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Kierkegaarden

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 13, 2018
2,395
4,060
USA
What will this tech be mainly used for? In the case of VR, is it all about gaming? Could this in fact be a type of tv display that many thought they were planning?
 

thejadedmonkey

macrumors G3
May 28, 2005
9,193
3,392
Pennsylvania
When it comes to VR,

You aren't going to replace the TV, because watching TV is a communal activity.
You aren't going to replace the PC, because you can't ignore outside input.
So you're left with specialized scenarios, such as gaming or specialty work, where you can or need to ignore outside stimuli. Personally, I think that the future is in AR, not VR.

With AR, the future is more uncertain, but my personal opinion is that because Microsoft and Apple have a 7 year exclusive patent sharing agreement (at least they used to), we should expect to see some really neat things from Apple in the next year or two, as Apple is able to make use of the patents that Microsoft used for the original HoloLens.
 

Kierkegaarden

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 13, 2018
2,395
4,060
USA
When it comes to VR,

You aren't going to replace the TV, because watching TV is a communal activity.
You aren't going to replace the PC, because you can't ignore outside input.
So you're left with specialized scenarios, such as gaming or specialty work, where you can or need to ignore outside stimuli. Personally, I think that the future is in AR, not VR.

With AR, the future is more uncertain, but my personal opinion is that because Microsoft and Apple have a 7 year exclusive patent sharing agreement (at least they used to), we should expect to see some really neat things from Apple in the next year or two, as Apple is able to make use of the patents that Microsoft used for the original HoloLens.
Good insight, and I didn’t know about the patent sharing agreement — thanks!
 

mattspace

macrumors 68040
Jun 5, 2013
3,202
2,883
Australia
What will this tech be mainly used for? In the case of VR, is it all about gaming? Could this in fact be a type of tv display that many thought they were planning?
VR is a workspace that is more efficient, and more capable than a screen for certain tasks, whose potential really isn't comprehendible until you use it to do actual work.

Unlike Apple's flaccid effort with FCPX of thinking that VR is a peripheral for viewing content made on a screen, it's really the other way around, VR is being used as the workspace tool to author content that can be viewed on flat screens.

Fundamentally, VR's biggest advantage over AR, is that it blocks out the background - but then again, you can do video passthrough to VR to bring the outside world in, if necessary.

AR is primarily about the specificity of placing virtual things in the real world space, be it putting a product design on a table for multiple people to view, or splatting a location-keyed app display on the wall.

Thing is, AR is often touted as being a mobile technology, except it'll probably be forbidden to use in many places, for privacy reasons. Also, there's a HUGE world of glasses-free 3d projection research happening, so it's possible a lot of the things for which AR is currently touted as a solution, might be achieved without having to wear an accessory on your face.

eg:

 

EntropyQ3

macrumors 6502a
Mar 20, 2009
709
796
When it comes to VR,

You aren't going to replace the TV, because watching TV is a communal activity.
This a a very strange assertion. At least in my country 40% of all households are single resident. And when my daughters watch TV, they actually prefer to do it on their individual iPads even when watching the same material! (!!!)
So watching films, sports, et cetera using a headset is very much a valid application if the screen quality is sufficient to create a good experience.
Apple spatial audio certainly doesn’t hurt either.

You aren't going to replace the PC, because you can't ignore outside input.
I can’t even parse this. What outside input are you talking about? When I use a PC, I sit down in front of my screen and do my stuff. If I could have my big screen available always and not be restricted to laptoppery as soon as I need to move about, that would be great. And when I do sit down at my own desk, I typically don’t interact with the outside at all, my coworkers still need to call my attention somehow if they want my opinion on anything. And at home, using high quality VR could make my deskhogging screens a thing of the past, if it is comfortable enough.

You just dismissed two of the use cases that could be of significant value to me, so - I don’t agree.
 

Kierkegaarden

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 13, 2018
2,395
4,060
USA
VR is a workspace that is more efficient, and more capable than a screen for certain tasks, whose potential really isn't comprehendible until you use it to do actual work.

Unlike Apple's flaccid effort with FCPX of thinking that VR is a peripheral for viewing content made on a screen, it's really the other way around, VR is being used as the workspace tool to author content that can be viewed on flat screens.

Fundamentally, VR's biggest advantage over AR, is that it blocks out the background - but then again, you can do video passthrough to VR to bring the outside world in, if necessary.

AR is primarily about the specificity of placing virtual things in the real world space, be it putting a product design on a table for multiple people to view, or splatting a location-keyed app display on the wall.

