210°

Why Nintendo Will Win the Coming Virtual Reality Console War

In the coming war to evolve a console for virtual reality gaming, Nintendo has historically had the edge over Microsoft and PlayStation.

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monkeysfightingrobots.com
porkChop2631d ago

I think Switch is going to provide different types of VR experiences than what we've seen on PSVR and PC. Not necessarily better or worse, but probably different. The modular and portable nature of the Switch will make the VR very easy to set up and use though.

kneon2631d ago

With the low res screen of the switch, VR would be hideous. Even the Vive, Oculus and PSVR have barely adequate resolution, and that's with nearly 3 times as many pixels.

porkChop2631d ago

That's if they use the Switch as the screen. It could also just be used for power and rendering. We don't really know what they're going to do, as it appears to be at least a couple years away.

2630d ago
jaymacx2630d ago

@Kneon thats true only if they go that route. They could just release a headset with a screen built in as porkChop said. They themselves said they are playing the waiting game for now. Speculation is not reality. We have to see what direction they take.

Scatpants2630d ago

If you try to strap that screen to your face it's going to be worse than terrible. It's far to big and heavy for a VR screen. If anything it would have to be a second screen that plugs into the Switch. Switch is not well suited for VR at all.

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Nu2630d ago

Augmented Reality is the future for Nintendo according to this theory https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Aenea2630d ago

"That's if they use the Switch as the screen."

But the Switch isn't exactly powerful and VR takes more power to do it well, has to hit at least 60fps constantly and then has to do it at 1080p or higher.

And if they don't use the Switch as a screen it won't be easy to set up nor will it be cheap either...

I can see it happening if they release a 1080p version of the Switch in 3 years that is also more powerful than the current one. A Nintendo 'New Switch' perhaps, but not in it's current state...

rainslacker2629d ago (Edited 2629d ago )

If the definition of what people consider VR has to be changed for Nintendo to even have a place in the discussion, then they already lost....and technically aren't even competing.

What they have isn't even VR. It's not AR. It's motion controls, and a different form of immersion than what VR/AR have to offer. Nothing more, nothing less.

Using the screen in some sort of GearVR type thing is just not practical. It's too big, too heavy, and the pixel density is nowhere near good enough to make it good enough to put it that close to your eyes. The colors and what not of the screen are fine, but put that thing an inch or two from your eyes, and see exactly why it won't work.

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EddieNX 2631d ago

Don't fancy strapping a Switch to my head with the joycon still attached, cus that's where the gyros are. Leave VR its not ready yet, not until we can get the set up for cheap.

deafdani2630d ago

Unless they make a headset with gyro sensors built into it. That could work.

EddieNX 2630d ago

Yh it would. We need 1080p screen at least though as well. It might happen with Switch plus

Perjoss2630d ago (Edited 2630d ago )

It's a catch 22 thing, people don't want to buy VR because there aren't enough good games out for the headsets. Developers don't want to make games for the headsets as the install base isn't big enough for them to make the money back that invested in making a VR game.

Cheap headsets might be the answer, the PSVR has already proven that people are way more likely to jump in if the price is much lower, apparently it's sold more than Oculus and Vive combined.

TheUndertaker852630d ago (Edited 2630d ago )

Right? Nintendo owns the fact they have one of the very first VR devices to fail.
https://www.fastcompany.com...

If PS4 can't deal with VR the same as Pro what makes anyone think Nintendo can deliver better VR with lower specs while docked and even lower specs undocked?

2630d ago
iplay1up22630d ago

Really? I mean yeah it was supposed to be a type of VR, but things have come a long way since those days. I have played VB, it is pretty bad. That tech is more than 2 decades old though.

TheUndertaker852630d ago (Edited 2630d ago )

Yes really.
https://youtu.be/17euo2DzBZ...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/...

Things may have come a long way but that doesn't change the fact that Nintendo had one of the first VR devices to fail.

I'd even say paint a sad picture of virtual reality.

