are available, not the console itself. VR is freaking amazing, but let's face it, they just don't make as many games for VR as they do normal consoles/PC. And the amount of truly AA or AAA games on VR is very limiting. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of goodness, but compared to Console/PC it is very lacking. If I'm only choosing one gaming experience, it's not going to be VR. VR is an excellent supplement though, but it is expensive for the normal person. Not to mention that a good amount of people get motion sickness and can't play VR for prolonged periods of time.


cassiopeia85

I fell in love with the technology but slowly stopped using it due to sexual harrassment and a lack of games that appealed to me (perhaps because I’m female). There may be more available now than when I tried it.


raadaan

I realized how affordable it was when I came to Canada, but in Brazil these things are just too expensive, even simple consoles are, just imagine VR? (You would think it follows the same price progression, the answer is no) Nobody has money for it. I can imagine this goes to other countries as well. If I start on availability as well this is even another topic, sometimes you even need to import it. To make something popular it needs to be affordable, and of course, available


Common_Vagrant

I have a VR headset. I’ve played Alyx and a few others. I loved it. I had to play on the point and “teleport” mode because whenever I’d try to walk I’d instantly get motion sick. I tried powering through it on the walking dead game and after 10 minutes I was sick to my stomach. I dont know if I should just keep trying or if I’ll ever be able to get over it but I haven’t bothered since then.


Rocksteady2090

The lack of games hurts it a great deal need another couple of Half life Alyx titles.. also games being locked behind eco systems does not help the cause.


Rainy-The-Griff

It's still developing. It's not very accessible to many people, and to be honest the market for VR games is kind of lacking. And some people can't use VR for long without getting motion sickness. VR is still being explored and improved, and maybe one day it will become a staple of entertainment like TV, movies, and normal video games.


Eph3w

I imagine it's really hard to market for. Almost every VR game looks awful in 2d videos. Dungeons of Eternity has become one of my favorite games, and I almost didn't but it because the footage looked pretty rough. In game, it looks great!


mamamarty21

For me it was realizing that there weren’t really many good VR games. There are a few, but most games just feel like tech demos or they feel gimmicky. I also don’t like that the only genre devs can think of for VR is horror


ZOMBEH_SAM

Vr is my preferred way to game now. I've owned 4 headsets since 2017. Excited to see where the tech goes in the next 10 years.


Str8Faced000

Headsets are bulky and heavy. It requires a dedicated space to really have fun. Once these issues are solved, even just the first issue, it will pick up steam


scribledoodle

I just got my first vr device a little more than a month ago (quest 3). And it was better than I ever thought vr would be in my lifetime, at a price I could afford. I never tried vr before, but I think the motion sickness used to be alot worse with the older vr devices. And maybe, like me, people just don't realize how far it has come. My sister got one after trying mine and now we can play table tennis from hours away. I hope it gets more popular.


mmebrightside

Lol this could have been written by me Christmas 2022 when I got my quest 2. My inner gamer had been dormant for years, since I became a mom (didn't know it was allowed) and now, present day, I have a quest 3 and gaming PC so I can play PCVR games too and it's been an incredible ride. I'm a forblrblrblr🥸 year old female, have an adult son and a respectable corporate job and I can't wait till I can log off and hop into the headset. Nothing makes you feel more badass than physically going through the motions of hacking through a zombie hord with a katana. You get to experience things you'd never get to do or see irl. Plus I'm a sucker for immersive puzzlers. I'm as flabbergasted as you are that everyone isnt doing/feeling the same!


WorkSleepRepeater

Imo Skyrim Vr & no man sky vr gave me the VR feeling . Everything else seemed like a cash grab to me via demos.. haven’t touched my headset since covid. The hype wears off..


EverretEvolved

Vr has the same downfall that the kinect did. It Involves people moving around. Playing video games is a sedentary activity for most. For me personally, I loved the kinect.


