Apple will do the same I’m sure after they release their Vision Pro headset. People still aren’t totally sold on VR so there will need to be a race to the bottom before we can start climbing back up to high end headsets.
Apple’s headset is a new thing, with a lot more features than VR. We’ll have to give it time to really know if it will find a market.
VR’s main issue is price I think, because most people don’t want to spend a grand on a gaming peripheral system. So the VR market is a niche but seems to be going well from what I can see in the Steam store. I’ve been playing mostly VR games since I got an Index set, because it’s a lot more interesting and fun overall than regular 2D games. The fighting games are good exercise too.
Regarding VR gaming:
I have a custom gaming rig and an index. I don’t play it. We used it a bit when we first got it. Then it got put away because it wasn’t being used much, and it’s not fun having sensors, a headset, wires, cord suspension rigging, gaming rig etc. strewn about a large spare room (which most people don’t have), and I don’t feel like getting it back out. It’s just a level of commitment that is too much for me to bother. I’m not suggesting I’m like other consumers, but I feel like people simply don’t care enough to deal with VR until it’s fully fleshed out, easy, wireless, lightweight, affordable with a plethora of games. Which might be quite a while from now.
You summed it up exactly. I had a vive and oculus. I barely used them. Only when people came over to try it. Eventually just sold them both as they were collecting dust.
Aside from the easy part, and a game selection that’s clearly less than pancake, wireless with the Q2 is cheap, wireless (even for PCVR), and stupid fun. Setup is still a bit onerous as nobody in the money chain has a reason to make it easy. OTOH, a $40 router, $10 for virtual desktop, and a balling game PC is all you really need.
I rarely have more than an hour or two for gaming at a times. So the weight of the headset and any battery life issues are moot.
Apple has infinite money to burn on failed projects. The Apple Watch sold very poorly the first few years it was out. Now they’re literally the most sold watch on the planet.
They called this headset “Pro” because they’re 100% going to release a cheaper model in two years and be like “We figured it out guys! Same shit, half the price!” And they’ll call it the Vision Plus or some bullshit.
Apple is touting AR for its headset, but it drops into VR with the twist of a knob. It will never sell in volume at that price, but there are already people lining up to get one.
Maybe, but sometimes Apple bucks trends. Apple fans are certainly happy to shell out for premium devices
