[HN Gopher] Why is the Simula One so expensive?
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Why is the Simula One so expensive?
        
       Author : gurjeet
       Score  : 65 points
       Date   : 2022-01-13 17:00 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (simulavr.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (simulavr.com)
        
       | Mockapapella wrote:
       | OK so question: How generalizable is this? Does it come with
       | controllers? Can I hook in controllers from another system (vive,
       | index, oculus, etc.)? Can I play video games with this (I know
       | that's not the main point of it, but still it would be nice)? Can
       | I stream a video feed from a real world camera (like with a
       | raspberry pi) to the interior displays?
       | 
       | Either way, glad to see you guys still going strong with this,
       | been following for a few months now. As others have mentioned, I
       | got a little bit of sticker shock when I first saw the price. Was
       | expecting something closer to ~$2k. Do you have an ETA for when
       | the kickstarter will be going up? I'll have to think about
       | backing this, depending on the answers to my questions above.
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | > How generalizable is this?
         | 
         | All the software is or will be open source, so much more than
         | any other headset on the market. Ideally the FPGA code would be
         | open source to, but I don't know if that's possible with
         | licensed IPs
         | 
         | > Does it come with controllers?
         | 
         | No controllers.
         | 
         | > Can I hook in controllers from another system (vive, index,
         | oculus, etc.)?
         | 
         | Any controller that's supported by OpenXR is supported, and
         | we'll likely have SteamVR support as well.
         | 
         | > Can I play video games with this?
         | 
         | In tethered mode, absolutely. In standalone mode, only very
         | light games, but might be doable.
         | 
         | > Can I stream a video feed from a real world camera (like with
         | a raspberry pi) to the interior displays?
         | 
         | Yes. In fact, we'll have AR passthrough by default, but
         | nothing's stopping you from using different cameras.
         | 
         | If you are not interested in the standalone capabilities, the
         | headset without compute pack (i.e. tethered only) will be ~2k.
        
       | tadbit wrote:
       | I don't understand the design decision to use x86_64.
       | 
       | It's not covered on their site, AFAIK. [1][2]
       | 
       | It's not running Windows.
       | 
       | Most software designed for Linux can be built for ARM.
       | 
       | And, it's being billed as a next gen platform (by creating and
       | using the term VRC) while using an older generation technology
       | (x86).
       | 
       | With the amount of power required to run that chipset this device
       | will either require a _massive_ battery or to always be plugged
       | into a power source, which effectively kills any appeal for me.
       | 
       | All of this said, I'm glad they're doing this. VR/AR in the
       | professional workstation space is very exciting, I'm glad someone
       | is focusing on it.
       | 
       | [1] https://simulavr.com/blog/how-we-designed-the-simula-one/
       | 
       | [2] https://simulavr.com/blog/technical-overview/
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | I don't consider ARM better unless you have billions to spend
         | on custom silicon like Apple.
         | 
         | The power consumption is inline with any other ultra-low-power
         | x86 (~15W TDP for the CPU). That's pretty comparable to a
         | Snapdragon XR2 with ~10W TDP and worse performance.
         | 
         | Users would want to use proprietary apps that are only compiled
         | for x86. Emulation for those on ARM is not particularly
         | feasible for any acceptable performance. If you're buying a
         | laptop now, you would not buy an ARM device.
         | 
         | That being said, I'm not married to x86. But I don't think ARM
         | is the future, either.
        
           | tadbit wrote:
           | > I don't consider ARM better unless you have billions to
           | spend on custom silicon like Apple.
           | 
           | It's better when you need lower power utilisation and
           | physically smaller footprints.
           | 
           | Apple isn't the only name in the ARM game, and I'm not
           | suggesting that you should be designing and manufacturing
           | your own ARM chipsets.
           | 
           | > The power consumption is inline with any other ultra-low-
           | power x86 (~15W TDP for the CPU). That's pretty comparable to
           | a Snapdragon XR2 with ~10W TDP and worse performance.
           | 
           | Which is all incredibly high for something that's portable.
           | 
           | If a user is required to have the headset plugged in for
           | continuous use, it might as well just be a regular VR headset
           | connected to a separate PC.
           | 
           | > Users would want to use proprietary apps that are only
           | compiled for x86.
           | 
           | With this argument the Simula One should be running Windows
           | instead of SimulaOS. Most Linux based applications already
           | work on ARM or can be recompiled for it.
           | 
           | > Emulation for those on ARM is not particularly feasible for
           | any acceptable performance.
           | 
           | I'm not suggesting emulation should be used.
           | 
           | > If you're buying a laptop now, you would not buy an ARM
           | device.
           | 
           | I would and have bought ARM based notebooks. MacBook Air
           | (M1), PineBook Pro, various Chromebooks.
           | 
           | I still don't understand the decision to stick with x86 on
           | this.
        
           | lostmsu wrote:
           | The CPU performance should not be as important as GPU. How is
           | the i7-1165G7 GPU vs XR2 GPU in terms of performance and
           | power consumption?
        
       | ramesh31 wrote:
       | $2799 for integrated Intel graphics? I'd rather just put a real
       | gaming laptop in a backpack and use a better headset.
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | $1999 for the tethered version, which is in line with other
         | upper-end headsets like the Varjo Aero (and that one doesn't
         | have AR passthrough)
        
       | georgewsinger wrote:
       | If anyone's comfortable sharing: what is the price point you'd be
       | willing to spend on a Simula One? (Unfortunately our unit costs
       | are pretty stuck at these low volumes, but it'd still be really
       | useful to know what people's long-run price expectations are for
       | a Linux VR Computer).
        
         | TheCraiggers wrote:
         | You're selling a new way of working on your computer, something
         | supposedly greater than the sum of its parts. Such things can't
         | be expressed in numbers and tables, they can only be
         | experienced. That experience won't be for everybody; they might
         | get sick, they might decide it's a _worse_ experience and make
         | things take longer, etc. Those are my fears.
         | 
         | Spending $2800 (or, _gulp_ $3500) just to see if I 'd barf
         | while in vim is a _really_ big stretch. Perhaps those with way
         | more disposable income wouldn 't mind trying, but that's not
         | me. If there was a trial period with free return, that would
         | help.
        
         | 3np wrote:
         | I'm an outlier but I'm ready to jump in at these prices, which
         | is pretty much what I would expect for the hardware.
         | 
         | A bigger factor than price for me is payment options. If my
         | only option is Paypal/Stripe/Google/Apple, I will most likely
         | hold off; accept BTC and you've got me for sure.
         | 
         | I have a feeling that my preference may be unusually common
         | among the people excited about dropping thousands on a Linux
         | headset.
        
         | kipple wrote:
         | Right now, here on the bleeding edge of VRPC, it would be
         | something like $999. I'm seeing it as a Chromebook when they
         | first came out -- interesting concept, but not yet proven in an
         | actual working environment.
         | 
         | Alternatively, some sort of money-back guarantee would be nice.
         | "Try working in VR for 30 days, see how you like it."
        
