VR the champions of the world?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by mapuc

I want to place an order right now-However I have to wait until my annual statement have arrived which is in the beginning of March and I don't know if I have to pay more tax or if I get a refund.

My annual Dentist is approaching too which is in the end of February.

I have decided to buy the one with 128 GB. I don't think 512 is needed-Can always upgrade in the future

After having watched some videos and reading your comments which made me both nervous but also very eager to own a Quest 3.

Markus

If you do not buy latest blockbuster games with 30-40 GB, 512 indeed may not be needed. I have 128 GB, of which 32 GB is still free, and I could easily free up 15-20 GB more with some games I never play.

Just to be certain: you cannot upgrade the memory in your Quest, you can only replace it with the Q3 with more memory. Spareparts, controllers, headstraps and so forth however can be bought indivodually. I again remind of the NEED to buy any form of external batteery, just the internal one will not make you happy. I have a second right controller which is always mounted in the table tennis "racket", since that thing is a bit unpleasant to mount and unmount, it takes time. I have to switch controller activation in the app on my tablet, which is easier (only one controller for every hand can be connected at a time).

I just saw that Medieval Dynasty is being converted to VR, too, is to be released next month. A sandbox settlement builder, first person perspective, medieval. Sounds like something I will check out in more detail.






Played a full round at Sawgrass today, and played the out round (1-9) with just 3 over par - brilliant for my standards, I usually take 10 over for 9 holes! Had a break, and ate, then returned for holes 10-18. But then I ruined my possible so far best result by playing the home round (10-18) with a messy 18 over par, and there I was left with my usual 20-22 over par for all 18 holes, which also is reflected in my handicap (20). When things go smoothly, I think I really have made progress in Golf. Until suddenly nothing works anymore and bad luck also takes its toll... Its like with Billiards, its extremely depending on day shape.

If you have not known it, Golf+ comes with three fantasy courses, which are okay, but you probably play them only once, they get you started, and thats all about them. The other courses you have to either individually buy, or "lease" access to all of them with a yearly abonement. The game has the official PGA tour license, and they surely know how to milk the coins out of it... - The courses vary in visual quality, like the real counterparts, and you have to decide, before you buy, whether you could like the visual representation in simplified computer graphics. Thats why I have not bought monotonous courses like St. Andrews, which in principle is just a flat open meadow with almost no further landscape features in it. If you are uncertain, we could meet online and I lead you around on the courses I have and that you are interested in - if I host it guests have access to my courses, they must not buy them. Via teleporting, they can be "walked" on.

So far I have
- TPC Sawgrass
- TPC Southwind
- TPC Scotsdale
- Pinehurst No. 2 (no good buy, it looks quite monotonous)
- East Lake Country Club
- Pebble Beach
- Kiawah
- Riviera Country Club
- Olympia Fields Chicago
- Yale
- Kapalua Plantation
- Las Vegas as shown a few posts above.


Also see my post #238.


With the exception of Pinehurst I regret no buy of these, they all have their own looks, character, local atmosphere and style, they are superbly recreated. Around a dozen more is to come over the course of this year.

There are three more courses which I do not plan to get, in videos they looked not so inviting to me, visually. Wolf Creek, Valhalla, St. Andrews. Wolf Creek looks fascinating in rela life, but in the game due to the reduced colour palette, it looks meeeh... Valhalla can be gotten for free if you write a review for it and also become member in the Golf+ club.

The game has several training and practice and shortened playing modes, its all quite interesting. I absolutely love it, with a Golf adapter. The socalled Battle mode is especially interesting, here you play three random holes against a real player whose performance was recorded - all your actions and statistics are automatically recorded and stored online, and from this material you get automatically listed in the world ranking list. In Battle mode you play against the recorded three holes of a player who is close to your ranking. I must say, thats really a neat way to do it!

[Skybird]

Wannahave! Wannahave! Wannahave! Timestamp 00-06-30 ff - this is insane! And does not need much space!

[mapuc]

It becomes more and more clear to why you fell in love with this VR set. After having seen some video clip myself I can only say I understand you.

Markus

[Skybird]

In a few minutes I will embark on a new course, Valhalla. I wrote a brief review, I accepted free membership in the Golf+ Club that also opens an extensive statistics page listing all my good and not so good deeds out on the green - and got Valhalla for free for that.

That leaves only St. Andrews and Wolf Creek missing in my collection so far. And for these they do not offer such get-it-for-free deals. So things will stay that way.

Tee time approaching, I must go...

