(Part 2) Best products from r/virtualreality

VR Covers for either Vive or Rift would be essential for a both hygiene and comfort.

Something you may not have considered is that frail people have frail skin and you are going to want to make sure that you are not putting too much pressure on that skin causing irritation or bruising/tearing. More importantly for people on blood thinners. Sure those of us who have been using both the Vive and the Rift don't have issues but we also don't have fragile skin. Incase someone pipes up with "My grandma/grandpa didn't have issues" Not every old person is the same.

Keep that in mind when choosing a headset and covers. You want maximum comfort and ease of putting on and taking off.

Foam

The Vive currently has softer foam with the Rift's being quite hard. Covers should resolve this for both headsets. Some third party sellers even offer softer foam.

https://vrcover.com/

Even the Gear VR foam was pretty rough on my dads skin.

And maybe even hygiene covers
https://www.amazon.com/Hygiene-VR-headset-Oculus-PlayStation/dp/B01DHKBVQQ

Integrated Headphones

Don't underestimate integrated headhpones as this will make putting on and taking off the headset really easy. The Vive will have these soon so that will not be an issue in the longer term. The way both flip up allows them to still hear you giving instructions while also hearing the experience in VR.

Wireless Signals

The comment someone else made before about certain areas of hospitals not allowing wireless devices. Keep that in mind. Even ignorant doctors might freak out for those with pacemakers or other medical devices. Sure it will likely not affect them but you are not going to get anywhere arguing with a doctor who decides if you are allowed into their institution or not.

Both headseats use wireless comms unless you used the Rift with a Wired XBox Controller. The XBox controller might be a bit confusing for the elderly. The Rift Remote might be simpler however does use low power wireless comms. That said it looks like a simple remote so might past scrutiny from ill informed doctors.

Seated experiences

You will only need one lighthouse or Rift sensor for seated experiences so both headsets are on par for simplicity of setup. The Vive will need a very short setup config when you move the lighthouses and the Rift will not (for one sensor). It is an insignificant step on the Vive but worth pointing out if you are moving it every 15 minutes from bed to bed.

And as another poster said. Lets not turn this thread into a Rift/Vive debate as both headsets will work great. Keep that at the door this topic is about helping frail people not justifying your purchase. Obviously pointing out pros/cons for a hospice environment are encouraged of course.

A third tracking sensor (for room scale parity with Vive up to ~3 by 3 meters) & lens inserts almost fit into the price margin between Rift & Vive, and spec-to-spec, Rift edges ahead of Vive in most things. You can find a ton of discussion on this topic here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/94temf/should_i_buy_the_oculus_rift_or_the_htc_vive_or/

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/94r10t/yet_another_rift_or_vive_thread/

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/92zat7/htc_vive_vs_oculus_rift_space_requirements/

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/95bbwu/oculus_vs_vive/

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/943mig/im_new_to_vr_so_what_should_i_go_with/

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/92i7yh/im_thinking_about_buying_my_first_vr_headset/

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/94rr4o/which_vr_headset_should_i_buy/

13.2x3cm glasses should fit in Rift if you cut out notches in the sides of the face padding for the arms of the glasses (the face padding is just a plastic frame with foam that can be removed from the headset; you wouldn't be butchering the headset itself). With any headset you'd want to look into some kind of lens protector though, like this or this so you don't scratch either the lenses or glasses up. But yeah, prescription lens inserts will do you best with all headsets. There's primarily WIDMOvr and VR Lens Lab, although I've seen people recommend WIDMO over VLL.

What kind of vision impairment do you have, by the way? Rift focuses the image at 2 meters. Valve claim Vive focuses at infinity, but this has been measurably & anecdotally refuted here.

edit: I just took some measurements: https://imgur.com/a/OB8DAID - if you just cut notches into the foam at the sides your glasses will fit just fine in a Rift, you can get a good 1,5+ cm extra on the width if you cut the foam down to the plastic, which brings the width to well beyond your glasses. Unless you want to sacrifice hardware polish to be able to play in an area larger than 3 by 3 meters, or if you want to be able to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on piecemeal upgrades over the next year, there isn't a lot of argument to be made for Vive.

Get Touch. It'll be the best $99 you ever spent.

Touch actually comes with $50 of free games (Robo Recall + Dead and Buried) and $60 of free creativity apps (Oculus Medium + Quill) - so it's incredibly good value!

