VR options 2021

[Asura]

You make it sound very complex! For the most part, I’ll need to be removed from my PC so I’m guessing that greatly limits what I can play.

Honestly, if you're new to VR there's more than enough stuff for the Quest to just play stand-alone and find it worth the purchase.

Just be aware; since Christmas 2020, every multiplayer thing is just full of screaming 10 year-olds.

[dataDave]

Just buy it and tinker as you go along. As people are saying, you really can't go wrong at all with the new Oculus. I had a HTC Vive up until this time last year, but if I were to jump back in it'd be with the Oculus.

Not being tethered to a cable is reason enough, and the tracking is so good that you probably wouldn't miss true room scale at any point. All the best and most meaningful VR games require you to stand. The resolution is also pretty fab, and has minimal to zero screen-door effect thanks to the high pixel density.

I could still play all of my old PC stuff with it, too.

Also, you're a creative. Google's Tilt Brush is crying out for you.

[Dogg Thang]

Yes, Tilt Brush does look intriguing!

[Neon Ignition]

*Looks at suddenly lower bank balance*
Damn you DT

[Dogg Thang]

*Looks at suddenly lower bank balance*
Damn you DT

Ha! Sorry. Kind of.

[Asura]

If you guys are getting the Quest 2, I would strongly recommend getting the advanced headstrap that contains an extra battery.

Firstly because of the battery life increase, but more importantly, the Quest 1/2 isn't heavy but you will feel it after an hour. For the Quest 1, many (myself included) alleviated this problem a bit by using zipties and tying a 20k mAh battery to the rear of the headstrap; this was the approximate weight of the front, and though that obviously increased the weight, having the same weight on the front/back of the unit really helped make it more "balanced"; I found it much easier to play Alyx after doing this.

You can still do this with the Quest 2, but there's an actual strap accessory which I has a battery at the back, so it's probably better to get that.

[Neon Ignition]

I've ordered a third party USB C3.2 cable to link to the PC if the wireless isn't good enough though my PC is connected via Ethernet and everthing is close together with 5Ghz support so I should be okay. I'll see how Beat Saber goes as I don't want bad latency but would prefer wireless with the Steam version.

I've ordered the Elite headband as well. I want the better comfort though no band has ever nailed it, PSVR gets praised but I find it still hurts by eyes/back of head after 45 minutes. The only missing thing now is a battery expansion but I might try riding it without as playing more than 90mins-2hrs at a stretch is highly unusual.

[Dogg Thang]

Yeah, I ordered the same headband too but didn't consider a battery pack.

[Brad]

This Quest 2 all sounds a bit Heath Robinson!
[MENTION=345]Neon Ignition[/MENTION] - What's the total cost with the extras?

[Neon Ignition]

Sounds like Quest 2 gets around 2hrs+ from a charge so the battery pack seems unnecessary.

I stumped for the 64GB version of the Quest 2 as nothing I could find suggested there was much value in paying the extra for the 256GB given the small game sizes. Another £50 for the Elite head band. USB cable wise the one I found on ebay was about £12 which is a god send compared to the official ones £90 price tag. I'll likely get Beat Saber first as is usual assuming the steam version lags via wireless stream

[Dogg Thang]

I went for the 256GB one, just in case that ever becomes a limiting factor in the future. I realise at the price point and timing, the tech could move fast but I’m not sure I’ll move with it so I just figured I’d go for the bigger model now.

[dataDave]

I'll likely get Beat Saber first as is usual assuming the steam version lags via wireless stream

Now, I'm never one to be advocating piracy of any kind (and you probably already know this), but the yaaar'd version of Beat Saber lets you browse and load tons of custom songs.

[dataDave]

I went for the 256GB one, just in case that ever becomes a limiting factor in the future. I realise at the price point and timing, the tech could move fast but I’m not sure I’ll move with it so I just figured I’d go for the bigger model now.

Great. Here's my list of essential stuff:

Budget Cuts
Superhot
Beat Saber
Thumper
BallisticNG
Tilt Brush
The Lab

[Brad]

For you Mr Dogg I recommend Moss. Also you must watch Allumette (You might need to tether to a pc for this one which is disappointing as it seems a perfect untethered experience).

[Asura]

Sounds like Quest 2 gets around 2hrs+ from a charge so the battery pack seems unnecessary.

A quick pointer here; the Quest 1/2 get around 2hrs, but it depends what you're doing. It'll be less if you're using Virtual Desktop, as that's very intensive use of the wifi.

The main reason for the battery though isn't so much the duration, but rather how that affects charge time. If you run the Quest down, it'll need to charge for a few hours every few hours; but if you plug in a 20mAh battery, it's guaranteed to run the entire evening (even if the overall charge time is longer). This is particularly important if you bring it somewhere for your family to try.

Admittedly though if you're using it alone, you'll probably be fine. Honestly 90 minutes is a long time to be using standing VR. Play SuperHot for 90 minutes and you'll really feel it in your legs the next day.

EDIT: Also, for essential games - if you're going to let your family try it, I recommend getting the nature experience, underwater experience and Richie's Plank Experience next time they're in a sale. They're very simplistic, basic VR experiences but they're perfect to give someone who has never used this sort of stuff before.