         | horsawlarway wrote:
         | It's really hard to say without actually using the device.
         | 
         | If this can genuinely make reading text about as easy as it is
         | on a current hiDPI screen - I don't think this price is
         | unreasonable.
         | 
         | My issue is that - having gone through several VR headsets
         | (Oculus, Oculus Quest, Vive, Vive Cosmos, and Valve index) None
         | of them are even close.
         | 
         | Reading text in any of them is basically a non-starter outside
         | of maybe game menus, and even then it's annoying.
         | 
         | Index is closest, but it doesn't support a wireless mode - so I
         | end up using the vive cosmos with the external tracking
         | faceplate and the wireless adapter the most.
         | 
         | Basically - I don't think anything around ~3k is really a deal
         | breaker if you can get the latency/resolution to a point where
         | text is easy. But if reading text gives me a headache after 30
         | minutes... it's a toy still, and competes with oculus at the
         | ~300 price point.
        
           | kanetw wrote:
           | To give a comparison, 35 PPD is equivalent to a 1080p screen
           | 60cm away from you.
           | 
           | So the resolution is basically there, but what about latency?
           | Output-to-photon is as direct as possible (NUC Displayport ->
           | DP-to-MIPI -> Displays), so the only question is how low we
           | can get the motion-to-output latency.
           | 
           | Unfortunately that's not a question I can answer yet.
           | Tracking is hard, especially when you're designing for a
           | portable headset. But I'm pretty sure we'll be able to get it
           | to sub-frame latency if my mmWave idea works out.
        
         | Bayart wrote:
         | It's about what I'd expect for a premium piece of productivity
         | hardware. It's in line with specced-out laptops and
         | workstations. At this price there will be certain expectations
         | though, in particular regarding the finish and build quality
         | (and even colour accuracy).
         | 
         | In any case, I've been toying with the idea of using a VR
         | headset for work after having seen a post on HN from a guy who
         | described his whole setup, but I'm not at the point where I'd
         | jump into investing much into it.
         | 
         | I think your product is for people who have already a lot of VR
         | experience and want to graduate to something more adequate.
         | It's a hard sell for the mere VR-curious.
        
         | sbeckeriv wrote:
         | I did not realize the specs. I was hoping for like 600$usd but
         | I might have reached for 1000$usd. I love the idea, however,
         | most of my heavy lifting is done in a remote machine. I spend
         | most of my day in a kitty terminal ssh-ed to a beefy box
         | somewhere else. I dont think I am ready to early adopt a VR
         | desktop yet.
        
         | gs17 wrote:
         | I actually think the (backer) price is about what I would
         | expect for what you get. My issue is that it's a big investment
         | for something that's really cool, but not necessary, so my
         | current finances don't justify me getting one. A professor I
         | work with is big on buying every bit of AR/VR tech that comes
         | out, I'll have to see what he thinks of it.
        
       | bontaq wrote:
       | Any word on it having diopter adjustment? It'd be nice to be able
       | to wear this without glasses.
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | Likely a stretch goal. But if we notice that it's a big
         | usability deal as opposed to glasses/prescription lenses, we'll
         | put it in the baseline.
        
       | cheriot wrote:
       | Can anyone make the case for why VR will be more productive than
       | a laptop and monitor? The Simula website mostly talks about specs
       | and not why I'd want to use this for work.
        
         | georgewsinger wrote:
         | Here are some reasons:
         | 
         | - 10x more windows/virtual screens than PCs & Laptops
         | 
         | - Persistent ("always on") computing wherever you are able to
         | walk and think.
         | 
         | - Promotes better posture (you don't have to sit hunched over a
         | laptop screen, but have more freedom of movement).
         | 
         | - Better work immersion/focus than PCs & Laptops. There's
         | something about having the world around you blocked out and
         | just focusing on your work (though Simula will support an AR
         | mode via front cameras when you need to see things).
         | 
         | Though I am biased, there is also great aesthetic appeal to
         | working in "The Future". From _Iron Man_ to _The Minority
         | Report_ , our Sci-Fi has been promising us for decades a future
         | of always-on spatial computing with omnipresent screens.
         | Working in a VR Computer allows you start to experience that
         | future.
        
           | NationalPark wrote:
           | Does it actually promote better posture? They don't mention
           | its weight anywhere, which makes me think it's heavier than
           | competing headsets, which already aren't the most comfortable
           | to wear for long periods.
           | 
           | I am excited about the possibilities this opens though. Will
           | it be more convenient than a terminal emulator running tmux?
           | Maybe not for me, but I could see people who deal with more
           | visual assets like game developers using this.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | We don't promote the weight because we aren't yet at the
             | stage of integration where we can promote it at. However,
             | you can expect it to be around 800g front+back combined, so
             | around the same as an Index.
             | 
             | In our experience, a balanced headset is more important
             | than a light one.
        
           | adventured wrote:
           | > 10x more windows/virtual screens than PCs & Laptops
           | 
           | That's a productivity drain not a benefit. Modern operating
           | systems could already drown us in zillions of screens if it
           | were actually useful - it's not. That's a productivity
           | fantasy element, like people pretending it's possible to
           | multi-task (more screens, more work, more output). All you
           | get is the equivalent of the hoarder clutter of a thousand
           | browser tabs for no great reason. Humans max out on
           | productivity and usefulness gains from additional screens at
           | a very low number.
           | 
           | > Persistent ("always on") computing wherever you are able to
           | walk and think.
           | 
           | A tablet, a smartphone - it's a trivial difference in timing,
           | as those items are a moment away from use in terms of always
           | on. And where are you walking with a VR computer on your
           | head?
           | 
           | > Promotes better posture (you don't have to sit hunched over
           | a laptop screen, but have more freedom of movement).
           | 
           | That one is false and probably your worst premise. Posture is
           | a choice, you either consciously choose to pursue better
           | posture and constantly reinforce it or you don't, and if you
           | don't then absolutely nothing will keep you from bad posture.
           | A VR computer on your head is very low on the list of things
           | that is likely to finally encourage someone to consciously
           | adjust their body toward better posture. I'd bet on the
           | opposite outcome as far more likely, body damage from wearing
           | a heavy object for too long.
        
           | criddell wrote:
           | My preferred setup is a sit/stand desk with a single high
           | resolution monitor and a window to the left or right of me.
           | For many years I worked with two or three monitors but found
           | that it was more distracting than anything.
           | 
           | When I'm stuck on a problem, I stare out the window or go sit
           | outside with a pencil and pad of paper.
           | 
           | I can't imagine I'd be happy working in a VR setup. I could
           | see it being useful when I want some type of virtual presence
           | (at least until I start feeling sick), but I only need that a
           | few times a year.
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | 3np wrote:
         | Portability is a huge one for me. Having vast screen real-
         | estate plus immersion seems great for roaming.
        
