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Valve have already put up Linux versions of both Destinations and The Dota VR Hub now that SteamVR is supported on Linux in beta.

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Destinations
Destinations lets you explore both real and imaginary places in virtual reality with friends. Visit and learn about different countries, explore your favorite game environment, or play games with other players – invite your friends and go explore!

Dota 2 VR Hub
This lets you watch live matches, replays and more in your VR headset. You can do a VR theatre with up to 15 friends too, which sounds pretty sweet.

I am hoping some kind soul will be able to send GOL a Vive headset to hold onto for reviews of VR content. If you know anyone, be sure to ask them to reach out to me. It's just not financially possible for me to buy one myself. As a reminder, I am entirely funded by this Patreon.

I'm not sold on the idea of VR myself, so I am looking forward to eventually being able to try one properly to see if it changes my mind. I've heard good things, so I am looking forward to that day. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. You can also follow my personal adventures on Bluesky.
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Eike Feb 22, 2017
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I'm not sold on the idea of VR myself, so I am looking forward to eventually being able to try one properly to see if it changes my mind. I've heard good things, so I am looking forward to that day.

Did you try Google Cardboard? It's not "the real thing" of course, but with some fantasy, it gives you an idea of what it feels like.
Liam Dawe Feb 22, 2017
I'm not sold on the idea of VR myself, so I am looking forward to eventually being able to try one properly to see if it changes my mind. I've heard good things, so I am looking forward to that day.

Did you try Google Cardboard? It's not "the real thing" of course, but with some fantasy, it gives you an idea of what it feels like.
I tried some random iphone VR quite some time ago. One where you slot the phone into a headset and adjust the lenses. Even that was somewhat impressive, so I can't imagine how a Vive must be.

It's not the fact that it's VR, but having something like that strapped to your face for a long time and the games themselves, that's what I'm keen to put some time and thoughts into.
Eike Feb 22, 2017
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I tried some random iphone VR quite some time ago. One where you slot the phone into a headset and adjust the lenses. Even that was somewhat impressive, so I can't imagine how a Vive must be.

Yes, that's what I meant. I guess it doesn't matter if the carton is made by Google. ;)

It's not the fact that it's VR, but having something like that strapped to your face for a long time and the games themselves, that's what I'm keen to put some time and thoughts into.

To be honest, I haven't had more than two demos on a fair, which of course weren't too long. So I can't judge how tring it gets. But it sure was exciting. When I moved my hands to hit something although there weren't any hand controllers yet, I knew immersion was immense...
bubexel Feb 22, 2017
nevermind about shitty vr mobile phones, it is not real VR. It's just a fake VR to sell phones, stupid 360 videos without stereoscopic. When people try it give a wrong idea about whats real VR, and they think is a shit. Belive me, when you try VR you will feel something more far that you neever felt with tecnology, it's hard to explain. But you will see that videogames will change forever. Try it. And remember this post when you do that.
riusma Feb 22, 2017
SUPERHOT VR seems to be a real thing for VR (at least according the last issue of the French PC gaming independent magazine Canard PC, which was definitively not sold on VR gaming). It's an Occulus exclusivity for the moment but should come to HTC Vive soon (and it's playable on HTC with a bit of a hack)... maybe it will come to Linux in the end as SUPERHOT has Linux support. :)
Eike Feb 22, 2017
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nevermind about shitty vr mobile phones, it is not real VR. It's just a fake VR to sell phones, stupid 360 videos without stereoscopic.

This is plain wrong.
There is stereoscopic head tracking VR for mobiles. Of course, full-featured VR devices are much better, but mobiles can do way more than non-stereoscopic 360 degree videos.
bubexel Feb 22, 2017
it's ok, yes, but the missing tracking mess all inmersion, it's just a toy comparing with real VR. What make VR inmersive is the full tracking and motion controllers.
Eike Feb 22, 2017
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it's ok, yes, but the missing tracking mess all inmersion, it's just a toy comparing with real VR. What make VR inmersive is the full tracking and motion controllers.

I wonder how people could get an idea of what this VR is all about. It seems electronic markets are not going to set up test stations, at least not here. So trying with a mobile might give peopel an idea. Hopefully they don't find it not convincing enough and lack the fantasy to imagine how it feels when done way better. But a colleague of mine stood there with open mouth staring into the virtual world with one... :)
bubexel Feb 22, 2017
Well, the only one time i tried phone vr it was in a festival, samsung occulus glasses, and it was 5 minutes 360º video with giant pixels. It was pathetic, altleast for me that i have vive on my home. I tought was that showing it as "VR experience" was totally wrong idea. People get really wrong idea what VR is.
Zappor Feb 22, 2017
What about OSVR support?
cRaZy-bisCuiT Feb 22, 2017
I don't mind VR - it's just not made for me. (;
badber Feb 22, 2017
it's ok, yes, but the missing tracking mess all inmersion, it's just a toy comparing with real VR. What make VR inmersive is the full tracking and motion controllers.

Mobile VR has decent tracking if you're talking about GearVR. It's not positional and there are no motion controllers but it's still very good head tracking. You can also have great VR experiences with it and even non-stereoscopic 360 video can be very cool (even though if the quality is otherwise the exact same it's definitely very reasonable to prefer stereoscopic).

I hate this stupid meme of something not being "real VR" because there is no feature X. We had super low framerate systems with insanely low resolution and absolutely terrible tracking and well still called it VR in the 90s. Motion controls weren't a part of the Oculus Rift for many years. Stop trying to make yourself feel better about your super expensive purchase and accept that there are varying versions of VR. Sure, things like positional tracking and motion controllers can add a lot to VR and so does quality software but trying to label everything but the solution that has the most features/whatever not-VR and pretending that nothing else has any value at all is just not OK.


