Is Virtual Reality Missing Its Moment?

[Julio Franco]

Many believed VR would take video games to the next level. But even with better games and more impressive hardware, the sobering realization is that VR remains far from widespread adoption. Facebook may have had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capitalize on an unfortunate circumstance. Perhaps the situation hit us, but VR in general is simply not there yet.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/article/2025-is-vr-failing/

 

[Irata]

Still remember the first (nausea inducing) VR arcade machines from the 90s. The most interesting was their promise of more to come but that did not happen.

I actually found Star Wars Battlefront's VR mode very fascinating on a friend's PS4.

The thing I found lacking was the missing player integration, I. e. the fact that your hands are not integrated, you cannot even see them and have to use a controller without seeing it. A system that actually registers and integrates the player would be great.

 

[OortCloud]

For me the headsets are still just too uncomfortable, bulky and hot to use casually. After 30 minutes playing I've had enough and put it away again - usually for months. Maybe when they get the size down to something more like wrap-around-glasses, get rid of all the wires, halve the cost and double the current resolution (which will require one hell of a GPU to power) I might have another go!

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Virtual Reality keeps failing to catch on to the mainstream for the exact same reasons.

#1 One size doesn't fit all: aside from uncomfortable headsets, the visual acuity and motion-sickness tolerance of individuals varies wildly.

#2 The cost of the headsets - which increases exponentially as problem#1 is addressed with better optics, better materials, etc.

#3 The lack of developer commitment...they'd rather build games adapted to a TV display.

And I want to add what I think truly hurts VR more than anything else:

#4 There's no wireless HD video standard profile

Let's look at BLUETOOTH. Bluetooth is a standard. All developers need to know is how to program their audio systems for it and anything can carry data over bluetooth from a watch to a mouse to earphones. As far as I know, there's no wireless profile yet - with exception of possibly 5G - that can carry high HD video fast enough to perform at VR headset demands. You wouldn't want to use bluetooth headsets if they needed to be plugged into the wall. You wouldn't necessarily want to have the cumbersome wires of a VR headset either.


#5 There's no definitive control standard yet. Different game support different headsets with developer updates, but with the exception of PS' VR, the PC community headsets are wildly different. Playing Half Life Alyx on an HTC Vive is not as good as playing on the new Valve Index.

PS VR gave us a standardized VR profile that only works on PS. What we need is a corporatized VR system that can be used on everything else in the same way bluetooth works.



#6 I personally believe that people don't want to give up their stereo vision or their stereo hearing because they don't trust their environment. If you're on an airplane or a bus ride, you might be more likely to want to have a small, portable VR system to completely isolate you from the environment so you can enjoy your content.

But imagine being in a house or someplace with things going on around you that you can't perceive.

Most people, I believe are more comfortable having a big display, a good stereo system and being able to also see and hear what's going on around them.

That may be evolutionary when you get down to it.


#7 If I just spent $600 on a 70" Vision TV at Walmart...why would I want to spend more on a VR headset?

I can invite friends over and we can have game parties on the TV.

Unless everyone brings over a system or laptop, there's virtually no way to do that in my living room.


#8 I personally would love to have a VR system where I could get exercise.

 

[Fergutor]

For me the headsets are still just too uncomfortable, bulky and hot to use casually. After 30 minutes playing I've had enough and put it away again - usually for months. Maybe when they get the size down to something more like wrap-around-glasses, get rid of all the wires, halve the cost and double the current resolution (which will require one hell of a GPU to power) I might have another go!

I only tried the Occulus Rift 2 and 1/2 years ago. Yes, it has the screen door effect, most games sucks, most games are also too hard to use, it is hot and made me sweat, didn't think it was heavy though; after a time some games produced nausea and it's evidently not good for your eyes...and I still absolutely loved it. If I had the money I would buy it, no doubt! There has to be much more than what I saw then.

 

[Uncle Al]

1. Too expensive
2. When supported, not that great
3. VR only games are a complete turn off
4. Never developed sufficiently for commercial apps
5. LOTS of potential that just isn't being explored

 

[Aqueltic]

Gamers aren't strong enough to do VR.

