Playing #VR games "without" a headset... ... Absolute genius or total abomination? This is called PortalVR and it lets you play any SteamVR game or app on your Windows PC without wearing a headset. Just plug in your #MetaQuest via USB, put it on your desk facing you, and... use your controllers while facing your screen. The setup and connection is quite seamless and the team came up with a clever locomotion system to simulate turning the user's head by just tapping the top of the thumbstick. Now the biggest question is: does this make any sense? In my opinion, to play "standard" VR #games, it doesn't. You lose the beauty of being immersed and reaching out to grab objects or looking around can be tricky. On the other hand, I think there might be experiences specifically designed with this interaction in mind like interactive installations or educational experiences that could greatly benefit from a more tactile interface than a mouse and a keyboardshow more

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Cool for dev testing, probably. But actually using it like this? Oh I absolutely would never. That's sucking the immersion out and making it flat.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR For playing a VR game I totally agree

@portalvr_io @SteamVR VR won't go mainstream unless and until VR is integrated as the luxury, immersive option within a broader gaming ecosystem. This is what Meta would be leaning into on its own if it weren't retarded.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Are you saying there aren't enough games on Quest?

@portalvr_io @SteamVR There are plenty of games on Quest. Quest is great. But until VR becomes an option for everything instead of an alternative to everything, it'll remain a bit of a niche market.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Honestly I would love to see more Wii gameplay style in current gaming. But not as a replacement of VR. Hope Nintendo see the potential

@portalvr_io @SteamVR I wonder why there aren't more games that take proper advantage of trackerd controllers.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR For Beat Saber it could be great for a party playing.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Itsy brilliant and opens the market place up by a lot. Imagine just selling the controllers and a camera station.. easy way to open up a market, think Wii adoption, so many motion games people would love to play for a super low introduction price.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Mybe too niche? The technology is there. Why don't we see more of this?

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Probably need to package it in a way that can sell, did you hear about the top selling game product this Christmas season? Because.. its basic this in a nutshell.. if anything, people should port thejr games over to it

@portalvr_io @SteamVR That's just stupid 😆

@portalvr_io @SteamVR I still see some valid games and options.... but for trying immersive apps I agree

@portalvr_io @SteamVR bro driver4vr had this already made in ........ 2019 .....

@portalvr_io @SteamVR The setup is quite different, but I agree. the final result function similarly

@portalvr_io @SteamVR is it not a driver that simulates a vr headset ? then it is same in that regard

@GabRoXR @portalvr_io @SteamVR the main challenge with this in the end was figuring out the controls to make it so you could really play many games. i built a ton of other attempts before this (6dof phone controller, 6dof phone + gamepad, etc) but they were not good enough.

@GabRoXR @portalvr_io @SteamVR good job on that

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Many Playstation Move + Dreams users are waiting for this kind of functionality with either @unbound_io or @freebirdxr

@portalvr_io @SteamVR I think its on the same level as eating a Pizza with cutlery

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Italian here.... I agree. You can do it but shouldn't be done

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Will have to add something like this to my vr arcade.. I wonder what expereinces would be good shared like this

@portalvr_io @SteamVR let me know when you find out. I just tried some old PCVR titles

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Will do ima try today

@portalvr_io @SteamVR I love the concept because One of my friends has a friend who said that he likes VR games but can't really enjoy them because he suffers from Serious VR motion sickness, so I think it's a better idea than I thought to be able to play them without having to wear a headset.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR I'd say neither. It's just another option similar to mouse and keyboard vs controllers, some people prefer one over the other. this can probably improve VR adoption considering some people get really bad motion sickness or feel uncomfortable when using a headset.

@TriangleHat_VR @portalvr_io @SteamVR I am not sure this still counts as VR....

@portalvr_io @SteamVR maybe but this is still half of getting people into VR, get people comfortable without the headset first then getting people into using the headset would be easier, I think.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR This is really interesting, I haven't really tested it, but something like that could make VR game development a lot easier to test without having to constantly put on and take off a headset, because that gets annoying really fast.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR

@portalvr_io @SteamVR maybe he gets motion sickness. hardwares need improvement. stoked for steam frame.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR It makes sense, when you don't have a powerful hardware to power VR HW. Now you can run VR only games at 1080p60fps.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Nintendo Wii

@portalvr_io @SteamVR For fitness VR app, this could be game changing, I loved back in the days Xbox Fitness on the Kinect v2, only VR fitness app are close to this experience today but no way I am wearing a headset while working out... ... therefore this solution might well work for this "use case"

@portalvr_io @SteamVR For fitness that is indeed a very interesting point. I wonder if Kinect would be a better option. Do we really need the controllers?

@portalvr_io @SteamVR So Xbox Kinect with extra steps?

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Well at least you can play different games

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Wii(?)

@portalvr_io @SteamVR can you use for regular desktop. Used to do similar when I was using my movie projector as a monitor by putting the quest 2 on a mannikin head. Let me use the controller like a laser/gyro mouse which no alternative exists on the market for. Even gyro mouse's dont come close

@portalvr_io @SteamVR When blud finds out what a kinect is

@portalvr_io @SteamVR PLAY THE WIII whats the point of this

@ogubaby12 @portalvr_io @SteamVR Different titles to play?

I like the idea, I can't do headsets, I get motion sick and the weight hurts my neck (I have a bitch neck to even hats hurting it)

Is it with all headsets? All experiences? Sometimes people have terrible first experiences on first generation headset and are put straight into a rollercoaster app

What part of weight on my neck do you not get?

@portalvr_io @SteamVR oh this could be amusingly impractical

@Amelia4Exo @portalvr_io @SteamVR In some apps 100%

@portalvr_io @SteamVR This is awesome , not everyone can play with headset due to motion sickness .

@portalvr_io @SteamVR redundant.

@portalvr_io @SteamVR with?

@portalvr_io @SteamVR It could be good for some things but having the goggles on your face you’re in there and that spatial awareness can’t be matched on a flat screen

@portalvr_io @SteamVR I couldn't agree more

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Can finally play vr without the sickening annoying headset on

@portalvr_io @SteamVR Does it still count as playing VR?

@portalvr_io @SteamVR I don't really care. I just want to play those games with motion controls

@gfodor @portalvr_io @SteamVR Through firsthand experience it’s definitely something. My only drawback is that there’s an annoying pop up every 10 minutes on the free version telling you to register the software for personal use (which costs $40 btw)

@portalvr_io @SteamVR They reverse engineered Wii, holy shit

@portalvr_io @SteamVR It's amazing for people that get fatigued fast with the headset.