Hello everyone!
Tonight I want to do a quick review of some of the hurdles I've encountered while setting up my Oculus Rift for virtual reality. I'm doing this, so that any of you who are interested in investing in VR, can have an idea of just what you might be getting yourself into.
You might have seen my recent posts of me enjoying VRChat and, yes, I have already been enjoying my Rift for a few nights now. That doesn't necessarily mean I have conquered all of those hurdles yet. I'll explain why.
The first hurdle?
Is your computer good enough for using the Rift? I just barely scraped the minimum requirements, and my headset still gives me a warning, saying that my PC doesn't meet the required specifications. I didn't know, before buying the Rift, that the Oculus website gives you a program to test whether or not your PC is compatible with the full Rift experience. I highly recommend checking this out before you buy. If you already bought one, you may end up having to upgrade your video card, or other elements.
The second hurdle?
Setting up your headset and sensors. This one was the most important one for me, as I'm still dealing with some issues here. The first thing you want to check on your PC is whether or not you have at least three working 3.0 USB ports on your PC. Two for your sensors, and one for your headset. Any extra sensors are recommended to be on 2.0.
I have a gaming mouse and keyboard, so I was already using my 3.0 slots. I tried playing with everything plugged into 2.0, but the tracking was a bit off, and a bit laggy(especially for the Touch controllers). I ordered the recommended Inatek 4 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card from amazon, and installed it as soon as it arrived. It worked! Only use the 4 port, if you decided to order one, but let me explain my issue with this solution first.
My headset and sensors work fine using the 3.0 expansion, but now I get a BSOD whenever I try to Sleep, Restart, or Shutdown my PC.
I've contacted Inateck support, after trying all of the fixes offered online (different drivers, stopping processes, etc). None of the fixes worked, so I'm hoping Inateck can offer me some sort of resolution for this. If not, I'll have to return the card, and try a new one. I'm going to try using the 4Pin to 2x15pin cable that came with it, and see if that makes a difference, but it's most likely software/driver related. I'll update when I get more information.
This specific card was recommended by the Oculus website (the 4 port one) and is sold out most places. Different people have had different results with them. Some people are having the same issue that I am, and some are having it work perfectly. I would recommend looking into this before buying it.
The third hurdle?
This one is really simple. Play space. Do you need a huge room to use the Rift? My simple answer is, not really. I started out with a very small area behind my desk, and could barely move. I still managed to enjoy myself, but sometimes my hands would go out of range of the sensors, because they didn't have a huge field of view. If you have a good place to put you sensors, you should be fine.
I recently did some rearranging, and gave myself enough room to sit down on the floor, and play virtual sports without breaking my arm on my desk or other furniture. It was WAY more enjoyable to have that little bit of extra space, so I recommend having a nice clear area. Also, if you plan to play in a larger area, you might want to invest in at least a third sensor. This would allow you to turn around 360 and still have tracking. I currently have to try to face one direction the whole time. ^^;
Also, I recommend a carpet, or something squishy and comfy so that your feet don't hurt from standing mostly still the entire time. It also helps you to be able to feel your boundaries. You step off the mat or carpet, you know you're leaving your safe zone. The Oculus software does let you set up virtual boundaries that you can see in game, but sometimes you get immersed enough, you might not think about it.
That's all I really have for now, but I'm sure that I will be back with more feedback or stories relating to virtual reality. I do highly recommend the Oculus and Touch controllers so far, but I just want everyone to know that the process of setting everything up will be different for everyone, and you may encounter some real hurdles along the way.
I hope that my experience so far can be of use to you, and prepare you for your transition to virtual reality! :D