 

[Shadowboxer]

VR makes me sick. I absolutely love it and wish it didn’t make me sick but it does. Everytime I play minecraft In VR at my mates I end up lying down for 30 minutes afterward feeling rough as!

 

[dad0ts]

...
#3 The lack of developer commitment...they'd rather build games adapted to a TV display.
...

I think this is the most important reason: look at HL:Alyx - how much $M the development of such title costs? And how much revenue it generated? $40M? That's not much. I doubt it made money at all...Or maybe even lost. I think after valve tried and failed (to be commercially successful) - no one will go there any more...

 

[cuerdc]

If you could get a heatset along with a omnidirectional treadmill and haptic Feedback suit that all works well for reasonable price might take off until then vr will be for the select few rest can get a little taste with cheap novelty toy versions.
Although id like to see vr mixed with augmented reality in big playground/arenas as entertainment venues in the short term.

 

[Irata]

I think this is the most important reason: look at HL:Alyx - how much $M the development of such title costs? And how much revenue it generated? $40M? That's not much. I doubt it made money at all...Or maybe even lost. I think after valve tried and failed (to be commercially successful) - no one will go there any more...

Maybe PS5 will change this ?

 

[Irata]

#8 I personally would love to have a VR system where I could get exercise. View attachment 86593

Oh wow ? Now that would be awesome. Only thing missing is a suit like they have in Ready Player one.

 

[EClyde]

They are producing content the masses do not care about

 

[Evernessince]

Still remember the first (nausea inducing) VR arcade machines from the 90s. The most interesting was their promise of more to come but that did not happen.

I actually found Star Wars Battlefront's VR mode very fascinating on a friend's PS4.

The thing I found lacking was the missing player integration, I. e. the fact that your hands are not integrated, you cannot even see them and have to use a controller without seeing it. A system that actually registers and integrates the player would be great.

You might have played the wrong game or your buddy didn't have the move controllers. The PSVR supports hand presence through the move controllers. Every PC VR headset supports it as well. It's a basic feature of VR. On top of that there are headsets that support per finger tracking (Oculus Rift, Oculus S) and full finger tracking (valve index). Hand tracking isn't even a new feature, it was there gen1.

For me the headsets are still just too uncomfortable, bulky and hot to use casually. After 30 minutes playing I've had enough and put it away again - usually for months. Maybe when they get the size down to something more like wrap-around-glasses, get rid of all the wires, halve the cost and double the current resolution (which will require one hell of a GPU to power) I might have another go!

It sounds like you are describing the Oculus S. Light, widely received as extremely comfortable, and doesn't get hot. $400 USD and It also only has a single wire and zero setup. If you wanted zero wires to the headset, wireless HTC Vive has been around for while.

Virtual Reality keeps failing to catch on to the mainstream for the exact same reasons.

#1 One size doesn't fit all: aside from uncomfortable headsets, the visual acuity and motion-sickness tolerance of individuals varies wildly.

#2 The cost of the headsets - which increases exponentially as problem#1 is addressed with better optics, better materials, etc.

#3 The lack of developer commitment...they'd rather build games adapted to a TV display.

And I want to add what I think truly hurts VR more than anything else:

#4 There's no wireless HD video standard profile

Let's look at BLUETOOTH. Bluetooth is a standard. All developers need to know is how to program their audio systems for it and anything can carry data over bluetooth from a watch to a mouse to earphones. As far as I know, there's no wireless profile yet - with exception of possibly 5G - that can carry high HD video fast enough to perform at VR headset demands. You wouldn't want to use bluetooth headsets if they needed to be plugged into the wall. You wouldn't necessarily want to have the cumbersome wires of a VR headset either.


#5 There's no definitive control standard yet. Different game support different headsets with developer updates, but with the exception of PS' VR, the PC community headsets are wildly different. Playing Half Life Alyx on an HTC Vive is not as good as playing on the new Valve Index.

