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[Nothing1016]

Yeah, because tons of people don't happily drop $600 and more on phones every couple of years... wait.

It has to be seen as a must-have and not treated as an accessory. As long as the content is there and not available anywhere else, people will find a way to afford it.

Don't compare the mobile market to the VR market. One is almost a necessity in today's world while the other is a replacement for a monitor. And even then only two companies are seeing massive success in the mobile space, Apple and Samsung. It's not like people are running out throwing money at cellular companies.

I'm all for the success of VR. but I personally can't see it being wildly successful in today's market. Hopefully I'm wrong in the future. We shall see.

 

[Momentary]

Your regular Joe is just going to want a subpar experience with less fidelity and no 3D. I'm cool with that. People who already have decent systems will probably pick this up and I'm sure if Oculus takes off in other industries they could give 2 shits about the gaming industry.

Sort of like how NVIDIA is used by other industries other than videogames and are very successful because of it.

 

[Goldenroad]

Uh, a 970 should be playing those games maxed at 60 FPS.

I can't afford that. You're talking about an amazing top of the line PC, not a "relatively good PC". I've got an HP Laptop with a dedicated graphics card that can run those games, not maxed, but at close to 60 FPS, but it comes nowhere near meeting the spec's for Occulus. The market for this device is going to be miniscule, having said that, anyone that can afford a 970/980 or a Titan can certainly afford the headset as well...that's just not that many people...I don't think.

 

[bj00rn_]

The goal is to get mainstream people to buy it

What, why, that has never been a part of any serious VR discussion I've been in over the last few years. We all know there's not going to be a mass market for VR this gen, PC nor consoles. It's way too early for both. Software not the least needs one or two generations to mature. And processing power-wise, we're not even close to where we need to be to sustain a future interest beyond a wii/kinect-like short-lived curiosity.

 

[Struct09]

I already got the PC, just need them glasses!

 

[Seanspeed]

He says "at most", though that's not nearly as attractive of a sensationalist headline.

The goal is to get mainstream people to buy it. $1500 just eliminated the Rift from reaching the casual audience. Your regular joe will not or can not afford that.

The goal was not to hit mainstream success immediately, actually.

But you will be able to get 970(or equivalent) power plus a CV1 headset for much cheaper after a year or two. I don't think people really think this stuff through very much.

And again, the guy said 'at most'. You do not necessarily need to spend $1500, although I'm sure it's possible if you go pre-built.

 

[Ciastek3214]

Why do all these people posting about the Morpheus think the PS4 will be able to run it's games at at least over 60 fps in 1080p which seems to be the minimum to get a somewhat decent VR experience?

 

[endtropy]

they have been pretty up front about wanting to deliver an un-compromised VR experience, so this doesn't surprise me int he slightest. I still expect the headset to retail for under $400, if I had to wager I'd peg $350

 

[Dubz]

Early adopters always pay more for tech.

/news

 

[VariantX]

1500 huh. Don't see anything wrong with that. 1500 today and a year or so later, $7-800 and even cheaper going forward.

 

[Kaako]

Yeah...expected this. It'll be a while till the masses jump on PC VR.

 

[vpance]

Looks like Oculus definitely won't be leading the VR charge.

I always thought that was pretty obvious with Morpheus out there.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Don't compare the mobile market to the VR market. One is almost a necessity in today's world while the other is a replacement for a monitor. And even then only two companies are seeing massive success in the mobile space, Apple and Samsung. It's not like people are running out throwing money at cellular companies.

I'm all for the success of VR. but I personally can't see it being wildly successful in today's market. Hopefully I'm wrong in the future. We shall see.

Exactly. VR needs to be seen as a necessity. People are not nearly as price sensitive about things they think they need. I think it totally has the potential to reach that status.

 

[TouchMyBox]

Is this a serious question? How about: Are there people in this world who either don't have the space or money for a PC setup? The answer to that one should be more obvious. You know. Teens. Students. Poor people.

I've been on laptops my whole life. Never had the space or disposable income to build a PC considering that my photography hobby and travel comes first.

But yeah, there's tons and tons of people like me.

But Oculus Rift is clearly targeting the PC gaming crowd. Morpheus is targeting the console crowd, and Gear VR is targeting the mainstream cellphone crowd. It seems like there is a VR solution out there for most demographics that any outrage of "You mean the Oculus Rift will require a Gaming PC?" seems kinda crazy to me.

 

[tuxfool]

Don't compare the mobile market to the VR market. One is almost a necessity in today's world while the other is a replacement for a monitor. And even then only two companies are seeing massive success in the mobile space, Apple and Samsung. It's not like people are running out throwing money at cellular companies.