         | ptom wrote:
         | I made several arguments along those lines in this article:
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041
         | 
         | For me it comes down to functionality, focus, comfort, and
         | productivity. Convenience too, but it took a lot of setup and
         | tuning to get to that point, so the net "convenience" gain is
         | probably neutral. These days I don't want to work any other
         | way.
        
           | georgewsinger wrote:
           | Highly recommend ptom's article:
           | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041
        
       | noir_lord wrote:
       | > This is because sub-par VR technology (e.g. the Quest 2)
       | 
       | Calling horseshit on that, I have a Quest 2 and it is a brilliant
       | bit of kit for 1/10th the price.
       | 
       | Is it a VRPC or whatever they are on about, no - it was clearly
       | not intended to be, is it the sweetspot for VR right now, yep and
       | it works fantastically when connected to a PC or standalone, the
       | boy loves it.
        
         | georgewsinger wrote:
         | I should rephrase that sentence.
         | 
         | Agreed the Quest 2 is a great device for its price. What I mean
         | to say is that the Quest 2 isn't pushing the current limits for
         | VR pixel density (by having a high Pixels-Per-Degree aka PPD).
         | 
         | High PPD is important for gaming but _extremely important_ for
         | VR computing /office, since it heavily impacts how high quality
         | text and other fine details (icons, etc) show up for you. This
         | is one of the main drivers of our high price. Since we're
         | trying to get people to work in a VR headset for 8+ hours in a
         | day (replacing their PCs/laptops as their primary computing
         | device), we needed to offer as high a PPD as we possibly can.
         | This requires state of the art displays and a compute unit
         | powerful enough to power the rendering. We also have a special
         | text filter in Simula which is optimized specifically for text
         | rendering.
         | 
         | There are other problems with the Quest 2 as well, but low PPD
         | is the most important one. Price is definitely not one of its
         | problems (though its low price is being subsidized by its
         | bringing people into the Facebook ecosystem, etc). The Quest 2
         | is _primarily_ a gaming /entertainment device, and it does a
         | pretty good job at that. The Simula One is primarily a VRC
         | (though it can be used for gaming in Tethered mode).
        
           | gs17 wrote:
           | The Quest also isn't pushing the limits for FOV either,
           | compared to my usual headset it feels like goggles. I'm
           | impressed if the Simula really beats it on both of these.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | We put in a lot of effort into the optics and we use
             | variable magnification tech to get the most out of our
             | displays (i.e. there's more pixels per degree in the foveal
             | region, and less in the periphery where you can't see them
             | anyways).
             | 
             | The drawback is that the optical train is long and there's
             | 3 complex lenses as opposed to 1 glued assembly (not sure
             | if it's 1 or 2 lenses). Adds per-unit cost and assembly
             | labor, and at a $300 ($800 realistically) price point
             | that's a lot.
        
         | a7b3fa wrote:
         | The full quote is:
         | 
         | > This is because sub-par VR technology (e.g. the Quest 2) is
         | simply not good enough for someone wanting to work several
         | hours per day in a VR Computer instead of their laptop -- even
         | if most people don't realize this yet.
         | 
         | Do you mean that the Quest 2 is good enough to do, say,
         | programming work on for several hours a day, or just that it's
         | a decently good gaming headset?
         | 
         | The last VR headset I tried was the Oculus Rift, and that was
         | nowhere near being usable for work. I'm really curious about
         | the SimulaVR, but it's a bit outside my price range. So if you
         | use the Quest 2 for work, I'd love to hear about your
         | experience with it -- what software do you use, is the
         | resolution good enough for working with text for hours at a
         | time, etc.
        
           | ptom wrote:
           | I use the Quest 2 almost exclusively for my day job as a
           | programmer (any time I don't have to be on camera in
           | meetings), and have been using VR to do this for years - I'm
           | the guy behind this article:
           | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041
           | 
           | The Quest 2 is remarkably capable for its form factor, but
           | has some significant limitations and requires a lot of
           | babysitting to get it tuned "just so" to make it that
           | productive. Reaching that flow state, or even making it more
           | productive than a traditional physical screen layout, isn't
           | particularly accessible, certainly not yet on a mass appeal
           | level. So yeah, it can work, but there's a LOT of room for
           | improvement.
        
           | psyc wrote:
           | I used a Quest 2 for work for a few weeks while my monitor
           | was being repaired. My biggest problem was not being able to
           | see the keyboard. The display was not a problem for me. I was
           | quite glad to have my monitor back anyway. For that matter,
           | for all of the PCVR games I was so excited to play, I've gone
           | back to playing them mostly on the monitor. I'm quite happy
           | with the Quest 2 visuals, but the comfort (for longer
           | periods) and controls are inferior for anything more complex
           | than beat saber and golf.
        
           | [deleted]
        
           | caitlinface wrote:
           | I work in VR when I'm not in meetings. I use Immersed for it.
           | I love it.
           | 
           | The text readability isn't perfect, but it's fine and usable.
           | (Others don't consider it very usable, which can mean either
           | they didn't spend the time to figure out the ideal setup for
           | them or it's simply not usable for everyone yet.) There's a
           | lot of after-market customization that help tremendously:
           | better headstrap, upgraded facemask, prescription lens
           | covers.
           | 
           | We're definitely in early adopter territory. It takes
           | tinkering to find the best setup for yourself. Some people
           | don't have the time or desire for that, some people just
           | don't find something that works after trying it out. It's not
           | sustainable for widespread adoption yet, but it'll get there.
           | 
           | It's improving every day as the Immersed team is adding new
           | features along with the Quest opening up APIs. For example,
           | right now you cannot see your keyboard. Most users get by
           | with touch typing. You can bring in a VR version of your
           | keyboard that is calibrated to the position, but it's pretty
           | finicky. Quest is opening up an API soon for what is called
           | "passthrough", which will allow the user to see the camera
           | view outside of the set. Once a passthrough keyboard feature
           | is implemented in the Immersed tool, I believe it's going to
           | be a significant feature that will make it even easier to
           | work in VR.
        
       | spoonjim wrote:
       | It doesn't make sense to put the PC right on the headset - it
       | adds to the weight that needs to be supported by your neck. A
       | backpack or Fanny pack Pc plus a tethered cable would be much
       | smarter, and would also let you swap out the PC and headset
       | separately.
        
         | redhawk610 wrote:
         | Looks like there's a cheaper tethered version available for
         | $1999. Perhaps the computer is removable anyway?
        
           | kanetw wrote:
           | It is removable. In fact, we plan to have it dockable so you
           | can use it separately and reuse it for e.g. homeserver
           | purposes when the hardware gets older.
        