PS VR gave us a standardized VR profile that only works on PS. What we need is a corporatized VR system that can be used on everything else in the same way bluetooth works.



#6 I personally believe that people don't want to give up their stereo vision or their stereo hearing because they don't trust their environment. If you're on an airplane or a bus ride, you might be more likely to want to have a small, portable VR system to completely isolate you from the environment so you can enjoy your content.

But imagine being in a house or someplace with things going on around you that you can't perceive.

Most people, I believe are more comfortable having a big display, a good stereo system and being able to also see and hear what's going on around them.

That may be evolutionary when you get down to it.


#7 If I just spent $600 on a 70" Vision TV at Walmart...why would I want to spend more on a VR headset?

I can invite friends over and we can have game parties on the TV.

Unless everyone brings over a system or laptop, there's virtually no way to do that in my living room.


#8 I personally would love to have a VR system where I could get exercise. View attachment 86593

2. Rift S proves this point wrong

3. Lack of EA or Ubisoft is no great loss to VR when you have Valve, Respawn, and smaller indie developers

4. Current VR wireless setups use Intel WiGig, which works very well. I don't know why you are going on a rant as if VR hasn't found a suitable wireless solution already, it exists and works well.

5. Well first, this point is really two points. You are saying 1. there is no definitive control scheme for games / controller, which is mostly true (although most VR controllers have a few buttons, a joystick, and 1 - 2 triggers). The 2nd point you are making is that games update for features of newer headsets and that means the experience on older headsets is lesser. To this I wholly disagree. As an Valve Index owner with both the Index controller and Wand controllers the finger tracking is nice in the games that use it but "wildly different"? Not even close. Finger tracking is completely optional for those who do not have the money to afford it, it is not in any way shape or form detrimental to the playing experience to those that do not have it. Might be nice for certain games like Car Mechanic VR but it is absolutely an optional feature.

6. This is where I'm starting to think you don't actually own a VR headset. Many VR headsets have open audio solutions, meaning you can hear the environment around you. HTC Vive + DAS, Index, Oculus S. Other let you choose your audio solution, which means you can buy a $10 pair of open clip on VR headphones. Same thing.

Second, there are headsets were you can literally see your surroundings while in VR. The Oculus S by default has pass through mode enabled, meaning you can see everything around you. The valve index also supports this but it is not enabled by default. It sounds to me like your evolutionary headset you didn't know existed is the Oculus S.

7. Apples to oranges comparison. VR is a gaming accessory, not a TV.

8. They have this already, it's called Thrill of the Fight, Beat Saber, BoxVR, ect.

1. Too expensive
2. When supported, not that great
3. VR only games are a complete turn off
4. Never developed sufficiently for commercial apps
5. LOTS of potential that just isn't being explored

2 weeks ago I sold a complete gaming PC system with an HTC VIve setup + DAS for less than $1,000. That's both the PC and the VR headset for under $1,000

This week I sold another because the quite aged parents of that person loved it and wanted in as well. The best part is they are just hooking the PC up to their TV, so no need to buy a monitor. These are people who would have never bought a gaming PC for regular gaming.

1. Not at all. About $200 more expensive then a regular gaming setup.
2. Half Life Alyx and it's reviews beg to differ. Beat Saber, Thrill of the fight, Paranormal Activity, Counter Fight, The Climb, Robo Recall, Blade and Sorcery, Arizona Sunshine, The Walking Dead Saints and Sinners, Thrill of the Fight, Prison Boss ect.
3. I guess if you're a limb noodle.
4. Please refer to the above games list.
5. True and yet there are some really good games out right now. That says enough.

VR makes me sick. I absolutely love it and wish it didn’t make me sick but it does. Everytime I play minecraft In VR at my mates I end up lying down for 30 minutes afterward feeling rough as!

