I've been interested in VR games for a while now.
I recently purchased the Oculus Quest, which was released a little while ago in May 2019.
I tried it out and had more fun than I expected, so I'm writing this review.
I bought a VR headset for iPhone for about 3000 yen. Here's how to use it and my impressions.
About the product
I purchased an Oculus Quest (128GB capacity) from Amazon for 70,000 yen (as of July 2019).(It's a little more expensive than the list price.)
The package contents are simple: the goggles that attach to the face, controllers for the right and left hands, and a charging cable.
AA batteries for the controller are also included.
What's great about this device is that it's wireless and it reflects both head and limb movements.
If you only use head movements, you don't really get the feeling of being immersed in virtual reality.
However, because your body movements are also reflected, you can experience a level of immersion that is far beyond what you might expect.
It's difficult to convey this feeling in words; it's hard to communicate it unless you experience it yourself.
Main unit setup
The device can be started by charging it and inserting the batteries into the controller.
The tightness of the goggles can be adjusted with a spring-loaded band, so once you've adjusted them to a comfortable size, you can easily wear them from then on.
For people who wear glasses, a spacer is included to create space between the eyes and the lenses of the glasses.
It's a bit of a hassle to install, but it's a good idea for those who want to play while wearing glasses.
I wear glasses, so I installed it, but the spacer didn't provide enough space, and it ended up feeling like my glasses were being pressed against it.
In the end, I'm playing without my glasses now.
The screen is a little hard to see without my glasses, but I haven't played any games that require reading small text yet, so I'm enjoying it.
However, since it can be stressful to have difficulty seeing clearly, people who wear glasses should be a little careful.
If the glasses are not too bulky and fit snugly against your face, I think you'll be able to wear them comfortably.
A smartphone is required to set up the Oculus Quest device.
Install the "Oculus" app on your smartphone and configure the pairing with the device and the Wi-Fi connection settings.
Once you've set it up the first time, you won't need to use your smartphone again.
Play space settings
Once the Oculus Quest itself is set up, the next step is to configure your play space.
This is something that needs to be done every time you put it on.
This feature protects players from coming into contact with real-world obstacles, as they may move around a bit while playing VR games.
This feature, which has the cool name "Guardian System," is an important function for playing safely.
You use the laser pointer emitted from your controller to trace a line across the floor, drawing a circle around an area where you can move safely.
When you approach that boundary during gameplay, a laser grid-like pattern will appear around the designated area, serving as a warning.
Incidentally, once you leave that area, the monitor displays the outside scenery, allowing you to see what's happening outside.
The same settings apply when playing while seated.
If possible, playing in a space with a reasonable amount of room will likely reduce stress.
tutorial
Once the setup is complete, the tutorial app, "First Steps," will begin.
You will learn the basic movements using controllers in both hands.
I was incredibly excited by the new sensations I experienced during this tutorial.
This tutorial will help you develop the feeling that the controllers in both hands are not just something you operate, but an extension of your own hands.
All actions in the game, such as grabbing objects or pulling triggers, are performed using the controller.
What I find amazing is that the movements I make in everyday life are almost identical to the movements I make in the game.
Depending on the game, what was revolutionary was that you didn't have to learn new control methods as a new skill, but rather play using the same movements you use in real life.
I think it truly deserves to be called virtual reality.
The tutorial included simple gun shooting games and games where you dance with the computer, and I was quite excited to see what it could do.
Below, I will write my impressions of the games I actually played.
Gun Club VR
This is a VR game where you use guns, something I've always wanted to try.
You use various real-world guns to take down targets, enemies, and moving zombies.
You don't need to move around much yourself; it's like a gun shooting game you'd find in an arcade.
What excited me most was the way they handled the guns.
In most games, reloading is done automatically, but in this game, you have to do it all manually.
When you run out of ammo, you manually press the magazine release button to eject the empty magazine, take a new magazine from your waist, load it, and manually slide the reload complete.
If your opponent is a target, you can load your bullets slowly, but if you're facing approaching zombies or enemies shooting at you, you'll be killed if you don't reload smoothly.
I was incredibly excited by the feeling of operating and handling the gun myself.
I didn't really know how to load shotguns, so I searched for things like "how to reload a shotgun" and finally managed to learn how to reload one.
As you get used to it, the speed at which you load bullets becomes smoother, and the feeling of becoming better at handling the gun is very exciting.
You can use the money you earn by completing missions to buy various guns, and you can also customize them.
Choose your favorite gun, whether it's a handgun, revolver, shotgun, assault rifle, sniper rifle, or submachine gun.
This is a very fun game where you can experience for yourself how easy or difficult each gun is to handle.
Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR
This is a table tennis game.
I was able to play without any problems, just like in real table tennis.
In practice mode, if you set your rally partner to the computer, it will always return the ball, making it good exercise.
Unlike actual table tennis, you don't need to go and pick up the ball every time, so you don't waste any time.
While there's a slight adjustment to allow you to return the ball a little better than you would in reality, you can still enjoy it just like regular table tennis.
I'm starting to think that playing this game so much might actually improve my table tennis skills.
There's an online multiplayer mode, but for now I'm enjoying it by myself.
summary
I've tried to convey the excitement of VR games up to this point, but I wonder if I've managed to get it across.
Most games involve some movement, so I think they're quite good for getting some exercise.
Conversely, when you're tired, playing will drain your energy, so it's best to refrain from playing.
I think that games involving movement are well-suited to VR, but games that require reading text or thinking slowly are not so well-suited.
With new ideas and ingenuity, that too may be transformed into a VR game.
When I looked at this device as a gaming console, I felt that it had reached a different level than previous gaming consoles.
It's not that everything is great, but if it's a genre that suits you, I think this level of excitement is unmatched.
If we're going to see the next stage of gaming, I think we'll need a game console that allows players to move around freely.
However, that would require a device like a moving floor, and it would be quite a large-scale project.
Currently, it's possible to move long distances during gameplay using controller sticks, etc.If the screen moves smoothly even though your feet aren't moving, you'll likely experience significant VR sickness.
I bought the VR version of Skyrim and played it for a bit, but it made me feel extremely nauseous.
Using a "warp travel" method, where you warp to a designated point, will reduce motion sickness, but it will also slightly reduce the sense of realism.
If I were a little less drunk, I'd like to try out various games, but for now I think I'll enjoy shooting and table tennis.
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