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No, you can't use a splitter with the Rift. Get a DisplayPort to HDMI cable for your 2nd monitor and have the Rift plugged directly into the HDMI

Tilt Brush isn't especially demanding so any min-spec VR system (AMD FX and RX470 is IMO may actually be pushing the bottom end there, but I'd guess would be fine if it's just for Tilt Brush) but you'll also need to add $200 for Touch Controllers. I'll also add that (having both a Vive and Rift) that the Vive is still better for room-scale setups (better 360 tracking w/ Lighthouse, longer cable for moving around) and in the summer, will allow a $250 wireless upgrade path, although to balance that off the Rift has Quill and Medium as platform exclusives (if we're talking about art tools).

If you go w/ the Rift, then I think that system is about the cheapest you could expect to go w/o scrounging together parts. (Total cost $1200 w/ the Touch controllers.)

If you decided to go w/ a Vive, this is a better specced system for about $520 as a refurb (so $1300 w/ a new Vive): https://www.amazon.com/CYBERPOWERPC-Xtreme-GXiVR8020A-Gaming-Desktop/dp/B01HNBLHAA/

If you're really budget constrained, I'm sure you can find a VR headset on the cheap from someone who bought one but doesn't really use it (I see the average completed price listings for used Vives at $500-600 for example, a few hundred dollars cheaper than new). You should be able to buy a relatively modern CPU system (like an i5-3xxx or newer) for pretty cheap and add a VR capable GPU either an RX 480, or GTX 1060 for about $200.

The original HTC Vive is not even a good product anymore. It's old.

€200 for a Medion Erazer x1000/Lenovo Explorer.
EDIT: Okay, so the Erazer is gone and the Explorer is €240 now. https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0764L8YL7

€500 for a VR-capable PC using a GPU like the 1060 6GB or RX 580 8GB.

Below you get a build from entirely new parts, but you can easily get the GPU and CPU for a cheaper price.

PCPartPicker Part List

|Type|Item|Price|
|:-|:-|:-|
|CPU|AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor|€118.59 @ Alza|
|Motherboard|ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard|€80.70 @ Mindfactory|
|Memory|*G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory|€56.90 @ Amazon Deutschland|
|Storage|Crucial BX500 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive|€31.99 @ Amazon Deutschland|
|Video Card|MSI Radeon RX 580 8 GB ARMOR OC Video Card|€169.99 @ Amazon Deutschland|
|Case|Thermaltake Versa H15 MicroATX Mid Tower Case|€36.90 @ Amazon Deutschland|
|Power Supply|SeaSonic S12II 620 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply|€59.99 @ Amazon Deutschland|
|Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts|||
|Total|€555.06||
|*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria|||
|Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-20 16:05 CET+0100|||

I think the cooler is overkill unless you plan to get into serious overclocking. The 2700x comes with a decent cooler.

You can get a good x470 motherboard for half of what you're planning to pay. I'm very happy with this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CF31C1Q/ If you do go with the more expensive one, just make sure whatever extra features it has are worth the cost

I'm running a Ryzen 2700x with an RTX2070, and I'm finding it to be a great combo for VR and flat games

I've been using a Blue Yeti USB mic - https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Yeti-USB-Microphone-Silver/dp/B002VA464S

It sounds pretty good! In Streamlabs I added a little bit of gain to it. The background hiss is from a fan in the room: https://www.twitch.tv/humanmodevr/clip/PlausiblePlacidLardKreygasm

I've tried using a Sennheiser wireless mic with a Zoom H6N connected to the computer via USB, but for some reason Streamlabs pitches up the audio and I sound like a chipmunk, lol. Idk why.

Since both play the same games, you may want to look at the bundled software for each - what's better than games? Free games!

• With Rift (per Amazon listing): "7 Free games included with purchase: Robo Recall, Lucky’s Tale, Dragon Front, Quill, Medium, Dead & Buried, and Toybox"
  
  
• With Vive (per Amazon listing): "Included Content from Viveport: Everest VR, Richie’s Plank Experience" and from this IGN article: "Starting today, every HTC Vive will come with a free copy of Star Trek: Bridge Crew, the multiplayer spaceship simulator from Ubisoft and Red Storm Entertainment."
  
  Bolded titles above are the bigger budget/higher rated games. Of course, some love the others too, but they tend to be more niche (like sculpting/art) or indie/"experiences" (e.g., Richie's Plank Experience, Toybox).

Ready Player One is a story about the future of VR [Oasis] and the struggle over who will run it. I hope all the VR Enthusiast read or listen to the book. It's a great story. I don't want to put out spoilers if you haven't checked the book out. The significance of this video becomes apparent after you've reached a little ways into the story. Also the audio book is narrated by Wil Wheaton.

http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One/dp/B005HG7BWC/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1395951167

Cardboard is ok to see if you even like VR, but Amazon sells really cheap headsets of much better quality that are more comfy.

