[Devhux]

The word "presence" from a VR perspective is sometimes used to describe whether a VR experience feels "real" enough to fool your brain into thinking you are really somewhere (as opposed to just looking at something).

When I first put on the Gear VR headset, I honestly didn't know what to expect. Sure, I did have a Google Cardboard viewer, but this was my first taste of something that was supposed to offer a more-immersive VR experience. I tried out some of the 360-degree videos, the "Introduction to VR" video, and a few others, and was quite impressed. These didn't prepare me for that first moment where my brain got fooled, however.

That moment came when entering the Oculus Videos app and seeing the Cinema view for the first time. As I looked behind me at the headrest for my seat in the theatre, I reached out to try and touch it. Right then, I really thought I was "there" inside the theatre, and it was quite the shock to realize I couldn't actually touch that seat! That was when my jaw hit the floor and I really went "Wow!"

[Russell Holly]

It's an incredible feeling, for sure. My first experience like that was three years ago, when the first Oculus Rift developer kits were being shown off. I was in a field and it was snowing, couldn't get over how amazing it all seemed

[krisguy]

For me, it was Darknet on my Gear VR. That game is so well designed and immersive that it bumped Minecraft as my go-to demo for customers in my store. I'm working on a review of that game right now.

[Windowdee]

For me it was when doing The Martian Vr experience in Milk Vr. I was looking at Mars from a far away view and looked backwards and I suddenly realized that space was all around me! It was a very cool moment.

[MainFragger]

I am for now, a sitter player. And my chair has no arms.. My moment of realization was when I was sitting with a chair with arms in some demo, and when I put my arm on the armrest and there was nothing there.. I'd realized how immersed I'd become without even realizing it. Similarly, I've knocked just about everything off of my computer table reaching for things that are spatially just beyond the surface of where my table is. I am occasionally impressed when the controllers are suppose to be a tool or weapon, and using them in the game visually, and in terms of vibration feedback from the controller feels totally real. I mentioned in another topic that I started playing with a mini-game where I am an archer, and as someone who use to actually shoot arrows into bales of hay a lot, I was pretty impressed of how close it felt in terms of stacking of the bow. I really only meant to be in that little game for a few minutes, but found over an hour and half later, I had to use will power to stop shooting at things with my arrow. I was really having a blast.

[VirtuaTyKing]

I had no idea it could be as convincing as you guys are saying.

[jayblazer]

while experiencing the "encounter" demo on the vive I tried to place my hands on the railing on the sunken ship.
My son laughed at me but I was happy I was able to let go of logic and just soak it in..

[MyOtherUserNameIsTaken]

My first "Presence" was a game called Hot dogs, horseshoes, and hand grenades. I was in one of the gun range simulations, at this point I was still getting used to the controls. Well, in this game you have to load your weapon, and then you can fire it. there are two tables, one to the left and one to the right. the left table had pistols, ranging from revolver to semi-automatic pistols, the right has a shotgun and an AR 15 platform. while trying to figure out how to pick up and load the revolver, I dropped a bullet on the floor, I then went to pick up said bullet. well, I leaned my arm on the table. the table that was in VR, and VR only. this point in time, made me want to own a VR set up of my own.

[Chemy JMHT]

Honestly the first time I tried the Rift was just a week ago, I tried the VFX years ago and was impressive, but not more than that, just yesterday I download Showdown to see how the Unreal Engine will be on VR, I was actually dodging the bullets, trying to see my reflect on the water and the shattered glass of the car window.

But the amazing of that is I think Showdown is a video from last year, so I think we will be impressed again with the next generations of VR technology.

[VirtuaTyKing]

I was getting to grips with the the controls and menu's in Vive when I went to Vive home. I teleported near the edge of the area and freaked as I actually thought I was in danger of falling in the chasm. Was both scary and funny. Took me a while to get to grips with vertigo but it doesn't bother me nearly as much now.

[VirtuaTyKing]

Back to the subject of presence. It tried a free game called cubicle. Mostly your on a platform moving around. What I found really strange was it actually felt like the floor was moving underneath me! Momentum the works. Like my brain was filling in the blanks. Very strange and cool. Overall it's limited as a "game" though. Was free so I've got no qualms.

[MainFragger]

Something threw my seated settings off, and I was under everything when I first started tonight. When I went to the Vive home, I was under the floor looking at the swirling clouds below me. It was actually pretty awesome...if a bit unnerving.

Oh..and the correct phrase is "coming to grips"...

[VirtuaTyKing]

Something threw my seated settings off, and I was under everything when I first started tonight. When I went to the Vive home, I was under the floor looking at the swirling clouds below me. It was actually pretty awesome...if a bit unnerving.

Oh..and the correct phrase is "coming to grips"...

It's a phrase where I come from.

[MainFragger]

Hmmm...interesting. Doesn't really make a difference, "coming" or "getting to" can more or less be the same thing. I am just use to hearing it as "coming". I wasn't trying to break your stones. I was just trying to be helpful..

[VirtuaTyKing]

It's fine.
I have also been through the problem of the floor level randomly being incorrect. After much stress I realized I was tightening a wing nut in the wrong direction on one of the base stations. Easily done I suppose when it's in a hard to reach place and you can't see behind it.

[MainFragger]

Well,
In my case, it might be because they sit on top of a case, but aren't really fastened down..so they might shift on occasion..

[DJeremyC]

VR has come a long way, but they need something that is ore wide angled so all you see is the VR aspect, still too much of the horse blinder effect on the sides.

[VirtuaTyKing]

VR has come a long way, but they need something that is ore wide angled so all you see is the VR aspect, still too much of the horse blinder effect on the sides.

True but if a game is doing it's job then it's not something I notice. Improvement's like that will come eventually but screen size/ higher resolution equals more gpu power required of course.

[Brassai]

First time I tried the HTC vive headset was with an experience called Le Vertige des Autres in a museum called SAT in Montreal. The experience is the exploration of drawings from a comic artist into a M.C Escher environment. The user is discovering the drawings by following a tiny path suspended into space. The illusion was amazing, I felt vertigo even though I knew I was in a safe environment in the museum.

[Michael DeLaMarre]

I've been using Big Screen Beta with a wireless keyboard with built in mouse that I can use in my lap. I have been repeatedly looking down in my lap to locate a specific key, only to remember that the keyboard isn't displayed in VR. I seriously can't wait for someone to develop a keyboard with lighthouse tracking that will be displayed in VR the way the Vive controllers are!

[MainFragger]

The problem with that is that you would need a separate lighthouse for that purpose because of height issues of where you are using your keyboard vs. how high the lighthouses are. I think a better idea is just direct communication with the HMD that generates a graphic interface in the headset.

[Klortch]

My first moment of presence came with trying BattleZone on PSVR at BestBuy. At first I thought "Alright, I'm playing a game up close and I can look around the cockpit of my tank, this is cool." Then an enemy craft shot at me from behind and the moment I looked over my should to see them in pursuit I thought "Whoa... I feel like I am in this world!" I'll never forget that moment.

[Talkivr]

Surprisingly it was after about 30 minutes and finding just the right video in google cardboard i was wow'd. Felt like i was watching real world around me rather than these preset fake scenes. Also felt more comfortable in third person than first.

[GustavMahler]

When I was watching a video on the Cardboard filmed from a helicopter. My god-was I afraid to fall down!

[Octopus_ring]

I'm only try Google cardboard analogs and all I can say - nothing impress my. Quality is so poor. Looks like it 1995 year. Doesn't try Oculus and Vive, hope they much better.