Thing is, AR is often touted as being a mobile technology, except it'll probably be forbidden to use in many places, for privacy reasons. Also, there's a HUGE world of glasses-free 3d projection research happening, so it's possible a lot of the things for which AR is currently touted as a solution, might be achieved without having to wear an accessory on your face.

eg:

Thanks for the info — I didn’t know about the technology highlighted in the video. The speaker in the video does a good job explaining it.
 

Kierkegaarden

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 13, 2018
2,395
4,060
USA
This a a very strange assertion. At least in my country 40% of all households are single resident. And when my daughters watch TV, they actually prefer to do it on their individual iPads even when watching the same material! (!!!)
Interesting points you bring up. And with regard to your daughters preferring to view material on their own personal device — VR would allow them to meet in virtual space — do you see this as becoming a big thing?
 

mattspace

macrumors 68040
Jun 5, 2013
3,202
2,883
Australia
Interesting points you bring up. And with regard to your daughters preferring to view material on their own personal device — VR would allow them to meet in virtual space — do you see this as becoming a big thing?
The really wild thing with VR telepresence, you can capture the geometry of a person's face in realtime, and send that to someone else, along with the rigged and textured face model, to get photo-real video conferencing that uses vastly less bandwidth than an actual video stream.
 

EntropyQ3

macrumors 6502a
Mar 20, 2009
709
796
Interesting points you bring up. And with regard to your daughters preferring to view material on their own personal device — VR would allow them to meet in virtual space — do you see this as becoming a big thing?
Hmm. I honestly don't know. But I think it could - being able to create their own avatars and interact with other people through these...yes, I see a lot of appeal to 8-10 year olds and up.
Hell, what would I give to be young and attractive again? :) So I'm not sure the appeal is confined to youth either, but you are easily looking at a potential billion head market in any circumstances.

That said, as a seriously middle aged and cynical man, I also tend to see this as an overall destructive, opium-for-the-people development.
 

BlaineL

macrumors newbie
May 24, 2021
6
3
I've worked on both AR and VR related to business and to be honest, they are two totally different mediums for totally different purposes. I won't touch on gaming, but as for training, business development, and communication, I think VR will have far more reaching results as you'll be able to impose outside world interaction like AR, but AR cannot do the reverse. What it will come down do (like most things) is ergonomics. We wouldn't have all started using a mobile phone when it was the size and weight of a toaster :) AR will lead the way in ergonomics, but once VR catches up, I can see it surpassing AR. IMHO
 

throAU

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2012
8,975
7,146
Perth, Western Australia
What will this tech be mainly used for? In the case of VR, is it all about gaming? Could this in fact be a type of tv display that many thought they were planning?

Size: just look at the quest2 sales even though it’s tied to facebook

Use case? I have a quest2 and gaming is actually not the most frequent use for me. I use mine a lot for:

Content consumption
Fitness gaming
Messing with virtual desktop
As a headset for pc gaming. Not for full vr so much as head tracking and depth perception in racing and flying games.
 

throAU

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2012
8,975
7,146
Perth, Western Australia
I've worked on both AR and VR related to business and to be honest, they are two totally different mediums for totally different purposes. I won't touch on gaming, but as for training, business development, and communication, I think VR will have far more reaching results as you'll be able to impose outside world interaction like AR, but AR cannot do the reverse. What it will come down do (like most things) is ergonomics. We wouldn't have all started using a mobile phone when it was the size and weight of a toaster :) AR will lead the way in ergonomics, but once VR catches up, I can see it surpassing AR. IMHO

I think once the tech catches up it will be a single headset that can do both.
 

BlaineL

macrumors newbie
May 24, 2021
6
3
I think once the tech catches up it will be a single headset that can do both.
I agree. One thing I do like about some AR prototypes I've worked with are the size factors. ie contact lenses that have eye tracking and wireless power is a good example - these are great for AR but I think that type of adoption to VR is a very long way off (probably as far as neuroreality).
 

SeenJeen

macrumors 6502
Jul 16, 2009
381
280
When it comes to VR,

You aren't going to replace the TV, because watching TV is a communal activity.
Interesting points you bring up. And with regard to your daughters preferring to view material on their own personal device — VR would allow them to meet in virtual space — do you see this as becoming a big thing?

Since COVID lockdowns, VR has replaced group TV watching for my core group of friends.

Example, we're watching the new Boba Fett series on a giant 60-foot screen on our Oculus headsets.

We are avid movie-goers, and we went to the movies recently to see The Matrix, but we've collectively decided it's easier just to do it on the headset.

Furthermore, as VR headsets shrink in size and AR becomes more prevalent, I speculate that TV sales will take a hit. We're still 5-10 years out from that but it's coming.
 

metapunk2077fail

macrumors 6502a
Oct 31, 2021
634
845
Since COVID lockdowns, VR has replaced group TV watching for my core group of friends.