I got these recently and they're much better and more comfy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016ULRGPE/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473607001&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65

You realize VCRs once cost over $1k right? As did blu-ray players and DVD players? Plasma TVs were over $10k at one point. There was a $2500 20" TV in 1948 (extreme example I know lol). Too bad none of those products ever caught on!

>The VFX1 cost over a thousand dollars (corrected).
>So does the Rift once you include all the third camera, extension cords and USB cards you need to make it run properly. PC VR is every much in the same price range as back then. And far far away from the promise of affordable VR that got the DK1 started.

Haha you must be buying some expensive ass extension cables. You know the 3rd camera comes with one right? Mine cost like $30. I spent more than that on mounting brackets and power cable extensions for my Vive. Even if your comparison were correct, $1000 in the '95 is closer to $1600 in 2017 money. You can get a VR ready PC and a Vive for less than that today.

You are right though, VR is too expensive for the average consumer now. The thing is, that's completely normal for new tech products. They all start off expensive and come down in price over time. It's far too early for the doom and gloom. Technology will progress and prices will come down. More companies will come in offering more varied products at different price points. You'll have an entry, mid, and enthusiast market just like you do with GPUs, etc. This is already starting to happen just slowly. We're only 9 months in ffs.

I'll also agree that mobile/standalone VR will probably remain the dominant force. It will probably remain cheaper and is definitely more convenient. I don't think home VR is going anywhere anytime soon any more than PC gaming is going to disappear though. At least until far in the future when (or if) there's no discernible difference between what can be done with a mobile device vs a full size device. There will always be those who want to experience the best of the best.

The base stations are very robust.
As long as the HMD and controllers can see the basestation, it should work with no issue.
(if there aren't any reflective surfaces)

I'd recommend getting some cheap studio light clamps like these:
https://www.amazon.com/SUPON-Multi-function-Photography-Ball-Head-Threaded/dp/B01JZ5Y1JQ

They work perfectly, are small and can be clamped onto anything without damaging.

> http://www.amazon.com/Zenna-7013W-Behind--Tension-Corner/dp/B004EPXKLS/

Wow that last link, the tension pole, seems like it could be a good cheap solution!

> Does it include a third sensor

If you want to.
https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-Roomscale-Bundle/dp/B072F64645/ref=sr_1_3/147-0930537-1722101?ie=UTF8&qid=1497721398&sr=8-3&keywords=oculus+rift+bundle

No advantage to buying the parts individual though.

> and little things like mounts for the sensors, or a PCI card for all the USB's.

Does everbody need this? No. People can decide this on their own. I thought having a choice was a good thing? You can configure the Rift the way you want it. If you don't need it all, you can save some money.

What about something like a floor to ceiling tension rod?

http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-170-Spring-Loaded-Ceiling/dp/B001M4HUGA

(I'm guessing you'd be able to find or jury rig something less expensive than that particular item.)

A floor to ceiling rod seems like it'd be an even more stable non-permanent solution than the tripod solutions people have been talking about, with the advantage of having a smaller, almost non-existent footprint.

edit: Here's a cheap floor to ceiling shower caddy pole that might do the trick:
http://www.amazon.com/Zenna-7013W-Behind--Tension-Corner/dp/B004EPXKLS/

Dude, $80 gets you one of these and it's 100x better than trying to steer in the air or using a thumbstick.

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FB5R1AQ/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stppvp_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=d45777d6-4c64-4117-8332-1659db52e64f&pd_rd_wg=cRUvO&pf_rd_r=MKE6WV44ZQE02CJJ93C4&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00FB5R1AQ&pd_rd_w=aFLy4&pf_rd_i=force+feedback+wheel&pd_rd_r=72cd1861-ea3a-4363-b872-5a7f1a74d3a7&ie=UTF8&qid=1542583773&sr=2

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If you don't have room for all that, this would still be way better (I have one) as it has gas/brake paddles and can be used in any racing game.

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/BNIB-SteelSeries-Simraceway-SRW-S1-Gaming-PC-Steering-Wheel-Controller-FREE-SHIP/283266355553?epid=115153567&hash=item41f3fd9161:g:k~sAAOSwL49b8apr:rk:3:pf:1

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As to feedback, way too early to tell anything about the game you've got going there. A game like Test Drive Unlimited or the old Midtown Madness game from msoft would be cool in VR.

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I used trinus vr, and for what it is, its not too bad, but it will never compare to a true vr headset.