             | ryukafalz wrote:
             | When you say dockable, do you mean that the module will be
             | easily removable to put in a dock or just that it's
             | possible to remove it for that (e.g. by opening the unit)?
             | 
             | Mainly want to know like... is this the kind of thing I
             | could do regularly when I don't feel like being in VR, or
             | is it more effort than that?
        
               | kanetw wrote:
               | The module will be easily removable so you can put in a
               | dock. It basically slots into a receptacle in the back of
               | your head.
        
         | [deleted]
        
       | w-m wrote:
       | I don't understand the pixel per degree calculations. Quest 2
       | sits at 20.58 PPD in the table, which makes sense, as that's
       | 1832px/89deg. How do you arrive at a 35.5 PPD for the Simula VR
       | with 2448px for 100 deg fov? It links to a [2] in the table, but
       | there's no [2] I the references.
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | We use variable magnification for the lenses. That is, the
         | foveal region has a higher PPD and the periphery has a lower
         | PPD. As your eyes follow the same pattern (your fovea has a
         | high resolution, everything else drops off sharply), it's
         | basically a free PPD gain.
         | 
         | I put a link to the paper [1], but it's paywalled.
         | 
         | [1] https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-
         | of...
        
           | wlesieutre wrote:
           | Except that your fovea moves around with your eyes and this
           | is glued to looking straight forward. You get PPD gain if
           | you're looking at the same thing that your face is pointed
           | toward, at the expense of when you look off to the side. Not
           | exactly "free" but probably worth the tradeoff.
           | 
           | How big a "sweet spot" do you have in the center? Enough to
           | read lines of small text without rotating your head back and
           | forth?
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | About +-15 degrees. This accounts for 86% of saccades.
             | 
             | I need to confirm how sharply it drops after that, but in
             | any case it should be above 20 PPD +-(15 to 30) degrees and
             | above 12 PPD for +-(30 to 50) degrees.
        
           | w-m wrote:
           | This seems a bit disingenuous, listing the max/center PPD for
           | your product, and the average PPD for the Quest.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | No other headset except the Varjo Aero use this technology,
             | and only the high-end Varjos have a focal view display
             | (1920x1920 in the central 27 degrees). Rest is basically
             | uniform throughout.
             | 
             | We use the peak PPD for the Aero.
        
       | disambiguation wrote:
       | Wow I forgot all about MagicLeap, surprised to see they're still
       | getting funding.
       | 
       | re: Simula, this is the first I'm hearing of this device and it's
       | a pretty cool concept. I have an Index but IME the larget
       | bottleneck for productivity is the "screen door effect" and
       | resolution. Text is tiny. The 2nd bottleneck being difficulty
       | using peripheral devices (KBM) while in VR. Curious if anyone has
       | tried this device yet and can confirm whether these problems are
       | addressed?
        
         | georgewsinger wrote:
         | The Simula One has more than 3x the PPD/pixel density over a
         | Valve Index, and we also have a special text filter we use in
         | our rendering which is specifically optimized for text clarity.
         | If you're interested in the Simula One, you should see a pretty
         | immense difference between these two headsets.
         | 
         | RE peripherals: Simula itself (e.g. the VR window manager on
         | our headset) is designed to work best with just a keyboard
         | (obviating the need for peripherals/controllers). You control
         | the mouse cursor with your eye gaze, and can move/resize
         | windows with keyboard shortcuts and eye gaze as well (we plan
         | on supporting hand tracking in the Simula One, but I think in
         | practice it won't be used as much as people think).
        
         | chaostheory wrote:
         | I haven't tried this device, but I've tried HP's G2 (which is
         | noticeable absent from Simula's comparison matrix). From
         | personal experience, it's terrible for games that require
         | controller tracking aside from driving and flying sims, but...
         | it has a 2160 resolution per eye (text is very clear with no
         | screen door effect) and it's $599 MSRP; it also frequently goes
         | on sale for $399. Paired with Virtual Desktop software, you can
         | work in VR now in Windows & MacOS if portability and Linux
         | support isn't a necessity; though I imagine it could work on a
         | high powered laptop
         | 
         | https://www.hp.com/us-en/vr/reverb-g2-vr-headset.html
         | 
         | https://www.vrdesktop.net/
         | 
         | On a side note, I don't notice the screen door effect in either
         | the Index or Quest 2 while playing games. Are you saying you
         | notice it while playing games, or while reading text?
        
           | foobiekr wrote:
           | I'm curious - can you use the valve knuckles and base station
           | while using a g2 headset? All the g2 complaints seem to be
           | about the controllers tracking, not the g2 tracking for the
           | headset position/angle/... itself. I already have a Vive but
           | the fuzziness really is getting to me.
           | 
           | I really think the lack of graphic/positional/...
           | representation of keyboard/mouse/Hotas is a big issue for VR.
           | Valve base station tracking point receivers are cheap, it
           | seems like someone would have made at least a keyboard with
           | them, or come up with a way to attach the vibe tracker in a
           | not super janky way.
        
             | chaostheory wrote:
             | > can you use the valve knuckles and base station while
             | using a g2 headset?
             | 
             | Yes, but I haven't tried it personally. Not sure how easy
             | it is because of conflicting statements
             | 
             | > I really think the lack of graphic/positional/...
             | representation of keyboard/mouse/Hotas is a big issue for
             | VR.
             | 
             | This has been solved with the Quest 2 if you buy a specific
             | logitech keyboard / trackpad combo
             | 
             | https://www.logitech.com/en-
             | us/products/keyboards/k830-illum...
             | 
             | https://medium.com/xrlo-extended-reality-lowdown/the-
             | logitec...
        
               | foobiekr wrote:
               | Wow, thanks. I did not know that.
        
           | disambiguation wrote:
           | re: index, it has definitely gotten a lot better vs. the OG
           | vive but ex. 12px font is still fuzzy IMO. Overall it does
           | not yet improve on what i can do on a regular laptop screen.
        
             | chaostheory wrote:
             | > ex. 12px font is still fuzzy IMO.
             | 
             | The G2 definitely solves that problem.
             | 
             | > Overall it does not yet improve on what i can do on a
             | regular laptop screen.
             | 
             | If you're ok with a small laptop screen that makes sense.
             | The main thing that it solves at the moment is available
             | screen real estate. It greatly increases it. Depending on
             | the software you use, it can also solve the issue of
             | feeling isolated. IM and video calls aren't good enough
        
       | lab14 wrote:
       | A little off-topic, but does anyone know if there's been good
       | research about the long term effects of having a screen a few
       | millimeters away, beaming photons to your retina continuously?
        
         | Buttons840 wrote:
         | I wish most devices had a gradual fade option for volume and
         | brightness, etc. I'd rather hit a button to increase the volume
         | once an hour than realize I've had the volume way to high for
         | the last hour, or realize I've been staring at a full
         | brightness screen for no good reason.
        
