Oculus Rift VR Gaming

Since purchasing the Oculus I had very little games to talk about.

Now I have tried quite a few.
So far Robo Recall is my absolute favorite game this is using the Unreal Engine and it runs smoothly and looks great.
Robots are coming at you full on weather they attack you with their hands or are armed they come from above and from all corners to take you down and stop you from recalling them.
You can upgrade you guns and shotguns by recalling robots and getting experience.
This comes free when you purchase Touch controllers if you did not then it’s going to cost you $39.99 but it’s worth it.

And you can grab the robots and tear them apart and throw the parts at attacking forces. Awesome!!!

Arizona Sunshine Undead
I have played this game for about 2-3 hours it’s okay but in all fairness it’s not worth playing unless you have 3 tracking sensors. Only because you will be facing away from your front sensors more often than not. When this happens and you don’t have a 3rd rear tracking sensor it loses you and makes for much disruption and loss of gameplay.

As of now I only have 2 front sensors which is the setup required for the Headset & the Touch controllers.
I did put in an order for the 3rd rear sensor yesterday tracking sensors sell locally and online for $59.99 I went ahead and got my 3rd one from BestBuy but am having it delivered.

The game seems good you can open car doors and trunks to search for ammo and food so it does allow exploring to a certain extent.
The Aiming is not as refined as it is in Robo Recall. It’s not terrible but you will need to actually aim to get head shots. And Head shots are what you want in this game especially when you have 5 or more zombies charging you from all around. Some are slow walkers others drag and crawl and some are straight up runners.
I won’t say it’s a bad game maybe I will have better thoughts after hooking up a 3rd tracking sensor.
Is it worth the $39.99 I spent on it? I think $15-$20 would of been fair.

Affected: The Manor
This is not a game where you shoot and kill things or even solve puzzles.
The game is a explore and walk through if you dare.
It’s a haunted manor that you alone walk through with only a flashlight equipped.
At first I thought how can this possibly be entertaining?
It uses jump scares that work very well in this game. I still have not walked through the whole manor it is damn creepy wait until your alone or everyone is sleeping late at night turn off your lights put on your gear and get ready to explore the haunted manor.
This game is only $9.99 worth every penny.
If you like being scared and haunted houses you will like this very much. Not for the faint of heart.

Dead & Buried
This is a western shooter with a twist you must shoot and kill the undead Hillbillies that attack you in waves.
It is a multiplayer game  4 people can play together it’s a straight up arcade shooter you don’t stop shooting until the wave ends help keep your partners alive because you will need them as the game progresses.
The game play is smooth with cartoon graphics that are pleasing to watch and interact with “shoot”.
Unloading shells & Reloading your gun with flip of the wrist can be tiring but you must do it to keep your ammo full so you don’t get over run.
Aim is dead on very good as far as that goes no need o close one eye for precise aiming like is needed in Arizona Sunshine Undead.
This can be purchased in the Oculus store for $19.99 this can not be purchased in Steam.
If you purchased the touch controllers this game also comes with for free.

There are a few more games that are good as well but did not mention like Hell Dimension ,Super Hot & The Wizards.
I wanted to touch down on apps that can be used daily.

Facebook VR:
This is a sit in application for Facebook it puts you at a table with a control deck that is fully interactive.
You can create your VR person when setting up.
The FB VR tools include Phone, pencil or pen,tablet and a selfie extender with a screen and a few other gadgets.
You can also have your desktop in VR FB as well so you can still access your desktop to use Edge browser or other things.
You can also do a stream cast in VR world for others to get a glimpse inside your VR Facebook.
It allows you to grab media and other things and expand them around you for example you see a newsfeed in FB about Star Trek you can grab that news and pull it into you that then makes you sitting in the starship deck with all the other characters.

It’s not a perfect application but it is pretty cool so far and betting it will only get better as time and VR adoption rates grow.
I know someone that uses Gear VR and the FB VR is different than the Oculus Rift version which means they are putting real work into each device to make sure your getting the best experience on the device you have.
This is a 100% free app that can be downloaded and installed in the Oculus Store.

Xbox One Streaming:
This is for those who own the Xbox one. You can download the VR app from the Oculus Store for free.
It allows you to use your Xbone in VR you are basically sitting in a theater room able to play any Xbone game on a cinema sized screen.
I have only tested this very little and seemed to work just fine. There may be more bells & whistles I have totally missed and not mentioned. So go ahead download and install this and find what I missed.