Unfortunately some people do get motion sick. It's a combination of personal tolerance, the headset you are using, your movement style, and how good your PC is. The higher the refresh rate of the HMD the better. For those new to VR, you should always select the teleport locomotion style. The best way to build a tolerance is to play until you feel you are getting a bit motion sick and stop. If you actually push yourself to play when motion sick you'll just feel like crap.

I think this is the most important reason: look at HL:Alyx - how much $M the development of such title costs? And how much revenue it generated? $40M? That's not much. I doubt it made money at all...Or maybe even lost. I think after valve tried and failed (to be commercially successful) - no one will go there any more...

Given that Half Life Alyx alone added 1 million VR players, it's safe to say the game did more than fine

https://www.engadget.com/half-life-alyx-adds-1-million-vr-users-on-steam-022621233.html

Not even accounting for the fact that the medium is continuously growing, so the sales over time will be significant.

If you could get a heatset along with a omnidirectional treadmill and haptic Feedback suit that all works well for reasonable price might take off until then vr will be for the select few rest can get a little taste with cheap novelty toy versions.
Although id like to see vr mixed with augmented reality in big playground/arenas as entertainment venues in the short term.

A lot cheaper just to get an oculus quest and go outside. Completely wireless VR headset with tracking built in and pass-through mode so you can see what's happening in the real world.



Onto the topic of the article, is VR missing it's moment? I don't think so. The technology isn't quite there yet for mass adoption. Motion sickness needs to be nearly gone, price needs to be lower, and quality better. I expect that VR will increase steadily over time, not in some massive burst.

 

[Red999]

VR and AR is cumbersome tech. Even 3d that was less cumbersome failed.
In telecom, MMS was example of failed cumbersome tech.

 

[Puiu]

I tried to buy the Oculus Quest during this period but I just could not find it in stock.

As for the state of VR currently, it's doing really well. Both the software and hardware are reaching the tipping point as prices continue to drop, the hardware gets better and software devs are learning from early experiments.

 

[Jackwoz]

Im not sure people would have bought a VR set just for social interaction during COVID-19. Firstly, trying to get a head set delivered during the pandemic would have been hard enough. Secondly, Splashing money out on this kind of thing during a world disaster is not on the priority list for most people. Thirdly, lots of people lost there jobs or have reduced hours, so money is tight, given the price of VR head sets.

 

[Kerticana]

Right so im not really sure what you all are talking about seeing as Oculus is out of stock on both rift s and either version of the quest. And the idea of social interaction applications is already widely adopted by the vrchat community. This article and some of these people just dont seem to know what they are talking about.

 

[avioza]

I bought the Rift S, it has been pretty solid. Google earth VR is great and there are some other cool games. I enjoyed the experience.

If I use it for more than an hour I get eye strain from staring at a screen 4 inches from my face even with the special lenses. It isn't nausea its just a strain on my eyes...

I just don't think it's good for my vision and there is no real way around that as far as I can tell. I use it occasionally for short periods but for me it's not for serious gaming.

 

[PEnnn]

You want VR to take off and be more successful?

It should be the same size and look of Google Glass (the current designs are pathetically obsolete, bulky and stupid looking)

And has a reasonable price $250 - $300 max. Wireless too and works with headsets that are not proprietary.

Look how many Half Life gamers are waiting for Alyx PC version before they buy the game!

 

[Evernessince]

I bought the Rift S, it has been pretty solid. Google earth VR is great and there are some other cool games. I enjoyed the experience.

If I use it for more than an hour I get eye strain from staring at a screen 4 inches from my face even with the special lenses. It isn't nausea its just a strain on my eyes...

I just don't think it's good for my vision and there is no real way around that as far as I can tell. I use it occasionally for short periods but for me it's not for serious gaming.

The eye strain you are experiencing isn't due to the screen being close (unless you have a special eye condition). VR headsets have a focal point of 3 - 9 ft. What you are likely experiencing is an IPD issue. The Rift S doesn't have IPD adjustment, which means it won't work for everyone. For those that are outside the ideal range, you experience eye strain. If you have eyes that are abnormally wide or close, you need a headset with IPD adjustment.

