Hi everyone, I believe the new wave of Virtual Reality is going to benefit the Virtual Boy scene in general but I would like to know if anyone have tried the Virtual Boy emulator on the Oculus Rift.

Video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbGOcfOolLw

My experience playing VB games on the Rift was better than I expected (I’m not selling my VB console just yet) however I’ll like to know what others think of the Rift in this regard.

/Marc

One of the vendors at Classic Gaming Expo had their Oculus Rift set up running a VB emulator… and my opinion – Meh. The graphics on the VB are much more crisp than they were on the Oculus Rift, and of course the contrast is much better.

I’m a huge fan of virtual reality, and 3D things in general, but every time I’ve tried out the Oculus Rift, I’m very underwhelmed. The graphics are kinda blurry (or maybe overly stretched is the effect), much like they were on 90s VR headsets. It is immersive, but kinda has the “sitting REALLY close to a TV” feel to it. The head tracking is definitely WAY better than the old VR stuff (no more lag induced motion sickness), but for VB emulation… that doesn’t really matter. 😛 Personally, I think 3D computer monitors (or even shutter glasses) look better.

I’m really hoping that the new version of the Oculus Rift is a substantial upgrade. I really want to like it, and I think it’s almost there… but for now, I’ll stick to 3D monitors and the 3DS.

DogP

I agree Oculus Rift just isn’t what I expected. I think Virtual Boy is just not well emulated, it’s an experience only well produced by a Virtual Boy.

Oculus Rift is like a really really early test prototype of what VR could be but feels super incomplete.

The Vb emulator for oculus should be improved. Screen looks too close of your face and the head tracking is not used.
Resolution with the dk2 is acceptable but not enough…
An oculus with a 4k screen and a correct head tracking would be the minimum for a comfortable experience.

My husband is buying me an Oculus Rift for my birthday on Monday. I’m pretty excited to experience the VB emulator (at least until I get Flashboy). I’m a fan of those horror games everyone plays so that was one of my main things for wanting it but this gave me another reason to be anxious for my gift. I will report back on how I feel about it once I get it and everything.

Many thanks to everyone for your responses.

@DogP
I believe the contrast on the Oculus Rift unit you tested was on the low setting as this was one of the better aspects compared to my VB console. On DK1 hardware itself yep the blurry thing is bad, DK2 is much better thou.

@Dreammary
Having tested most of the VB ROMs out there I have yet to encounter a game that under performs on the Rift, that was exactly the first thing I tried, to test how well the games compared against original hardware, this of course depends heavily on you computer other than that so far so good.

@czar_h
That was my first complain, the screen was to close to my face, but i think that can be changed via config file, keep in mind that the emulator is a WIP so time will take care of those fixes.

@retronintendonerd
Hope the OR you are getting is a DK2 as the experience is much better, I think you wont be dissapointed.

As much as I like the VB, I think the Oculus Rift (even the DK1) is a great opportunity for those who cant get their hands on the original hardware, as for the resolution even the DK1 gave me a nice comparable or better experience.

Of course being prototype hardware one must run a configuration utility for each different user here is where most of the “nausea & headache” happens apart from the improper calibration before usage I considered it a good start.

retronintendonerd are you a developer? Getting a DK2 now if you’re not a developer would be a waste of money, as the new Crescent Bay makes it obsolete in every way. (I played with it at OC last weekend). Odds are, given what happened with the DK1->DK2 switch, another SDK refactoring is coming– by that time, the DK2 won’t be compatible with anything anymore. I’d hold off until CV1.

I have experienced a DK1 and DK2 and I agree with DogP that it feels like sitting really close to a TV, especially on the DK1, where you can easily see individual subpixels. The LCD is hard on the eyes and you can get motion-induced sickness really fast, but that of course depends more on the software than the hardware.

I’m surprised there isn’t the same amount of myths/criticism/superstition surrounding it as the VB, which, IMO, is for now simply a better product. Maybe because it’s got John Carmack behind it? Gunpei Yokoi apparently wasn’t a good enough celebrity.

blitter wrote:
retronintendonerd are you a developer? Getting a DK2 now if you’re not a developer would be a waste of money, as the new Crescent Bay makes it obsolete in every way. (I played with it at OC last weekend). Odds are, given what happened with the DK1->DK2 switch, another SDK refactoring is coming– by that time, the DK2 won’t be compatible with anything anymore. I’d hold off until CV1.

I’m not a developer but my husband dabbles and majority of our friends do. I won’t be receiving my Oculus for a while (several months) so it’s possible it might be the newer one. Even if it’s not, I don’t mind having to upgrade to the next one when the time comes.

HorvatM wrote:
I’m surprised there isn’t the same amount of myths/criticism/superstition surrounding it as the VB, which, IMO, is for now simply a better product. Maybe because it’s got John Carmack behind it? Gunpei Yokoi apparently wasn’t a good enough celebrity.

I always thought this myself. I don’t know many people that own a VB granted, but the ones I do know don’t ever complain of the headaches, nausea, eye issues, etc. that everyone liked to say the VB caused. I have played Wario Land for hours on end and I’m fine afterwards. I feel worse leaving a theater and going back into the harsh sunlight.

HorvatM wrote:
I’m surprised there isn’t the same amount of myths/criticism/superstition surrounding it as the VB, which, IMO, is for now simply a better product. Maybe because it’s got John Carmack behind it? Gunpei Yokoi apparently wasn’t a good enough celebrity.

For one thing, Oculus is making a big deal out of the fact that they are developer kits and there are warnings and guidelines everywhere about keeping latency down, using the proper projections, crafting the experience to minimize disorientation, etc. They have a whole team at Oculus dedicated to this kind of cognitive research, whereas with the VB Nintendo just put together documentation basically saying “This is how 3D works on the VB, good luck!”

The default IPD on the Rift is pretty reasonable– 64mm, which according to statistical research is the military average– and unlike the VB, the field of view is much *much* larger. That last bit alone is a big part of why the Rift is getting such widespread praise– no other consumer-focused headset before it has been able to achieve such immersion. I love the VB too, but there’s no denying that the Rift provides a much better VR experience. The VB by comparison is just a toy. There really shouldn’t be a comparison.