Example, we're watching the new Boba Fett series on a giant 60-foot screen on our Oculus headsets.

We are avid movie-goers, and we went to the movies recently to see The Matrix, but we've collectively decided it's easier just to do it on the headset.

Furthermore, as VR headsets shrink in size and AR becomes more prevalent, I speculate that TV sales will take a hit. We're still 5-10 years out from that but it's coming.

No, it won't.

The plans being laid for VR will be extremely toxic. They want all the worst aspects of social media and pyramid schemes and stick that in 3D and VR. It's going to be awful to see but those companies and entrepreneurs love the money they are making from toxic platforms, abuse of young people and scams.

Very few people will want to be part of this. Very few people can afford it in the first place. Very few people want to be called a lonely headset wearing incel. Those whole thing has a bad image and worse is coming.
 

MarkC426

macrumors 68040
May 14, 2008
3,587
2,008
UK
And at home, using high quality VR could make my deskhogging screens a thing of the past, if it is comfortable enough.
I am on the fence with VR (still).
Having used an Oculus Rift DK2 and a Gear VR in the past, even with their low quality, words can't describe the sensation of moving within a virtual environment.
However I did find, after say 30-40 minutes of use I had to stop to rest my eyes, removing the headset you do feel 'spaced out'.

My main use though, was for viewing 3D 360 renders I had produced, which worked great.
Unfortunately as MacOS moved on, support was dropped for the DK2, and the HTC vive didn't last long (with steam).

I have been waiting for a native Apple VR headset, BUT, seems we will have to pay the price.
 

SeenJeen

macrumors 6502
Jul 16, 2009
381
280
No, it won't.

The plans being laid for VR will be extremely toxic. They want all the worst aspects of social media and pyramid schemes and stick that in 3D and VR. It's going to be awful to see but those companies and entrepreneurs love the money they are making from toxic platforms, abuse of young people and scams.

Very few people will want to be part of this. Very few people can afford it in the first place. Very few people want to be called a lonely headset wearing incel. Those whole thing has a bad image and worse is coming.

Oculus Quest 2 is $300. Cheaper than most consoles, TVs, smartphones, tablets and computers on the market.

You're talking about VR as if it's some distant future project. It's already here. It's already outselling consoles. It's already impacting entertainment.

And what makes people using VR headsets 'incels'? Projecting much? The only toxic thing about VR is people like you making ridiculous, uneducated assertions.
 
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MarkC426

macrumors 68040
May 14, 2008
3,587
2,008
UK
I have thought of getting a Quest 2, but the FB debacle has stopped me (don't use FB)....:confused:
I have heard they are 'apparently' doing away with FB login requirement.
 

metapunk2077fail

macrumors 6502a
Oct 31, 2021
634
845
Oculus Quest 2 is $300. Cheaper than most consoles, TVs, smartphones, tablets and computers on the market.

You're talking about VR as if it's some distant future project. It's already here. It's already outselling consoles. It's already impacting entertainment.

And what makes people using VR headsets 'incels'? Projecting much? The only toxic thing about VR is people like you making ridiculous, uneducated assertions.
I had the Oculus Rift, I'm not guessing here.

I know exactly what's going on and what's coming.
 

SeenJeen

macrumors 6502
Jul 16, 2009
381
280
I have thought of getting a Quest 2, but the FB debacle has stopped me (don't use FB)....:confused:
I have heard they are 'apparently' doing away with FB login requirement.
Yes they're dropping the requirement, which is really strange because last year they had a way to just login with your Oculus account.

I had to create a Facebook account because I don't use facebook either.

I had the Oculus Rift, I'm not guessing here.

I know exactly what's going on and what's coming.
Rift requires a PC. Quest 2 is a stand-alone product. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. Stop with the desperate fear-mongering.

Err… it’s absolutely not. Consoles sell roughly 50 million annually.
Oculus Quest 2 sold more units so far than Microsoft did with their 'Series' Xboxes. So err... yes.
 
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EntropyQ3

macrumors 6502a
Mar 20, 2009
709
796
Oculus Quest 2 sold more units so far than Microsoft did with their 'Series' Xboxes. So err... yes.
”Oculus Quest 2 sells more than the Wonderswan!”
Not really much of an endorsement.

We actually have pretty good numbers. The Oculus Quest is by far the most successful VR product to date, but it’s still more than an order of magnitude lower than the console user base, never mind total software revenue.

We’ve had enough hyperbole around VR, and it hasn’t done the medium any good anywhere, really.
 
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