[Skybird]

I just found that DeadEye VR have a third golf club for the Quest 3 and Pro on offer, which is just claled "Pro". It is shorter, more compact, and with a controller attached it weighs, according to one customer review, around 380gr. Its also cheaper, with a price of below 50 coins, plus shipping/customs for us non Americans.



https://deadeyevr.com/collections/go...ry-quest-3-pro

[Skybird]

Oh, and they got a fourth one, the new Elite Mini model with optional weight ring, - but this Elite Mini version in chrome and with shortened stick length, which I think comes handy indoors. I might be interested in this one. It is not made of carbon fibre like the others (extremely robust, telling by experience...) , but steel. It weighs 525gr without additional weight ring, and 600 gr with that weight ring. That sounds heavy, but you have to see it in relation to the shortened stick length, the added weight makes sure you nevertheless reach the same club head speed when swinging like with a real golf club which is longer.

https://deadeyevr.com/products/drivr...st-2-3-and-pro

And this are all options. Note the third offer ist NOT for the Quest 3, since it needs a controller with halo ring.

https://deadeyevr.com/collections/golf-clubs

I also see that my version is now dropped in price, below 40 coins.

[Skybird]

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/14/t...t-3/index.html

Apple versus Meta. Zuckerberg "reviews" the Vision Pro.

I think it is important to understand the two different concepts both companies have. Apple wants a closed ecosystem and users satisfied with augmented reality features, while Meta wants, at leats wanted in the past, to lure people into the Metaverse. Which i am absolutely not interested in. And apparently almost nobody else, too.

Currently, the Apple VR targets professionals and dreams of offices workers running around in their offices with that mask 8 hours glued to their face, so to speak. i cannot see that becomign reality. The Meta product aims heavily at the entertainment and gaming market, and I think it has the more decisive argument with that.

Zuckerberg may have revealed features for the next generation of Quest (Quest 4), and it may include eye-trackign again, like the Quest Pro already had. Probably also higher resolution displays.

Message of it all: the VR train is not likely to stop again. I red somewhere else that the growth of the VR market is not as fast as they hoped fpor, but grows slower - but steadily and reliably. Exactly like years ago I predicted!

And this statistics from Steam, the Quest 3 has jumpstarted to 2nd place amongst most used VR headsets on Steam. Yes, that mark is not place 1-. But then - the Q3 got there within just 3 months! And it will climb further and to 1st place, I am certain.

[Skybird]

Golf+ teases and advertizes Bay Hill Club as its upcoming next parcours. Video will follow once its out. Cant be long.

[Skybird]

Punch Fit VR has two big advantages:
1. as a workout, it delivers. Just that: it delivers.

2. its free. Maybe that wiull chnage onc eit leaves Applapb, but it is free since over oen year already, so...



Personally I appreciate that it does not feature knee bends, since my knees give me issues with these and I tend to avoid them in such games anyway.

[mapuc]

There must be some kind of chargeble batteries in the headset- So I made a search and found out that there is a 3800-something mAH built into the headset.

What I wonder is following:

Is this batterie strong enough or do one have charge it every second hours or so ?

There is replaceable batteries(5200 mAH)-How good are those ?

Power bank-Here they advice one to not use these since the headset use 18W.

Does it exist a power bank who can generate stable 18W ?

Markus

[Skybird]

Markus, I already have given you all that information you ask for.

Yes, the headset's internal battery does not last too long. I depends on the app. It can live for 30-40 minutes with extremely demanding apps, or 60-90 minutes with low demanding apps. With a battery headstrap, you may get everything from 90 minutes to maybe 120-150 minutes. It depends on the app. And some headset hardware settings. If you limit frames to 90 instead of 120, that gives you some extra time for example - and in most apps it does not make a visible difference.

Yes, I recommended to go for a secondary battery from beginning on (if you want to keep the headset and do not return it). Either in the headstrap, or an external powerbank. What is to be known about a powerbank and the USB cable, I posted here, also links to what I have in use:

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...&postcount=271

Take care for the cable quality and the powerbank output, as described. The models I linked to in that post are used by me and my mother, these I can confirm to work as demanded, without any issues.

The default headstrap hurts after short time and is extremely uncomfortable, they made it so that customers buy the Elite headstrap with or without battery extension early, the people get milked for more coins this way. However, the Meta solutions both are overpriced, and the battery Elite headstrap for 150 coins is not technologically optimized, for example if you switch the headset off - not just standby, but OFF - you must unplug the USB cable between extension and headset, too, else the external battery will discharge with 20-30% of its capacity per day. I must advise to calculate with a second external battery, but I cannot recommend the Meta product for this enornous price tag, the quality does not justify that price. However, it is to be worn comfortably, and the mask sits well with it. No pain from the strap anymore. Third party solutions are available, and are cheaper, but may have their own issues I cannot comemnt on, since I do not know these other items.

