Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
What AR and VR apps do you like?
- Thread starter Doctor Q
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Just getting started with VR.
Love the concept of an alternate VR village re-"Ready Player One". I'm not interested in competitive gaming, but gaming is what's driving the VR Tech, so good, good.
As, Huntn points out, there are no viable Mac machines ready for VR without adding an expensive eGPU box. But I do not want to re-invest in Windows/Microsoft stuff again just to run VR.
Anyone have any solutions ?
Love the concept of an alternate VR village re-"Ready Player One". I'm not interested in competitive gaming, but gaming is what's driving the VR Tech, so good, good.
As, Huntn points out, there are no viable Mac machines ready for VR without adding an expensive eGPU box. But I do not want to re-invest in Windows/Microsoft stuff again just to run VR.
Anyone have any solutions ?
Last edited:
Was one of the original Google Glasses owners. Awesome idea and ground breaking at the time 
.
I am currently looking at MR Glasses - liking what I see for HoloLens 2. Price would be the current sticking point.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens
As for Apple AR - I will definitely take a wait and see approach. I have been disappointed by too many Apple items in the past few years. Don't match up to the hype. Still, definitely something to watch.
.I am currently looking at MR Glasses - liking what I see for HoloLens 2. Price would be the current sticking point.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens
As for Apple AR - I will definitely take a wait and see approach. I have been disappointed by too many Apple items in the past few years. Don't match up to the hype. Still, definitely something to watch.
Yes, the Hololen looks interesting, but I wonder if the open structure would deter from the VR effect. This may be a big question with open, big screen monitors as well ?
I'm moving ahead, and I need to get "hands on" soon. But I don't want to end up with "Boat Anchor" tech here. LOL.
Any ideas on present computers ? When you were playing with the early headset what computer did you use ?
Tomorrow, I will start the rounds via Craig's List on my local builders, per Zen's suggestions.
I'll post responses and prices here. a2
I'm moving ahead, and I need to get "hands on" soon. But I don't want to end up with "Boat Anchor" tech here. LOL.
Any ideas on present computers ? When you were playing with the early headset what computer did you use ?
Tomorrow, I will start the rounds via Craig's List on my local builders, per Zen's suggestions.
I'll post responses and prices here. a2
For VR:
Kodon (version 0.7) Voxel-based digital clay sculpting app - it's a bit rough as an early access, but I've used it to create organic models that can then go to 3D printing.
SketchUp - there's a plugin which turns the entire app into a VR experience, not just walkthroughs, but the entire modelling workflow and UI is remade in VR. It's actually a really nice way to use the app, BUT the plugin is subscription based, and costs more than SketchUp after 1 year.
TiltBrush, obviously - the first VR app I tried, and an amazing experience for any practicing artist, as defining a hard line in which everything you do is pre, or post experiencing TiltBrush.
And Steam's Lab is just a beautiful little collection of proof of concept apps, the archery one especially.
Oh finally, Kingspray Graffiti, made by a team from my regional locale - one of the most innovative uses of a Vive controller, to imitate a spraycan - you hold the controller upwards and twist to the side so your trigger finger is pointing away from you. When you pull down on the trigger, it's the same action as pressing the spray nozzle on top of a spraycan.
These are all obviously Windows apps.
Kodon (version 0.7) Voxel-based digital clay sculpting app - it's a bit rough as an early access, but I've used it to create organic models that can then go to 3D printing.
SketchUp - there's a plugin which turns the entire app into a VR experience, not just walkthroughs, but the entire modelling workflow and UI is remade in VR. It's actually a really nice way to use the app, BUT the plugin is subscription based, and costs more than SketchUp after 1 year.
TiltBrush, obviously - the first VR app I tried, and an amazing experience for any practicing artist, as defining a hard line in which everything you do is pre, or post experiencing TiltBrush.
And Steam's Lab is just a beautiful little collection of proof of concept apps, the archery one especially.
Oh finally, Kingspray Graffiti, made by a team from my regional locale - one of the most innovative uses of a Vive controller, to imitate a spraycan - you hold the controller upwards and twist to the side so your trigger finger is pointing away from you. When you pull down on the trigger, it's the same action as pressing the spray nozzle on top of a spraycan.
These are all obviously Windows apps.
Last edited:
Not 100% accurate. If you have a 4,1 or 5,1 - just add a decent GPU. If you're doing all your VR in Windows, a GTX 1070 does the job nicely at a decent price. If you need to dual boot, one of the newer AMD cards.
I'll have to check out some of the titles you guys recommended.
Sorry, what’s a 4,1 or 5,1? Not an adversarial comment, just revealing my ignorance on the topic.
Is there a VR game ready Mac for less than $3k?What would concern me most if I was still a Mac gamer are reports of Apple’s future plan to change processors in effect killing Bootcamp.
Classic Mac Pros... the cheese grater tower ones.
The real problem (aside from IIRC NVidia GPUs in a 4,1 or 5,1 only working at PCI2 x8 under Windows - so effectively the same as a GPU in PCI3 x4 thunderbolt), is that aside from a few games, there really isn't much in the way of useful tools to do anything in VR for macOS.
I agree there isn't much to do on the MacOS side unless you're tinkering with development.
Looking at Barefeats gaming benchmarks, however, I don't think the PCI2 x8 is an issue. Many examples where the cMP thrashes the same GPU in an enclosure.
I wonder how many of those are cMP with display plugged into the GPU, and eGPU processing graphics for a display that's not plugged into the card.
Not sure I'm following you. cMP (4,1 5,1 cheesegrater) don't typically run external graphics unless you invest in a PCIe expansion chassis. And then if the chassis is connected to the Mac via a 16x slot, you'll still get native 16x performance.
Since the performance penalty of routing eGPU graphics back to an internal display is well known, Barefeats typically don't test in that configuration any more.
Oh well I was just wondering about what would explain the discrepancy in performance, given pci3 x4 is more or less the same as pci2 x8, whether it comes from testing cMPs with displays plugged into the GPU, against iMacs or Macbooks with eGPUs routing back to the internal display
A loaded iMac from 2017 on will run the HTC Vive. That’s the only reason I maxed out my 2017 5K. Unfortunately, I’ve not picked up a Vive.
I looked at many paths to get started on VR. Bottom line, Macs won't do the job, so it was $1,600 for a mid range Windows game machine, or buy a Quest @ $400. I went Quest.
Now l'm an "old timer" on VR Social sites and find the Quest to be the headset of choice for most non-gamers. a2
Now l'm an "old timer" on VR Social sites and find the Quest to be the headset of choice for most non-gamers. a2
I have one of those Occulus...something. It's whatever the first generation of stand alone Occulus' were released. It was only a couple hundred bucks. The problem with the device, and I assume others in the same category, is the awful resolution. Are the higher end Windows rigs any better? I'm happy to and tempted to step up, however, if the resolution is not that much better, I am not wasting that kind of money. I guess I'm spoiled by 5K displays and OLED HDR ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes, High end windows is better, but then you are wired, and need high end graphics cards $$$. Oled and HDR possable in 2D. LOL.
Sounds like you bought a 'Go', these low end sets are not working out well do to many limitations (one arm etc.).
Many games do run on the Quest, but if gaming is your interest you might better wait for new tech. a2
Sounds like you bought a 'Go', these low end sets are not working out well do to many limitations (one arm etc.).
Many games do run on the Quest, but if gaming is your interest you might better wait for new tech. a2
Last edited:
Here's some new tech headsets. a2
vrscout.com
CES 2020: Panasonic Unveils World’s First Ultra HD VR Eyeglasses - VRScout
Share TweetThe lightweight VR glasses offer HDR visuals without the dreaded “screen-door” effect. With CES 2020 set to kick-off tomorrow morning, companies are already hard at work promoting a fresh wave of groundbreaking technology that will soon be available to demo at the annual consumer...
I will have to disagree. Quest games are fantastic. There will obviously be better tech in the future, but the Quest has a robust App Store with about any kind of game you want. PLUS, there is SideQuest with some great games to include some classics which the Quest breathes new life into.
I‘ve had no opinion expressed about the Quest.That's what I thought, but not being a gamer, I was just going by what @Huntn has been telling me. LOL