I'm all for the success of VR. but I personally can't see it being wildly successful in today's market. Hopefully I'm wrong in the future. We shall see.

A 600 USD phone certainly isn't a necessity. You can get good phones for a fraction of that price.

 

[LilJoka]

I think itll be more, the 970 requirement is more like a minimum requirement in my eyes. You need high frame rates on top of a higher resolution than 1080p, so to keep your current eye candy settings its going to need a lot better GPU/s too.

 

[The Elite]

Not to mention all those parts will be cheaper by the time rift hits.

Not to mention it's the headset and an entire computer in that price range.

They hope to have it down to under $1000? In Australian dollars? Should be fine.

 

[Starsunder]

morpheus may be more affordable, but you get what you pay for, and the ps4 certainly cant compete with a powerful PC. i have to imagine that oculus will provide a much better experience on a technical level than morpheus.

i dont think oculus is down and out yet, by any means.

 

[Bit-Bit]

I wonder what the average specs on Steam is.

 

[NullPointer]

Why do all these people posting about the Morpheus think the PS4 will be able to run it's games at at least over 60 fps in 1080p which seems to be the minimum to get a somewhat decent VR experience?

I wouldn't expect DriveClub visuals, but I have no doubts that the PS4 can do some great 60fps @ 1080p VR experiences, provided they're made from the ground up for the purpose.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Why do all these people posting about the Morpheus think the PS4 will be able to run it's games at at least over 60 fps in 1080p which seems to be the minimum to get a somewhat decent VR experience?

Didn't Sony announce that they've got the refresh rate for the final Morpheus locked at 120hz?

 

[low-G]

Oculus will never be a big player unless they make an easy to use, cheap, all-in-one solution (or a mobile/console company buys em from Facebook). Also, $1500 is SUPER low balling a complete PC AND Oculus, based on their own min specs and that it's a year off...

And yeah, a couple of years ago, especially after the FB purchase, I didn't think they were focused on making an obscure accessory for a niche platform (high end PC gaming)

 

[Momentary]

Why do all these people posting about the Morpheus think the PS4 will be able to run it's games at at least over 60 fps in 1080p which seems to be the minimum to get a somewhat decent VR experience?

Oh I believe it will be able to, but they will implement games that aren't so intense with the graphic side of things. They'll also probably have some kind of VR mode in games that takes away a lot of the eye candy.

Definitely don't see a game like pCARS looking too good on console hardware using this thing.

 

[Kinthalis]

Oculus v1.0 isn't being targeted at mainstream consumers. Even morpheus isn't, if you think that thing + the required hardware for frame warping is going to be less than $400, you're crazy.

This is for the hardcore. These are the people that ALREADY own powerful PC's or only need to upgrade their GPU's, and the few willing to pay the premium and buy the PC + Oculus.

The mainstream stuff won't come for years (outside of maybe mobile).

 

[Devilgunman]

Why do all these people posting about the Morpheus think the PS4 will be able to run it's games at at least over 60 fps in 1080p which seems to be the minimum to get a somewhat decent VR experience?

Because it can? VR game won't have the same fidelity as most current-gen game.

 

[border]

"People will spend $600 on an iPhone, so surely they will spend <ridiculous amount of money> on <consumer electronics device that is not as important or useful as a phone>!!!!"

I hoped this line of reasoning would have died after it proved to be untrue for so many other products.

 

[Man]

My worry is that Sony gets Morpheus out, and people's immediate assumption will be - "Oh, I can use that to play Fallout/Call of Duty/etc in full VR. DOPE.". They then buy the headset, and are instead limited to what the PS4 hardware can crank out in VR.

How long until that consumer gives VR another fair shake?

99% of the PC VR content right now is hot steaming garbage unfortunately. At launch maybe that will drop to 90%.
There's so many more hurdles to having a great VR experience running optimally on PC compared to any standard monitor game. It's very fragile and usually needs plenty of tweaking. One should hope most newcomers experience it first in a plug and play environment like Morpheus.

 

[docbon]

How else are you going to render a recent game at a stable, high frame rate at a high resolution without needing at least a somewhat beefy PC? Why is this surprising?

 

[MagnaderAlpha]

Meh, I guess VR was just a trend, like 3D.

