VR is interesting, and theres probably too much $$$ from multiple sources for it to be a fad, but:

It's not going to take the place of traditional gaming, because it suffers from what motion controls do, sometimes people like sitting on the couch. I think VR will truly "arrive" when we start building functionality into games that also work traditionally. Like the option to play Call of Duty in VR, but without it, it just plays like Call of Duty. More likely, I expect VR development to move in the direction of VR games that don't require excessive movement, so they can be played sitting down.

@devise22 probably raises the best point in the whole thread: "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."

And the biggest failure of VR to date is that you can't do this now. You can't go to a Gamestop and put one on the way you can pick up a controller and try a console. And until you can put one on your face without dropping $600, I don't think VR will see mainstream acceptance. If Sony is smart, they'll have demo units in every major city in North America by the end of 2016, because they're the one VR company that has experience and the retail connections to make this happen.

For all of the time spent standing and talking about it, or showing gimmicky video - until potential buyers have the thing on their face, they will never understand why VR is worth the price.

Im interested in VR but cost and lack of games are stopping me from diving in. PSVR is where im going to have to dip my toe when my conditions are met but that makes me a bit nervous since Sony has a habit of making cool accessories and then forgetting about them. I hope that PSVR sells well enough to keep Sony interested and make them keep innovating. I dont want this to be another Vita.

Also i hope all the headsets, even cardboard, will allow people to connect to the inevitable metaverse program or whatever and we can FINALLY have the cyberpunk future ive dreamed of!

Some Currys and PC worlds in England have Vive demo stations right now. Hopefully they'll roll that kind of thing out wider once they're caught up with preorders.

I would love VR to do well! Anything that helps the gaming industry is positive, in my opinion.

But I'm not too interested in it, to be honest. The idea of strapping something to my face is not appealing to me. Even though I play mainly single player games, I still have friends that drop by to hang out and watch me play video games. That goes away with a VR headset. I like the social aspect of gaming, whether it is single player or multiplayer. I feel like video games as of now remove me from society just enough; I don't want to take it another step forward.

VR's still not ready for games. Not for another 5-10 years. These current iterations are just prototypes.

@lylebot: as someone who often gets motion sickness from FPS games, I can't imagine how I'll react to VR games. Bleh

I almost never exclusively play games these days unless it's somthing like the witcher. I normally have a game on my monitor and netflix/ a quicklook on my TV that's hooked up to my PC. I really like playing that way and i'm not willing to give that up unless the games are REALLY REALLY good, and I say that as someone who owns an Oculus dev kit.

Just preordered PSVR.

Rigs, Battlezone, Rez, Ace Combat, Driveclub...

As long as those all release in the first few months I should have plenty to keep me entertained.

I'm into VR if VR abandons all current concepts of "AAA" game development. I have no interest in doing modern games in a VR environment. If they can come up with compelling VR GAMES, then I am way into it.

Waiting for "thegame".

@amafi: Oh, neat, didn't know that.

@corvak: all the details are here in case anyone in the UK who might be interested missed the announcement.

Voted for both fad and curious, which is kinda contradictory I guess.

As someone already mentioned, racing and cockpit games are a no-brainer. I'd give VR Elite a shot, and the inevitable VR Forza experience is probably going to be awesome. I could see myself putting together the setups for these things if I had the money, but it seems like a really specialized improvement for enthusiasts.

Otherwise I don't see what genre of game it could work for, and whilst I'm hesitant to dismiss it outright without trying it for myself, I think there are more interesting changes happening in gaming than the way you view the game world.

I think VR will truly find it's true purpose and meaning outside of gaming.

Unfortunately we'll have to endure kinect-like experiences in VR until people figure this out.

I think it's a no-brainer for cockpit games like Elite: Dangerous. However, I've already got head tracking and don't use it because I don't like wearing the ballcap with the tracking clip. I can't imagine wearing a full-on VR headset being any better. That's why I moved on to eye tracking which is a much better fit for me.

As for other types of games, I haven't seen anything I'd spend that kind of money to play. Until they say I can play the next Elder Scrolls or Mass Effect in VR and it's a spectacular experience I don't think I'll be doing anything with it.

I'm more interested in AR (augmented reality). I like what Microsoft is doing with the Hololens except for the fact that it's a self-contained thing. Again, that's too much hardware on my head. Give me a svelte pair of AR glasses powered by my PC or console and I think they'd have a better product on their hands.

Not interested at all to be honest, though I haven't experienced it myself.

Still, this whole thing reeks of 3D again to me.

straight rifting

Forgot to add a box for "Bought a DK2 and will ride it as far as I can."

I'm waiting for the holodeck. Your poll doesn't have that option.

I have a gear VR, but like it less for games than as a media viewing device. I don't think I will ever play games with a headset on for more than half an hour at a time. The full blown VR headsets are just widly overpriced for what they seem to offer and combining the tech with traditional motion controls is a big mistake in my mind.

As someone who looked into a multi screen set up for racing games VR does't seem that expensive. Pretty surprised racing games have been so overlooked for VR media coverage especially since there's a few of them already on PC that already support it, I know I'm going to get my monies worth from Dirt Rally alone.