       | JosephRedfern wrote:
       | I am curious -- why the 1:1 aspect ratio/FoV? A quick Google
       | suggests the human eye is more like 5:3 (though vary variable).
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | Several reasons:
         | 
         | * Square displays are what's readily available in the VR form
         | factor (2-3" diagonal)
         | 
         | * Rectangular displays will murder your minimum IPD, which
         | kills accessibility for a lot of users
         | 
         | * Reducing the size/increasing pixel density makes the optics
         | exponentially more complex. We're already pushing the limits of
         | what's possible without pancake lenses.
         | 
         | * Pancake lenses are a nightmare of complexity when you want
         | high-quality images. Ghost images, low transmission, etc. all
         | increase development cost by a lot. And the unit cost is
         | significantly higher, but that's not an issue here (the NREs
         | are the main cost driver)
        
           | JosephRedfern wrote:
           | Very interesting. Thank you!
        
       | MrQuincle wrote:
       | Seems clunky. I would also go for a wireless solution. Moreover,
       | I would bring out two products. The headset and the box. The box
       | only has to be powered on. Nothing fancy. It can be completely
       | dedicated to the headset. And the headset itself is very light
       | and optimized for pixels and receiving data as quick as possible.
       | In that case you don't rely on any wifi in the house.
       | 
       | What might happen is that you developed a box on h.256 optimized
       | for super low latencies. Sounds as valuable tech on its own. :-)
        
       | d23 wrote:
       | So is the entire computer in the headset, or am I missing
       | something? It seems like it would be heavy, no? I haven't
       | followed this space closely, so apologies if it's an ignorant
       | question.
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | The computer is on the back of your head. We target a weight of
         | about 800g* balanced evenly, so it shouldn't be more straining
         | than an Index
         | 
         | * Preliminary number, might change as we make tradeoffs of
         | battery life vs thermal solution vs weight.
        
           | RandomChance wrote:
           | Is the charging port USB-C? If so, can it be charged through
           | more than one port, in the event the primary one is damaged?
           | _(My phone experiences tell me the likelihood of port damage
           | increases the more you handle something, and this will not be
           | sitting on a desk all day)_
           | 
           | My first thought, before I realized I had a serious question
           | was that it would be awesome (in my particular opinion) if
           | the battery could be separate, enabling easily swapping it or
           | having various configurations... Maybe a belt clip or _the
           | dreaded fanny pack_?
           | 
           | .....
           | 
           | I just realized this is probably quite silly, you almost
           | certainly have it identical to a laptop where you can work
           | with it plugged in/ charging, and that would make that port
           | even _more_ likely to be a problem.
           | 
           | Personally I would love to see easy support for external
           | power packs to extend usage, but I can't think of a good
           | reason why I would actually need that, so maybe I have been
           | playing to many cyberpunk games lately...
           | 
           | I really whish I could know if I would actually get the use
           | out of it it deserves... I love the idea but sadly I can only
           | actually work on company devices because of export control
           | restrictions, so my personal use case would need to include
           | gaming to justify a high end new machine right now. I will
           | absolutely be keeping an eye out though, and if I don't get
           | one I will hopefully be able to buy your V2 model.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | Every USB-C port will be a PD sink and source, and we plan
             | for replacement parts/schematics to be easily available so
             | any repair shop or competent person can do a repair.
             | 
             | We're thinking about a separable battery for the V2. V1,
             | too much complexity for now.
             | 
             | You'll be able to power it off the charger or any USB-PD
             | source while charging the battery (provided it has enough
             | power, but that should be doable).
        
               | RandomChance wrote:
               | Honestly now that I think about it that is probably the
               | best of both worlds.
               | 
               | Thanks for answering my questions!
        
       | georgewsinger wrote:
       | Though our unit prices are more or less stuck at these low
       | volumes, we appreciate the feedback in this thread, and hope to
       | offer a lower priced VR computer during our next iteration.
       | 
       | If you're comfortable with our current price, we're offering a
       | small number of early bird headsets for $2,499 (vs. our standard
       | $2,799 Kickstarter price). If you're interested in getting
       | notified an hour before our campaign starts (to max the chances
       | of getting one), you can sign up here:
       | https://buttondown.email/simula_one_kickstarter
        
       | axiomdata316 wrote:
       | I have to admit I got some sticker shock when I saw the price. I
       | really wanted to get this too...
       | 
       | Looking at the details of the article I still can't see what the
       | breakout feature is that keeps me from just getting an Oculus
       | Quest and using the Immersed app to do basically the same thing.
       | The biggest "negative" the article seems to be focusing on is
       | that you need a Facebook account to use Oculus Quest but I don't
       | see many limits on the basic experience.
       | 
       | Also, it focuses on how no sacrifices were made and that this is
       | a premium product. This is a hard sell since you can't wear it or
       | try it first before forking over almost 3 grand. When iPhones
       | first were released, they were a premium product, but you could
       | go to an Apple Store and play with it first. Here you have to
       | rely on a datasheet and trust that these improvements will
       | significantly matter.
       | 
       | I would much rather have started with a less premium product that
       | allows me to try it first and if I fall in love with the
       | potential for productivity, I may invest it the premium product
       | in the future.
        
         | ugjka wrote:
         | Would make sense for them to have an easy and painless return
         | and refund policy
        
           | kanetw wrote:
           | I'll talk with George about introducing a refund policy. In
           | fact I'm pretty sure we had it in the original drafts for the
           | webshop, but since we moved to Kickstarter funding we haven't
           | thought about that yet.
        
         | stocknoob wrote:
         | I think 3 grand for an early adopter product is cheap. The
         | Macintosh was $2500 in 80s dollars (5-6k today) when it
         | launched.
         | 
         | If this is something that actually helps your work, a few
         | hundred a month is well worth it.
        
           | georgewsinger wrote:
           | We should have added comps for early/retro PCs =]
           | 
           | My dad (who isn't a technical person; lawyer by trade) once
           | told me that he spent $5K in early 90's dollars (which is
           | much higher today) on an early 386 color laptop. This was
           | like the price of a new car.
           | 
           | (Not saying Simula's VRC is an apples to apples comparison
           | with this, or that we'd ever want to charge that much for
           | something, but it is interesting to hear about how expensive
           | some early computing devices were when the laptop industry
           | was getting off the ground).
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | > Looking at the details of the article I still can't see what
         | the breakout feature is that keeps me from just getting an
         | Oculus Quest and using the Immersed app to do basically the
         | same thing. The biggest "negative" the article seems to be
         | focusing on is that you need a Facebook account to use Oculus
         | Quest but I don't see many limits on the basic experience.
         | 
         | Compared to a Quest/Immersed combo:
         | 
         | * we offer significantly higher PPD (and better optics with no
         | ghost images, Fresnel rings, etc.; but that's hard to quantify)
         | than any other headset on the market except super-high end
         | ones. You would not be able to read text on a Quest like you
         | can on a normal 27" monitor; you can with our headset.
         | 
         | * Immersed does not do window management. We support unlimited,
         | actual windows. Immersed only does a handful (up to 10 at
         | reduced resolution? need to check) virtual displays, which is
         | pretty annoying from a UX perspective.
         | 
         | * Immersed needs to be tethered, which is reduced quality and
         | higher latency due to the WiFi connection.
        