Last edited by badber on 22 February 2017 at 1:23 pm UTC
Guest Feb 22, 2017
It's not the fact that it's VR, but having something like that strapped to your face for a long time and the games themselves, that's what I'm keen to put some time and thoughts into.

Something to think about when you have children ( if they are young ).Wearing a full ski mask and headphones doesnt really encourage a parent to be aware of what's going on in the home, or even worse god forbid a potencial intruder / theif. The first one can be mitigated by only using VR when the kids are asleep but the second one requires you to be comfortable with a reduced sense of external awareness for a period of time.

Sorry that wasnt the glamourous notion of VR people like to hear, then again not everyone is a parent.




Exicted for VR but i will probably be one of those people rocking a large curved 4k/5k 120hz screen way before VR has matured. I think Microsofts augmented reality is a nicer concept for gaming, there is much potencial here and it keeps you still aware of your surroundings,less face sweat. Not only that smaller eye glass versions could allow for local co-op play games on a table top together in AR. Like a beer & chips night in whilst still having virtual players sat in your spare seats :D
Eike Feb 22, 2017
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I hate this stupid meme of something not being "real VR" because there is no feature X. We had super low framerate systems with insanely low resolution and absolutely terrible tracking and well still called it VR in the 90s. Motion controls weren't a part of the Oculus Rift for many years. Stop trying to make yourself feel better about your super expensive purchase and accept that there are varying versions of VR.

I feel though that head turn tracking is absolutely necessary for VR.
It's even more important than stereoscopy.
You cannot feel inside if you cannot look around (in a natural way).


Last edited by Eike on 22 February 2017 at 1:23 pm UTC
Eike Feb 22, 2017
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Something to think about when you have children ( if they are young ).Wearing a full ski mask and headphones doesnt really encourage a parent to be aware of what's going on in the home, or even worse god forbid a potencial intruder / theif. The first one can be mitigated by only using VR when the kids are asleep but the second one requires you to be comfortable with a reduced sense of external awareness for a period of time.

Sorry that wasnt the glamourous notion of VR people like to hear, then again not everyone is a parent.

I don't know about your part of the world of course, but this is an unrealistic fear where I live.
Guest Feb 22, 2017
I don't know about your part of the world of course, but this is an unrealistic fear where I live.

Which bit ? The children requring assisance but you cannot percieve them or the potencial intruder ? Id agree the second one is unlikely, hence why i say god forbid. But everyone's situation is different, again not a popular sentiment just some food for thought. I quite like being aware of my surroundings, turning the lights off is enough imersion for me :D
Eike Feb 22, 2017
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Which bit ? The children requring assisance but you cannot percieve them or the potencial intruder ? Id agree the second one is unlikely, hence why i say god forbid. But everyone's situation is different, again not a popular sentiment just some food for thought. I quite like being aware of my surroundings, turning the lights off is enough imersion for me :D

The intruder when someone's at home part. I don't want to adapt my life to very unlikely events. I even walk over streets at times. ;)

When children are awake or may wake up, somebody should be aware of his surroundings, of course. Or the children should be able to get you out from your virtual place at least (depending on age). (VR systems might need some baby phone feature...)
badber Feb 22, 2017
I hate this stupid meme of something not being "real VR" because there is no feature X. We had super low framerate systems with insanely low resolution and absolutely terrible tracking and well still called it VR in the 90s. Motion controls weren't a part of the Oculus Rift for many years. Stop trying to make yourself feel better about your super expensive purchase and accept that there are varying versions of VR.

I feel though that head turn tracking is absolutely necessary for VR.
It's even more important than stereoscopy.
You cannot feel inside if you cannot look around (in a natural way).

Well, sure. That's an important feature and I'm not saying you shouldn't be aware of the differences in implementation and what they can mean. Pretty much everything has included rotational head tracking for a long time although the level of tracking can still vary, cardboard for example is pretty limited and once you're used to better head tracking you don't really like it. But I still won't start going around shouting about how cardboard "isn't VR", I think even with it's limitations it's a great way to get a taste of the potential VR has without needing to spend almost any money at all.
Guest Feb 22, 2017
Which bit ? The children requring assisance but you cannot percieve them or the potencial intruder ? Id agree the second one is unlikely, hence why i say god forbid. But everyone's situation is different, again not a popular sentiment just some food for thought. I quite like being aware of my surroundings, turning the lights off is enough imersion for me :D

The intruder when someone's at home part. I don't want to adapt my life to very unlikely events. I even walk over streets at times. ;)

When children are awake or may wake up, somebody should be aware of his surroundings, of course. Or the children should be able to get you out from your virtual place at least (depending on age). (VR systems might need some baby phone feature...)

Agree.
Faalagorn Feb 22, 2017
I had occasion to try out both HTC Vive, Oculus and Gear VR (I only didn't try PS VR, not being a console gamer) in PGA (Poznań Game Arena), plus I also used Google Cardboard :). Experience is similar, the quality is vastly different though. However I did not get to see a significant different between HTC Vive, Oculus and even Samsung's Gear VR. So far had the best fun with SUPERHOT VR being presented there.

@Liam - If you have occasion to go to any gaming convention near your region, it may be the best way to try them out - hell, with you being an owner of a probably most well-known Linux gaming site, you could talk with developers about supporting Linux and write up a few articles from it - I'd be looking forward to it ;).
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