Should I wait to buy a HTC Vive?

[IAmAZ3R0]

I'm am not going to right now, but I've been thinking, if I gained enough money for it by August, should I buy it then, or wait until after CES 2018?

Yes, my PC is VR ready. I did the SteamVR test. http/bit.ly/2myf1gc

I am having a hard time deciding and I would appreciate the help.

I am aware new things are always coming out, but I'm afraid on making the decision myself.

Thanks!

 

[photonboy]

WAIT.
It's a good product, however the SOFTWARE ecosystem is quite immature with most of it being forgettable demos. They'll WOW you in the short term then you will run out of things to do likely.

I'd wait at least another year for a new version of the Vive which may have other features built in rather than tacked on such as WIRELESS streaming
http/www.theverge.com/ces/2017/1/4/14172296/htc-vive-wireless-adapter-tpcast-ces-2017

That product will be shrunk down considerably, and I expect a better camera and possibly a few other things that benefit from lessons learned by early adopters.

 

[Sakkura]

You should either get an Oculus Rift, or wait for a price drop on the HTC Vive. Right now, the Rift is a better deal hands down.

As for the software ecosystem, it has matured a lot. Look at a game like Robo Recall for example.

 

[Tri23]

(rift is not a better deal. Me and Sakkura have been debating this for ages.)

To the question of "Wait or not Wait".
- Are all your bills paid off?
- do you have $800 to spend?
- Is purchasing a Vive a responsible and safe action?

If so, go have fun!
You can always wait for the next hotness to come out, but that leaves you waiting forever.

That said... VR tech is moving REALLY fast. The Vive has only been out for under 1 year now. (I think April was the first shipments sent.) If I was to guess, I wouldn't expect the next version of HTC Vive to be released until 2018. However, when it is released.....

- Lighter and cheaper lighthouses.
- New controllers
- Better cabling.
- Wireless Option??
- Better LCD screen.
- Eye tracking?

Other crazy stuff that is only being thought up right now! But who knows when it will be released. Hell, HTC might get out of the hardware game and leave it up to 3rd party vendors. We don't know the future.

I guess the main question is, do you want to be on the cutting edge of technology or do you just want to play some cool games? If it just just about pure gaming, and not so much the experience, then VR is still early and you should wait (maybe.)

Me personally, I love my HTC Vive and I find it hard to go back to 2-d games. I don't get the same rush from looking at a TV versus a zombie running up to you in VR.


SOoooOoo... wait or don't wait. Question is how much do you want to play in VR and be part of this community. My recommendation is, if you are going to get it.. host a VR party and share the experience will all your friends. Having VR right now is like having a high end sports car. It either becomes a lifestyle, or something that sits in your garage.


lastly.. (just to troll Sakkura)... there may be a reason for the occulus price cut. They are trying to get what ever $$$ they can get before production gets shutdown!
http/www.theverge.com/2017/2/24/14732570/zenimax-oculus-vr-injunction-rift-headset-game-sales

 

[IAmAZ3R0]

I feel like this is the best response I've ever gotten on Tom's Hardware. I completely agree with you.

(rift is not a better deal. Me and Sakkura have been debating this for ages.)

To the question of "Wait or not Wait".
- Are all your bills paid off?
- do you have $800 to spend?
- Is purchasing a Vive a responsible and safe action?

If so, go have fun!
You can always wait for the next hotness to come out, but that leaves you waiting forever.

That said... VR tech is moving REALLY fast. The Vive has only been out for under 1 year now. (I think April was the first shipments sent.) If I was to guess, I wouldn't expect the next version of HTC Vive to be released until 2018. However, when it is released.....

- Lighter and cheaper lighthouses.
- New controllers
- Better cabling.
- Wireless Option??
- Better LCD screen.
- Eye tracking?

Other crazy stuff that is only being thought up right now! But who knows when it will be released. Hell, HTC might get out of the hardware game and leave it up to 3rd party vendors. We don't know the future.

I guess the main question is, do you want to be on the cutting edge of technology or do you just want to play some cool games? If it just just about pure gaming, and not so much the experience, then VR is still early and you should wait (maybe.)

Me personally, I love my HTC Vive and I find it hard to go back to 2-d games. I don't get the same rush from looking at a TV versus a zombie running up to you in VR.


SOoooOoo... wait or don't wait. Question is how much do you want to play in VR and be part of this community. My recommendation is, if you are going to get it.. host a VR party and share the experience will all your friends. Having VR right now is like having a high end sports car. It either becomes a lifestyle, or something that sits in your garage.


lastly.. (just to troll Sakkura)... there may be a reason for the occulus price cut. They are trying to get what ever $$$ they can get before production gets shutdown!
http/www.theverge.com/2017/2/24/14732570/zenimax-oculus-vr-injunction-rift-headset-game-sales

 

[Sakkura]

(rift is not a better deal. Me and Sakkura have been debating this for ages.)

Why not? The Rift has many advantages over the Vive, while the Vive only has a few advantages left. When the Rift is then also cheaper, it's a complete no-brainer; the Rift is easily the better deal right now. If and when HTC responds with a price cut, and maybe includes the improved (Rift-style) headstrap by default, then we can talk about it.

In other news, there is another VR headset based on Valve's Lighthouse tracking system on the way, this time made by LG. But there's no launch date yet, so maybe it's not something to hold out for. It looks like it'll only be a modest upgrade anyway.

 

[photonboy]

(rift is not a better deal. Me and Sakkura have been debating this for ages.)

Why not? The Rift has many advantages over the Vive, while the Vive only has a few advantages left. When the Rift is then also cheaper, it's a complete no-brainer; the Rift is easily the better deal right now. If and when HTC responds with a price cut, and maybe includes the improved (Rift-style) headstrap by default, then we can talk about it.

In other news, there is another VR headset based on Valve's Lighthouse tracking system on the way, this time made by LG. But there's no launch date yet, so maybe it's not something to hold out for. It looks like it'll only be a modest upgrade anyway.

I disagree but the argument is complex. Either way, I think the best answer is to simply WAIT.

The only main advantage the RIFT has I consider worth talking about is the lower (currently) computer requirements. That probably won't be true in the near future, and I'm not sure it's completely fair either because a min-spec RIFT computer probably won't handle the more demanding titles as well as a min-spec (so higher spec) Vive PC.

There's also THIS: http/bgr.com/2017/02/08/oculus-rift-vs-htc-vive-vs-psvr-sales/

Whether that's true or not still warrants WAITING to see unless you have enough disposable income to not care if the product has support in two years or so.

The RIFT on the other hand appears to be in a better position according to my own research.