       | r_hoods_ghost wrote:
       | I'm quite interested in the product because I've spent a lot of
       | time using the quest 2 since it came out and I'd agree that it's
       | not quite there resolution wise for work. But man is this written
       | in an arrogant, self aggrandising, off putting way. It's like
       | they're trying to channel the spotty PC Gamer / Linux master race
       | energy. Definitely putting this onto the "do not back" pile.
        
         | georgewsinger wrote:
         | I'm sorry we gave you that impression.
         | 
         | After several years, there's been nothing more humbling than
         | trying to get Simula off the ground (first developing the
         | software, and now the hardware). We've been smacked in the face
         | so many times. So we don't _feel_ very arrogant, at least.
         | 
         | Maybe our tone isn't quite right. We're just trying to convey
         | to people that our headset has a different use case/is designed
         | for something different than portable gaming/entertainment.
        
           | istorical wrote:
           | I think your characterization of your device as fitting a new
           | category is entirely fair, but you don't do yourself favors
           | by using glib language to describe competing
           | products/categories:
           | 
           | "We decided early on that, given the cards we were dealt,
           | it's better to build a premium headset with a high price than
           | to build a shitty headset with a low price. This is because
           | sub-par VR technology (e.g. the Quest 2) is simply not good
           | enough for someone wanting to work several hours per day in a
           | VR Computer instead of their laptop -- even if most people
           | don't realize this yet."
           | 
           | If you simply reworded this from "sub-par" to "other" or
           | "existing" or "lower-end" you'd come across as less arrogant.
           | I say this with upmost respect for what your team has been
           | able to accomplish, but if the Quest 2 is "shitty" then your
           | product is flaming garbage. But if you simply mean to say
           | it's shitty in the particular dimensions / role you are
           | designating the VRC (VR Computer) then you may reword it and
           | be a bit more diplomatic.
        
             | georgewsinger wrote:
             | We just pushed the change to the blog post.
             | 
             | Though it's true we are very opinionated about the Quest
             | 2's adequacy for long VR computing sessions, we're _not_
             | trying to be glib or flippant about the Quest 2 (an
             | otherwise excellent VR headset for the price).
        
           | chaostheory wrote:
           | I agree with @isotarical. Instead of using adjectives that
           | you'd find in gamer subs on reddit, it would sound more
           | professional and less condescending if you were more specific
           | i.e. use the stuff you have in your comparison matrix as the
           | talking point
           | 
           | That said, marketing is really hard, and you're still doing a
           | better job than me.
        
       | istorical wrote:
       | Hadn't heard of this product but it looks pretty cool, although
       | at this point for me content is a bigger problem than hardware
       | with VR. But congrats on what looks like a cool product.
       | 
       | One thing I'd like to hear is how this device feels to wear as
       | the weight sounds quite intimidating. Quest 2 already gives many
       | a sore neck at less than 200g but this seems to be 800g? My
       | assumption was/is that as you start increasing your perf/hardware
       | it starts to make more sense to go with the hockey-
       | puck/backpack/pocket smartphone etc. tethered processing unit
       | elsewhere on the body rather than strapping a toaster to the
       | front of your face.
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | The heat should be fairly manageable. Most of the front side
         | components are low-power and we'll be managing the climate in
         | the face part so you don't get sweaty due to low circulation.
         | 
         | The compute pack will be at the back of your head with the
         | airflow going away from you, so it shouldn't be too noticeable.
         | Thermal design is definitely a priority for us.
         | 
         | Putting it on your head reduces the amount of cables on your
         | person, so you don't accidentally tangle yourself or something.
         | Also, it improves the balance so it might actually feel
         | _better_ than a front-heavy headset (compare a Vive with an
         | Index for example).
        
         | 0x6c6f6c wrote:
         | The weight is actually very similar to the HTC Vive with the
         | premium audio strap, which is 741g.
         | 
         | That as well, it actually feels better to have the audio strap
         | which distributes the weight better than just the 470g headset
         | alone.
        
         | thebigman433 wrote:
         | Quest 2 is a bit under 600g I think, not 200
        
       | paxys wrote:
       | Something I have been curious about - why is VR headset
       | development going in the direction of cramming all electronics
       | into a single component which sits on your head, rather that the
       | headset itself being a dumb terminal and the actual
       | storage/processing done on some other box (which doesn't have to
       | be a PC) sitting somewhere in your house and sending signals to
       | it wirelessly?
        
         | savanaly wrote:
         | What little I know about the subject suggests it has to do with
         | retention. It seems users of VR are much more likely to pick it
         | back up after the initial honeymoon phase has worn off if the
         | whole "picking it back up" process is just strapping on a
         | headset rather than involving a second device, pairing it, etc.
         | The less friction the better.
        
           | kanetw wrote:
           | Yes, exactly. We want people to just put on a headset and use
           | it, instead of having to boot Linux and plug everything in.
           | God knows it's a pain when I'm developing with a tethered
           | headset.
        
         | rtkwe wrote:
         | Because the PC or laptop required to run a dumb terminal well
         | is more powerful than most people have. By selling an AIO unit
         | you have a console like uniformity of hardware and ease of use
         | experience for both the devs and the customers.
        
           | soylentcola wrote:
           | The flip side of this (much like with AIO PCs and "smart"
           | TVs, but in reverse) is that I'd be a lot more likely to buy
           | a less expensive client/terminal and connect it to a more
           | powerful PC because if the headset - which is the thing
           | trying to prove its usefulness - breaks or ends up collecting
           | dust, I still have the PC which can power all sorts of other
           | tasks and uses.
           | 
           | If I spend all the dough on an AIO headset PC and it turns
           | out to be underwhelming or I just never fit it into my long-
           | term usage, then I've got a $2k+ computer I never use. Just
           | as I'd prefer to separate the monitor from a PC or the media
           | player from a TV, I'd be a lot more eager to try a headset if
           | it wasn't attached to its own expensive PC.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | That's why we offer a tethered option, and why the compute
             | unit is detachable and dockable.
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | Latency and bandwidth.
         | 
         | We push about 3.4 GByte/s (or 27.5Gbit/s) to our displays. Even
         | a 26Gbit/s DP1.4a HBR3 link needs display stream compression
         | for that. So a wireless link will absolutely need strong
         | compression.
         | 
         | H.265 can push that to maybe (ballpark) 200Mbit/s, which is
         | fairly feasible. But that will need to be evaluated and
         | optimized for text quality and latency. Some googling suggests
         | 100ms end-to-end latency as good. That's pretty high for VR,
         | IMO.
         | 
         | [Edit: fixed the DP1.4a bandwidth)
        
           | akvadrako wrote:
           | You can definitionally get lower latency with H.264 -
           | somewhere around 5-10ms encode and 2ms decode. That's what
           | makes Parsec and streaming gaming platforms possible even
           | with all the other latencies involved.
           | 
           | H.265 might be slower, but EVC, especially LCEVC, is supposed
           | to be about 30% lower latency encoding than H.264.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | Interesting. I wonder why the googled numbers were so high
             | then. I'll take a look sometimes; wireless streaming would
             | be cool.
        