 

[tuxfool]

I can't afford that. You're talking about an amazing top of the line PC, not a "relatively good PC". I've got an HP Laptop with a dedicated graphics card that can run those games, not maxed, but at close to 60 FPS, but it comes nowhere near meeting the spec's for Occulus. The market for this device is going to be miniscule, having said that, anyone that can afford a 970/980 or a Titan can certainly afford the headset as well...that's just not that many people...I don't think.

Yet in 2+ years time more people will be able to afford 970 level gpus. Looking only at the cost at launch is being shortsighted. These products are going in for the long haul and nobody, not Sony, Valve nor Oculus are expecting it to explode on the scene at launch.

 

[Kinthalis]

Didn't Sony announce that they've got the refresh rate for the final Morpheus locked at 120hz?

Not really. They are saying developers can choose to ouput at up to 120 FPS (I doubt any will). The panel is 120hz and frame will be warped at that rate while waiting for fresh frames from the console.

 

[Momentary]

What's the funny thing are all the videogame minded folks that think videogames (consoles in particular) is the end all be all of being successful when it comes to things like this, GPUs, or CPUs.

Oh... you didn't get that console contract? You're going to fail.

Yeah.. right. Definitely don't make my technology investments by reading NeoGAF.

Not really. They are saying developers can choose to ouput at up to 120 FPS (I doubt any will). The panel is 120hz and frame will be warped at that rate while waiting for fresh frames from the console.

That's sounds fucking horrible.

 

[Corronchilejano]

That's a hefty price for what is a niche consumer product. I guess we're not quite there yet. I'm amazed this' d require such powerful hardware too.

 

[ChronotriggerJM]

Nice! According to that other article, you'd need a $2000 rig as the min spec to power the rift. So not only is the HMD free, but they're giving you $500! Sick!

In all seriousness, if Oculus recommends a 970 as the base, this number seems quite reasonable. Expecting $200-400 personally.

Oh, and people need to keep in mind that this is the "recommended spec" for optimal input. I'm sure laptops and anything of that nature will still be able to beast their way through indy / small dev team games without sweating. Which I imagine will constitute the bulk of great experiences early on.

 

[Kacho]

Sounds reasonable. Seems like the headset will be around the $300 range, which I might be OK with.

 

[Kaako]

morpheus may be more affordable, but you get what you pay for, and the ps4 certainly cant compete with a powerful PC. i have to imagine that oculus will provide a much better experience on a technical level than morpheus.

i dont think oculus is down and out yet, by any means.

A $1500 PC will deliver a better technical VR experience than a $400 PS4!? :O
You don't say...lol.

 

[Cave Johnson]

As a consumer, I'm more concerned about about the tech rather than than the price. The device could be cost effective but if it is just another VR wave 2.0 it would be generations before someone decides to pick it up again.

I'd rather they make sure they product is NOT a gimmick before I put money into it. Unlike other tech products, it has to be fully realized -expensive or not - before they can secure itself as a marketable products.

Let's not forget we're still in the beta phase of the system. Isn't that the point of the Facebook merge in the first place? They have the resources to leapfrog several obstacles (including low market share) before it becomes viable to the consumers.

 

[Reallink]

Are they even really competing with Sony? It's not like you have the choice of going Rift or Morpheus on PS4. If you have a PC, you're not going to buy a Morpheus for it. Their competition is the Vive, and you can expect around the same price point if not higher on that front.

HTC has already cautioned the Vive is "High End" VR and will be priced accordingly. Considering Oculus have been estimating "less than $500" from the very beginning, it's a solid bet Vive is going to be more than that.

 

[Springfoot]

This makes a lot of sense.

• It's a brand new display technology. This is the early adopter price if you start literally from scratch with no prior components.
• Compared to other early-adopter display tech, the first plasma screens, 1080p displays, and 4k displays all cost a hell of a lot more than $1.5k at launch.
• Unlike the above screens, this is the cost of a decent computer in there as well. If you already have one, then the price is obviously lower. If you don't, then you will after getting the necessary gear and a powerful computer can be used for more than just a fancy display.
• Good PC performance is critical for maintaining the minimum 60fps (if not 90 or 120) needed for immersion, and that number can't just be an average. It needs to be hitting that number consistently or you're going to get herky jerky motion and motion sickness.
• I'm glad it sounds like they're being upfront and realistic with their estimates rather than saying we can get away with some $400-600 mid-spec rig that ultimately won't provide the necessary performance for smooth framerates.

 

[Kinthalis]

99% of the PC VR content right now is hot steaming garbage unfortunately. At launch maybe that will sink to 90%.
There's so many more hurdles to having a great VR experience running optimally on PC compared to any standard monitor game. One should hope most newcomers experience it first in a plug and play environment like Morpheus.