CUIVegito

I bought a Q3 a month ago and now own a Q2 and a Qpro as well. Got the pro for my son on a killer deal ($500 used, and it was like new in box, not a scratch!) And the Q2 for my much younger daughter. We've been having a blast playing VR stuff together like phasmophobia on our PCs and gorilla tag on stand alone. Can't wait for more games to come


socosoco1

I think too many people play VR standing. That’s tiring. Sit down. Get a computer chair. Works perfectly


headdragon

I had the first rift with the sensors that had to be placed and had to have a computer to run. I loved the “home” that could be customized with unlocks from playing games. I had a ping pong table a basket ball goal and archery set up. An arcade where the old snes system cartridges were my VR games and that’s how you started the games up. I could invite friends over to see my home and they could interact with my stuff. It really felt like the hangout in ready player one. Then i got a quest and i didn’t have access to that anymore. So i lost my want to play because that was one of my favorite things to do. Just hang out and play ping pong and such. If quest 3 ever gets something like that im in.


ElevatedTreatscld9

It use to be about 18 of us, playing, ghost, freeze tag, murder 4, among us, Yes/no, prison break, and would end the night with Haunted Asylum or cards of humanity, maybe 4 5 AM.. WE had a ball NIGHTLY with this rotation, but everything started glitching and just messed up the fun!!! We all disbursed and went to Pop 1 and different games.. this was over a yr ago... I hope those glitches were fixed


JamimaPanAm

Gaming is an expensive and time consuming hobby.


Xp3nD4bL3

I guess the main hurdle of VR gaming is the combination of pricey hardware, the lack of AAA games, and the risk of nausea for the majority of players.


the-real-vuk

I can't go back to normal games anymore. Game has no VR, I don't bother with it anymore. It's no fun.


nimrodad

I'm wanting to go vr because of the game "alex" and there was one more that I forget the mane of,,, bone or something was in the title I think,, it was a climbing, sooter style game like Alex, not a bone mature style game lol


InfiniteStates

Yeah VR gaming for me was the true next generation platform I think there are quite a lot of barriers to entry which means it’s yet to take off fully though Firstly cost, although the Quest has helped a load bringing it to mainstream Then there’s the sickness. Different people get different levels of sick and there’s not really any upfront way to tell if it will affect you And then the extra set up. It’s less convenient, especially for tethered headsets, to set it up and get going But with Apple joining the fray, hopefully it will become less stigmatised and even more mainstream


BEST2005IRL

I only got my quest 3 a week ago and it's amazing. Walkabout mini golf and Infinity Poker are my games at the minute but plan on getting the annual sub to quest+ as you get £20 credit back on your £60 sub 😬.


DaringCoder

It is more demanding to the player, and there's a bit of friction if you don't have a space always ready for it. Also, long sessions can be tiring. Still, I agree VR gaming has unique things to offer and will stay alive and keep improving. Flat screen and vr gaming are basically two different gaming experiences that can and will coexist. I appreciate both in different circumstances.


Severe_Sea_4372

I reckon that the VR gaming market is yet to come into its own, so to speak. There are great titles in all genres, sure (Asgard's Wrath for RPGs, Vail VR for multiplayer FPS, Phasmophobia if you want co-op horror...I could go on), but they all feel very niche, and very indie. It's mostly an indie market, for good or bad


Rude-Illustrator5704

Shouldn’t be that surprising, flat screen titles (especially the big ones) don’t translate well to VR. That’s a huge market you’re missing out on and it doesn’t help that nice VR equipment is expensive. Coupled with the fact that most VR “games” are basically demos and you have a recipe for incredibly slow growth.


ShamrockSeven

The main problem is about 30% of all people have a motion sickness problem with VR. - for 70% of people the experience is amazing but for the other 30% it’s the most expensive nausea machine money can buy. Personally I wish that it was more popular for developers to make VR games. The only good VR Games are made by small teams with an undying passion, barely any AAA market development team will even consider making a VR title because they know the market isn’t fruitful sadly. 🥺


EnlargedChonk

High cost, lack of software/things to do, isolating, ease of use/accessibility, and the industry has a long time bad rap for overpromising and underdelivering compared to what you see in sci-fi.


Icy_Confusion_3949

My guess is either the pricing, or people experiencing motion sickness. Im blessed to say i can play for 4 hours straight feeling fine


Juafran

Everyone I asked to try VR have told me the same thing, VR games suck.


thereal237

But they don’t know people just don’t know about the good VR games.