         | potatolicious wrote:
         | Latency, bandwidth (and with that, packet loss).
         | 
         | Right now the closest tech to do this would be something like
         | WiFi - but the latency is high, and the typical home's WiFi
         | network bandwidth (practically due to the vagaries of radio) is
         | not sufficient.
         | 
         | A few reasons this is important:
         | 
         | - latency in VR induces motion sickness and operates on a
         | different scale than we're used to for regular network
         | communications. A 50ms lag in a 2D video game is acceptable, a
         | 50ms lag in VR will cause nausea and vomiting. This is a domain
         | where single-digit milliseconds matter a great deal for user
         | comfort.
         | 
         | - resolution and refresh rate is everything - VR's viability in
         | large part hinges on the resolution of the screens, which right
         | now are somewhere between "poor" and "mediocre" - nothing so
         | far has come close to replicating 20/20 vision. Moreover you
         | need those screens to refresh far more quickly than a regular
         | monitor - 60Hz doesn't cut it, 90Hz is basically the minimum.
         | Streaming an uncompressed 8K stream at 90Hz over wireless
         | requires more bandwidth than any existing standard can deliver.
         | It's at the edges of our _wired_ capabilities.
         | 
         | Of course you _can_ compress the streams, but that not only
         | degrades image quality (which matters a great deal when the
         | screens are replacing your eyesight) but also injects
         | additional latency into the whole affair.
         | 
         | It's theoretically possible - but would require developing a
         | lot of custom tech that doesn't exist yet. It would also likely
         | be highly sensitive to the exact particulars of the physical
         | environment - one user may have a perfect experience while the
         | other experiences so much packet loss/reduction in bandwidth
         | that the whole experience is unusable.
        
           | basch wrote:
           | >Right now the closest tech to do this would be something
           | like WiFi
           | 
           | Is that true? 802.11ad (wigig) should be able to handle it. h
           | ttps://www.networkworld.com/article/2172394/understanding-w..
           | .
           | 
           | Have you ever used a wigig dock? You plug everything into
           | your dock (hdmi, usb, ethernet) and it all gets beamed to the
           | computer. ~10 microseconds latency.
           | 
           | edit: I see another commentor mentioned its successor
           | 802.11ay. Same thing applies, except that 802.11ad is a
           | delivery from the past, not a future promise. we are already
           | there.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | Unfortunately still not high enough for low-compressed (DSC
             | 3:1 ~= 9.2Gbit/s) or uncompressed video (~= 27.5Gbit/s) at
             | least at our resolution. But might be viable for lower-res
             | displays.
        
               | basch wrote:
               | What about splitting up the load? Pre-processing happens
               | on the floor cube, with final work done on the headset.
               | The headset doesnt have to be a video screen only.
        
               | kanetw wrote:
               | Could be doable, and might be something we investigate in
               | future iterations. I don't think it's worth it for this
               | one, though.
        
           | allanrbo wrote:
           | How about just a short cable to a box on the desk in front of
           | you? The weight and heat of strapping it all on your head
           | sounds tiring...
        
             | potatolicious wrote:
             | This is pretty much the status quo for tethered VR - you're
             | hooked up to a PC sitting on your desk. It works, but has
             | major usability issues that IMO make it a complete long-
             | term dead-end.
             | 
             | It removes any interactivity that require the user to move
             | significantly. More than that, even for just typing/using
             | peripherals the cable is constantly in the way.
        
             | LeifCarrotson wrote:
             | How about a short cable to a box on your belt? Maybe a vest
             | for extra tactile feedback. Or even just putting all the
             | heavy stuff like PCBs, heatsinks, and batteries on the back
             | of the strap to balance the screens and optics on the
             | front.
             | 
             | My little Petzl headlamp doesn't mount the tiny 23g battery
             | pack on the forehead due to balance and comfort concerns, I
             | can't imagine the Simula fares any better!
        
               | kanetw wrote:
               | All the heavy stuff (compute pack) _is_ in the back :)
               | 
               | We're considering offering a belt clip option, but I'm
               | not sure it's worth it overall.
        
             | thebigman433 wrote:
             | Having to play around a tether the whole time isnt a super
             | great experience. The wire gets in the way and you have to
             | think about it constantly.
        
           | kanetw wrote:
           | Yeah, the only way this is remotely feasible without massive
           | latency and compression is a 802.11ay link, if it works when
           | you're moving around. And since it's mmWave you'd need a base
           | station in every room and 100Gbit ethernet to connect to it.
        
             | [deleted]
        
           | jjcm wrote:
           | I'd actually argue against this - I've been using my Quest
           | recently to stream steam games over wifi on it, and I've been
           | impressed with the capabilities. Overall the experience is
           | seamless 95% of the time, and I don't notice any major
           | differences between it and my HTC Vive. There _are_ hiccups
           | though - wifi will cut out briefly whenever there 's any
           | interference on that frequency, and you'll drop a few frames
           | and quality will degrade for a couple seconds. Overall though
           | I highly expect a stream over wifi 6 to be 100% usable for
           | VR.
        
             | potatolicious wrote:
             | There is some promise, but I'd push back on the implication
             | that this is viable as a mainstream option.
             | 
             | Right now through either Oculus (Wireless) Link, or
             | something like Virtual Desktop, you can totally stream
             | content from a PC to the headset, but that comes with a big
             | list of asterisks (easily observable if you look at any
             | support channel for both products):
             | 
             | - Most people's WiFi sucks, the room they're in has poor
             | signal, or their router is mostly shite. The experience is
             | awful for them.
             | 
             | - Most people's PCs are _not_ connected to their network by
             | ethernet, which seems like a crucial part of getting a good
             | experience.
             | 
             | - Even under ideal conditions configured by an enthusiast
             | who groks the tech, frame drops are relatively common.
             | 
             | - Streaming is generally not possible at full-resolution
             | due to bandwidth limitations. A wireless-first approach
             | presents an additional barrier to one of VR's biggest
             | stumbling blocks - as screen resolutions increase streaming
             | cannot keep up.
             | 
             | So getting the setup to work well right now requires a
             | pretty knowledgeable user. Even assuming we can improve on
             | this, I will wager that "95% effective, visible degradation
             | a few seconds at a time at random intervals" is enough of a
             | problem to be a hard stop on mainstream adoption.
             | 
             | This is the hole VR is in generally - the tech is "good
             | enough" for enthusiasts, but punishing to the mainstream.
        