99% of console games are garbage. 99% of ALL games are garbage. Not sure what your point is.

It's still early days, again NONE OF THESE DEVICES are meant for a mainstream audience. They won't be for a while yet.

This is the entry point for the early adaptors, with money to spend, looking for somehting new. Once the relaly amazing experiences start to hit and the hardware come sdown in price and improves in performance (at least on PC since consoles are locked to PS4 specs for the next half a decade), then more and more people will start to attach to the periopheral.. or atleast that would would be the hope.

 

[Syph Medwes]

Just remember you'll get what you pay for. PS4 VR won't be as visually attractive.

True, but no one bought the Wii for the graphics they bought it for the tech. VR is something people will at least try for the novelty and being first to market is a huge deal especially if it's attached to a console (PS4 in this case) beforehand.

 

[antonz]

$872 to build a
i5-4690K + Aftermarket Cooler
8GB Ram
128GB SSD
1TB HDD
4Gb 290X
Tower and Power Supply.

 

[Seanspeed]

I always thought that was pretty obvious with Morpheus out there.

GTX970+CV1 will likely be just as affordable as PS4+Morpheus in a couple years, not to mention that Morpheus/PS4 will have a lot more limited content than on PC, plus PS4 VR will stay pretty much the same over the next 3-4 years, while PC VR will advance rapidly.

In the end, they aren't even really competing. People that own PS4's and no gaming PC will get Morpheus and people with gaming PC's will get Oculus. The rest? Well they're not going to go out and buy a PS4 or a gaming PC just for VR anytime soon, sadly. That sort of adoption will take a while, and good VR will be far more affordable by then.

 

[Ferrio]

True, but no one bought the Wii for the graphics they bought it for the tech. VR is something people will at least try for the novelty and being first to market is a huge deal especially if it's attached to a console (PS4 in this case) beforehand.

Yep a lot of people got it in their mind that the VR apps have to be pushing the boundary on graphics or it's no good.

 

[Starsunder]

A $1500 PC will deliver a better technical VR experience than a $400 PS4!? :O
You don't say...lol.

....hence why i said you get what you pay for

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Here's my concern - VR has one shot to make a good first impression on people. It's wierd, it's expensive, and it can be awful when done poorly. My worry is that Sony gets Morpheus out, and people's immediate assumption will be - "Oh, I can use that to play Fallout/Call of Duty/etc in full VR. DOPE.". They then buy the headset, and are instead limited to what the PS4 hardware can crank out in VR.

How long until that consumer gives VR another fair shake?

I honestly kind of wish Sony would hold Morpheus until they can pair it with appropriately capable hardware.

Same can be said for the other players. If this stuff hits with a $1.5K price tag, that's a death sentence. Low adoption, low software output, and underwhelming content will nail the coffin shut.

This needs a slow rollout to get started, or it will crash and burn.

I like your worry. There is no first impression and Sony will be the one to cut the ribbon. It may die a horrible death and go into obscurity. People may ignore "Morpheus 2" or Oculus if their experience isn't good with Morpheus.

However, I think the actual audience that will buy these hardwares will buy it regardless of how bad they may be (which I believe they're not). VR being part of your household can be exciting to some, and I hope it's exciting when Oculus releases.

 

[gdt]

Sounds good for me. I'm already there.

And so excited for this stuff. Bring it.

 

[bj00rn_]

A $1500 PC will deliver a better technical VR experience than a $400 PS4!? :O
You don't say...lol.

Correct. But the point is that you don't even need half of a 1500 dollar PC to deliver a better VR experience at Morpheus level. The 1500 dollars is to drive an Oculus CV1 at its absolute best. That's different.

 

[bigkrev]

I can't afford that. You're talking about an amazing top of the line PC, not a "relatively good PC". I've got an HP Laptop with a dedicated graphics card that can run those games, not maxed, but at close to 60 FPS, but it comes nowhere near meeting the spec's for Occulus. The market for this device is going to be miniscule, having said that, anyone that can afford a 970/980 or a Titan can certainly afford the headset as well...that's just not that many people...I don't think.

Well, seeing as most laptops lack the required HDMI output from the GPU, this is clearly targeted at people with gaming PCs. And there is a large consumer pool to draw from. Even 8 years ago, when PC gaming wasn't anywhere near as popular as it was now, Crysis, which had a running gag that your computer wouldn't be able to run it, sold 1 million copies its first few months on sale.

 

[Bad_Boy]

this is where morpheus should shine. price point.