Pre-VR poll: Where do you fit right now?

I think you should add "I think VR is creepy and hope it doesn't take off."

My vote:

• It's a fad
• It's too expensive
• I don't have space
• I don't think the games will be to my liking

Like the very last voting option says, I really want to like VR, but I just can't muster any excitement. Even if it was cheaper, I don't have space. Even if it was cheaper AND I had space, the games don't look interesting to me at all. Even if everything clicked, I still have more personal concerns about my eyeglasses/vision.

I have 2 small children, taking my eye off them for a prolonged period of time would spell disaster.

That and I don't think they will every make VR games I would be interested in.

So I'll be passing on any/all VR funzies.

I'm interested but I've got bad eyeballs and until I have one (or more - though not at the same time) of these things on my head I ain't hopping in.

I guess I'd like to pick an option between 2 and 4, I've been waiting for VR for 20+ years, but the costs are still about as prohibitive as they were in 1993.

I had hoped that this second coming of VR would've had a more affordable price point (though PS VR is on the right track, I don't own a PS4, but if there's a PS4+VR bundle I may try to get one of those). The Vive and Rift are pretty much in the same range as the 90's headsets were.

I certainly don't have the room in my small one bedroom apartment for any room-scale stuff.

Sure, but can it just say "I want to touch virtual boobies." Thats just saying the same thing, in a different way.

I'm sure virtual reality will be great eventually, but getting in at the ground floor will just get me an expensive toy that doesn't do much.

I can't wait for vr. Games are going to be interesting but I think it's all the other uses that will make it mainstream. I've got my Rift preordered for April which is shipping to my family in UK who will ship it on to me in HK. Can't remember ever being as excited for a piece of tech.

I can't imagine most people not being excited for VR once they've experienced it. So far I've read zero accounts of people trying VR and being like "meh, this is lame". Even during the DK1 days when it was all pixelated and super nausea inducing, people seemed into it.

I just can't justify spending that kind of money (between $675-$1300 here in Canada) on something I haven't tried. Maybe VR is awesome, but until I get to try one and confirm (1) there is no screen-door effect (2) I don't get motion sick (3) games are actually better in VR and (4) the games aren't just expensive tech demos, I'm going to hold off.

The tough part is that I don't know how I'll get to try one. I wouldn't put something on display at Best Buy within 5m of my face, and no one I know will be getting one anytime soon. Having a bunch of tech journalists try to describe the experience has done nothing but annoy me so far, and I doubt that will change. Beyond the initial handful of VR enthusiasts who will buy these things without trying them, they are going to need to convince people that VR is important. I haven't heard any of the companies mention how they are going to solve that problem.

@monkeyking1969: By god you might be on to something here...

I'm still pretty skeptical, so I'm going to wait to see how it actually pans out. For multiple reasons, the Oculus and Vive aren't really options I'm willing to entertain, so my theoretical purchase of a PSVR will depend on how the final games actually turn out. At this point I'd probably be fine with either outcome.

"I'm interested, but I don't think I'll be able to get past the motion sickness."

I don't see any option for those like me who already have GearVR.

Should be an option for health concerns. I reckon you'll get people playing that thing for hours on end and destroying their eyesight.

I refuse to buy the first versions of hardware but when it comes to round 2 I will be at the front of the line.

I'm going to get in as soon as I can but the reality is I'm probably 2 years from having room in my budget for one verses other anticipated costs.

Probably not feasible for me to dedicate a room to it.

I'm okay with a 'modest' experience. The Vive looks like what I'd get if I had more discretionary cash to burn but in all likelihood I'm PSVR bound barring terrible technical reviews but that could change in the 1 or 2 years between now and when I can get something.

I definitely think it's more than a fad and I'm almost more interested in the non-gaming applications that are going to pop up that we don't even know about yet. In a lot of ways "game" experiences are a mundane application of the technology.

I'm cautiously optimistic. I tried an Oculus two years ago (I think?) and it seemed to work pretty well. As far as launch goes though, I won't buy in at that price until something I really, really want comes out on it. And looking how things are right now, there really isn't much I care about yet.

I'm going to buy whichever one releases Virtual Cedar Point: 1986. Just a fantasy but man that would be awesome.

Side note: Are roller coaster games going to be VR's shovelware? I can think of worse things.

@youeightit: Probably. There certainly are a lot of them so far. If I had to guess it'd be that or vr things where you can looking around some museum exhibit or whatever.

I think sitting on the couch with a HMD and a gamepad is the way to go. The roomscale stuff is what seems like the fad that will pass.

Hard to tell now, depends if the software is worth all the extra exercise. But damn does this 15 min demo of Budget Cuts look fun as hell:

Budget cuts is one of the games I'm most excited to try out of the ones I've seen so far. As far as software for the thing in general it's probably tilt brush, but for games it's easily budget cuts.