I would suggest going with http://www.amazon.com/Sunnypeak-VRG-10900-Cardboard-Adjustable-Smartphones/dp/B00U7MTPD4 for the note 4 its the same as the one i use but this one has a button which will be more useful than those without

you will have a hard time getting the gearvr to work with trinus since it automatically loads the Oculus home app and forces you to stay within its ecosystem while using the hmd. so if connecting to the pc is what you intend, stay away from the gear vr. but by itself the gear vr is a nice toy

There are a bunch of Virtual gunstocks available...

https://virtualriflesystems.com/

https://www.strikervr.com/ -check out the freaking price on this rifle!

A pistol

Some other stuff...

https://www.amazon.com/VIVE-Ping-Pong-Paddle-Requires-Tracker-PC/dp/B07CNX91W5

https://www.amazon.com/Racket-Sports-Set-VIVE-Tracker-pc/dp/B077GGZXVH

We even have a virtual syringe: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2127828-virtual-syringe-lets-surgeons-practise-piercing-skin-and-muscle/

Lightsabers I can't find it now, but Adam Savage has a video where he made some really sweet lightsabers out of stainless steel! Really pretty, almost look real!

We're getting there!

I tried KlearKare first. They require a wet-application which allows you to move it around a bit during application, which I thought would be helpful... this was a mistake. They are VERY soft and grippy, so they can actually snag on your glasses if your glasses touch the protector. They were also more foggy and hard to get the bubbles out of. I went with Healing Sheild and those are much smoother and easier to apply. You can look at reviews to see what size to buy for your headset. you don't necessarily need it to go ALL the way to the edges, so some people just get the largest circle that can fit on the lenses. I just cut mine down with a pair of scissors slowly and carefully until I was happy with them before applying. Put them on the Index day 1 and haven't noticed them on there since.

Yes, that would be a deal! The starter bundle is also on sale though for $799 so at least that's a bit more reasonable than original price: https://smile.amazon.com/HTC-Virtual-Reality-System-Starter/dp/B07NQ9GXRC/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=htc%2Bvive%2Bpro&qid=1575141564&sr=8-1&th=1 .... and Amazon Warehouse has some returns for $640 and $704.

Headsets like this adjust the focus by screwing the lenses in ad out so they can be completely removed.

Like /u/Primate541 says though, the lenses don't make it 3D, they just help your eyes focus on something so close. Native SBS for Android would allow you so see anything in 2D with a headset. I'm not sure about it's current status as I haven't tried it in about a year.

I have a pulley system also. My first tip is to secure the cable to the back of the headset, and make it point straight up. I use a Velcro strap to do this. This greatly helps with keeping the cable from wrapping around your head. Assuming you also got the cable slack from the pulleys correctly. You want to have just enough slack in them so you're not constantly engaging the pulleys because that constant tug on your head can get annoying. But you can't have too much slack that it hangs down too much and starts wrapping around your head and neck.

Keep in mind that the cable can still get tangled up from too much turning in one direction. So it's important to check for this every once in a while and let it untwist, otherwise you end up putting kinks into the cable which can cause premature failure. I use the Turn Signal app to keep track of how twisted my cable is in games. I wrapped part of my cable in a rigid plastic cable wrap that helps even out the twisting and helps prevent kinks. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNRL843/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use these

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DJ5XH4O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Mounted on these without the trays installed

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014X7ARI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Just set them up in each corner of my play area easy to take down if needed.

I thought they were all the same at that price - derivatives of the basic Google Cardboard V2 design. But I've been happily amazed by the Magicoo, a hard-shell with a headstrap, button, good light blocking, reasonable padding, and a removable view-through window for AR. It looks like a Star Wars stormtrooper training accessory.

https://www.amazon.com/Glasses-MagiCoo-Virtual-Reality-Smartphone/dp/B016ULRGPE/

Could I buy this and the Oculus Touch controllers and have a good $400 vr setup?

In addition to the VRCovers (which I recommend the sport/fake leather cover), There are also disposable covers which should probably be mentioned. I've seen some generic all-purpose white covers on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Hygiene-VR-headset-Oculus-PlayStation/dp/B01DHKBVQQ?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

I think you're supposed to loop those around your ears then place the HMD on.

I also know HTC will be selling disposable covers for the Vive very shortly. You can already get them in the UK if you can stomach their insane shipping. Hopefully they'll be available state-side shortly (and sensible shipping options in the UK).

The obvious book to read would be Ready Player One. I highly recommend the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton.

The lenovo exporers with no controllers can be had for under $200.