QOTW: Do you think virtual reality is a fad?

[DanceswithUnix]

The experience itself is pretty great but its not convenient in any tangible way and there doesnt seem to be any obvious path for the current technological milestones to be easily overcome.

I only know Elite players who use VR, oh and one bloke with a PSVR setup. He bought his Playstation setup to the office for people to try, three of us went out and bought a Rift shortly after that.

I just don't get most of your post. Sure the stuff where you strap a phone to your head is lame and the novelty wears off pretty fast, but proper VR is quite literally a game changer.

As for the Wii, that was a casual social gaming experience where you could do some bowling with Gran. VR is quite isolating in that respect, you shut out the world so unless you are on a multi player game with people you know you are blocking yourself off from the people around you. I really can't see any parallel with the Wii.

As for the price coming down, most of the work for that is done with the next generation of inside-out camera tracking headsets and the rest will probably fall out of mobile phone technology in the form of short range wi-fi display sharing, oled displays and battery technology.

The crux as always is whether there is something that interests you here. If you are into car racing games like Dirt Rally or space games like Elite then it is hard to go back. Rec Room? Pah, you can keep that, that is the Wii experience made expensive and tedious IMO. My father tried Elite, he has no interest in space games but I can see him now dropping £1500 on the kit to fly Spitfires because that is his thing.

[spacein_vader]

The same in that its a peripheral based gaming gimmick, but different in those exceptions, yes.

But the Wii at its core was sociable. VR is very much a singular experience. Wii games also seemed to be far better at working around the shortcomings of the control method. It didn't stop you character moving around or induce motion sickness if they did for example.

[whatif]

Its not the 1st time its been marketed, I can remember playing games in my local arcade where you wore a huge VR helemet and tried to drive a mech about. Most people just stood there looking round in amazement.

It will definitely take off more in the business sector than for home use I feel (as it already is).

I to remember back in the early 90's where there were these helmet VR games in an arcade in London, the one I liked and remember was a car racing game. Then nothing for years until recently.
As for if it is a fad, well I think it isn't a fad, but as to its widespread use, it definitely needs several factors addressed before it could possibly become more wide stream - cost (ie - cheaper), broader integration, better-designed headsets and accompanying accessories (eg - lighter), better portability (eg - completely wireless) as some examples.
At the moment it is too expensive for the computer and an expensive VR setup that still only has limited uses in a home at the moment which continues to make it a niche product.
I want one but cannot afford one.
just like I want to see more widespread uses for it both in gaming as well as other uses. Skype would be great to be able to attend functions as a live feed (eg - weddings, birthday parties, et cetera) for those suffering various constraints (examples - too busy, live too far away, too sick) but want to be in 2 places at the same time. One of the best applications I have seen is the advancements in remote medicine and surgery, for example, in countries like Australia where medical staff have to spend hours just trying to get to a patient, (the Royal Flying Doctor Service covers an area of 7.69 million square kilometres compare this to the land area of the UK at 242,500 square kilometres), this type of technology could help bring medical staff to a patient a lot quicker. Albeit not physically, but with the aid of machinery, could still function as if they were there.
But for certain industries and in other areas such as training and other uses in the military, emergency workers et cetera, both VR and AR seem to be finding more and more applications.
Whatever the outcome, we should see where it is going over the next few of years.

[johnroe]

I think if some of the major open world games do VR versions, like the Skyrim VR, then that is another step forward towards making VR mainstream. Although I've read mixed reviews of that one and it seems just for PS. Surely if other open world games are produced in VR people will be tempted. Imagine GTA or Watch Dogs VR.