Oh, and space pirate trainer and audioshield both look like they could be fun.

Never tried any VR myself, so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, but I'm cautious about it. I'm feeling pretty good about PSVR's chances, but as usual, the software needs to be there, not just at launch and especially from third parties.

I certainly am not hoping for it's demise, but I like sitting down with a controller and a big ass TV, call me old fashioned.

Once we get to plugging shit into our brains and simulating reality in our heads, then give me a call. A scary but fascinating call.

I plan to use psvr how people use the Wii u gamepad. I'll be able to play any ps4 game without having to use the TV.

I just don't seem to want to care about it. I play games for the gameplay more than anything, and I'll sound old but I want buttons and tight controls.

Not convinced it's something I need, basically.

At this point, I'm treating VR as this generations' motion control until it proves otherwise - a shiny expensive boondoggle that produces mostly shovelware garbage and that ultimately everyone laughs at.

Don't get me wrong, I think it would be really cool if it could take off, but I have pretty severe doubts that it'll ever happen. The tech's far too expensive for an unproven concept and I don't see developers knowing what to do with it enough to make anything that isn't either a crappy game or a good game with VR shoved in there just for the hell of it.

As of right now for me, I see this as nothing more than motion controls all over again. At least motion controls had a few gems that seemed to make it work, I've yet to see a VR game that made me want to dive in. I'm going to be critical and skeptical of VR because I feel like media is trying to shove it down our throats when they honestly haven't proven themselves.

At most I'll say VR could have an interesting hour or two games, but I wouldn't want to marathon a VR game. I think that's the biggest thing for me and my situation.

Do you think there'll be a time when someone has a head set on, VR and headphones, and someone will break into their house unbeknownst to them? That would suck.

I bought both the DK1 and DK2 for the Oculus Rift, and I preordered the CV1 within the first hour of it going on sale. There are a lot of tech demos out there and a lot of buggy garbage that show promise that I've experimented with while using the dev kits. I initially thought I was going to have motion sickness, and in fact I did the first time I used the DK1 but it was mostly due to the latency issues which were better in the DK2. It was also coupled with the fact that the demos are created by people who are just tinkering with, and figuring out what is comfortable for a player. My heart sank when I thought that maybe I just couldn't play VR games. I'm also sensitive to motion sickness anyway, as I get sick as a passenger on long car rides, and sometimes on the train. Games that keep the player stationary seemed to work best for me and there are going to be a multitude of these because they don't have to answer the question of player locomotion.

I enjoy simulation games and there will be plenty of cockpit/driver's seat experiences on day one for the Oculus Rift and I'm sure for the Vive. Elite Dangerous was a mind-blowing experience and truly felt like you were sitting in a cockpit of a distant future spacecraft. It really is hard to describe the sense of presence in VR. Being able to naturally look around and not rely on a thumbstick or nub for head movement coupled with stereoscopic effects is more than just a gimmick or fad; It is how we naturally perceive the world. I also had a definite advantage in dog fights being able to easily track targets with my head and stay on their tail without having to use a thumbstick or rely solely on radar. I could just look over my shoulder or up and see exactly where the enemy was. Feeling legitimate vertigo as you drop from a high distance and see the ground rushing up to meet you is not something you can typically get from a 2D game, with outside stimuli to ground you in reality. We simply have become accustomed to playing games on a flat screen, with mice, keyboards, and controllers.

I don't think you can shoehorn contemporary games in to VR and not have it seen as a gimmick. There seems to be a few titles for the Oculus, like Lucky's Tale that just seem like they dropped a platformer in to VR. The effect is somewhat like playing with toys or action figures which is kind of cool in a way, but hardly a hardware mover.

I also have fairly poor vision (-4 in both eyes) and I had no issues wearing glasses, or my contacts. I also didn't feel any fatigue as far as eye strain or that burning sensation of "sitting too close to the TV" the biggest issues were text legibility on the poor resolution of the first two dev kits which is a nonissue on the commercial build of the Oculus.

Total disinterest. I don't play games in a vacuum, so cutting myself off from everything in order to get "immersed" doesn't really appeal. On top of that, there's the hassles of some of the hardware (Oculus would require a major PC overhaul, and one of them requires creating a space for it to work properly), the expense of taking a gamble on unproven tech, and the elephant in the room; games. So far I haven't seen a game that would warrant a major shift in my gameplay habits.

All-in-all, it doesn't seem like the amazing revolution people say it is. So I'm just going to game as I have been and wait to see if this takes off, or if it's the next Android-based console/3DTV-gaming/Motion controls fad.

All in. Waiting for my Vive to ship. If it ends up being a fad or not, just glad to be in a position to give it a go at launch. Cool tech is cool to me.

