I don't really think it makes sense to directly compare the resolution of a monitor to the resolution of a pair of VR goggles. The first is an object you are looking at, the second is your sight. But still:

Oculus Rift has a 1080×1200 px screen for each eye, which is slightly better than the DK2's 960×1080 px. What you should consider here is that we normally watch our screen from a certain distance, as opposite to the Oculus Rift screen which is covering our entire viewing field: When the screen fills out three times as much of our vision, the perceived resolution detail is only a third.

To illustrate what it kinda looks like:

I just took a photograph of a 470x110 pixel image, attached below. Try opening it so it fills out your screen. Now stand up and take a few steps back, so that the pixels in the image are invisible, almost. Now imagine that the entire world around you are like this: It is hyperdetailed and real, but you can notice the screen door effect if you're looking for it.

Ah, thanks. Yeah, I think 2-5 years or whenever it is that I am ready to buy into VR I'll want to try it out first for myself so I know exactly what I'm getting into. Possibly in time for The Elder Scrolls 6: Valenwood VR to go on sale for 50+% off so I can give up my life. LOL

I recorded this youtube video of myself, to prove that paper eyes are an absolute must for the ultimate VR experience:

DIY VR eyes

I wonder if VR will be the death of screen-based AAA games?

For one thing, I think future AAA games will be developed with VR compatibility in mind. It makes sense, since it won't cost much compared to the alreally bloated AAA budget. The gameplay will be limited by this, and the player will notice, constantly.

But more importantly, your generic AAA-title offers graphics that are cutting edge, and in turn requires a constantly replaced 'gamer PC'. This business model has been possible since the tech evolves so fast. What the consumer is promised is something beyound just another game. In a way, AAA kinda sells the player the idea of a VR experience: A mesmerizing game that you get sucked into.

But with VR entering the picture, we have games that actually delivers. And so, it no longer matter much if a new 'AAA game' has radically better graphic that the previous one: In the end, you are still just watching it on a screen. AAA games will lose their pondus. Game that would normally be praised for their fantastic visuals, will now be praised for having fantastic visuals 'for a non-VR game'.

How many screen-people will continue to invest in a 'gamer PC', with the knowledge that their screen-based experience will be an inferior one anyways?

The people who think that cell phones cause brain tumors must be having a field day with these VR helmets..

As for me, I have no interest in VR. I think it goes back to when I was a kid and saw the Virtual Boy in a store display. I almost get nauseated at the thought of having a screen so close to my face.

Don't think it will be. VR has lots of limitations such as space, people can get sick using it and, for the moment, price. There are also certain genres, like strategy and anything 3rd person than cannot be done using VR. Also, the VR games i've seen (Just by looking at steam store pages of VR games.) don't look nearly as good graphically as the best looking screen based games IMO.

Hi sherringon456,
I think we're discussing totally different things. You are looking at VR versus screen-based, in general. On the other hand, I am specifically adressing the AAA games main selling point: Their epicness, their cutting edge graphic. They promise the player something that is the top of the line. And with VR available, these games are no longer it.

You said that most VR games "don't look nearly as good graphically as the best looking screen based games", but it doesn't work that way: Even if a screen based game has way better graphic, that graphic is still displayed on a monitor, which make it loose all impact when compared to VR. I tried showing my mom Exanima, and yes, she thought the graphic was rather nice, and quickly forgot about it. But later, when I let her try VR, she was fucking blown away.

But besides that, what you said sounded spot-on. All the gaming genres has gradually evolved within the posibilities and limitations of a screen-based experience, so they are simply not designed for VR. And people gets motion sickness, like in the early days of cinema. With VR, we are still in the process of figuring out the right input devices! Here I think a PC steering wheel is a good investment: It is old tech which has evolved some really good force feedback over the years, bringing something tactile into the VR experience. Also, driving fits well with VR.

Ohmygawd I'm so sick. Just about to hurl. By all that's holy, keep away from InCell!

Plenty as long as one can't just pop into their local game store and pick up their choice of VR kit for the price of a console. And VR currently depends on having a super duper gamer PC anyway. That future is still very far away I think.

You're making a lot of swooping statements on tech of which evolution we can't be sure yet. Your experience and expectations are wildly different from other people. For instance, I'm currently greatly enjoying replaying Pillars of Eternity for its delivery of story very similar to books, with massive blocks of text and 2d isometric display. I'm pretty sure VR would not offer me a better experience there, aside from hurting eyes anyway.

There's plenty of people who prefer text-based delivery, 2D graphics or combination thereof in their games, and there are plenty of games nowadays which deliver. As for RTS games or isometric RPGs in general, the best VR can do with them is displaying a VR screen, table or something along those lines on which you may play the game, and that's... Rather pointless.

Additionally, I can't see myself using VR for longer periods anyway - currently, my favorite way of playing AAA videogames is cuddled on a couch with my wife with a gamepad while communicating with her. Generally speaking I like to do other things than play games while playing games except for short bursts. That's not possible with VR as it completely cuts you off from everything else.

Okay, "the death of screen-based AAA games" was way over the top. But I really think that VR will affect screen-gaming in some way.

When the photograph was introduced, the painting medium naturally felt treatened. So the painters began trying to carve a niece for themselves, looking for areas where the photograph couldn't beat them. So we got impressionism, pointism, expressionism, all those new art movements. They would never have been created if not for the photograph. It is possible that VR will cause a similar reaction in screen-based gaming.

Edit: On a different note, I just read that VR can might be used to boost lucid dreaming.