You want VR to take off and be more successful?

It should be the same size and look of Google Glass (the current designs are pathetically obsolete, bulky and stupid looking)

And has a reasonable price $250 - $300 max. Wireless too and works with headsets that are not proprietary.

Look how many Half Life gamers are waiting for Alyx PC version before they buy the game!

Well you can already play alyx with mouse and keyboard. The feature is built right into the game for testing. That said everyone who has played it like that quickly realize how much the VR features add. The game was designed from the ground up for VR.

Im not sure people would have bought a VR set just for social interaction during COVID-19. Firstly, trying to get a head set delivered during the pandemic would have been hard enough. Secondly, Splashing money out on this kind of thing during a world disaster is not on the priority list for most people. Thirdly, lots of people lost there jobs or have reduced hours, so money is tight, given the price of VR head sets.

1. I have not seen any disruptions to delivery service during the pandemic unless it's international. Delivery is not the problem, production is. I've ordered dozens of computer parts during this pandemic and delivery has been completely normal.

2. The fact that electronics everywhere are sold out seems to suggest that this is precisely the time people are buying expensive electronics. Nearly every headset on the market (except for the bad ones) is sold out and even the used market is drying up. The price of the HTC used has gone from $350 USD to $650 USD. Clearly people are buying.

VR and AR is cumbersome tech. Even 3d that was less cumbersome failed.
In telecom, MMS was example of failed cumbersome tech.

?? MMS is used to send pictures via text to this day.

 

[rogueTempo]

Still remember the first (nausea inducing) VR arcade machines from the 90s. The most interesting was their promise of more to come but that did not happen.

I actually found Star Wars Battlefront's VR mode very fascinating on a friend's PS4.

The thing I found lacking was the missing player integration, I. e. the fact that your hands are not integrated, you cannot even see them and have to use a controller without seeing it. A system that actually registers and integrates the player would be great.

The Oculus Quest actually already has controller-less hand tracking (with the Rift S technically able to receive the update as well, if Oculus remembers that product is still a thing).
I think you would really enjoy Half Life Alyx as well, because even though you use controllers, the amount of presence the game gives the player inside the world is incredible. You can interact with anything you would think could be interacted with in real life.

 

[rogueTempo]

You want VR to take off and be more successful?

It should be the same size and look of Google Glass (the current designs are pathetically obsolete, bulky and stupid looking)

And has a reasonable price $250 - $300 max. Wireless too and works with headsets that are not proprietary.

Look how many Half Life gamers are waiting for Alyx PC version before they buy the game!

We're not at the iPhone 6 yet, we've barely gotten the second release of the iPhone. An analogy, if it helps any.
Also you can get the Quest/Rift S for around $300 during sales. So the supposed requirement-before-buying seems a bit like an excuse. The "proprietary" versions were the first and second kits of the Oculus headsets. The Rift S, Quest, and (much higher up in price) Valve Index are all full releases. I can't speak for the latter, but for the Oculus headsets they're light enough to forget once you begin playing. They aren't obsolete if they play..? But they are light enough to not be bulky. And who actually cares what they look like if you're viewing them from the inside?

 

[trgz]

You might have played the wrong game or your buddy didn't have the move controllers. The PSVR supports hand presence through the move controllers. Every PC VR headset supports it as well. It's a basic feature of VR. On top of that there are headsets that support per finger tracking (Oculus Rift, Oculus S) and full finger tracking (valve index). Hand tracking isn't even a new feature, it was there gen1.



It sounds like you are describing the Oculus S. Light, widely received as extremely comfortable, and doesn't get hot. $400 USD and It also only has a single wire and zero setup. If you wanted zero wires to the headset, wireless HTC Vive has been around for while.



2. Rift S proves this point wrong

3. Lack of EA or Ubisoft is no great loss to VR when you have Valve, Respawn, and smaller indie developers

4. Current VR wireless setups use Intel WiGig, which works very well. I don't know why you are going on a rant as if VR hasn't found a suitable wireless solution already, it exists and works well.