Oculus First Contact
This is a small presentation to VR created by the Oculus team.
It is based in 1 room with a small floating robot that you interact with.
Your thinking wow big deal yes?
Well it’s actually very cool this little robot really opens your eyes to what things can be done in Virtual Reality it’s a full on interactive visual experience.
Seriously give this a go it’s also free.

Google Earth
Which now has been updated with street view. As if it wasn’t already awesome!
This is a free app that can be found in the Oculus store or Steam.

It’s simple really imagine google earth but your in it! Yes it is that cool you can be looking at earth from in space with stars and shit all around you. Click on earth and zip right on down to your house and be standing in the street virtually or why bother that can be done by walking outside. Why not drop in to Paris and check out how big the leaning tower really is.
Get this PERIOD!>> like now get IT!

Buzz Aldrin: Cycling pathways to Mars
This is a kick back and listen to Buzz explain how we are going to populate and inhabit Mars. And how we are going to accomplish it.
You don’t just listen your there! in space at Mars and seeing how large these objects are really going to be.
Absolutely amazing to watch. It’s not interactive in any way but you feel like your part of it as you fly through space and see planets  in ways you never imagined.
If Virtual Reality moves into education it will change the way we learn and keep the young interested. Even the old for that matter I was floored by this awesome Documentary.
Small download huge impression.

The Body VR
This is a educational application in VR it’s nothing short of amazing.
You are miniaturized in a small round bubble with control panels inside the human body.
You have no control in this you are a spectator in the amazing but wonderful human body.
It educates you how our body works on a molecular level.
This is another free application that can downloaded from the Oculus Store.
Seriously it sounds boring to hear me talk about it but it is not at all.
Give this a go the install and download are not large.

There are many more amazing apps and games I have not mentioned here.
While I do realize that many families won’t be buying VR hardware yet at the price point it is at.
Hang in there find discounts or wait it out hardware will upgrade and older hardware will drop in price which will lead to a better market for VR.
The more people who adopt the cheaper the hardware will get which means more people will be using it and in turn that means more apps and games maybe even some Movies made for VR.

The last few weeks I have spent with the Oculus Rift the more I love it. It really is that cool and I mean it as in there are many uses VR can be used for education, games, movies, 3d Printing design this list will grow it’s not just some gimmick that’s going to pass by and be forgotten.
Well I really hope it won’t be many people will miss out on a amazing experience.
Between the Oculus Store & Steam Virtual Reality already has a damn large sized library to pick from and there are more titles coming AAA titles by the butt load included.

I said Butt load..lmao

Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Experience

First off I should say that my interest in VR was very limited only due to the 90s’ experience. I’m talking about the VR setups that were in malls and sometimes even clubs back in the day.
That was until I saw an article with John Carmack he was wearing goggles that were the prototype of the now named Oculus Rift. This article is quite old now probably 2012-2013. He had left ID software to continue the development of the Oculus Rift.

John Carmack has a huge resume and if you play video games chances are you have played a game he created or a game engine he created.
Games we all know Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake III, Doom 3, Rage, Doom 4 aka: Doom 2016 not to mention he created the engines that run these awesome titles.
And did I mention he’s a friggin rocket scientist! He founded the Space program for space tourism.
The company is named  Armadillo Aerospace.

With all that said this is what piqued my interest in VR I figured this guy has to be making some excellent shit!
The Oculus started off as a $2 million dollar kick starter campaign 2 years later Facebook founder purchased the Oculus for $2 billion.
The initial price point for consumers was aimed at $199 unfortunately after time and more tech the price rocketed to $600.
Which I think hurt this technology at the start. Today you can get the Oculus with the Touch controllers for $399 which is an excellent price for the hardware and experience you will get.
Not sure if this is just a summer deal or if it is a permanent price drop to get more of these awesome kits to the masses.
There is also the HTC Vive which is the VR head set created by HTC and Steam
This headset was geared for Steam and has a 120 degree view point compared to the Oculus Rifts 90 degree.
That is the only difference between the Vive and the Oculus Rift the hardware is identical in every other aspect.
The Oculus is lighter and supports Oculus Dream Deck Store and Steam VR as well.
These apps are where you can purchase the VR games available to either or both VR headsets. Vive does not support the Rift Dream Deck.
I have found that the Rift is more compatible with games than the Vive is.
They both have exclusives but again it seems that the Rift works fine on HTC games where as the Vive doesn’t play well with Rift games.
And the HTC Vive is now selling for $599 instead of the $799 price tag.
Steam VR is a very small update to the Steam app that is already installed on your PC.