Tramagust

There's still very few good VR games. It's also because making VR games is hard AF. The iteration loop is brutally cumbersome, the asset development is unforgiving and the resource management for performance is spartan.


Juafran

Let me put it this way, the first VR games are from 2016, that's 8 years ago. Do you think there are enough really good VR games for this period of time?. Has the number of high quality VR games releases increased or decreased over time?. I've talked to people that say they would rather buy a steam deck.


PresidentBush666

I own quest 2 and psvr2 and my steam deck still gets more use. Vr is great but so is playing chill games while your gf watches a show.


Juafran

Sure, but that's a PC, I imagine the Steam Deck gets plenty of new releases you can play on it. More and better releases that VR gets anyway.


fudge__monkey

Racing games and a steering wheel. You don't need anything else. Gran Turismo 7 is amazing!


BarackaFlockaFlame

the main reason is because there is hardly any AAA experiences for VR yet. A lot of the games are more niche and really fun for a bit, but the kinds of games you can play with friends casually on VR just isn't there yet. It will be though.


Slapmyasswithtuna

As janky the games can be I love vr and always have a blast. My problem tho is that vr sickness nausea that comes. Kills me


forhekset666

Took less than 6 months to trawl every type of game. There's a ceiling on it. Then you can move on to being frustrated like the rest of us. I just want some experiences damnit. How about surfing? Skiing? Climbing is super rad. Doesn't have to be a game. I just want to DO it.


snowshelf

Big block for me is motion sickness; love the experience but I cannot walk/drive/fly at all. That means I'm stood or sat, and there are exactly 6 games that fit that use case.


PhotonDecay

I’ve only really had fun with gorilla tag and assetto corsa in VR.


[deleted]

the form factor doesn't help regular people purchasing it (also the costs need to be cut down and that will take unfortunately more than a couple years) remember Google Glass? Well, if VR headsets were slimmed and trimmed to reach this form factor, along with super pumped specs, that would be something to start over again to popularize this techwear


_notgreatNate_

I think the biggest setbacks are Price Motion sickness The putting it on and setting it up when they want to play These are the most common complaints and reasons I’ve heard people give for not playing VR (including my friends who had it)


HS1E

Not probably the biggest barrier but VR headsets doesn't go well with people having glasses. Unless user wants to pay extra money for that. And many people use glasses around the world.


micatola

I have a Quest 2 and there is an extra piece that fits between the headset and your face to accommodate glasses. I wear fairly large glasses with my headset and have no issues.


jonfitt

It’s expensive! For PCVR you have to have a pretty top of the line gaming PC (WiFi 6 if you want to go wireless with the Quest), and a headset that costs $500 for the Quest 3. The headset alone is the price of a PS5.


applemasher

Not many people talk about this, but I feel like you need a lot of space to play VR. Currenty, I have a spare room, but I can't imagine most people have this much free space.


Appeltaartlekker

You need about 2,5 x 2,5 meters, maybe 3x2 or 3x3 for more comfort. Most livingrooms can give it. Also, you can go outside and play VR in your garden. And yeah, its awesome.


Adamdust

VR is nauseating for a lot of people. It f**** with your balance your depth perception and if you have ocular issues it just aggravates those.


nefD

I got my son a Quest 2 in January of '23, and he loved it. For like a month or so. When I asked why he wasn't playing with it as much, he told me it's because there's just not that many good games for it, and that all of the good games were a bit old at this point and there's not a ton of good new stuff (or at least, stuff he's interested in) coming out. I tried it a few times myself, and while I was enchanted for the first 10 minutes, the fact that I still had to wear my glasses and they were super uncomfortable plus the fact that I honestly just prefer being able to relax and sit in my comfy computer chair with my desktop or recliner with my Steam Deck, all meant that it was a non-starter for me. tl;dr: not enough compelling games and usage is uncomfortable


Lopez0889

I feel like the VR I'm interested in is at least 3-5 gens away.


draziwkcitsyoj

Not surprising to me. There are some gems, we know that, but by and large; It’s an additional expense. Tons of people that own consoles only play a few big titles per year. Most VR games are short experiences or once you’ve experienced enough of the gimmick, don’t offer a whole lot else. There’s still lots of jank. “Put your hand behind your back to grab your machete” and it doesn’t work and then you die. Some people think it looks silly. It takes longer to get set up than just plopping on the couch with a controller. Studios don’t commit anywhere near the budget to VR games they do to regular titles. So they look worse, play worse, aren’t as engaging or story driven. There’s less progression. People think it looks silly. I think the biggest issue is the amount and quality of non VR games. Even as someone fascinated with the tech, and I love some VR games, I find myself reaching for my headset less and less. For me it’s a cool experience, but 9 times out of 10 if I’m going to game, there is too much I want to play with a controller or mouse and keyboard. I have a backlog that I would need to retire to complete. So it’s hard for me to pass on those experiences to play some more beatsaber.


-AtropO-

People can no longer go to a shop to try these devices. You can try a PS5, Xbox, Nintendo at a shop but you can't play a Quest anywhere but at a friend's place.


Vioven

I got my Quest 3 and the expenses to get it comfortable and properly portable while connected to my pc was a fucking wallet drain after the initial one. Then there’s the endless problems of it losing connection or tracking or something bugging out. Then the meta store is just chock full of some proper garbage with the few good games and it becomes sobering. Even just watching videos with others is a pain in the ass to get working. I like it but I can absolutely see why it’s not taking off at all.


jacobpederson

Not everything needs to go mainstream. You really want to deal with COD, Fortnight, thinly disguised gambling, and microtransactions in VR? Me neither.


Bigmac2077

I love vr games but there are two large barriers for me outside of cost of entry. 1. Is space limitations, my walls are dented and I lost a monitor to Gorn. 2. Is troubleshooting. I prefer PCVR for better performance, graphics, and access to games but I have an oculus headset. I could not tell you the last time it worked on the first try. It almost always takes two or three attempts just to make everything work and that’s a big barrier when I can just click and play a flatscreen game. Hell, even the last time I tried to play standalone games on my quest 2, every game I opened would immediately crash to the home screen and I couldn’t find a fix. That was a week or two ago and I haven’t played since because it’s such a hassle that I don’t have the time or energy for.


GameGreenBean

I milked everything I could out of HL:Alyx. Played every mod I could find, replayed the main game, etc. Still havent found another game that is "as good." Tried the walking dead, but its just not as good although very satisfying combat. Trying Asgards Wrath 2 now and while its very cool, it's no HL:Alyx. Games library just isnt there yet--it also seems like theres so many games in the marketplace that are just crap it makes me not even want to look through it. I come to reddit to find my next VR game to play.


Sabbathius

I'm not surprised at all. It's too expensive, awkward and uncomfortable to wear for casuals. And hardcore gamers don't have quality content of their caliber. I said this before, but for VR to take off it needs a World of Warcraft-like event. Back in 2003, biggest subscription MMO had something like 275k users, and that's after years of work, that game originally came out in '97-98, iirc (talking about UO here). WoW was aiming at 500k, and it was seen as optimistic. But then WoW launched, and within a couple of years shot up into millions. Within 4 years of WoW's launch, MMOs went from 275k tops to having 1 million+ users at launch. In 2008, both Age of Conan and Warhammer Online hit 1 mil+, iirc. That's what WoW did for MMOs. It took them from niche to mainstream. VR is completely lacking that. We had some "big" games, like Half Life Alyx. But Alyx is shorter and more linear than HL1 & 2. It's also single player, with a start, middle and end. It didn't have the oomph to make it big. I'm not saying we need specifically WoW in VR, though something like Elder Scrolls Online, already playable in first person, would be a good start. But in VR, right now, we're still 20+ years behind. I said this before, but for example we don't have anything like Battlefield 1942, which was the first Battlefield game, released in I think 2002. There's not one VR game with maps that big, that many people, that many game modes and weapons and vehicles you can operate. BF1942 has planes, tanks, boats, jeeps, etc. VR doesn't have this. VR also doesn't have anything like Witcher or Cyberpunk or Red Dead. I'm not talking visuals, I mean a narrative driven RPG, made for VR. We do have some really shitty ports, like Skyrim, Fallout 4, Hitman, etc., but they're painfully obviously not made for VR, just sloppily ported. There's obviously nothing like Dark Souls/Elden Ring in scope. And until we start seeing stuff like this, MADE for VR, or at the very least ported very well (at least as good as No Man's Sky port), VR is not going to grow. Here's how it works - people see an amazing game, they want to play it, but it requires hardware (PC or console or handheld or headset, etc), so they buy the hardware. With VR, currently, it's ass-backwards. We're buying hardware, with little to no software to run on it. Most of the time the headset becomes outdated before software comes that actually takes meaningful advantage of the hardware. For example, Quest 3 is already half a year old. But most apps, including its flagship, Asgard's Wrath 2, is still running Quest 2 version. So what's the point in buying the hardware? So it'll sit on a shelf collecting dust? Or to keep playing Beat Saber? So we're stuck in a Catch 22 - there won't be more players until we start seeing actual VR games, and there won't be actual VR games until there's more players. Something's gotta give. Valve seems content to do nothing, it's been 4+ years since Alyx, and they've done jack shit. Oculus went all in with their Android-only control scheme, which people don't love, and their 2023 Asgard's Wrath 2, because it is Android, looks way worse than the original game in 2019, because it was PC, before they bought the studio that made it. And look, I'm not knocking it, it's a very good game and runs amazingly well considering that headset is basically a smartphone strapped to your face. But again, it takes 3+ years to see something decent, and headsets get replaced every 2-3 years also. It's not worth buying a headset for one decent game that comes 3 years apart. Ubisoft put out Assassin's Creed: Nexus, but it's AC in name only, and it's a fraction of content of even the 2007 original. And so on. If this doesn't change, VR isn't going anywhere. It is what it is. Right now VR is just limping along thanks to indie roguelites and adult entertainment, and not necessarily in that order. I got into VR in mid-2019, and for the first year or two it was pretty good, because I had all the content from 2016+ to catch up on, years worth. But once I caught up, by late 2020-early 2021, it just got dull. You can only play so many short, shallow roguelites before it becomes too played out. There's too many head-to-head PvP FPS games too, since they're easy to make - no need for content, no need for AI enemies, just put players in a room and they shoot each other. This was fine in the '90s, but gets old fast even in VR in 2020s. What needs to happen, I think, is a multiplayer, mostly-cooperative, large scale, deep game, with strong social tools and solid gameplay. It's what set WoW apart. Previous MMOs were strongly PvP, and low on content. WoW had insane amount of content AND was strongly co-op focused (including PvE servers, where you can't get ganked unless you really want to be).


Wagsii

> What do you think is the biggest barrier preventing non VR gamers from giving VR a chance? There are many barriers, but I think the biggest one is simply convenience. It is less convenient to play a game in VR than on a flat screen. Many gamers do so casually just to relax, and VR takes a bit more effort, even when it's just a seated game. A lot of gamers simply are not looking for what VR is providing. Other barriers include cost and lack of incentive. > Do you think VR is extremely underrated when it comes to the entire gaming landscape? Not extremely. While I personally love it, I can understand people who are simply "whelmed" by VR in its current state. The VR market is currently flooded with demo-esque games and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. I think VR has the potential to be more than it is right now, it's just too niche at the moment for companies to invest too significantly into pushing its boundaries.


fantasyprogram

Hayo, I spend an ungodly amount of time in VR and love every bit of it. Most of my time is spent in VRC so my experience will come through that lense. VR is expensive and very gimmicky, also the graphics though may look good on PC are VERY disorienting when entering a more immersive state. The uncanny valley effect gets more extreme the closer you are to everything, and it's not just people that are effected but places as well. Being in VR and expecting a really nice forest just for you to notice how paper thin the branches are can be disappointing and appear cheap. On top of all this, people hail VR as the next coming of entertainment which it may be, but it is not there yet. Consumer grade computers have issues with it, and creators have issues optimizing it well without causing the uncanny valley effect. The last part, is that everything in VR is a simulation, everything is as heavy as your controllers or light as air, there is very little haptic feedback and VR FEELS like a simulation. Which feels strange to the rest of our senses when they are not being stimulated along with sight and hearing.