5. Well first, this point is really two points. You are saying 1. there is no definitive control scheme for games / controller, which is mostly true (although most VR controllers have a few buttons, a joystick, and 1 - 2 triggers). The 2nd point you are making is that games update for features of newer headsets and that means the experience on older headsets is lesser. To this I wholly disagree. As an Valve Index owner with both the Index controller and Wand controllers the finger tracking is nice in the games that use it but "wildly different"? Not even close. Finger tracking is completely optional for those who do not have the money to afford it, it is not in any way shape or form detrimental to the playing experience to those that do not have it. Might be nice for certain games like Car Mechanic VR but it is absolutely an optional feature.

6. This is where I'm starting to think you don't actually own a VR headset. Many VR headsets have open audio solutions, meaning you can hear the environment around you. HTC Vive + DAS, Index, Oculus S. Other let you choose your audio solution, which means you can buy a $10 pair of open clip on VR headphones. Same thing.

Second, there are headsets were you can literally see your surroundings while in VR. The Oculus S by default has pass through mode enabled, meaning you can see everything around you. The valve index also supports this but it is not enabled by default. It sounds to me like your evolutionary headset you didn't know existed is the Oculus S.

7. Apples to oranges comparison. VR is a gaming accessory, not a TV.

8. They have this already, it's called Thrill of the Fight, Beat Saber, BoxVR, ect.




2 weeks ago I sold a complete gaming PC system with an HTC VIve setup + DAS for less than $1,000. That's both the PC and the VR headset for under $1,000

This week I sold another because the quite aged parents of that person loved it and wanted in as well. The best part is they are just hooking the PC up to their TV, so no need to buy a monitor. These are people who would have never bought a gaming PC for regular gaming.

1. Not at all. About $200 more expensive then a regular gaming setup.
2. Half Life Alyx and it's reviews beg to differ. Beat Saber, Thrill of the fight, Paranormal Activity, Counter Fight, The Climb, Robo Recall, Blade and Sorcery, Arizona Sunshine, The Walking Dead Saints and Sinners, Thrill of the Fight, Prison Boss ect.
3. I guess if you're a limb noodle.
4. Please refer to the above games list.
5. True and yet there are some really good games out right now. That says enough.



Unfortunately some people do get motion sick. It's a combination of personal tolerance, the headset you are using, your movement style, and how good your PC is. The higher the refresh rate of the HMD the better. For those new to VR, you should always select the teleport locomotion style. The best way to build a tolerance is to play until you feel you are getting a bit motion sick and stop. If you actually push yourself to play when motion sick you'll just feel like crap.



Given that Half Life Alyx alone added 1 million VR players, it's safe to say the game did more than fine

https://www.engadget.com/half-life-alyx-adds-1-million-vr-users-on-steam-022621233.html

Not even accounting for the fact that the medium is continuously growing, so the sales over time will be significant.



A lot cheaper just to get an oculus quest and go outside. Completely wireless VR headset with tracking built in and pass-through mode so you can see what's happening in the real world.



Onto the topic of the article, is VR missing it's moment? I don't think so. The technology isn't quite there yet for mass adoption. Motion sickness needs to be nearly gone, price needs to be lower, and quality better. I expect that VR will increase steadily over time, not in some massive burst.

There was also of course the very marvellous Superhot VR and Ubisoft did kind of pitch in with the rather fun Star Trek Bridge Crew (and wasn't Eagle Flight one of theirs?). Let's not forget that there are many great games that support VR as well Project Cars 1&2, Dirt Rally 1 & 2; RFactor, Elite Dangerous and No Man's Sky are just handful that I'm aware of and have tried in VR (all on a Rift CV1)
My biggest gripe is that Facebook have made it compulsory to use a FB account to play any of these in co-op even if that wasn't a techncial requirement when inititally bought - that sort of closed mindset is not going to help VR going forward.

 

[Nobina]

I just find it more convenient to play games on a standard PC. I'm sure VR is or can be great but I'm just not interested.