Anyway, you probabaly want to replace the default headstrap anyway - even for one without inbuild battery extension, the default strap simply is all too uncomfortable. Yopu also do not want a long extending plug on the external powerbank. Angled plugs. Its better, becasue ti is more compact.

But as I posted earlier, best way is you just go with the default headset in the beginning, and test for a few days to see if you are affected by VR motion sickness, and if so: how severely. If you order via Meta or Amazon.de, you can give it back, consumer protection laws protect you and work in your favour if ordering online much more than if you buy it in local shops. Online orders MUST be taken back withgin a certain time frame.

You can order extensions and batteries soon enough if you like what you get with the "naked" headset alone.

Just do not forget that a powerbank with high capacity alone is not enough. You need that - plus high output, and you need according USB cable. The two links in the earlier post - these work. Note that a powerbank with 25000 mAh extends the headset'S internal capacity or that of the battery Elite Strap by several factors - it will easily get you over the day. If you do not play 14 hours every day.


P.S. If you go for an external powerbank and cable, make sure the cable has angled plugs. To reduce wear and tear in the connector in the mask and to reduce the risk of breaking something if you accidenally hit the mask with plug put in.


P.P.S.
A silicon rim or replacment for the cloth face rim is highyl recommended. Sweat hygiene, you know. My mother and myself also use a thing cloth facemask between that rim and face skin. It also delays fogging of the lenses tremendously once oyu sweat even a ltite bit. And you will, if playing any sports game: from "just so" to "extremely", depending on what you are doing.

[mapuc]

^ Sorry Marc

I did remember you gave me advise on which type of batteries I should use in the handcontrollers, I must have missed the part where you mentioned the headset and what type of batteries/power bank you use there.

Within a month or so I will know for sure if I can afford a Quest 3 with some extra materials like batteries a.s.o.
(I really want a set)

Markus

[Skybird]

Also have some money for the apps, some are free, some are not. Prices usually vary from 10-25 coins, it depends. Sometimes apps are on sale.

Once you are there, you can try linking the headset to your PC and then use Google Earth VR (including Streetview) via Steam mirrored into the mask. The PC must be strong enough for that, of course. Then you would not need something like Wander. If it does not work, I would recommend Wander over Wooorld. But you want a VR access to Streetview at least, at all cost. Its one of these VR must-haves.

BigScreen is free, so is SteamLink, Youtube VR, OculusLink. Virtual Desktop costs coins, but I definitely recommend it, I use this before the others all the time. No other works as uncomplicated and reliable for me, and I am not alone with that judgement.


The Youtube VR app has recently, after many years, seen an update especially for Quest 3, it works much better now than before.



Miracle Pool is FREE. Get it, be amazed.

[mapuc]

When I know for sure I'm going to buy 5 items

1. Quest 3
2. 100W 25000 Power bank
3. This high speed cable with angled plugs
4. These 4 3500 mAH batteries
5. This anti-sweat clothes

When arrived I'm going to:

1. Check the equipment for any damages
2. Charge all the batteries incl. the power bank.

Thereafter I'm going to:

1. Adjust the Quest to my head and the lenses to my eyes.
2. Start it up and make the first settings.

It will take some weeks or month before I can start to play games and watch movies. Have do make my brain compatible with this 3D moving

Rest assure there will be a lot of questions

Markus

[Skybird]

Thorough plan, but why so pessimistic and expecting months to adapt? You will just see how it is for you - and then adapt accordingly. For my Mum it worked much faster than after one, two days she initially thought it would.


Powerbanks are very useful. In combination with USB-connected LED lights they work as mobile lampos t home in times of temporary power blackouts, for example. These USB-LED lamps come in incredibly many forms and variations. I have several powerbanks with snmaller capacites, just for this.



Again, the Quest comes with two introductory apps, First Encounter (demonstrates mixed reality) and First Hand (demonstrates hand tracking), and several others that could be seen as system software: for internet TV, socialising, view certain animation formats, messengering, there is also somehthing called Meta Quest Guide, and so forth. In the Quest App store I urge you to also get the introductory app for the old Oculus Rift, name is Oculus First Contact. Its free, very charming, and speaks volumes.



When adapting the headset's rim to your face, just handle it gently so that you do not break anything. Changing pupil distance is easy, a simple wheel at the bottom.



As said, BigScreen and StreamLink also are free. You wan tthre firts in any case, and at least try the latter.


You have a XBox, by any chance? They released an app that allows you, with an Microsoft/XBox pass/abonement, to play all XBox games on the Quest 3. Comparable to SteamLink, just that Steamlink lets the PC do the work. I do not have XBox, however. Crazy, eh? playing all XBox stuff without having an xbox. You need the pay abonement, however.