Derek Demos the HTC Vive!
Hi Friends,
The Microsoft Store in the Tampa Bay International Plaza is demoing the HTC Vive. I took this afternoon to make the journey to the mall and see for myself what the Vive offered. As an Oculus DK2 user who has had hundreds of hours and 18+ months of use, I have an informed - and hopefully not jaded - perspective when it comes to VR hardware.
The wait wasn't long, and folks can make preorders for the device in the store. The kids there, Samar, Haylee and Asher were great, and all of the MS Store folks are abundantly accommodating. DSD thanks them for welcoming me (and for minimal waiting!).
My specific goal for going was to see for myself how the image quality on the Vive compares to my own DK2. I didn't expect to be more than a moment, but once I put on the device I figured I should see what the demo offered. I knew right away the answer to my image quality question.
Candidly, I was disappointed. Anyone looking for a leap in image quality far better than the DK2 will feel the same. Unfortunately, the SDE is present and only incrementally "better" than the DK2, and if it's better at all, it's not by much. Be warned, there is SDE. Anyone who is expecting "minimal" SDE will be sorely let down. If the CV1 isn't much better than the Vive, then I will not have as much enthusiasm for the first gen of VR hardware...though I will still use my own CV1 when it comes!
So here are my brief observations:
SDE: Yes, it's there. Not much better than the DK2. You especially see it when "focusing" on objects on the horizon. It's somewhat better, but I was expecting "much" better. I was disappointed there.
Comfort: Maybe I am used the DK2. I found the Vive to be uncomfortable. The DK2 is easier to adjust and the strap fits me better. Possibly I didn't have enough time to get it adjusted properly.
Hand Controllers: I was pleasantly surprised with these! Actually, they are quite cool. I never really thought much of them, but you "see" them in the VR space, and the way you interact with them is very, very well done. You have to see them in VR to really see this.
Roomspace: I'm not interested in standing and moving. My focus is on seat VR with racing and flying my only interests. I can see how those who want other games will like it. It's unique, but nothing relevant for my interest.
FOV: Since I didn't make a mental note to look for this, I didn't examine it in detail. I didn't notice anything "wow", so I'd guess it to be adequate.
Anyhow, these are my own observations. I cannot speak for anyone by myself, but it's not for me. I'd not pay 800 to replace my DK2 with it. That's a no-go.
Note that my intention is not to start a battle over the Vive v Oculus. Get what you want, and that's not my business. ANY VR headset (DK2, Vive, CV1) is light years better than NO VR headset. Since I have a perspective on VR and sims, I figured my fair assessment of this one might be of interest to some.
And some photos!