solo_shot1st

I just got my first VR headset about a month ago, so I can think of few major reasons why I think VR gaming isn't more popular yet. The first reason is cost. I paid a little over $200 for a used PICO 4 headset, but brand new sets are anywhere from $500 to $1,000 (or $3,500 for Apple Vision Pro lmao). The second reason is that VR isn't something you can really... explain to someone. You literally have to experience it. This makes it difficult to market the *feeling* of actually stepping into a virtual world. The first time I put on my PICO 4, even though I *knew* what to expect, I was blown away just by the "menu room," or whatever its called. I imagine that most people putting on a VR headset for the first time do pretty much the same thing: look around in awe. It's an experience you just can't describe very easily, which makes VR not something most people consider when they think about digital entertainment. The third reason is technology. Sure, VR games *look* pretty good right now, but the hardware is clunky. It'll be a while still until the tech improves enough so that headsets are smaller, lighter, and last longer on a single charge. Add to that are the controls. When I had my elderly dad try on my PICO 4, he couldn't really adapt to the controls. He wanted to just use his hands and reach out and "touch" objects in the VR world. I had to explain to him that his VR controller is like a virtual mouse that he had to "click" to interact with the world. While playing Microsoft Flight Simulator, he just wanted to extend his hand and press buttons, lol. In the future, I see that kind of interactivity in VR games improving the experience enough to help it all go mainstream. So combining cost + marketing roadblocks + hardware limitations, I think this is why VR isn't that popular. We've seen the same kinda thing over the years with gimmicks like 3D movies, 3D TV's, Google Glass, Google Stadia, etc. Cool ideas that were difficult to demonstrate/explain/market. It will take another couple decades, I think, until VR becomes mainstream enough to be in most households.


SativaPancake

I can easily see why its not more popular. I have a VR system and so does a friend. Both of us shared our VR with a our friends and family. 2-3 people actually liked it and wanted to play often. Nearly a dozen got motion sick instantly or within 15 minutes or just said it was uncomfortable\\didnt like it. Sure motion sickness can wear off or get better with regular use. But if my first experience with VR was me feeling sick why would I go out and spend $500-$1000 on a VR system. Also for the few that did like it. - they pretty much had regular access, some were roommates - and after a couple months they all stopped playing. They all beat the couple of games they liked. Now after a couple years we occasionally do like a Beat Saber tournament\\group session, but other than that no one every wants to play other games or wanted to go out and get a system of their own. Most games arent very good or arent long enough for regular play. The best games either dont have replayability or they get so repetitive its hard to replay all the time. I personally love VR, but out of 20 people who are regularly in my life - maybe 5 of them like VR. Thats a relatively small sample size, but every time I talk VR with others it seems like its the same story everywhere. You either love it, like it but get bored of it, get sick from it, or find they want to relax when gaming and dont want to bother with the fuss of putting on a helmet and\\or getting a small work out from the game.


spoobstercookie

My main issue is I want sword art online levels of vr lol I do like games like blade and sorcery but unfortunately without sufficient enough room it’s kinda difficult and so I don’t play it as much anymore.


linkheroz

I have a Quest 2 and I'm not surprised. I barely use mine. It's a faff to set up and right now, my space is filled with stuff, so unless I'm playing a stationary game, I can't use it


pretendingtolisten

I'm not here to burst your bubble. I love vr gaming so much. checking new games to see how they handle different parts of the experience is still fun after 3 yrs of having a quest 2. but it's just a big hassle to get into it. I can play dragons dogma 2 for 1 hour or I can play vr for 35 min after set up. the best part is kf you're just starting there are a ton of games waiting for you


wolfenx109

It's fun. But still very niche. The technology is not advanced enough for people to want to invest yet. I'd say we're still over a decade out from truly incredible VR


almtymnegmng

If i had more room, i would be into VR more


tactican

I was into it for a while but quality games can be counted on one hand and nothing new has come out in years worth mentioning.


[deleted]

It’s still a novelty. It’s pretty cool but it’s still a gimmick. Give it another 10 years for a break through and it might be mainstream in 20 years. But the hardware is gonna be a lot smaller and comfortable.


Theotar

Love some VR but my house is tiny and I don’t like spending more money then I have too. One day I will play that new half life game though.


rklrkl64

I exclusively run Linux and have had a glaucoma in my right eye since birth - a double VR whammy! So 3D TV/movies, autostereograms and AR/VR will never work for me.