Oculus Go Standalone VR Headset Review: Convenient VR For The Masses

David_326

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May 24, 2016
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One think you need to Mention is this is not really designed for Gaming since there is no real controllers like the Touch that will work with it.
 


It comes with a 3DOF controller as the review explains. It's fine for some types of games.



It is a big downside. Santa Cruz is coming later with that feature, but will cost more. The Oculus Go is more of a media device and needs to be affordable.
 

kcarbotte

Contributing Writer
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Mar 24, 2015
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You would be surprised at how good it without spatial tracking.
Until I played with it, I wasn't a believer either. But having put a few hours into using it, I'm confident most people don't need spatial tracking to enjoy VR.
That said, spatial tracking is superior, but it will come at a higher price.
 

bit_user

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I think it's just a little bit sad that Nintendo wasn't the first to offer such a product. Over the past 30 years, they've been a trailblazer on most of the enabling technologies (stereoscopic, mobile gaming, 3D graphics, controller tracking, and even dabbling in AR):

1987 - Famicom 3D System
1989 - Gameboy
1995 - Virtual Boy
1996 - Nintendo 64 (original code named "Project Reality")
2006 - Wii
2011 - 3DS

This would've been the next logical step, for them. Risky, sure, but they've traditionally been more willing to take risks in the realm of format and user interaction. Perhaps they will simply become a software developer & publisher, if they're now too afraid to take such risks.
 

bit_user

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Thanks for the prompt review.

Looking forward to coverage of the Lenovo Mirage Solo (launching in mere days? weeks?). I should probably go ahead and preorder one, in anticipation of them getting withdrawn after the inevitable injury reports and corresponding lawsuits.

IMO, they should really do something about the charging limitations - especially that you can't use an external battery pack to extend its runtime.
 

dx_houle

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Oct 3, 2012
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Products like this are gonna set VR back. When I ask people if they've tried VR and they say "ya" with an unimpressed facial expression, I know they're talking about mobile VR. It's too bad that the general public will see mobile VR and roomscale VR as pretty much the same thing...until they try roomscale VR obviously.
 

Except for the one required to set it up. >_> Why is that a requirement anyway? I don't see any reason they couldn't have the configuration built in, using the motion controller and menus in the HMD to set everything up. And what permissions does that companion app require? It seems like a convenient way to harvest data off people's phones.

From what I've read here, this doesn't quite sound like a 10/10 device to me. Sure, for the price it may be a very compelling product, but there are just too many caveats for a perfect score. The list of "cons" seems to leave out a lot of other important details that I could gather from this review. In addition to the lack of spatial tracking and relatively long charge time, it might also be worth highlighting the lack of IPD adjustment, the low refresh rate, and the device's limited storage.

And why does it cost an extra $50 to add another 32GB of storage? 32GB MicroSD cards are readily available for around $12, 64GB for $20, and 128GB for under $40. I doubt it would have cost them even a dollar to add a MicroSD slot to the thing. Supposedly USB storage support will be coming sometime post-launch, but since the port is MicroUSB, you'll likely need adapters or cables to make external storage work. The only reason I can see for them to not add a MicroSD slot is to try to encourage people to get the version that adds additional storage at a premium.

I also get the impression that it might not be all that long before this device feels a bit outdated. Not just because of the limited processing capability, but perhaps more importantly the lack of spatial tracking. While Windows Mixed Reality headsets might not have onboard processing, within a similar price range they do manage to provide self-contained room-scale tracking for both the headset and controllers. While a $200 price point probably isn't realistic for a device that incorporates both of these feature-sets at this time, I imagine it could be done for around $300.


Actually, that seems more along along the lines of what I was describing, though considering the launch price, it still seems to fall a bit short. At that price level, I would expect an IPD adjustment, and something better than a simple 3DOF controller, which seems like a bit of a waste considering the 6DOF headset tracking. It does have slightly nicer specs compared to the Oculus Go, but I have a hard time seeing many people spending twice as much for one of those to run pretty much the same software. I kind of think it's going to be a bit like the Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and we'll see a price drop down to around $300 before the year is through.


They probably just want to minimize the chance of lawsuits resulting from a Lithium battery exploding in someone's face. It does seem like the headset could be run off the USB port without actually charging the internal battery at the same time though.


Well, the Virtual Boy did fail pretty hard, which may have made them them wary about jumping into a VR implementation that's not quite ready for prime time. I did get the impression that they might have been planning something similar for the Switch though. As it is, the device seems like it could be snapped into a smartphone-style headset, though it's perhaps a bit bulky for that, and the screen resolution a bit low. Those things could potentially be addressed in a "Switch Lite" half-generation update though.
 

Dosflores

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Jul 8, 2014
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You stated the reason yourself. I loved that screenshot of the companion app's setup process:

"Location access is needed to discover and set up nearby headsets and more"

:rofl:
 
This unit does not quite make it for me for several reasons.
The battery specs are not up to snuff.
The display could be better.
I am looking for an HMD that connects to my PC so I can run the games I usually run but have the HMD replace my screen.
I don't need a tracking device, just let me use my keyboard and have the HMD track my head movements.
That would be a seller.
 

hannibal

Distinguished
It is very hard to use keyboard when you don`t see it because you wear vr classes. In ar, the keyboard can be usefull, because you actually see it.
Bit sure how well Logitech Virtual keyboard work. But I supose that it requires very accurate tracking and so needs very expensive devices...
 


I understand that but my use of the keyboard is limited to the 4 cursor keys for movement so I would have no problem "finding them" so to speak.
Thanks for the thought.
VR still has a long way to go to satisfy the masses.

 

bit_user

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Have you investigated the Windows Mixed Reality HMDs? They sound like pretty much what you're looking for.

IMO, their biggest downside is the system requirements for using with Steam VR content. I know there's a Steam VR app for letting you play non-VR games with a HMD, but I don't know if anything like that exists as a native Windows MR app.
 


Thanks bit_user but I already have looked into them. They have controllers which I don't want.
 

Specter0420

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Apr 8, 2010
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I am surprised I see so many complaints about not being able to see the keyboard from Toms users. We are users of Tomshardware, we don't need to see our keyboards to know where the keys are. F and J have little bumps on them, I suggest you look up why.
 

bit_user

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Yeah, I've seen complaints elsewhere about not being able to see the keyboard with HMD on. I assume most people can at least stumble their way through touch-typing, even if they normally cheat and don't maintain proper hand positioning...

but, then I'm pre-smartphone (even pre-blackberry). Upon reflection, I guess there are probably a lot of folks out there who do most of their internet usage on a device without a querty keyboard.
 

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