Then the Switch, if they attempt VR, will be the opposite of the best VR out there simply because Switch can't cut it. If Nintendo release another VR device expect a higher price than PSVR then likely missing the targets VR has already set.

Athos2630d ago

Virtual Boy was not a VR device, it was a 3d device. It literally sat on a tripod so how could you possibly even think it was VR. it did fail because it sucked, but it wasnt VR.

TheUndertaker852630d ago (Edited 2630d ago )

That's not how Nintendo referenced it at the time. They did say 3D but even the name has virtual in it. Nintendo wanted it to be early VR.

We could also talk about the Power Glove if you wish. It also demonstrated early VR mechanics. It's why it had attention but no support. What the Power Glove did was rebranded as motion controls.

I suppose you had to have been there at the time. Nintendo convinced people that's what the devices were. A form of VR.

Athos2629d ago

I was there... trust me and long before that.

So by your logic anything with Virtual in it intended to be early VR. Show me a single piece of evidence it was advertised as VR, You cant, because it wasn't.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

TheUndertaker852629d ago (Edited 2629d ago )

It's not my fault that's how Nintendo chose to promote it.

Here you go.
https://youtu.be/Jjz4bls_gP...

https://youtu.be/lzSwrHldg0...

Further what people who've never used Virtual Boy before thought. Not scientific but what the consumer thinks.
https://youtu.be/1Cu_9YPLuF...

rainslacker2629d ago (Edited 2629d ago )

They also had one of the first failed motion controllers in the Power Glove, but that didn't stop them from releasing the Wii.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2629d ago
Aenea2630d ago

Huh? They don't even have announced anything related to VR yet!

Besides the Switch is a lovely little device but for VR to work nice you need quite a bit of power which it is lacking.
And if they are planning to use the display of the Switch as the VR display it would be bad. Biggest downside to VR at the moment is that the resolution isn't all that high of the displays and 720p would be even worse.

2630d ago
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70°
8.0

Review: Arcade Paradise VR - Gamer Social Club

Laundry, cleaning and classic arcade games all in glorious virtual reality

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gamersocialclub.ca
Babadook756d ago

Should this be in the PC section?

130°

PC VR On Steam Is Actually Growing, Not Shrinking

It's sometimes claimed that PC VR usage on Steam is shrinking, but here's why that isn't actually true.

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uploadvr.com
bunt-custardly72d ago

Good, silence the naysayers who talk bollocks.

Tacoboto72d ago

The context in the article is kinda like the discussion of MAU metrics. Manipulation of figures to get it to say what you want it to.

I.e. "The proportion is shrinking, but there are more players so it's actually not shrinking!"

Crows9072d ago

That's not like mau metrics ....

If there's 20,000 players and only 10% use it and then there's a jump to 40,000 and 10% are using still using it then....there's been an increase because 10% of 40k is higher than 20k.

That's an actual number increase of people using it. That's growth.

Tacoboto72d ago

MAU is used to reference engagement or growth in a game. The conversation is muddied because people want to talk about sales instead of player count. How is this not like that?

Growth can mean and be two different things. Growth of quantity, or growth of proportion. People in finance and accounting will never look at 2% in one instant and look at 2% at a later instant and say "Hey look, growth!" That's a joke, to be frank. The 2% is more than the earlier 2% but that 98% remainder also grew.

Eonjay72d ago

Which is why Sony is putting PSVR 2 on it.

Abnor_Mal72d ago

I wish Sony would have given upgrades to many of their PSVR games for their VR2 system. Unfortunately for me their pcvr movement is not doing me any favors, hopefully there’s some kind of trickle down effect.

Eonjay72d ago

Sony would only be able to Patch its own games. Devs would have to go back and create their own patches. To be frank, whats gonna stop this from happening is money. Are they willing to pay to have a developer create the patch, QA to test...