I myself am getting the PS VR on launch day. Having used various Rift dev kits several times, I'm very much into it.

I plan to get a Rift some time next year. I'm currently studying computer engineering and am fully committed to developing something in VR as my final project that we team up with electrical engineers to work on.

By no means do I think VR is gonna become a sensation overnight, but I do feel like it will slowly but surely build a user base over time, with more and more adopting as the tech gets cheaper. Word of mouth will be key. Some companies will no doubt crash and burn in the VR market, but I strongly feel VR one way or another is here to stay. Sony is in a great position to be at the forefront of getting the tech out there much like the PS2 was for DVD, PS3 for Bluray. The preorders selling out as quick as they have seems to be a good sign. Hopefully they can consistently move units beyond launch.

There is no way VR is only a fad. Too much money being invested and major companies taking it on. I ordered a PS VR yesterday. Now I have to wait till October to play it lol.

WELP. Amazon had more PSVR pre-orders available. Order placed. Guess I'm all-in with this VR thing.

I think virtual reality would be perfect for me..... about 10 years ago. Virtual reality just doesn't lend itself to someone who has a job and other things to do during my free time, I am just unable to shove this thing on my head and not be cognizant of the world around me for hours at at time. I love the idea of this device but my life just doesn't warrant the type of activity this requires.

I'm optimistic and excited. Not crazy giddy excited.. I'm not starving for coverage, but I look forward to trying it. Also cautious in a sort of.. this is just laying the ground work for VR full fledged experiences? But also, I haven't tried any of the stuff yet so it may already be solid enough for me.

I've got all 3 pre-ordered. There are various reasons. They all seem to have pros and cons just like the consoles, which is why I usually get all consoles for a generation. I figure once I experience all of them for this first gen VR hardware release then I can decide from here on if I want to stick with a particular company for future iterations etc.

I'm wondering when you pre-ordered, are you planning on cancelling any of the pre-orders when you get news on the others, or are you committed to have all three?

@yellownumber5: Committed to have all three. As I mentioned, I see pros and cons to all three.

Oculus Rift

• Exclusives, whatever they may be. This is the reason I end up with all the consoles.
• People seem to think Touch feels a bit more natural in the hand or the button configuration etc
• People seem to have suggested it is the most comfortable maybe?
• Premium build quality
• Started this whole VR resurgence. I like how Palmer rolls. He's out there on the front lines, he seems communicative, he seems genuinely excited and believes in this whole VR thing. I like how they handled the kickstarter's free CV1 Rift situation and I could see them doing something, to a lesser degree maybe, for the Touch release i.e. anyone who pre-ordered and asked to be put in line for Touch pre-orders (which they asked at checkout) get a 50% discount or something. I don't know. It makes for great PR.
• I'm in for the April delivery window I think.

HTC Vive

• Exclusives (see above)
• Steam. This alone could allow the Vive to become the primary platform for developers and sales. It already works so well (at least for me) and just about everything comes out on it. If the Oculus store is a mess then no one will want to use it.
• Comes with motion controls at launch. Motion controls sound like they are a must have for VR. Changes everything. I'm not going to wait 8+ months to have the "true" VR experience.
• Roomscale. This sounds like another very important element for unique games built for VR. I expect to play a lot of cockpit games where a seated setup is what you do, but outside of that, it looks like the really neat, original VR games out there are using roomscale. I don't quite have a large space to try this in but I'm sure as hell going to try. Right now the plan is to clean up the messy front room of the house which should get me about 7'x7' between the couches, fireplace, and other junk.
• Premium build quality
• Half-Life 3 will probably be designed for VR and it will probably change the industry.
• This whole Valve/HTC thing doesn't seem to have much.. charisma to it? Feels cold and calculated.
• I love the HTC phones I've had: (HTC Evo for like a million years and now an HTC One (M8) for a couple years)
• Also in for the April delivery window I believe.

Playstation VR

• Exclusives. Sony seems to be working on a bunch. The games here seem very game-y. Where the Rift or Vive stuff feels like its focusing on realism, immersion, "experiences", and pushing the technical limits, Sony feels like they are leaning towards making gameplay experiences that are fun and interactive at the expense of fidelity or top quality software. This is kind of how I see PC vs Consoles in general. Also Gran Turismo VR.
• Works with a PS4 which seems weird? I just want to see how it all connects and works together.
• Sounds like the Move controllers aren't that great for VR, at least compared to the Rift or Vive tracking we've seen. But it could be perfectly acceptable. Probably depends on developers to design around that shortcoming.
• Cheapest? I already have a PS4.
• I could see this becoming the big mainstream VR platform. It will never measure up to the stuff that is compatible with PC hardware, but it may not need to, and the vast majority of people would be happy enough with it.
• I think Sony has been doing great with the PS4. I enjoy mine. I expect it to carry over onto the PSVR. I wanna see John Drake and Adam climbing the corporate ladder and rocking the industry.
• Ordered it off Amazon like seconds after it went up so I expect to be in the initial wave. Looks like there will be plenty available though. Could be the hot Christmas item.

