Oculus could have been great, it's a shame that Meta metastasized and destroyed them.
this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2024
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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...
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.
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How is the Index? I don't know anything about it beyond Steam games in VR.
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Yes. I was going to get one and instantly changed my mind when it was purchased by Facebook.
Yep, instantly got crappier when it switched from oculus to Facebook. Maybe my memory is failing, but I thought I recall switching from oculus to Facebook and then recently from Facebook to meta account. Shitier and Shitier.
I remember being excited about oculus when they started developing their headsets. Then I heard Facebook bought them, and the first thing Zuckerbot had to say about it was how excited he was to develop Virtual Reality advertisements. I have never lost as much interest in a product as quickly before or since.
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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.
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Gee. Remember the last time Meta lied about this sort of thing? I remember.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/393371/oculus-vr-headsets-will-soon-require-a-facebook-account.html
When Meta bought Oculus, I boxed up my OG Rift and threw it in the basement, and bought a Reverb G2. I'd rather be tied to a dead platform (WMR) than Meta. Fuck Meta, and fuck Facebook. Don't buy their products, don't give them your data, don't give them a dime.
Yeah, Oculus went from neutral-leaning-positive in my mind to not-worth-consideration as soon as FB bought it.
When Meta bought Oculus, I boxed up my OG Quest and threw it in the basement,
Meta (at the time it was still just named Facebook) bought Oculus before they ever released a retail product. Facebook bought them between the release of the original dev kit on Kickstarter and the dk2 in 2014. They had already been owned by Facebook for 2 years when the first Retail Rift came out in 2016. The first Quest didn't come out until 2019, 5 years after Facebook/Meta bought Oculus.
For the story to make sense, I'm guessing that the person you're responding to meant OG Oculus or OG Rift as in the development kit.
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Feel the hate. Let it flow through you.
Unfortunately the Reverb G2 will be junk when WMR is removed from Windows.
I'd doubt it. There are already open source projects to make it (and other similar headsets) work without WMR including on Linux, and it's likely you'll be able to shoehorn and install the final release of WMR back into Windows manually just like you can with all kinds of other legacy Microsoft stuff.
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How is this legal? Feels ridiculous to lose games I paid for just because I didn't migrate my account. Same with the Microsoft minecraft account migration. When I bought my CV1 there was the promise that I would not need a facebook account.
You don't need a facebook account a meta account was available as an alternative. That's great right? Much better!!!
I don't know if meta accounts still exist... The whole migration was a huge mess. The oculus brand was much cooler. I wouldn't have bought my oculus quest 1 if it had been a facebook product back then.
You don't need a facebook account a meta account was available as an alternative. That's great right? Much better!!!
Actually yes. The problem with needing a Facebook account was that it was part of an unrelated service (social network, messenger, etc.) that you couldn't separate. Meta accounts are separate accounts for VR only, much like the previous Oculus accounts.
Makes me think...
It really is better.
I don't trust them not to associate these accounts together with Facebook accounts internally. But that's a bit conspiracyish.
Well considering they basically did just that with Instagram and WhatsApp, it wouldn't be surprising if they did.
Facebook has owned oculus since before the CV1, but I agree it was much less intergrated and still felt like a separate brand. I'm definitely biased as fuck, but "oculus" is infinitely better than "meta". Much better sounding name. I just made a meta account to migrate my oculus account, but I can't find any way to do it on PC without a quest. I don't have a quest, so I guess I'm fucked?
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This is why I buy physical or steam, even though steam is a copout lol. Steam has never let me down
Yep, I wish I bought all my VR games from steam, but I bought a few from oculus when I first bought the headset. Also some games are oculus exclusive :/
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How do I even migrate??? I can't figure it out
I was playing Minecraft on and off since the alpha, and refused to upgrade to Microsoft account. I bought computer lego, not a Microsoft tracking app.
I have simply chosen not to own an Oculus Rift.
Problem solved.
It's a great product, just not well managed by a trustworthy company. I worked at target back in the day when the Quest 2 was around and I got one brand new for about $220 after employee discounts and gift card offers.
It's a shame to see it change over time, but damn is the price accessible compared to $800+ headsets at the time. You gotta admit it really lowered the bar for entry for VR seeing how it's now also 40% of SteamVR users.
I really hate what they've done with the product.
But due to the low price point VR has taken off and loads of parents got it for thier kids. That means more Devs have made games and more competition making headsets.
more competition making headsets
quite the opposite has happened, there are fewer companies making headsets now. Microsoft is removing their version of open platform, mixed reality from windows entirely...
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Same. Lost all interest when Palmer sold out to Zuck.
i'm holding out for an Index 2 but Valve really doesn't seem to be in any rush
I wouldn’t be surprised if their next hardware product was a standalone portable VR headset. Here’s some info to back it up: https://www.roadtovr.com/valve-working-on-vr-steam-deckard-oled/
And this is why I never bought an oculus. I don't trust that dirt bag company.
I bought a cv1 when it was just Oculus.
I'm not very fond of the later developments.
I did the migration though, because it's not like I have a choice, and the damn thing still has no Linux support.
Maybe I'll switch to something else when I rebuild my machine when all the construction work is done here and I finally have an office and a proper network again. Getting really tired of my laptop's tiny screen.
For a couple years now, I've only had an old PSVR. It's obviously limited, has quite low res and is only usable for a few games on my PS4, but hey, it was my entry point to VR anyway, and it's already pretty fun.
I know at some point I will get a PC VR set, if only to get more out of it. And I already know I am ready to pay significantly more for it not to be meta. I don't care if they pretend their accounts are separate, I don't trust them and I want nothing to do with them.
I'm interested to see what comes of Sony adding PC support to the PSVR2.
If it just drops right into SteamVR I might pick one up.
I didn't migrate and abandoned anything Meta, I view this as an absolute win! Saved me the time hah
Glad I got the Q3 when I did then if this would have meant losing the 3 apps I accidentally purchased on the Q2 instead of on Steam.
I do kinda feel bad for the Meta employee that has to monitor me beating off to VR porn tho.
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Yep. I was actually seriously thinking of getting a MQ2 or 3 in January, but knowing that Meta could just decide to brick it overnight meant I held off.
Let's delete them.
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