Half-Life: Alyx support for Linux aiming to arrive with Vulkan support post-release

I don't have VR or plan to get it any time soon, due to cost, but would like to try it at some point. The thing that's bugging me in these videos is the movement. "Leaping" from place to place ruins the immersion, or so I would have thought. Is it not possible to move "normally"?

Quoting: fabertaweI don't have VR or plan to get it any time soon, due to cost, but would like to try it at some point. The thing that's bugging me in these videos is the movement. "Leaping" from place to place ruins the immersion, or so I would have thought. Is it not possible to move "normally"?

This is a long story and it's probably not the same for everyone.

Short answer, yes. People are used to having the feeling in their senses match with the motion in their vision. This is what you have experienced all your life. As I understand from things like sea sickness, when things stop making "sense", the brain has the tendency to assume that this is due to ingestion of bad food and will effectively start making you sick in order to make you throw up whatever the "cause" is. These are fairly primal responses. And as you can imagine, when you're completely immersed in VR without any link to the real world, this can be a big problem. Accelerations are the worst. If the image shows accelerating motion and your head doesn't feel it, you'll get the harshest response. Especially if this is in rotation. You'll be too sick to continue in minutes. Getting rid of acceleration helps a bit, but it's not a complete solution. If you use a the stick to move yourself forward and you get the speed instantly, you steel feel a jolt which causes you to physically move to compensate for something your brain expects to happen, but never comes. However, you can get somewhat used to those. Although for me it's still something that I can't keep up for too long either.

At the end of the day it's simple. The picture may provide immersion, but the missing sensations in your body counter it. Whether you can adjust depends on the person. And I imagine it's easier to adjust if you're younger.

Quoting: fabertaweI don't have VR or plan to get it any time soon, due to cost, but would like to try it at some point. The thing that's bugging me in these videos is the movement. "Leaping" from place to place ruins the immersion, or so I would have thought. Is it not possible to move "normally"?

There will be several Options for moving, including one to move "normally". (I think it's shown in the 2nd video from Valve if I remember correctly).

The repositioning mechanic is annoying to watch. And, due to the lack of fluid movement, each corner looks like a new "scene" waiting for you to get in place. I'm not saying it can't be fun, but it might be hard for me to get used to (or ignore). On the flip side, it makes me think of Resident Evil games. RE5 had a stiff feel to it, yet it was grand fun after I got used to it! So, Alyx might just take a lil getting use to. And was that Dead Space style weapon upgrades?

Quoting: stuffThere will be several Options for moving, including one to move "normally". (I think it's shown in the 2nd video from Valve if I remember correctly).

Hah! I only watched the first and third videos

Thanks to all for commenting. I do think it looks great and would love to play it.

Did you know those zombies from Half-Life actually beg player to help them? Look for "half-life zombie backwards". ;)

The fun thing is to watch people in VR for the first time. They kind of want to feel like they are in a car, so when it goes forward, they lean into it. But since a car has slight pull back from g-forces, they end up sitting in place. Since that g-force push won't exist when standing with a helmet on, they lean and drift way forward.
Especially extreme when playing games like Skyrim, where you can have smooth movements instead of teleport.

Quoting: Patola

Quoting: EhvisAt the end of the day it's simple. The picture may provide immersion, but the missing sensations in your body counter it. Whether you can adjust depends on the person. And I imagine it's easier to adjust if you're younger.

I wonder how these games with frantic change of directions and accelerations must feel then. Must be a pukefest.

I've been meaning to try something space-y. Maybe the unusual setting and large distances make it different. Then again, I remember a certain bit from a film in one of those spherical cinemas that had a rotating starry sky. That was at least 30 years ago and I still remember what that felt like. So I'm not sure I could handle it. Which make racing games entirely out of the question. Or should I get a motion rig? :D

What's this teleportation thing, can't you simply walk in vr like in non vr 3d games?

Quoting: mike456What's this teleportation thing, can't you simply walk in vr like in non vr 3d games?

Watch the 2nd video