Abnor_Mal72d ago

@Eonjay totally agree with what you said about third party devs and the cost, Q&A etc, but Sony could have updated Astrobot, The Persistance, Blood and Truth, and Farpoint. Have a few in-house devs work on DriveClub vr, and pay for an update for Rush of Blood and maybe a Shadow of the Colossus VR. I would love to play Borderlands VR on PSVR2.

shinoff218372d ago

Sure Sony mightve been able to help but reality is most of those titles were from 3rd parties.

ApocalypseShadow72d ago (Edited 72d ago )

What he's saying is that Sony should have lead by example. Instead, they haven't done shit bringing them forward and expected 3rd parties to do it themselves in bringing their own games. If Sony's not going to do it, why should they?

It's like when they lead by example in the creation of their games. Or lead by example when they make their hardware.

Hate to say it, but for PS VR 2, they are lagging big time. GT is nice. But if you're tired of sims, then there's just Horizon. I'd rather have Blood and Truth remastered at that level or a sequel than what they currently released. No chance of that though as they killed London Studios. Another bullshit move they made. About as bad as killing Evolution Studios to keep GT as their only racing game. I like Sony's platform. But I'm not buying their headset if they're not going to put in the effort like they do with flat games.

shinoff218372d ago

Exactly. I almost bought vr2 but it's the games missing. Sure that horizon might be dope but I'd prefer the full horizon, or last of us, Spiderman, something. Pay some 3rd party devs. I was hoping to get that fallout 4 but that's not happening now lol

shinoff218372d ago

Vr is dope. Idk know why people wanna hate. It's definitely a dope next step. Even if it's a sidestep. I really wish more developers would throw down. Imagine a last of us with vr, or a final fantasy game, all kinds of stuff. It would be incredible.

bunt-custardly71d ago

Praydog's FREE UEVR mod is working wonders for the PC VR community.

220°

The newly founded 'Flat2VR Studios' aim to make VR modding a serious business

The Flat2VR community is taking the next step and announced a studio that will develop and commercialize licensed VR ports.

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mixed-news.com
Profchaos98d ago

This is great news I love virtual reality and my psVR2 however it's clear that the current bespoke way of building VR games is not working. There's some great games that have been released Absol but they are few and far between and if they are native they are clearly lower in budget and scope then at least I would like. It's definitely jarring to.go from high quality games like Spider-Man 2 to the biggest VR releases like Arizona sunshine 2 and see the huge gulp in quality.

This company aims to streamline porting older games into VR and make them feel as VR native as possible.

And to be honest some of my favourite VR experiences have been traditionally flat screen games ported into VR like resident evil 7, 8 4, doom 3 with the aim controller or borderlands 2.

And I'm not saying that there isn't great native VR games to be found I'm saying more traditional games ported over would be very welcome we have decades of amazing games that we all love and VR presents an opportunity to truely bring us into the world.

just_looken97d ago

The floating hands wires climbing/tool sims need to go for sure.

But i want the sword art online vr now that would be awesome

Leeroyw97d ago

I just found my people. Massive vr fan here but I want to live in older more broader era experiences that were made for traditional gaming. But in VR.

just_looken97d ago

@Lee

Rollarcoasters would be something else in vr

aaronlif1095d ago

Yes! I hope they bring Doom 3 to PSVR2. I was happy to see it on PSVR but couldn't help but feel like they should have held off for the PSVR2 for that game. They had to substantially cut the visuals on that. I feel like a psvr2 version would be able to do it better justice. I've asked the company that made the psvr port if there was any plans to make a psvr2 version, they said no but that if they were asked by Sony to do it they would. I also would love to see Star Wars Squadrons get a PSVR2 version.

Profchaos95d ago

Yes squadrons I forgot about that one it was amazing to play online with flat screen gamer friends some of my favourite multiplayer moments

RiseNShine97d ago

Amazing news, there're so many forgotten gems out there, these guys have been consistently porting old games like Return to Wolfenstein, Quake 4, jedi knight, etc. Sounds great that they can earn a living by doing official ports, publishers dust off some old properties, gamers get great games in VR, we all win.

mudakoshaka97d ago

Awesome news! Which popular Steam and Switch game do you think is their first project?