Questions about Virtual Reality.

Have any of you experienced virtual reality? I haven't and know virtually nothing about it, but I am curious. Are there good, affordable systems? Is the technology very good? If so, what are the price ranges for different systems? Know any good web-sites related to VR? What is the experience like? Any good? Can you get lost for days in it and still find it enjoyable? Anyone?

 

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Anyone have the money to try it?

 

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Cotton I used it many years ago at the Trocourea (sp) London. The Graphics were very basic and you could not interact on any high level. But it was a fun experiance and worth doing. However a lady who was also there had a panic attack and was screaming to have the headset removed.

This was all in the early days so I do not know what it would be like now.

 

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I paid £3 for 2 minutes, I think.

 

Thanks, alexb123. I figured that more people here would have tried it, though it's been years since I've heard anything at all about it.

Anyone else? Anyone heard of a home version?

 

Its just weird that its not made an appearance in the home. Maybe the computer industry drip feeds us Technology to screw more money out of us. So VR is on hold until they feel the market needs a new lift?

 

Probably. Fucking money. Ruins everything.

 

Is there anything worthwhile now, though? Please say yes.

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Yeah, there's some motion tracking devices that work in games. The VR I've used where you put on the headset and hold the stupid lil controller wasn't very impressive. It's pretty much what exists today, but at least we now have better graphics. Here's a place that has some goodies:

http://www.edimensional.com/

I've never tried their VR equipment, only their force feedback/rumble equipment. I know a couple that use the VR tracking for flight sims and they work okay, but I don't know if it's of the same brand as here.

- N

 

Send me one for x-mas?

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Oh yeah, here's another site I was browing when looking for a new, and more comfortable, force feedback chair:

http://www.vrealities.com/

This is the best one though:

http://www.ultimategamechair.com

- N

 

Do you know how much that Ultimate Game Chair is? I couldn't find a price at the site.

 

$500 normal price, but $400 at some places. Even cheaper on E-bay if you're a trusting person. It's a sweet chair. The most comfortable force feedback chair you can get. Most are hard as hell as you're basically sitting on a subwoofer, heh. Comfort is very important if you game a lot. I highly reccommend that chair.

- N

 

Now, is that chair just one part of what you need? Do you buy the visor, gloves, whatever else, separately? I truly am a virgin when it comes to VR.

 

Oh, yeah, just one part. The chair is just a comfortable force feedback chair that causes a rumbling sensation with explosions, gunfire, etc. It also has rear speakers to getcha more into it as well as two built in console controllers.

For a motion tracking visor or 3D glasses, those are all seperate components. A force feedback chair, a motion tracker (or glasses), along with good sound is all ya really need. Heck, just with the good sound and the force feedback (what I have) is more than plenty to immerse you into the game. Oh yeah, a big screen doesn't hurt either, heh.

- N

 

Cool, thanks for your time. For now, I'm probably gonna have to wait that 10 years that kmguru recommended based on price alone. For the chair, $500. How much for the best visor you can think of? And as far as sound, does what comes with that chair suffice? And maybe a couple of speakers on the desk (or TV)?

 

No idea on the visor as I've never owned one.. have only heard from other people. You can search for some reviews online of those products.

As for sound, Logitech has some real good 5.1 speakers for the price called the X-530 that are like $80 at Fry's or Best Buy, but $30-40 at Newegg.com. And the best sound card that is out are the X-fi's from Sound Blaster. The cheapest version is the Xtreme Music that is around $115. Not only that, but it's fast as heck and will improve framerates by 15% in first-person games.

I suppose you could use just the ones on the chair and TV, but it won't give you that true immersed feeling by hearing sound in every direction. 5.1 is the minimum I'd go. If you get the chair for $400 or less online or E-bay, that outta free up some cash for better sound.

- N

 

Good stuff, good stuff. Sadly, my computer right now has a built-in sound card. I hated that, but that's life sometimes.

Do you ever get tired of using the chair? Does it ever annoy you? All the vibration and shit?

P.S. Some of those visor's, on the site you listed above the ultimatechair site, cost around $800. I guess you'd use the USB ports for the chair and the visor? Need two ports, right?

 

Nope, never does. It's SO awesome. It's the main reason why I turned my PC into a complete entertainment system. Awesome for watching DVDs, listening to music, playin games, etc. And it has an on/off button in case you don't want the rumbling to happen, if for some reason you get tired of it, which I doubt you will.

The only annoyance was with the Intensor LX cause the chair was so damned hard. The ultimate one though is comfy as can be like a nice leather office chair.

- N