The sacrifice might still end up being worth something as Facebook subsidised so much of the cost of the hardware in the push that they ended up selling over 20 million headsets introducing VR to a huge new audience. If that actually translates to long term VR users or fizzles down as a one-off curiosity we shall see in the coming years when those people are up for an upgrade.
I still shudder to imagine what the CV2 could have been. CV1 remains one of the best designed VR systems to this day.
The oled display, 90fps, fantastic audio, light HMD, ergonomic controllers… Its only real weakness was the constellation tracking, and with my three tracker setup even that became nearly a non-issue.
Replace the tracking with lighthouse, maybe upgrade the oled with one from today, put in the newer optics that reduce godrays to nearly nil… It would be unbeatable.
I still found those controllers to be the most comfortable and best VR controllers I’ve ever used. The Index controllers are great for its features but they’re a bit too heavy for my liking.
Better hardware, sure, but only Facebook was reckless and rich enough to risk throwing so much money at it. The reason competing headsets (index, HTC etc) are so expensive are because those companies need to turn profit from selling the headset. Facebook decided to try selling headsets basically at a loss, and hope to get money from the oculus store instead. That resulted in really cheap headsets that were much more affordable to curious people to just buy and try without a $1000+ investment and a requirement for a gaming PC.
That’s something basically only Google, Facebook or Amazon, and maybe Tesla/Musk, could afford to try.
I’m still rocking the HTC Vive I bought after I found out Oculus had been bought out, but one of these days I’d like to upgrade. Vive still works pretty great though. How are you liking the Index?
Heavy, the blacks aren’t black, the audio was twice better on the CV1, but the framerate and tracking quality is unbeatable. Resolution and FOV bump is nice, too.
My hands are way too large for the Index Controllers, I desperately want something to replace them.
I need to do this to reach the system button, and I can’t always just hold the controller further down due to how the strap works.
Most of the time I hold it with just my fingers so my thumb actually lands where the buttons are, but it’s meant to be strapped to the palm of the hand. I’ve yet to figure out a way to hold them that makes the joystick comfortable to use, it’s too far to the side from where you’d want to put your thumb.
Big huge bonus is that it works on Linux. I’m happy with the headset, oled would be nice, and audio was much better on the CV1. But it’s not bad.
But I would kill for a lighthouse tracked version of the original oculus touch controllers.
That’s kind of a bummer but at least you can use other peripherals if you want. I think the Vive controllers are pretty decent even though they’re a little dated.
I love all the things Valve has done for gaming on Linux.
Lighthouse tracking rocks, I’m never going back to constellation so in that regard it’s an upgrade. Misses in Beat Saber due to tracking errors do not happen. And inside-out is just garbage for anything but the actual head-tracking. My dad has a Quest.
I sorely miss the low weight and ergonomics of the touch controllers. They were brilliant, and though it was more basic, their finger tracking could already do all that you’d want. I’ve not felt it worth the effort to replace the knuckles, unless I can match that.
I think you can use the Vive controllers and lighthouse with the Index, but you can’t use differing models of lighthouses at the same time (which would be pretty cool)
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Oculus could have been great, it’s a shame that Meta metastasized and destroyed them.
The sacrifice might still end up being worth something as Facebook subsidised so much of the cost of the hardware in the push that they ended up selling over 20 million headsets introducing VR to a huge new audience. If that actually translates to long term VR users or fizzles down as a one-off curiosity we shall see in the coming years when those people are up for an upgrade.
One could argue that someone other than Facebook/Meta could have done better but I guess we’ll never know for sure.
I still shudder to imagine what the CV2 could have been. CV1 remains one of the best designed VR systems to this day.
The oled display, 90fps, fantastic audio, light HMD, ergonomic controllers… Its only real weakness was the constellation tracking, and with my three tracker setup even that became nearly a non-issue.
Replace the tracking with lighthouse, maybe upgrade the oled with one from today, put in the newer optics that reduce godrays to nearly nil… It would be unbeatable.
I still found those controllers to be the most comfortable and best VR controllers I’ve ever used. The Index controllers are great for its features but they’re a bit too heavy for my liking.
The thought of taking a powerdrill to mine, ghetto gaming mouse weight reduction style, has crossed my mind many times.
I know! Oculus would have been great at it! lol
Better hardware, sure, but only Facebook was reckless and rich enough to risk throwing so much money at it. The reason competing headsets (index, HTC etc) are so expensive are because those companies need to turn profit from selling the headset. Facebook decided to try selling headsets basically at a loss, and hope to get money from the oculus store instead. That resulted in really cheap headsets that were much more affordable to curious people to just buy and try without a $1000+ investment and a requirement for a gaming PC.
That’s something basically only Google, Facebook or Amazon, and maybe Tesla/Musk, could afford to try.
Yes. I was going to get one and instantly changed my mind when it was purchased by Facebook.
My account still isn’t migrated. Having sold my CV1 for an Index, and even having switched to Linux since, I don’t think I’ll bother.
But man… Really, really good times were had on that headset, Echo VR, Robo Recall, From Other Suns…
How is the Index? I don’t know anything about it beyond Steam games in VR.
Made a comment in reply to the other guy asking the same.
Thanks, man. Looks like I’ll be waiting a bit. I’ve got big hands, too.
I’m still rocking the HTC Vive I bought after I found out Oculus had been bought out, but one of these days I’d like to upgrade. Vive still works pretty great though. How are you liking the Index?
Heavy, the blacks aren’t black, the audio was twice better on the CV1, but the framerate and tracking quality is unbeatable. Resolution and FOV bump is nice, too.
My hands are way too large for the Index Controllers, I desperately want something to replace them.
I need to do this to reach the system button, and I can’t always just hold the controller further down due to how the strap works.
Most of the time I hold it with just my fingers so my thumb actually lands where the buttons are, but it’s meant to be strapped to the palm of the hand. I’ve yet to figure out a way to hold them that makes the joystick comfortable to use, it’s too far to the side from where you’d want to put your thumb.
Big huge bonus is that it works on Linux. I’m happy with the headset, oled would be nice, and audio was much better on the CV1. But it’s not bad.
But I would kill for a lighthouse tracked version of the original oculus touch controllers.
That’s kind of a bummer but at least you can use other peripherals if you want. I think the Vive controllers are pretty decent even though they’re a little dated.
I love all the things Valve has done for gaming on Linux.
Thanks for the mini-review btw!
Lighthouse tracking rocks, I’m never going back to constellation so in that regard it’s an upgrade. Misses in Beat Saber due to tracking errors do not happen. And inside-out is just garbage for anything but the actual head-tracking. My dad has a Quest.
I sorely miss the low weight and ergonomics of the touch controllers. They were brilliant, and though it was more basic, their finger tracking could already do all that you’d want. I’ve not felt it worth the effort to replace the knuckles, unless I can match that.
I think you can use the Vive controllers and lighthouse with the Index, but you can’t use differing models of lighthouses at the same time (which would be pretty cool)
The Vive pro wands work with lighthouse 2.0. But they really aren’t that much better to justify getting a pair.
However, apparently pimax has something that looks a LOT like the touch controllers.
These actually give me hope that they could be what I’ve been wanting.
Edit: Holy crap they use the same buttons as the wands, and can pair with the Index HMD!
Edit2: aw, they suck