               | jjcm wrote:
               | I'd agree with all of these caveats. I'll also say that I
               | suspect part of the reason why my experience is good is
               | my PC is hardwired, and my headset is ~2 meters away from
               | my wifi router.
               | 
               | I'll also add to what you mention about the initial setup
               | - it's an absolute pain in the ass... every single time.
               | Takes me about 10min to do the setup dance each time I
               | set up air link.
               | 
               | In general though I see all these as being fixable. A
               | dedicated transmitter and improvements in the UX of this
               | can address all of these.
        
               | potatolicious wrote:
               | Me too. I have a WiFi 6 router sitting on my desk with
               | direct LOS to the headset _and_ my machine is hardwired
               | to ethernet _and_ I have a really high quality network
               | setup at home.
               | 
               | The experience with Oculus Link is _pretty good_ - but I
               | 'm an outlier in my setup!
               | 
               | And yes, none of this is completely un-conquerable, but
               | I'd argue unfixable without significant new hardware and
               | standards. This is not a "just have to improve the
               | software" problem.
        
       | vfournier11 wrote:
       | Using Lenovo MSRP is doing deck stacking as they are notoriously
       | overpriced and always on "sale".
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | Even if you reduce it to it's sale price it's favorable. It's
         | not like we aren't on "sale" either via Kickstarter discounts.
        
           | vfournier11 wrote:
           | Not sure to follow, my point was that the Lenovo is currently
           | on sale for $2045 and that using $3500 as a price is kind of
           | misleading as you would never buy this laptop at MSRP.
           | 
           | That being said your Kickstarter rebate is a real rebate (or
           | sale ;)), I was using "sale" because Lenovos laptops are
           | always on sale hence the real price is the price on sale.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | I guess it depends? I bought my P14s at basically MSRP and
             | it didn't drop much. The X1 Carbon did drop a lot, though.
             | We might adjust it to be "$2k current price, $3.4k MSRP"
             | though.
        
       | kipple wrote:
       | Would you spend all day working in VR?
       | 
       | A few months ago, I would say no.
       | 
       | But I got myself a Quest 2 for Christmas, and now... maybe.
       | 
       | AR would make it better though, so I'm not just floating
       | disconnected in digital space. I see in their homepage hero
       | banner background[0] you get a floating window with video of your
       | hands. It would be nice if the whole background is a passthrough
       | to reality, and then you float your OS windows on top of that.
       | 
       | [0] https://simulavr.com/
        
         | kanetw wrote:
         | It will be. We'll be demoing the AR mode in our Kickstarter ad,
         | but basically the entire background will be replaced by
         | passthrough.
         | 
         | No depth mapping yet, so it'll only be in the background, but
         | first things first.
        
           | kipple wrote:
           | Nice! That makes it more attractive.
           | 
           | Depth mapping would be great too, like I could pin virtual
           | artifacts to my physical environment? Yes please.
        
             | kanetw wrote:
             | I'm experimenting with mmWave RADAR to get depth mapping
             | without the idiosyncrasies of stereo RGB cameras.
             | Especially in wildly varying environments I think that's
             | the way to go over traditional camera-based SLAM. But if it
             | turns out to be unfeasible, nothing's stopping us from
             | adding more tracking cameras and doing it that way.
        
         | ramesh31 wrote:
         | >But I got myself a Quest 2 for Christmas, and now... maybe.
         | 
         | Let me know what you think in a month. The problem with current
         | VR tech is that it's mindblowing and incredible for the first
         | few days, then it quickly becomes too cumbersome and
         | frustrating to deal with on a regular basis and you forget
         | about it. Mass adoption really won't come until it's as
         | seamless as putting on a pair of reading glasses.
        
           | tluyben2 wrote:
           | I am going into month 3 of every day use for work and play.
        
           | potatolicious wrote:
           | I agree though I'd argue it's not a single axis of
           | "bulkiness/easy of use", and more a balance between
           | "bulkiness/ease of use" and "functionality".
           | 
           | The Quest (and self-contained VR devices generally) has done
           | a lot to move the ball forward on bulkiness/easy of use, but
           | IMO has not done a lot on the functionality part. Most VR
           | experiences are toys that don't have lasting power. It is
           | revealing that FB's marketing for the devices is
           | _overwhelmingly_ about a single game (Beat Saber).
           | 
           | I have a Quest 2 that has been sitting in the closet
           | collecting dust for close to a year now. The experience is
           | pretty mind-blowing the first few times, but there isn't
           | anything _there_ to keep me coming back. Once in a blue moon
           | some novel (and usually rather short) VR experience will draw
           | me back in for a day or two, but then the device goes back
           | into the closet again.
           | 
           | The breakthrough hinges on the combination of easy of use
           | _and_ what the heck there is even to _do_ with the device
           | that is compelling.
           | 
           | [edit] Seeing some other folks opine about the lack of
           | content elsewhere in the thread - yes it's true, but I think
           | framing the issue as one about _content_ leans heavily into
           | the local maxima (which is a very low local maxima) we are in
           | right now, where VR is really only about gaming. I remain
           | unconvinced that gaming is the best use of this technology -
           | and if we implicitly /explicitly define this as a "content
           | problem" rather than a more general "things to do" problem I
           | think we're missing something key.
        
           | Elidrake42 wrote:
           | Isn't that how the Quest is now? It is for me, pop on the
           | device and get straight into my workout.
        
             | Xevi wrote:
             | The Quest 2 has a few things that prevents me from using it
             | for long sessions.
             | 
             | 1. It's way too heavy, which makes it uncomfortable.
             | 
             | 2. It gets too hot.
             | 
             | 3. It lacks a hinge that would make it possible to easily
             | flip it open, while it's still on your head. Taking it off
             | all the time is annoying.
             | 
             | 4. It's been really difficult for me to keep the content
             | I'm viewing looking sharp. It always looks kind of blurry,
             | especially toward the edges.
        
           | ptom wrote:
           | I agree about the mass adoption threshold, but even the
           | current breed of tech makes the workday-in-VR feat possible:
           | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041
        
         | tluyben2 wrote:
         | I spend most of my days working in the Quest 2 with Immersed.
         | It can ofcourse be better but it works well now. AR would
         | indeed be better. If it is possible to keep the screen dark
         | enough to see with room light of course.
        
       | redhawk610 wrote:
       | If the specs can be delivered then the pricing seems fair, but I
       | guess I was wishfully thinking for a deal. Guess not everyone can
       | recoup their costs with your data like Meta
        
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