As I said in another thread, I am also just excited to be the guinea pig. I like to try, think, analyze and give feedback on stuff. The stupid PC vs Console or Console X vs Console Y argument is so tiring, and I get to form my own opinion and then maybe inform some people.

I refuse to give too much of a damn until some actual fully realised videogames start appearing.

Besides the options I picked, which include that I think it might be a fad, I don't have a room and it's too expensive for me ( but I understand it's current prices), I would also like to add that I think VR is something cool that I would like to try for myself but I don't think I would buy it and use it regularly even if it becomes a thing and it gets cheaper.

But I'm not mad against VR and VR talk as some people do, I think it's always nice that we have new technology.

As far as "I don't have a room" goes, I think most VR is going to take place sitting down. I know Sony has specifically instructed developers to make PSVR games either a standing or sitting experience, and not to encourage walking or moving around.

I'm very interested in VR, but I'm highly skeptical that anyone will make games for for it that will appeal to me or utilize it in the kind of games I already enjoy in a substantial, meaningful way.

I hope it works out though. I'm quite excited by the idea, but I just have very serious doubts about execution.

I kind of have zero interest in playing VR games. I feel shut off from those around me enough as it is when I play a regular game, the idea of strapping a headset on and being all but cut off from the world outside just kind of concerns me. I'm going to sound like some sort of lame hippy, but things are bad enough with tablets and smartphones distracting us from each other.

I think it's really cool technology and I'm sure it will become a common household item as time goes on - I don't think it's for me, though; at least not at this early stage.

I've decided I want a Vive and built a PC to run it. Justification? nah just that I have the resources and time and space to try out the newest fad (fads don't always fade away, they are just front and center in the media for awhile) and the Vive seemed to offer the most complete experience. Did think about it for a bit before preordering so I'm in the May delivery window.

As a mainstream product VR seems like a fad to me. Many people don't want to or cannot shut themselves off from the rest of the world when they play video games.

To me it seems like VR is a niche product for the kinds of people who buy steering wheels and flight sticks and stuff like that, if you go to those lengths to immerse yourself in a videogame VR makes perfect sense (teenage me would have loved VR). But if you mainly play videogames in the living room with friends or family hanging out, putting on a VR headset isn't very appealing.

Until there are genre defining VR games that are must buys as opposed to the umpteen walking simulators and on rails experiences, I just can't get behind it. The cost is far to high atm.

'am kinda interested, but don't have the money to upgrade my pc, let alone do that and also buy Oculus or Vive. If I end up earning piles of moolah during the summer, I might try and dip in with PSVR.

For me, at the end of the day it comes down to the games. If they're must play and require VR, I'll be dropping the moolah to upgrade my PC. The Vive has outpaced the Rift as my number 1 pick, but only time will tell. If they want me to spend 1500$ on hardware, the software better be FUCKING AMAZING.

I would love to be among the early adopters - I've been waiting for VR for ages and I'm definitely a believer. However, I'm currently a student with shit income. My PC is also several years old and couldn't support Vive/Rift so even if I had some extra cash, I would have to settle for PS VR for my PS4, which is the least attractive choice of the three.

Games are really the least of my worries though - at this point, I'd already be thrilled to just have a Rift, a good PC and a copy of Elite: Dangerous. I'm not looking to play games in VR - I just want VR experiences. I want a large virtual space to explore at my leisure that looks amazing. Just stick the player character into a car or whatever to solve the movement issue and let me loose. Give me zen garden with a rippling brook, a landmass floating in space surrounded by stars and nebulae, a little hill with a small tree inside a never-ending field of wheat - places for me to relax and mediate in. Shit, I would even watch movies in VR since the only tv/monitor I own is 27".

Not interested until we reach the Matrix levels of VR.

Lol at people saying VR can't be a fad due to the level of investment companies put into it.

Guess what, it's the public who will determine whether it's a fad, not marketing.

An updated synthesis is added in the OP.

I have some concerns/reservations about VR, but not for the reasons that have been listed above.

Price: Many people can't afford a console by itself, let alone an expensive add-on like this. So it'll probably be a very niche thing unless they can find a way to make it affordable.

Comfort: Many people also wear glasses, which can be semi-uncomfortable with a VR helmet on top of them (from what I have heard), and contacts just aren't an option for some.

Health Reasons: Most of the people I've met who own a 3DS do not ever actually use the 3D function, or only use it for special scenes in a game, as it gives them a terrible headache. I'm one of them. Between the weight of the helmet, and the fact that the VR itself might give me a migraine, I'm a little unsure whether I want to try it.

My PC has VR-ready specifications and it'd be the platform I'd likely choose as I don't own a PS4.

Although cost isn't a concern for me, the value of the product is.

Does VR bring an added value to game experiences that make it worth having right now? Are VR experiences better than non-VR gaming experiences?

It seems as if the answer (for now at least) is no. After the last few days of watching GB content on VR games, I've gone from being all aboard the hype train to back on the station platform, waiting for the next group of games to come along before I (maybe) hop back on board.