My Latest Toy - Virtual Reality

Have you ever tried a virtual reality headset? I got a Meta Quest 3 from Amazon and I must say the feeling is totally immersive. It feels incredibly realistic.

It has many apps available. One of the apps called Wander uses Google Maps images - one can turn around 360 degrees, look up, look down, move around, and feel like you are back at your childhood home walking through the neighborhood, or visit the pyramids, Taj Mahal, museum tours, or the tippy top of Mount Everest; most of the world, wherever Google Maps has images - all with 360 degree views.

A free app takes you inside the space station; you grab the handholds to pull yourself along as you float through the station, put on a space suit and go outside, or move cargo containers around.

Of course there is the obligatory roller coaster ride (I felt sick on that one, but my wife has an iron stomach, and rides it a bunch) and lots of games. Virtual Chess anyone?

My favorite game so far is called Walkabout Mini Golf; it is the concept of playing mini golf in many different locations like Venice, a cemetery, a spooky mansion, Wallace and Gromet’s house, the ship from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days balloon station (this one gives me vertigo), and many others, all incredibly immersive. I can play this golf game alone or with friends that also have a Quest 3. One of my friends is in Guam, and when we play we would swear we were playing the game together - it’s an amazing effect.

YouTube has a lot of VR content that works with this thing, just search for VR whatever in the YouTube app. They are all full 360 degrees.

I’m old now, and my balance is terrible, so I sit in my office chair to turn around - the feeling is so real that I guarantee I would be bumping into things and falling over if I tried it on my feet. When I play golf with my friend in Guam, he is standing the whole time with no problems.

Anyway, it’s off-topic for this forum, but I wanted to share my fun experience toy.

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Hi @Totoro,

Your post is in no way off topic for this forum. The intent here is to discuss and help one another with technology generally. There’s no need for that to be limited to telecom.

Thank you for sharing your experience!

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This sounds intriguing … are all the apps free?

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There are a lot of free apps, and a lot that cost a small amount. I’ve only purchased a couple, one was $10 and the other was $15. There are loads of YouTube videos that review apps and discuss things to do with the Quest 3.

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I have a Quest 2, the biggest issue for me is my eyes. I got prescription lenses for the headset but even with that the image can be blurry if I don’t have the headset perfectly positioned. Still better than it being a complete blurry mess.

If you have sufficiently powerful Windows PC you can use software such as Virtual Desktop Streamer to play PCVR games without having to plug into the computer directly.

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Hi, @burusutazu!! I haven’t tried it, but the Quest 3 has an adjustment that allegedly allows one to have glasses on while wearing the headset. Like you, the placement of the headset to properly focus is a little narrow, but the straps holding the headset on are really easy to adjust to a “just right” position.

My PC is Linux, so I just use the Quest 3 standalone with only a WiFi connection to the Internet.

I haven’t tried it but there is ALVR for Linux.

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Thanks, I’ll check it out!