dstarr3 :
cryoburner :
Considering that only 0.22% of Steam users use 3840x2160 (4K) resolution, according to their latest hardware survey, I would say that yes, $800 is too much.\
Don't forget that the past few years sold many, many $800 high-Hz 1440p monitors. 4K isn't the only enthusiast resolution.
Sure, but I limited my example to 4k, since all 4k monitors can still be considered relatively high-end, and require high-end graphics cards to play games at their full resolution, whereas with 1440p, some models are available for as little as $200 now, and only require mid-range graphics cards for playing games at their native resolution. I suppose if Steam checked for refresh rates, I could have used those as an example too though. In any case, even for all the 1440p displays that might be out there, they still only account for just 1.83% of the systems Steam is being used on (plus another 0.21% for 21:9 1440p), and many of those are undoubtedly lower priced models with standard refresh rates. The number of Steam users who have spent $500 or more on a monitor is probably not much more than around 1% or so. And of course, a monitor is used for almost everything you do on a computer, and many people view their monitor for a number of hours each day, so spending more on one can be more easily justified. Plus, monitors don't really become outdated all that quickly, and the monitors available a couple years from now probably won't be all that much different from what's available now. VR headsets, on the other hand, are likely to see significant changes in the coming years. And maybe more content would enable people to get more use out of them, but I can't see too many people wanting to use one of these first-generation headsets for many hours each day, since their ergonomics still need to improve.
bit_user :
I considered adding a footnote about that, but you could file under GPU advancements, writ large.
Anyway, I remember reading that someone (Fove?) claimed only a 2x improvement in rendering speed. Still worth taking, but a little underwhelming. Hopefully, someone will manage a bigger improvement, but see Michael Abrash's comments on how quickly it all gets very complicated.
It's not really so much of a GPU advancement, since foveated rendering is something that can be done on today's graphics cards. The current lack of headsets with eye tracking is the main limiting factor there, and of course it will require support on the software side as well. In a demonstration of foveated rendering that Nvidia did, using a method that was almost indistinguishable from standard rendering, they mentioned getting two to three times the pixel-shading performance. The exact total performance would depend on a number of factors, but it could be scalable, and there could easily be a quality slider to adjust how accurately the peripheral scene is rendered, or detail could even be adjusted on the fly to maintain steady performance. Using foveated rendering to display 4k per eye at 90fps is likely already possible using today's high-end graphics cards, and within a couple years, mid-range graphics cards should have enough power.
evanevery :
Trying to make a "Good VR Game" is pure folly!
You don't make "Good VR Games". You simply make "Good Games" that work well in VR. If your just trying to make something good for VR all you will end up with is a short-lived "party trick".
The game has to be good on its own - even without the VR.
The game should be good on its own, but there are lots of things that are common in typical "good games" that don't translate so well to VR, and also some things that can work better in VR. Games where you are seated in a vehicle are a good example of what can work well in both scenarios, but that only covers a subset of games, and won't likely convince most people that it's worth investing $600 to $800 in a VR headset. However, VR can enable some things to work that might not otherwise work so well. For example, using motion controls, you can easily handle objects in precise ways. A game that places a focus on such object manipulation might not work particularly well outside VR, but that doesn't mean it can't be a good game in VR. Valve may be looking to create games that take advantage of the controls and immersion available in VR, without limiting themselves to those things that work on more-traditional setups.
falchard :
They are making 3 full games. Half-life 3 confirmed.
Half-Life 3-D Tennis confirmed. : D
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