I think VR could be cool in a few years but I have zero interest in it right now. The only thing I would want one for right now is like head tracking in a game like Elite Dangerous or a racing game. A lot of what I see right now is roller coaster games, mini game collections or motion control stuff which I have zero interest in. It just seems too gimmicky right now. All the walking around and motion control shit I've seen for the Vive just looks bad. Especially with all those wires. That seems like a bad way to die.

I had hype and lost it all for now. I wonder if there's going to be any competitive interest for VR games.

I haven't the slightest interest in VR, having to play games in a bubble like that sounds horrible.

Half the time I can't be arsed to turn on my console even when I want to play a game so the idea that I'm gonna come home from work and put this stupid headset on and have these cameras set up is ludicrous.

The one thing that worries me is the complete lack of normal games with a regular controller or M+K setup, It was the same with Kinect why cant you just use whats cool about the product and build on that, how cool would it be if you could have used Kinects features to do stuff like head tracking while playing the game with a regular controller, the all in approach just seems misguided.

That Golem game is a perfect example, while the controls are "novel" they seem to force the game to become the exact kind of Kinect slop that killed the entire concept, building a game around that control scheme was a mess, at least there are or will be real controllers with VR (The wands) but I am going to wait to see how it pans out for sure.

I'm gonna grab some popcorn and watch this one from the sidelines. I hope one of these catches on and some really great games come out of it, but I think these companies are really underselling the tech required on your end to make this a paradigm shift type of experience. In fact, I can't wait until 980Ti users report back with less than stellar results.

None of the games I've seen so far seem substantial enough to justify the price involved.

The demo stations that are set up in pc world/currys in england right now are running a 970 and an i5 and people who have tried it have had nothing but good things to say.

Some jitteryness as games load is the only complaint I've heard out of all the feedback I've read.

If buying a Rift means I don't have to buy a 4k monitor, then the price is equivalent to what I was going to spend anyway. I will have to switch to contact lenses though, dunno what that cost will be.

For those skeptical, I'd argue that all you need to do is put one on for a short amount of time to understand why it's not just a fad.

The you need "space" argument I think is probably going to die over time. Some games and experiences will require motion controls and such, but for the majority of use you can honestly just use a gamepad. Even enhancing games you already own/play is worth while. The one thing I under estimated before I put the Rift on for the first time was how it could in a lot of ways effectively replace my monitor. Lounging on a couch or chair to watch a movie on a theater sized screen inside VR feels truthfully great.

All three major VR headset work fine with glasses. There's no need for contact lenses.

I have epilepsy so I'm not putting one of those things on my head any time soon. Outside of that the concept seems cool but the games look lame.

Expanding on the things I checked off:

• VR seems like it is here to stay, unless something terrible happens. (As in the Oculus Rift, the Vive, and PlayStation VR all fail) That said, I don't think it will skyrocket and dominate the world like some people think. (At least for a solid 1-2 years)
• That said, that thing is as niche as hell. At the moment, I can't afford/justify the PC expenses. In the relatively near future, let's say between Christmas and Summer 2017, I plan on building my first gaming PC, which will be strong enough to support VR. For my current PC, even if I were to replace parts, I would have to replace multiple things, so it feels more worthwhile to build my own system than swapping out parts from a store bought PC.
• I didn't check this off, but I can see myself getting a PlayStation VR. I haven't committed to that yet, but it is the easiest path for VR at the moment, since I have a PS4 (I will need to get the $500 or so bundle however, but we're not talking $600 plus a graphics card and maybe a new processor).
• I'm torn on motion controls. I'm sure with some games you will need it, but I don't feel like it is required if a DualShock 4 or Xbox One controller can work on some games. Maybe I'll be fine once I actually use a motion controller in a practical setting with a headset. What I do know is I want to be sitting down. No treadmills, no weird circle pad carrying a plastic gun, no horse bikes, etc.
• As for the games...Now this is the interesting problem. What exactly are you going to play on these headsets within the next two months? That Eve tech demo? A few games that patched in VR? That Valve mini-game collection or whatever they've been developing? Early Access games? If you were to look at this as a platform launch, I'm guessing they will have the same platform woes other consoles have had. Maybe these games will be really good, but I have a feeling people will be waiting for VR's Gears of War/Uncharted/Metal Gear Solid 2/Shadow of Mordor. This time next year, I imagine we'll be having a different conversations.

Not interested in it, but I wouldn't call it a fad. I'll just be one of the few people who doesn't care about VR.

I see a lot of naysayers in here, understandably so. It's not easy to showcase the appeal of VR. Until they figure out a way to do it, marketing VR is going to be a struggle. Right now, in order to get excited about VR without having experienced it, you're basically required to take people's word for it and use some imagination when looking at video coverage or reading previews. It's not ideal. We had to do the same with motion controls and 3DTV, and, personally, the promise did not meet expectation.

As someone who's used the DK2 extensively, I'm coming in from a slightly different perspective. I know what to expect and want a more polished version of that experience with better software.