If you plan on buying a VR headset for your PC make sure you have the hardware to handle it.
My PC is pretty heafty and it failed the USB 3.0 hardware verification.
Which I then had to purchase a specific PCI-E to USB 3.0 card.
I have 3.0 but the Rift is not compatible with AsMedia USB hardware & Drivers.
The headset requires 1 USB 3.0 for sound & a HDMI out for the video this connects to your video card in your computer.
I did find that the sound USB works okay with the AsMedia USB 3.0. But the tracking sensors will need  supported USB 3.0 inputs.
The PCI-E card I purchased costs anywhere from $22-$30.
it’s the Inateck Superspeed 4 Ports PCIE to USB 3.0 this card is listed by Oculus to be 100% supported.
The headset uses a tracking sensor and the touch controllers use a tracking sensor so you will need 2 supported USB 3.0 inputs the gear will work on USB 2.0 but your going to have slow tracking which is something you do not want.

Once I finally got it running took me all week a few hours each day after work to get it 100% connected and games or apps installed.
If you have a free time it should be a pretty quick process connecting it up and installing drivers and software.

I have played a few games some that are not impressive and some that are mind blowing.
I found that the simplest app can be so much fun and just mind bending.
Oculus First Contact is just down right awesome. Your behind a desk with computers and a Robot that hovers around he is your VR friend and hands you discs to put in your Virtual PC to make things with it.
It’s interactive and he will have so much stuff bouncing around the room it is awesome!
Made a gun some rockets and other things as well.
Then there is VR desktop which is your PC desktop in Virtual Reality you can be sitting in the woods or in Space with planets and stars all around you.

The game I really enjoy is EVE Gunjack your in a gunner in a  turret and have to blast enemy spaceships down in deep space.
Where you look the gun points then you fire with your VR touch controllers.
When entering the Turret it’s mind blowing because your so small compared to the spaceship your in and the Turret housing really makes you feel like your in it.

Then there is a game from Crytek called Robinson: The journey this is game where your off planet and you can interact and move around freely.
Crytek also has a game called The Climb this I don’t own yet but hear it is absolutely amazing as long as you are using the touch controllers.

Can also play Alien Isolation in VR. This game was already full of suspense play it in VR and it’s down right chilling and scary.
originally this game only worked with the DK kits DK stands for Development Kit.
There is a mod that now allows it to work with the consumer Oculus.
can find the mod here.

Then there is Google Earth VR this requires you to use the Touch controllers.
But is again awesome and it’s free.
This is a must check out for anyone wanting to go around the world and see areas like your actually there.

There are entertainment apps as well just kick back and watch  awesomely made video’s from Disney and Discovery made specifically for Virtual Reality.

Did I mention Roller coaster rides? There are apps for those as well and some of them are really excellent.
You feel like your actually on a coaster.

I’ve barely scratched the surface here all I can and will say is it really is an amazing experience.
It messes with your mind in a good way because your seeing an environment like at the top of a sky scraper at it’s edge looking down and it’s dizzying or a Huge Dinosaur runs up to you and the spit from it’s roar is in your face and then Runs over you.
You know your in your house but what your seeing is totally different.
It has shown me how perception really is reality.

There are also multiplayer games like Star Trek Bridge Crew you and others control the Enterprise from the deck. And depend on each other to fly the ship and get out of bad situations.

The Oculus Rift is selling for $399 you get the Rift goggles and the touch controllers which include 2- tracking sensors.
It’s a great price point to get people into this great technology.
There are many free apps and games to give a try. Games start at 99 cents and go up to $50. The majority of high end games are $29.99.

The only down side I have found is the wires but it’s such a small issue that it doesn’t hinder gameplay or comfortability at all.
Behind my monitor on my desk is a wire mess anyhow what’s another 2 or 3 wires going to hurt?
I had to purchase some hardware to use the Oculus which cost me another $42
this was for the PCI-E to USB 3.0 and the Display Port to HDMI cord I needed to buy since my Video card only had 1 HDMI in which the Oculus used and the rest were Display ports which my monitor does not have.

Not to mention games I have spent around $75 total so far.
And I also purchased the Oculus Wireless remote I got that on Ebay for $24 which is normally $30.
In the end it cost around $600 for everything which isn’t all that bad considering all I got.
Only a week or 2 back $600 would of only gotten you the Headset and the Tracking sensor with Touch controllers.

I say if you have the extra cash and already have a PC that can handle it go for it you won’t regret it.
If you don’t have a PC that is capable I’d look into the PlayStation 4 VR.
The cell phone goggles are not the same thing and you won’t have same experience we get using the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive.