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oculus

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4,016 being simulated. users here now
The unofficial subreddit of the Oculus Rift!

The Rules of Rift Club

This is a place for friendly VR discussion, please follow these few rules:
  • Read the FAQ.
  • No low effort submissions: memes, gifs, image macros etc.
  • Search before submitting.
  • Don't just post "Imagine this + Rift!".
  • No "Should I buy or wait?" posts.
  • No buying/selling: Use /r/RiftForSale.

Oculus VR official sites

  1. Oculus Website
  2. Oculus Share
  3. Oculus VR Best Practices Guide [.pdf]
  4. Andrew Reisse Memorial Funds

January VR Event Calendar

News / Blogs / Discussion

  1. Road to VR
  2. UploadVR
  3. Meant To Be Seen 3D
  4. Rev VR Podcast
  5. EnterVR.net
  6. Bloculus.de
  7. VR Pill
  8. Enter The Rift.fr
  9. Real o Virtual
  10. VRfocus
  11. We Are VR
  12. Oculusrift-blog
  13. Oculus VR News
  14. Rifty Business
  15. Blogspot - Rifty Business
  16. PodVR
  17. VR Sverige
  18. Virtual Reality Reviewer
  19. Rifting.ru
  20. VirtualRealityForum.de
  21. VRDings.de
  22. vrHunters.pl
  23. The Rift Arcade
  24. VR-China.com
  25. Inner Rift
  26. VRNerds.de
  27. VR-Gamer.de
  28. LHVR Podcast
  29. VR-Gaming
  30. BoredGamer.co.uk
  31. VRCircle
  32. Riftinfo.com
  33. VR Casters
  34. VR Scout
  35. OculusHut
  36. The VR Experts
  37. Uncle Jonny
  38. VR Guru
  39. PureVR
  40. VR/AR Weekly
  41. Cinematic VR blog
  42. VR Dominion
  43. Augmentl.io
  44. VR Potato
  45. VRgamer.no
  46. VR User Forum

Youtube Channels

  1. vrgamerdude
  2. VR Gaming Evolved
  3. The UK Rifter
  4. Game Hard 4.0
  5. FitzZZ
  6. ImmersiveGamer83
  7. Pretty Neat VR
  8. Hoopermation

Stereo Injectors

  1. Vireio
  2. vorpX

GUI's and Launchers

  1. Vrui VR Toolkit
  2. IBEX
  3. Deskope
  4. VR Launchpad
  5. Janus VR
  6. REALIS3D .FBX Viewer
  7. Virtual Desktop
  8. RiftCat
  9. SpaceSys

Software / Demos / Guides

  1. STVRE
  2. RiftEnabled
  3. EnterTheRift
  4. Game Grade VR
  5. WeArVR
  6. Bruce's Troubleshooting Guide

Other Useful Links

  1. The Immersive Technology Alliance
  2. Oculus Rift Steam Group
  3. The relevant book list
  4. The relevant movie list
  5. Worldwide Rift Demos Map
  6. Oculus Street View
  7. Donate/request Unity trial codes
  8. Worldwide VR Meetups
  9. Oculus Rift mods
  10. HMD Comparison Chart
  11. The VR Index
  12. Real-time chat: #oculus on Freenode
  13. List of DK2 Compatible Games
  14. Oculus.Today
  15. VR Cover
  16. Oculus Rift Games
  17. VRFavs

Related Subreddits

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top 200 commentsshow 500
[–]resonatingfury 1333 points1334 points1335 points  (120 children)
<1 oculus rifts away
[–]Gaget 375 points376 points377 points  (55 children)
⅚ of an oculus rift.
[–]StormCrow1770 136 points137 points138 points  (28 children)
⅚ of an oculus rift is an oculus rift with a rift in it.
[–]folie1234 72 points73 points74 points  (21 children)
The Oculus Rift Rift, the 100$ version of the Oculus Rift
[–]RoundMound0fRebound 109 points110 points111 points  (3 children)
The Oculus Thrift
[–]StormCrow1770 12 points13 points14 points  (2 children)
If there's an online store for games and applications for the Oculus, it should be called the Rift Shop.
[–]likesleague 12 points13 points14 points  (1 child)
But shit, it was $99!
[–]Tashre 28 points29 points30 points  (13 children)
I got an Oculus Rift Rift Gift.
[–]ricdesi 17 points18 points19 points  (11 children)
Aw mannn, my Oculus Rift Rift Gift ripped!
[–]capelagames 27 points28 points29 points  (7 children)
I want to see that Oculus Rift Rift Gift rip GIF
[–]ricdesi 17 points18 points19 points  (5 children)
Quick, buy me an Oculus Rift Rift Gift rip GIF, Kif!
[–]bryguy894 26 points27 points28 points  (1 child)
sigh How soon do you want it sir?
In a jiff!
sigh
[–]Awkwardlittleboy2112 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
sigh Yes, sir.
[–]UniversalChairs 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
It's a Rift Rift Gift Grift!
[–]VAPossum 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
RIP, Rift Rift gift.
[–]noyourenottheonlyone 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
you're thinking of the oculus gearvr
[–]Flying_Spaghetti_ 11 points12 points13 points  (20 children)
With tax 8/10 of an oculus rift.
[–]resonatingfury 8 points9 points10 points  (17 children)
What does a rift with tax and shipping cost in USD?
[–]ThereGoesMySanity 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
reduce fractions pls
[–]furtiveraccoon 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
I didn't realize that was actually a character
[–]LetsDiscourse 52 points53 points54 points  (3 children)
"It's in the ballpark"
[–]freemefromyou 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
No one ever said 'how' big of a ballpark it was.
EDIT: When in doubt, add a sig fig.
[–]winkman 9 points10 points11 points  (2 children)
"Recent study finds that Oculus Rift will ruin America"
"Obama speaks out against 'Dangerous' Oculus Rift...more at 11"
[–]jjake101 812 points813 points814 points  (24 children)
I laughed... Then I cried.
[–]freemefromyou 151 points152 points153 points  (19 children)
and had a really really really good time
[–]Chynkinese 50 points51 points52 points  (7 children)
and had a really really really good time
Take my hand, let's have a blast
[–]renderdoodles 38 points39 points40 points  (6 children)
Let's remember this moment for the rest of our lives OUR LIVES
[–]Yesilikekanye 19 points20 points21 points  (4 children)
OUR LIVES
[–]LeoSaysNO 22 points23 points24 points  (3 children)
OUR LIVES. OH OH OH OHhhh
[–]pabeder 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
Tonight. Tonight. Tonight.
[–]BeardedLogician 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
'Cause tonight's the night, am I right?
[–]Quiwundi 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
DANCE
[–]DrHenryPym 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
I wish I was single again.
[–]AcceptDefaults 93 points94 points95 points  (11 children)
Riiiiiffft Racer!
[–]RiftRacer 66 points67 points68 points  (9 children)
You rang?
[–]Exceon 23 points24 points25 points  (5 children)
Now paging /u/GiantCrab
[–]attemptedactor 9 points10 points11 points  (1 child)
Attack his weak spot for MASSIVE DAMAGE
[–]SXcalibur 27 points28 points29 points  (1 child)
You've waited 9 months and 11 days for this moment.
9 and 11.
9/11.
RiftRacer did 9/11 for only $599 US Dollars.
[–]MiowaraTomokato 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
Dual custom screen fuel can't melt virtual steel beams!
[–]youtubefactsbot 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
Uh oh! Some serious blowback! 476 BOB!
DamoVR in Film & Animation
63 views since Jan 2016
[–]RiskyChris 41 points42 points43 points  (13 children)
I'd have bought a PS3 on day damn 1 if I could have fought giant enemy crabs in VR.
[–]BoojumG 33 points34 points35 points  (10 children)
You've got a point, but lots of people would also need to buy a beefy new GPU to use the Rift effectively. A PS3 is everything but the display. Then again the Rift includes the display...
On the balance I think that most people already had TVs for a PS3, but they don't already have the beefy GPU.
[–]RiskyChris 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
I'm kind of being tongue in cheek here, nothing would have made me get a launch PS3, just like nothing will probably get me to get a launch rift ;)
[–]staydrippy 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
I keep forgetting how expensive the PS3 was at launch
[+][deleted]  (1 child)
[deleted]
    [–]shadowofashadow 6 points7 points8 points  (1 child)
    And yet the PS3 was still sold out everywhere and had backorders for months...
    [–]DrMon 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    But flailed behind the 360 in most markets for the majority of that generation. You better believe that price point hurt them.
    [–]TedTheTrout 11 points12 points13 points  (0 children)
    This is EXACTLY what this whole debacle reminded me of.
    [–]jorjordandan 275 points276 points277 points  (50 children)
    Is financial ruin really that bad if you have VR though?
    [–]negroiso 155 points156 points157 points  (29 children)
    It sure isn't for depression and loneliness. Moved to a new town, work some shit job. Drive from home to work and work to home every day, make the occasional stop to the liquor store to get a case of booze. The only thing that kept me sane during that period honestly was New Retro Arcade and the DK2. I come home, use their launcher to swap out the Cassette Tapes with MP3's I liked to listened to, changed some of the streaming radio stations to my liking. I would have a few brews, and just hang out in the arcade until I was drunk or felt like going to bed.
    Mostly just played bowling or shot some hoops, every now and then I would just position my player on a couch or something and just look around aimlessly at how amazing the environment was and I could feel myself being there. I put in a lot of SNES time and RoboCop. I honestly don't know how I would have made it through the madness if it wasn't for that game.
    [–]antelopeking 67 points68 points69 points  (7 children)
    Hope you are in a better time now mate, sounds rough
    [–]negroiso 21 points22 points23 points  (6 children)
    It was rough, thankfully, it only took 6 months to realize how poisonous the job was and I had to leave for other things. Your internal dialog says "am I being a pussy, is it right to just stick it out, surely my alcoholism will taper off after time." Being able to say NO, you can't treat people like this and leave is a better choice.
    [–]LockStock55 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    A new friend I made went through this, he said he went through 11 years of that. He said the frequency of feeling loneliness lessens over time and by the last year, it's just rare occasional bouts of lonelines, like once every 3 months or so he'd be really sad for a night, but the rest of the time he'd be in a bit of an upbeat mood.
    [–]snoblitz 10 points11 points12 points  (1 child)
    That sounds absolutely brutal. Here's to hoping that 2016 is a better year for you, friend.
    [–]DefaultGen 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
    Of course it will be, he can upgrade to the CV1!
    [–]keenemaverick 4 points5 points6 points  (2 children)
    I'm currently in a similar situation. Just moved to a new town, got nothing to do but work... Except I don't yet have a home to go to. There's a couch in my aunt's basement, or I can get a hotel.
    It's not a fun time.
    [–]izzohead 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Hope your situation improves man, good luck out there.
    [–]gobots4life 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    They need to make that arcade a room in Social VR if they haven't already.
    [–]negroiso 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
    I want to say one of the devs visited /r/oculus or /r/pcmasterrace a while back.
    All I could say was, I would throw all kinds of cash their way for a huge ass arcade in the same theme that you could basically load up like they have now.
    Have a big ass NAS connected to it, PS1, PS2, N64, Sega, GameGear. all kinds of systems laying around the arcade ready to play.
    With Touch/Vive it would make playing the handhelds even better and more immersive. It's already pretty sick that that demo is so high fidelity.
    At some points it's hard to believe you're in a VR world. I mean they have the audio taper off the further away you get from the stereo, the lighting and reflections are on point, picking up a gameboy to play a game is sweet and seeing the buttons mash when you're pressing them on your controller is awesome. I would hope for some VR hands that would be on top but I think that would take away as they would be slightly off from your own breaking it.
    Either way, playing the SNES roms included or re-configuring with your own collection is awesome.
    There's a great community of modders on their forums that upload custom Arcade cabinets you can load in. I mean the demo pretty much lets you change almost ever aspect of the play ability. I had a script that would run and copy over random posters from a folder each time I launched that way video game or movie posters show up and you don't get used to one or the other.
    [–]goodnoosedave 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    Oh god, new retro arcade! I can't wait to visit there again in my CV1!
    [–]Webbyx01 12 points13 points14 points  (7 children)
    Hey, just play a game on it in which you aren't in financial ruin! It solves it's own problems!
    [–]Roland1232 35 points36 points37 points  (0 children)
    I'm not into fantasy games.
    [–]redditvlli 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Your questions sort of reminds me of this short film posted a while back.
    [–]nyran20 69 points70 points71 points  (32 children)
    Oculus CEO Palmer Luckey is doing an AMA tonight at 9pm EST...wonder how that'll go.....
    Edit: Founder, not ceo, thanks /u/hotshotjosh
    [–]hotshotjosh 22 points23 points24 points  (4 children)
    Oculus CEO
    Palmer is one of the founders, and the original inventor. Brenden Iribe is the CEO.
    [–]nyran20 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
    Palmer is one of the founders, and the original inventor. Brenden Iribe is the CEO.
    Yup! Sorry, my bad.
    [–]NavesRegge 81 points82 points83 points  (18 children)
    "Why did you make this cutting edge, 1st generation piece of technology cost so much?!"
    "Because it's a cutting edge, 1st generation piece of technology."
    "YOU ASSHOLE"
    EDIT: Fun fact: Oculus isn't even making money off of CV1 sales.
    [–]TheGrimGuardian 39 points40 points41 points  (6 children)
    It's been in the works for going on 3 years now. The majority of which was spent telling people "$300-$400".
    [–]RobKhonsu 10 points11 points12 points  (0 children)
    It's a shame it'll be flooded with bandwagon posts. I'm disappointed myself, but such an opportunity for interesting questions may be lost. Especially any kind of question regarding future plans will now come across as a loaded question about the pricing fiasco.
    [–]wingmasterjon 12 points13 points14 points  (5 children)
    They'll just down vote the responses no matter what they say. Even pcmasterrace's God, gabeN, was down voted during the steam mods ama. Redditors are not sensible folk when they're triggered.
    [–]Jesso2k 13 points14 points15 points  (2 children)
    To be fair making us pay for the organization of existing mods without any real curation had to be stopped dead in its tracks and any response that danced around it should have been and was negatively received.
    [–]fascistsaregarbage 6 points7 points8 points  (1 child)
    You're behind the times bud, AMA mods just delete literally any comment (even ones that don't break the rules) that aren't as fluffy and cuddly to the company and their product as is possible to be without being just outright empty praise.
    [–]zaturama015 15 points16 points17 points  (2 children)
    This month I got paid one oculus rift, my month rent is one and half oculus rift, I'm fuck
    [–]vbnjuio 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    hi fuck nice to meet you
    [–]Soryosan 302 points303 points304 points  (86 children)
    lol XD
    who needs paint on the walls when you have vr
    and sooo the future begins ...will it be dark like ready player one
    [–]Rubcionnnnn 73 points74 points75 points  (40 children)
    Exactly! We can eat the headset when we run out of food.
    [–]prmaster23 34 points35 points36 points  (7 children)
    Just eat vr food dude.
    [–]TheRealJasonsson 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
    Holographic meatloaf? My favorite!
    [–]Patienceisavirtue1 4 points5 points6 points  (2 children)
    Just download a burger.
    [–]Logic_85 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    You wouldn't download a car!
    [–]Soryosan 37 points38 points39 points  (30 children)
    porridge oats, fullfat milk and multi vitamins.
    this covers most of the nutrition that you need and here in the uk it costs £0.17 per meal
    soylent is the future
    [–]Roland1232 6 points7 points8 points  (7 children)
    I hear it's made of people. Is this true?
    [–]Soryosan 17 points18 points19 points  (0 children)
    people are made of atoms
    soylent made of atoms...
    soo ya made of people.. why not :)
    [–]your-opinions-false 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
    Eat soylent yellow, no people*, same great taste!
    *may be negligible amounts of people
    [–]LegoBobaFett 2 points3 points4 points  (3 children)
    Just the green version. The rest is made of soy and lint.
    [–]NiceVu 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Those walls are looking at me.
    [–]Velocity275 12 points13 points14 points  (16 children)
    I'm hoping for something more like Snow Crash.
    [–]adrock3000 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    oh are you cold, just watch this.
    [–]CatLover1968 6 points7 points8 points  (13 children)
    I read the synopsis for that book and it sounds like a poor revision of Snow Crash.
    [–]ReeG 12 points13 points14 points  (4 children)
    Read the first third of it and had to put it down. The author basically bludgeons you with 80's pop culture references, the story itself is cheesy and cliche and the dialog reads like comments from /r/gaming. Most obnoxious book i've ever tried to read
    [–]PMental 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    I don't really disagree with any of that, but I still thought it was a decent enough experience. I listened to the audiobook though, maybe it'd been different if I'd have had to read it.
    [–]indyK1ng 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Are they both in the Cyberpunk genre? Yes, but so are a lot of other stories.
    Really, they're very different stories in very different worlds.
    [–]Kitaini 65 points66 points67 points  (11 children)
    Anybody have a small loan of $599 to spare?
    [–]TechnoHunter 77 points78 points79 points  (5 children)
    I know someone who... got a small loan of a million dollars!
    [–]IAmJonStewart 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
    Things were not so easy for him
    [–]dporiua 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    More than 7 million, have to count for inflation.
    [–]negroiso 19 points20 points21 points  (0 children)
    I will loan you 680$ for a rift, interest rate is 361% and it's due next friday before it kicks in.
    [–]numeraire 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
    Quite a rift in the wallet.
    [–]Final_Smash 7 points8 points9 points  (2 children)
    There has been a rift in the rift. Have you felt it?
    [–]fogell2013 7 points8 points9 points  (1 child)
    I am the 63%
    [–]master_of_deception 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
    Pretty sure 63% of the users in this thread are the 63%.
    [–]SupremeGunman 63 points64 points65 points  (21 children)
    Welcome to Black Friday 2004, where a 23" LCD monitor was $2000. Prices will drop gentlemen...
    [–]milliam777 80 points81 points82 points  (14 children)
    Just give it 12 years
    [–]SupremeGunman 16 points17 points18 points  (11 children)
    It took us several thousand years to invent the TV (1927), then it took about 45 years to invent the LCD (early 1970's), it took another 30 years for the adoption of the LCD(late 90's)...
    1994 saw the commercially available HMD, and now in 2016 it's gaining in popularity and development by leaps and bounds.
    If 12 years from now the HMD is as common as the LCD monitor... The world will be a beautiful place.
    [–]salmonmoose 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    several hundred thousand
    FTFY
    [–]SupremeGunman 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Depends on when you prefer to start from.
    [–]jersoc 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    I guess black Friday deals always have sucked. Save 50 bucks lol
    [–]BennyFackter 36 points37 points38 points  (3 children)
    Explains a lot of the anger around here doesn't it?
    [–]Myoptical 25 points26 points27 points  (0 children)
    There is still google cardboard!
    [–]LegendK1ll3r 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
    If all of Reddit stopped giving gold for a day, we could collectively pool that money together and purchase a single Oculus Rift for us all to share.
    [–]bottlebowling 5 points6 points7 points  (3 children)
    Okay. Just to make this clear: sixty-three percent of Americans can't afford a superfluous $650 computer accessory, let alone the computer to run it. Let's count our blessings and admit that, by our ability to afford computers that we can game on, we are extremely fortunate. Don't think that this statistic makes us any better than the others, but rather let's do our part to help those who need help. Offer to help build computers for those who don't realize they can have something that will suit their needs.
    [–]ethanw12 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    You're one of the good ones.
    [–]bottlebowling 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    I've been homeless before, and it has taken a lot of hard work and more generosity than I deserve to get where I am now. Being able to play the games that I do, with the potential of buying an HMD in the near future, is something that I feel incredibly lucky to do. I have been offering a couch to sleep on for years to anyone who needs it, and those that have their own home and are looking to get a computer I have been offering my assistance in building one. I count myself as extremely fortunate, as I believe we all should.
    [–]bottlebowling 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    And thank you. I truly mean it.
    [–]Calculusbitch 10 points11 points12 points  (7 children)
    I think a lot of people that says the price are fine are not seeing the problem. I have the money for a rift, I have the money for 10 rifts, the problem though is that with this price developers will just look at it and realize that there wont be enough people actually having a rift to justify doing any development on it. You are going to have huge markets were basically no one has a rift. Sure you will see niche games and developers who have already jumped on to the train but big tripple A developers that has waited to see how it pans out wont even touch the rift seriously for quite some time. Indie developer will also look at it and realise that the market is so small that it would be suicide to just develop for the rift and then you have something that has to support both. If they have to chose they will pick no rift support 100% of the time
    [–]benchi 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Apparently the pre-orders are going great though.
    Remember Palmer likened the first generation VR headsets to the first smartphones. That seems to be pretty accurate.
    Interestingly, the best smartphones on the market at the moment cost more than the rift.
    [–]I_wish_I_was_a_robot 11 points12 points13 points  (2 children)
    If you're living paycheck to paycheck you probably shouldn't be buying a VR headset even if it was $350.
    [–]phillypro 139 points140 points141 points  (155 children)
    Oculus RIft ....IS NOT FOR MOST AMERICANS
    its not even for people with average computers its not even for the average computer gamer
    its literally DAY 1 of an extremely High end product of an extremely niche market
    like geez guys....some of you really thought dual 1440p screens and all that hardware covered in damn breathable custom fabric was gonna be designed and delivered to you for 350
    [–]mk4242 64 points65 points66 points  (40 children)
    I'm thinking that perhaps they went a bit too far from the original concept. The original concept resonated because it was a cost-effective in compared to the historical strategy of super-custom hardware. The whole thing with the oculus approach was 'hey, we have these off the shelf displays that can be used for this'. Then they went a touch further with custom firmware for a common display which was reasonable, then went over the deep end with customized hardware much like the previous VR headsets. E.g. suddenly they needed two displays, 'needed' global update, etc.
    I think perhaps the perfect was too much the enemy of the good here.
    [–]Blackstream 17 points18 points19 points  (3 children)
    I think what you're actually seeing is what it took vr to get to a point where SDE and nausea was all but eliminated. They probably could release cheaper but without a lot of the tech that makes so anyone with money can enjoy one. I imagine if the debut of vr caused a rash of bad media itd be a terrible stain on vr for years.
    [–]bartycrank 20 points21 points22 points  (17 children)
    They did what was necessary. The DK2, with a 1080p low-persistence 75hz panel (overdriven off-the-shelf Note3 panel), is CLOSE. It's very close, but it doesn't hit the mark to set as a baseline of quality. They were able to use off-the-shelf parts to build prototypes but integrating the final product was going to require custom components no matter what.
    I'm stoked on what they've done here. A GOOD head-mounted display for under a grand? holy shit!
    [–]mk4242 9 points10 points11 points  (16 children)
    Though mass-adoption is pretty much discarded. The PS3 never did quite recover from their initial $500 price.
    Hopefully PSVR accessory to PS4 will provide a proof point for VR success in the mainstream. Without a mainstream proof point, going to be hard to sell the more reluctant publishers on supporting VR, leaving us with a chicken and egg (good headset needs high volumes to be cheap enough to be mainstream, but can't get good volumes until a good headset is mainstream)
    [–]bartycrank 5 points6 points7 points  (8 children)
    I think it was silly to expect mass adoption at launch. This was never going to jump right into the mainstream, even at a low price point, because of the costs of the hardware to drive it. I think we need to take another look at mass adoption potential about one year after the Rifts and Vives get into our hands.
    Hoping the PSVR doesn't get too pricey. I wouldn't be surprised if it launched at the same price point as the Rift, but Sony has a lot of weight to throw around in trying to wrangle that price down for consumers. If they stick with a single panel DK2-like build they can probably leverage their manufacturing chains to do that very well for them, but if they go more advanced with dual panels I expect the logistics get quite a bit trickier.
    I'm thinking about buying a PS4 for it, some of the announced titles look like they could be a lot fun. Already spending so much on VR though...
    [–]nidrach 7 points8 points9 points  (4 children)
    I think it was silly to expect mass adoption at launch.
    Well then it's silly to expect software at launch which makes the whole purchase questionable outside of a few flight sims.
    [–]Squishumz 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    There's tonnes of indie devs jumping onto the idea, but ya. Don't expect much in the way of AAA titles for the next few years at least.
    [–]gobots4life 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
    I'm buying it because somewhere down the line, at some point, someone's going to make a japanese anime mecha simulator. Don't really care if EA is making games for it or not.
    [–]phillypro 16 points17 points18 points  (5 children)
    nah....it was for the better good of VR
    [–]mk4242 21 points22 points23 points  (1 child)
    Yeah it's better, but I think the original concept was 'not the best we could do, but something that can be done while piggybacking on the industry now churning out millions of ~6" screens on the cheap.' Then ambition crept in as opportunities presented.
    But we will see in the coming weeks...
    [–]_kingtut_ 4 points5 points6 points  (3 children)
    Yeah, I'm confused about the whole dual display thing - that was absolutely contrary to the original model. Of course, it's possible that two displays at sufficient resolution are actually cheaper than one at double that, even when you take in the driving hardware etc. Ditto, the headphones - I'd prefer to use my nice headphones rather than whatever they've ended up using - it would have been better just to offer a 3.5mm jack.
    [–]bartycrank 9 points10 points11 points  (2 children)
    The dual panel thing, that was necessary to accommodate human IPD range. Without it we weren't going to have nearly as good of an experience.
    Ditto the headphones. Dealing with my bulky fancy cans alongside the DK2 isn't a huge issue, but I'll take the stock drivers to never have to even think about it again. Built-in headphones is a subtle optimization that is going to streamline my workflow immensely.
    I do hope there's a 3.5mm jack, and that's it's located conveniently to attach a splitter to, for things like the buttkicker sub packs.
    [–]Kalazor 0 points1 point2 points  (3 children)
    Well, you can get the new Gear VR for $100, which I think is why they were comfortable making the rift a more expensive high end device. But that's only cheap if you're in the market for a brand new phone already.
    [–]are_you_sure_ 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Oculus RIft ....IS NOT FOR MOST AMERICANS
    Grear VR < Rift. Gear is just for 360 videos, simple games and pictures.
    PSVR would be a better comparison for a lower price. It has almost the same specs as Rift HUD, just PS4 vs PC is the main difference.
    And because PS4 can be a single target for development, they can not only squeeze out every drop of power, but test the hell out of every game with only a single system to test for instead of the world of PCs like Oculus has to.
    PSVR will fill the gap. $300 HUD and $300 PS4 to run it.
    [–]mk4242 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    Except the Galaxy phones are also too expensive (bolstered by 'w/ 2 year contract' pricing obfuscating the cost).
    Motorola, LG, HTC, here's your chance to do something cool...
    [–]cciv 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    They have no desire to build something as complex as a Note 5 and sell it for less than $600. Samsung has better margins than they do.
    [–]ghjm 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Because the "good" makes everyone seasick.
    The point of Oculus was to find out if you can actually do consumer VR now (because you sure as heck couldn't when we tried to in 1998), and if so, how. Sure, the genesis of the idea was that we have useful off-the-shelf hardware. But it's pointless to slap it together and say the result is good enough, if it still isn't actually ready for prime time, like it wasn't in 1998.
    [–]blobkat 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    The original strategy was to make a very good very cheap VR headset, cheap compared to the headsets before that costed like 10,000s of dollars.
    [–]kevynwight -2 points-1 points0 points  (1 child)
    I think you have it right. Somewhere the vision was clouded. Hmm, I wonder if that little Facebook thing had anything, anything at all to do with it.
    [–]mk4242 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    I think it's a natural progression when you see just how close you are to certain things and then it's really hard to not do those things. Facebook's resources might have opened otherwise closed doors to get things like custom panels and such, but I doubt facebook was pushing for the high specs.
    [–]Sgt_Slate 4 points5 points6 points  (1 child)
    Don't bother. This sub is going to be a shit show for a while.
    [–]da1hobo 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    This sub hasn't been this entertaining since the Facebook buyout.
    [–]xxTheGoDxx 16 points17 points18 points  (54 children)
    dual 1440p screens
    You sure you talk about the same product. It has to screens that are 1.080 × 1.200 each, so combined 2.160 × 1.200. That is lower resolution than the Galaxy S6, of which analysts say the screen costs Samsung mobile to buy from its display sister branch. And honestly, I don't see how the Rift is more than 300 Dollar on production.
    [–]mk4242 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    custom == costly
    Two custom 1080x1200 panels that don't have any viable customers other than an unproven headset is going to cost a ton, because they have to pay for tooling up to make such a beast. When you are shoving them out like candy, the up front tooling cost is easily spread out.
    Rinse and repeat for every component they did custom rather than trying to use a standard part for.
    [–]DONT_SCARY 5 points6 points7 points  (3 children)
    You think he's up charging double its worth? It's people like you who spread shitty misinformation
    [–]xxTheGoDxx 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    Its people like you that read into posts whatever they want to. Also, who is he? First off, I personally don't know what the production costs are but I would be surprised if its more than 300 Dollar. For comparison, a phone like a Galaxy S6 Edge or a iPhone 6 cost between 200 and 300 Dollar to make according to analysts (with the Samsung at the upper end of the scale).
    I said jack shit about worth. I am talking about production costs since half the sub thinks subsidized can only mean below production costs (which is the case when console makers talk about subsidizing hw, i. e. the PS3 on launch). I am sure Oculus has/had a shit ton of development cost. Add to this marketing, developer support etc.
    [–]Garek33 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
    half the sub thinks subsidized can only mean below production costs
    Well half the sub propably doesn't think about cost more detailed than "it costs x total to make this and bring it to market", opposed to "it costs x per unit to produce this, plus y in development, marketing etc."
    [–]Tysonzero 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    They are selling them at a loss (MAYBE at evens). The CV1 is MASSIVELY better than the DK2.
    [–]kmanmx 0 points1 point2 points  (21 children)
    You realise custom displays cost tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars ?
    [–]xaronax 1 point2 points3 points  (10 children)
    What kind of goddam idiot fucks are upvoting you?
    Oculus RIft ....IS NOT FOR MOST AMERICANS
    It's fucking supposed to be. That was the entire point of trying to make VR mainstream. It was the backbone of their kickstarter campaign (not "help us pad our stock portfolio with Facebook shares). The DK1 and DK2 were "NOT FOR MOST AMERICANS".
    extremely High end product of an extremely niche market
    It's not even in the top 5 high end VR headsets.
    some of you really thought dual 1440p screens and all that hardware covered in damn breathable custom fabric was gonna be designed and delivered to you for 350
    It's got 1 display, that's a Samsung smartphone panel that has a slightly nicer driver unit that can do slightly higher FPS.
    "damn breathable custom fabric"
    lol.
    350
    Yes. We did think that. Palmer has been telling us for a year that it would be in that range.
    TL;DR: You don't have any idea what you're talking about.
    Source: Placed my order at 11:02 AM EST.
    [–]imariaprime 0 points1 point2 points  (41 children)
    And at prices like this, it will be a niche market forever.
    [–]sabrathos 8 points9 points10 points  (12 children)
    My parents bought one of the first 50" HDTVs for around $3-4k. And there was barely anything to watch on it. I think the Rift has a chance.
    [–]imariaprime 8 points9 points10 points  (8 children)
    It's easy to remember the success stories. But how happy are the people who bought into 3D HDTVs now? Not all expensive early adoption works.
    [–]eulers_identity 4 points5 points6 points  (2 children)
    Uh, actually you could watch just about anything on that HDTV.
    [–]CatLover1968 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    I guess you don't remember that awful SD aspect ratio. Get a bad taste in my mouth just thinking about it.
    [–]waxenpi 27 points28 points29 points  (4 children)
    I know. When you're 12 years old, 3 years into the future does feel like forever.
    [–]Antrikshy 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    There will be tons of smaller companies in the future getting into the VR game. Just watch. Someone will come out with an open source standard (if it hasn't happened already) that will catch on.
    [–]MetallicDragon 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Yes, because prices of technology never change over time...
    [–]phillypro 2 points3 points4 points  (8 children)
    nope...ill sell you my CV1
    when CV2 comes out....and ill sell it at the price you were looking for $399
    you have my word ;)
    [–]GoldenShadowGS 5 points6 points7 points  (6 children)
    Would you really want to buy a second hand device that goes on someone's greasy face for hours at a time?
    [–]pausemenu 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
    For a discount? Of course people will.
    [–]gobots4life 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    The first commercially made electronic televisions with cathode ray tubes were manufactured by Telefunken in Germany in 1934,[9][10] followed by other makers in France (1936),[11] Britain (1936),[12] and America (1938).[13][14] The cheapest model with a 12-inch (30 cm) screen was $445 (equivalent to $7,481 in 2016).[15]
    $7,481
    [–]MichaelTenery 0 points1 point2 points  (6 children)
    Yeah, Just like blueray players, DVRs, smart phones, HD TVs, consoles, and many, many more. All of those started at 599$ or higher BTW. I guess they are niche markets? Current good sized 4K monitors are 700$ or more. Destined for a niche market? Maybe if VR comes faster than people want 4K monitors.
    [–]imariaprime 1 point2 points3 points  (5 children)
    This deliberate ignorance pretending that "$599 = niche" isn't a convincing argument, because nobody thinks that. $599 VR without any killer applications to sell the average consumer? That is niche.
    People understood how to use Blu-Ray and DVRs immediately, because they duplicated VCR tech. TVs, phones, and consoles? Hardly breaking new ground. But VR is emergent tech, and that unproven nature means it needs to prove itself first.
    You want an example of other emergent tech? Look at the original Wii. It was the budget system, so that people would give waggle gaming a chance. And let's be real; it wasn't even that good of tech used for the Wiimotes. But it was good enough for the money, so everyone and their grandma (literally) bought the damn thing.
    Compare that to the Kinect, the PlayStation Eye, and even the Wii U. Better tech in many ways, but more expensive. Now the Wii U is last in the console race, the PlayStation Eye is a ghost, and Microsoft unbundled the "absolutely necessary" Kinect from the X1 and even has stopped supporting its use in menus.
    Unproven tech needs to be affordable to convince consumers. Once MOST people believe in you, not just enthusiasts, you can start to ramp up the tech in both quality and cost.
    [–]MichaelTenery -1 points0 points1 point  (4 children)
    First off you are dead wrong about phones. There is a huge difference between cell phones and smart phones. You don't post on reddit on cell phones you do on smart phones.
    I understand you think it is going to fail. That's your belief. Plenty of folks said that the iPhone was too expensive, and no one wanted it and it was a niche market at best. Do I own an iPhone? Nope. I went android. But I am also not stupid and I know that without iPhones I wouldn't have android, at least not today.
    IMO even if Oculus doesn't dominate the market even people who buy Vives (or future HMDs) have Oculus to thank for it.
    But back to the game show....already in progress.
    Is the Rift like the Kinect or like smart phones, place your bets! The ball is rolling. What will it be? Watch and see. It is the greatest show on earth. Now in VR!
    [–]imariaprime 0 points1 point2 points  (3 children)
    Even when smart phones hit, they were cell phones that were also doing things computers did. "Check email, but not at the office!" A combination of familiar concepts, easy to see the value in.
    This is where we find common ground: I do think VR will succeed, and I think your iPhone/Android comparison is most apt. The concept is good, but Oculus has inexplicably dropped the ball on becoming synonymous with VR to the common user. Even if every current product blows it, I expect it'll end up prevalent eventually. Just not with the Rift, at this price point.
    [–]MichaelTenery 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
    Fair enough. You bet on Orange (Valve/HTC) I'll bet on black (oculus) others will bet on blue (Playstation VR)
    [–]imariaprime 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    I'm currently betting on blue (PSVR) to sell the concept effectively to customers, but not to have the best tech. One good thing to come from all this, is that at least there's a ton of competition right out of the gate.
    [–]MichaelTenery 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Good news for all!
    [–]hippocratical -3 points-2 points-1 points  (2 children)
    And at prices like this, it will be a niche market forever.
    Wait - the PS3 at launch was $599. Shame Playstation isn't a thing anymore.
    /yes you need an expensive computer as well for the CV1
    [–]imariaprime 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    Do you not recall how brutally the PS3 got wrecked at launch? And that was with considerable brand recognition thanks to the earlier two models AND largely comparable gameplay to its competition.
    At $599 for the Facebook Oculus, the average person (not an /r/oculus member) has much less goodwill. And developers won't pour money into AAA titles for unadopted hardware.
    You need a new Minecraft, an indie experience that can only work in 3D that somehow blows everyone away, to get a $599 VR device moving.
    [–]damontoo 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    With 30 years of gaming consoles setting peoples expectations. VR has no real history with consumers.
    [–]rotide 183 points184 points185 points  (182 children)
    $600 is not small.
    $600 is not trivial.
    $600 is three months of electric/gas utilities.
    $600 is six eight months of water bills.
    $600 is a little more than half my monthly mortgage bill.
    I saved and pre-ordered. I was certainly disappointed, but this near hysteria of a $600 product is a bit ridiculous at this point.
    Simply put, if $600 is too expensive, that's fine. Pre-order and save for the next few months before they debit the account. Or, just don't get Generation one and wait for reviews and an make an informed choice. While you're waiting to make the choice, save up!
    If this was $6,000. Yeah, ok. I can get a car for that.
    $600 stings, but it's about a third of what my PC costs. I know I'm an early adopter and I'm taking a risk, but it's one I've saved up for and one I want to take.
    [–]cruelandusual 51 points52 points53 points  (17 children)
    Your water bill is a hundred bucks? Where do you live, Atacama?
    [–]rotide 4 points5 points6 points  (13 children)
    Thank you, should be ~8 months (~$70/mo).
    [–]ironmancat 14 points15 points16 points  (2 children)
    Do you own a water park? My house is only $30/mo
    [–]rotide 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    City water where I live... I pay lots of fees and then sewer fees on top of water. If I take a gallon, they expect (and charge) for a gallon of sewer usage.
    [–]dafood48 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    That's crazy. I pay roughly $700 for every 3 months. Having a two family home in the city kind of sucks
    [–]bestrez 8 points9 points10 points  (8 children)
    Goddamn. You probably own a house, but mine is $90-100 for 3 months of use in the suburbs of Chicago (apt).
    [–]akatherder 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
    Do you have laundry in your apartment...
    [–]Squishumz 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
    Don't wash your clothes. Problem solved.
    [–]XenoLive 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Shit I have a pool and my water bill is less than $100
    [–]rotide 1 point2 points3 points  (4 children)
    I think $40 of my bill is the connection fee alone.. And I know I'm not a big water user too! Feel bad for my neighbors who are always washing cars and watering lawns!
    Edit: yes, I own a single family/detached. Well, technically the bank owns it...
    [–]Mechakoopa 4 points5 points6 points  (2 children)

    Details of New Charges

    Water Charges (Service #1)
    Daily Base Charge: $0.72 x 32 days | $23.04
    Consumption Charge: $1.72 x 13.228 M3 | $22.75
    Sewer Charges
    Daily Base Charge: $0.56 x 32 days | $17.92
    Sewer Calculation: $1.54 x 13.228 M3 x 82% | $16.70
    Storm Drainage Charges (0 - 1,000 m2)
    Daily Base Charge: $0.48 x 32 days | $15.36
    Recycling Charges
    Daily Base Charge: $0.25 x 32 days x 1 service(s) | $8.00
    Total Charges: $103.77
    A whopping $64.32 of my monthly utility bill from the city is unavoidable fees. My 13.228M3 of water usage only costs me $39.45, or less than 40% of my bill. And there's still property tax, power and gas bills on top of that. And I don't even have a very large house.
    [–]rotide 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    My water bill in a nutshell... Fees fees fees fees.. usage is a small percentage of it.
    [–]Logic_85 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Don't forget the paper-bill fee of $5, and the online bill payment "conveneince fee" of $5. Or you can switch to automatic payments and paperless bills. Paperless billing costs $5 per month and there is a $5 automatic payment fee....
    [–]WadderSquirell 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    $40 connection fee what the fuck? If you're not in very rural housing that's a bit steep. My company's average total bill it's $40 that's including city areas (state capital), towns, and rural mountainous country.
    [–]waxgecko 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Lmao my water bill is 350$ /mo in california :)
    [–]jgunit 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    He lives in Michigan. Lead isn't cheap.
    [–]Kooreth 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Ours is 30 bucks..
    [–]curtcolt95 47 points48 points49 points  (20 children)
    Keep in mind part of the uproar is due to the fact that they originally said the price would be between $200-$400. $600 is a pretty big difference. Also, no free shipping so add another $50.
    [–]FlyingPhotog 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    WTF!? $50 for shipping?
    [–]sirgog 0 points1 point2 points  (3 children)
    Also, no free shipping so add another $50.
    Fuck, I would have gritted my teeth and bought it at USD 600 if shipping was only US 50. I'd have complained, but paid.
    When I saw USD 650 for the unit (including taxes) and ANOTHER USD 132 for shipping - fuck that.
    [–]curtcolt95 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
    I have no clue what shipping methods they're using. Is it coming to me in a diamond encrusted box or something?
    [–]sirgog 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    I'm not going to find out.
    [–]curtcolt95 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Oh I definitely won't be either.
    [–]rotide -22 points-21 points-20 points  (13 children)
    People's definitions of "ballpark" are going to vary. I found $600 to be in the ballpark of $350 when you consider it's the first generation of consumer grade VR. Frankly, I'm surprised it isn't $1,999.
    Go back in time and ask me what I think it will cost to create a headset VR setup and I'd easily guess over $1k.
    I'm not saying $600 is cheap. I'm saying I think it's reasonable with all things considered.
    Your opinion may vary and that's cool.
    [–]Xanoxis 15 points16 points17 points  (12 children)
    It's not ballpark. It's over twice of that. And it's too expensive for a toy, that might not work out.
    For 750 euro I can build decent medium-high end PC. That's 3/4 of cost for my high end PC.
    I don't know what are you smoking, really. It's expensive for most people, thats the only point. If its a fail, that will be one of the reasons.
    [–]IRPancake 0 points1 point2 points  (3 children)
    TIL 350 x 2 = 600
    [–]Xanoxis 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
    It's over 700 for EU.
    [–]IRPancake 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    Oops, missed that. Regardless, for the market that it's being offered to, $600 US seems pretty damn reasonable for what you're getting, considering most smart phones exceed that cost (though those arguably have more utility). I think most people that can afford this, that also actually want it, understand the risks and are willing to take them.
    [–]Xanoxis 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    It's still too expensive for a big amount of people, and I wouldn't compare it to the smartphones (most people buy them on contracts I bet, and not many people would buy VR in the first place). That is probably biggest concern here, alongside sugesting price in 200-400 range for a long time instead of being straight from the beggining.
    [–]rotide comment score below threshold-12 points-11 points-10 points  (7 children)
    And it's too expensive for a toy
    If that is what you see this as, that's your problem. No offense, but this is first gen of "real" VR. It's not a toy, it's enthusiast level hardware. Again, first gen of enthusiast level hardware. Frankly, I'm surprised it's not over 1k.
    [–]Xanoxis 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Real VR needs a platform to make games on. If you limit first major launch of VR to practically rich entusiast, you wont get big community. PC "master race" is already not THAT big compared to casual gamer. Rift VR will be even smaller. You need good PC AND very expensive accessory, that is not even full (the controler will not be out for 6 months apparently). I would understand premium Vive with laser accuracy etc. (for 600-650 euro if so, some mercy for EU plz) but not Rift.
    [–]Amazinglagann 1 point2 points3 points  (3 children)
    I was genuinely expecting the first line of VR headsets to cost thousands of dollars. The fact that the dev kits were just around 300 dollars was ridiculous to me. This is a high quality TV screen that sits on your head. Not only that, it tracks your movements. TVs can cost way more than that. $600 for this kind of technology is more understandable to me, but still far cheaper than I thought it would be for generations of the product.
    [–]Onkelffs 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    As someone who doesn't understand the hype at all it seems like you're good at talking yourself into expensive purchases. What I'm understanding it's like strapping a $150 cellphone to your eyes while remaining in front of a $30 eyetoy. So for me it's hard to justify something over $250 tbh. So I'll wait until that happens.
    [–]synthesis777 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    Your understanding is more than a little off in that case.
    [–]Amazinglagann 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Oh, I'm not buying it. I'm just thinking it's cheap for what it is.
    [–]Onkelffs -2 points-1 points0 points  (1 child)
    I just see a headstrapped entrylevel smartphone synced to a Wii sensory bar/eyetoy. So I can't justify such a toy if it's more expensive than it's parts. So first to $250 gets me to glance at it. But good for you that you can justify your purchase. Flight and racing simulator enthusiasts already pay Mad money for gear already and I could see those concepts work.
    [–]IRPancake 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    So I can't justify such a toy if it's more expensive than it's parts.
    I'm sorry to hear you don't own any toys :(
    [–]Awia00 -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
    When have they said that $200 was a possible price? Ive only heard 300-400
    [–]crshbndct 11 points12 points13 points  (4 children)
    The problem, for enthusiasts, is not the price.
    It's that at that price, no one outside of enthusiasts will buy it. If no one buys it, no one will make games for it. Outside of a bit of crappy support in indie games, don't expect to be able to actually use it.
    [–]sirgog 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
    Or games will be made for it and priced accordingly.
    Games that might have been $4 with a mass customer base could easily be $20 + microtransactions now.
    [–]crshbndct 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    So crappy mobile tier games will now be the Rifts main attraction?
    Groovy.
    [–]sirgog -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
    I wouldn't be surprised if there's some high quality games made at high price points.
    I remember my parents paying $105 Australian for Super Metroid - an extremely polished game that was cutting edge in its day.
    We might see very polished games at a similar price point that, had the Rift been a widely adopted piece of hardware might have been priced around $20.
    [–]IRPancake -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
    It's the first generation. Subsequent versions will be cheaper as the demand increases. IMO you also need that platform to be created from the enthusiasts to create interest for the more casual players. Otherwise you'll introduce this great product with no content and the more casual people will lose interest quickly.
    [–]BitStompr 128 points129 points130 points  (103 children)
    Says the guy with a full set of bills and a $1200 a month morgage. You do know that to some of us that looks like wealth right? I seriously wish I COULD save up for a few months and get a preorder but the bills from the wife's breast cancer are really stacking up..... :\
    edit jesus you guys. I have no idea how being financially tight due to sickness is somehow a choice or makes me a dirtbag but some of your comments are less than classy. I don't feel entitled to a rift and I know it's early adoption. I was simply saying that this is almost twice the price the quoted and unattainable for many people with lower income.
    [–]rotide 16 points17 points18 points  (27 children)
    I'm married, two incomes. I'm not making six digits if that's what you're implying. If you're implying I'm doing better than average to be able to afford a gaming PC and a $600 vr headset.. well, yeah I would agree with that. At the same time, this is the first generation of a VR headset meant for consumers. I expected it to be expensive and a silly purchase for people who can't make ends meet.
    Those who can't make ends meet shouldn't be worried if this costs $20 let alone $600. They should be getting their affairs in order before dropping cash on frivolous "toys" like a Rift. Or hell, a gaming PC able to handle it...
    [–]bartycrank 6 points7 points8 points  (1 child)
    The shitty part is that the average is so bad right now, you can pretty much beat it by having 20 bucks in your pocket. I'm not well off by any means, but having a pittance in savings is putting me well above average. It's kind of depressing to think about.
    [–]Kaono 7 points8 points9 points  (0 children)
    The shitty part is that the average is so bad right now, you can pretty much beat it by having 20 bucks in your pocket.
    And zero debt. That's the important part.
    [–]rdeluca 31 points32 points33 points  (16 children)
    That's the idea of all the complaints, it wasn't supposed to be this expensive....
    [–]shadow1psc 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    If the rift was $400 at launch, to me that's no different than $600. It puts the rift firmly in the realm of 'expensive toy' and you have 2+ months to put that money aside. If you can barely scrape $400 together in two months, you could probably be spending that $400 wiser (or saving it).
    [–]rotide -5 points-4 points-3 points  (11 children)
    First Gen VR, I'm not sure what people expected... First gen anything is always expensive and usually crappy in some regard (when compared to gen2+).
    [–]rdeluca 15 points16 points17 points  (10 children)
    I wouldn't have been expecting it cheap if it hadn't been hyped as so by Oculus. Literally the only reason people are complaining.
    [–]rotide comment score below threshold-14 points-13 points-12 points  (9 children)
    If I point out they wanted to be in the "ballpark" of $350 and never claimed that would be the price?
    I know it's upsetting that it's not $350, but that was never the MSRP.
    I had my heart set on $350 as well, no doubt, but I'm not surprised at the cost now that I've had time to think about it. Hell, the fact that they didn't release the price before today should have clued people into the fact that it wasn't going to be the price that has been floating around.
    [–]rdeluca 11 points12 points13 points  (8 children)
    I didn't say promised I said hyped. It's not in the fucking ballpark, it's practically double.
    THEY hyped it as "ballpark of 350", not the fans, not anyone else.
    Don't make false hype and it won't fall flat on its face and create rage. Marketing 102 (not quite 101)
    [–]rotide comment score below threshold-19 points-18 points-17 points  (7 children)
    Your definition of ballpark may differ as it's not a hard unit of measure.
    I'm biased however. I pre-ordered. Take my opinion for what you will.
    [–]TheGrimGuardian 8 points9 points10 points  (5 children)
    You're being completely unreasonable because you don't want to admit when you're wrong.
    [–]shinychainsaw 17 points18 points19 points  (0 children)
    A 70%(ish) increase is in no way a reasonable definition of "ballpark". Whether you think it's worth it or not at that price point isn't the issue. The issue is that they themselves set an expectation, and then promptly shit all over it. If they had never set that expectation, nobody would have a reason to be upset.
    [–]iain_1986 -10 points-9 points-8 points  (2 children)
    It wasn't supposed to be?
    That's an odd statement. When did we all get to decide how much a future product should cost?
    [–]xBigChillinx 23 points24 points25 points  (1 child)
    When they said it would cost around $350.
    [–]Skillster 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    I thought first estimates were at $400? And then they said right out that it would be more expensive than that.
    [–]hinote 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    I made a comment and then I read yours. Pretty much the same thing. I agree with you completely.
    [–]The_Serious_Account 0 points1 point2 points  (5 children)
    What an arrogant stupid ass comment. Low income people shouldn't spend money on enjoying life. Fuck off
    [–]MW_Daught 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    Shouldn't spend exorbitant amounts of money on niche products to enjoy life.*
    [–]The_Serious_Account 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    20 dollars isn't exorbitant, even for someone around the powerty line in the us
    [–]MW_Daught 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Different mindsets, I guess.
    Back when I was a kid and my family was making 30k a year, I had to lobby for months to get a $1 birthday present. I didn't see the inside of a movie theater until I was 17 or so after I got my first internship.
    [–]IRPancake 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Low income people are more than welcome to spend money on enjoying life. Shit, go crazy.
    But you better not ever fucking complain about your lack of money if you blow it on shit like virtual reality goggles instead of putting food on the table, or paying your rent/mortgage.
    [–]rotide 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Ahh, the American way... Wut, my kids don't need food, I need a new <toy>.
    Generalizing, but I've seen it far too often.
    [–]BitStompr 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Yeah, I was just saying your a bit higher on the scale than some of us. Sorry if it came across like a douche. I imagine this would be too pricy for a lot of single parents or students as well. Yes, it is Earl adopting but it's also almost twice the price they told us. And you sort of hit the nail on the head. With her not working and me paying the medical bills we've managed you just barely stay out of debt (mostly). If I saved for 6 months or so I might have been able to hit the ballpark of $350 but $600 is simply not an option.
    [–]youpostyoudie -4 points-3 points-2 points  (52 children)
    Then maybe you shouldn't be preordering first gen gaming peripherals?
    [–]BitStompr 10 points11 points12 points  (3 children)
    Uh, I didnt?
    [–]youpostyoudie -2 points-1 points0 points  (2 children)
    Sorry, I skimmed through your comment.
    [–]BitStompr 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    That's fine. Didn't mean to come off like a dick.
    [–]youpostyoudie -2 points-1 points0 points  (0 children)
    You didn't at all.
    [–]2uneek 109 points110 points111 points  (10 children)
    Then maybe you shouldn't be preordering first gen gaming peripherals?
    uhh, they never said they're preordering a first gen gaming peripheral... they literally said:
    I seriously wish I COULD save up for a few months and get a preorder
    So, what's your point?
    [–]doublewar 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    They wouldn't be able to afford a VR ready PC, anyways. Even my beastly computer has problems sometimes with VR games.
    I do think oculus should have gone for a lower price point, though. I thought they had plans originally to release multiple different models, so people that can afford the high end stuff can get it and people that can't still have an option. Though I guess the people that would have gotten a rift without a headset, controller, lower res screen, etc. for a lower price would still have no way of playing most VR games without an expensive computer.
    [–]youpostyoudie -4 points-3 points-2 points  (0 children)
    My bad. I've just seen a lot of weird tantrum throwing today about future gadgets being expensive.
    [–]penprog -1 points0 points1 point  (1 child)
    You can't afford to save for a 600 dollar peripheral but you can afford a 1000 dollar VR ready PC with a monitor? Ok
    [–]BitStompr 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Have both from before she quit working and I started caretaking. I wasn't always light on cash flow.
    [–]bathroomstalin -1 points0 points1 point  (1 child)
    Age is just a number
    Not everybody on reddit is literate
    Check your privilege, etc.
    [–]havocjewel 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    755 checkmate neckbeards
    [–]BlackDeath3 -18 points-17 points-16 points  (2 children)
    Well, the preorder in question ostensibly refers to the Oculus Rift CV1, a first-generation gaming peripheral. Can you see how one might have come under the impression that /u/BitStompr is looking to preorder a first-generation gaming peripheral?
    [–]2uneek 9 points10 points11 points  (1 child)
    not when he specifically says that he wishes he could preorder it?
    [–]BlackDeath3 comment score below threshold-8 points-7 points-6 points  (0 children)
    Fair enough. Easy to misinterpret, clearly, but fair enough.
    [–]nsto -6 points-5 points-4 points  (0 children)
    Do... Do you really need to have it explained to you? It's pretty obvious.
    [–]ncocca 77 points78 points79 points  (29 children)
    "your wife got cancer so you shouldn't get vr"
    Oh America
    [–]cyllibi 21 points22 points23 points  (5 children)
    Yeah, I live here in it and this mindset makes me weep. Literally adding insult to injury.
    [–]Twerkulez -2 points-1 points0 points  (3 children)
    Lol. Because everyone should have every luxury item their heart desires?
    I live here and this mindset makes me weep.
    [–]fapregrets 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
    I think its more the fact that living in. first world country, you shouldn't be punished financially if you have cancer.
    [–]sketchbookuser -2 points-1 points0 points  (1 child)
    Or not everyone deserves a free hand out simply because they live in the States?
    [–]fapregrets 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Free hand out for medical fees, ur a joke mate hahaha
    [–]Circ-Le-Jerk -3 points-2 points-1 points  (0 children)
    Dude. You're wife has beast cancer and needs you. You shouldn't be weeping over Internet comments.
    [–]BlackDeath3 2 points3 points4 points  (18 children)
    I don't think that anybody really believes that somebody "shouldn't get" (I take this to mean "doesn't deserve") VR because their wife got cancer, but the reality of the situation is that both healthcare and VR HMDs cost money. Somebody has to pay for it, and that's a fact. If the person benefiting from the product/service isn't also the one paying for that product/service, then who is paying for it? Who should pay for it? Which course of action scales best?
    EDIT: Yes, downvote me for asking genuine and topical questions in a civil manner. Let the hate flow through you.
    [–]ncocca 14 points15 points16 points  (17 children)
    Healthcare, like education, should be funded by everybody, as it's a service that benefits all and should be available to all. That's just my opinion of course, but it's one I feel strongly about.
    [–]Squishumz -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
    Should be, but that's not the world Americans live in, right now. Getting mad at people on reddit isn't going to change that.
    [–]BlackDeath3 -5 points-4 points-3 points  (15 children)
    Yes, healthcare benefits everybody, but that doesn't mean that everybody should pay the same amount for it regardless of what they actually require. Spreading the cost evenly, with no concern for individual needs, that seems unfair to me.
    [–]Parrelium 4 points5 points6 points  (10 children)
    It is absolutely fair. You pay the same as everyone else, and if in 20 years you get some horribly rare disease it's still covered. If you don't ever need to go to the doctor then at least you've got peace of mind.
    The fact that you would have a tiered system designed to charge people more for being genetically disadvantaged is the definition of prejudice.
    Not to mention the negotiating power that comes with a single payer system.
    [–]BlackDeath3 comment score below threshold-6 points-5 points-4 points  (9 children)
    It is absolutely fair. You pay the same as everyone else, and if in 20 years you get some horribly rare disease it's still covered. If you don't ever need to go to the doctor then at least you've got peace of mind.
    And if I don't want to pay for "peace of mind"? Shouldn't I have a choice?
    The fact that you would have a tiered system designed to charge people more for being genetically disadvantaged is the definition of prejudice.
    The type of system that I would have would be one that charges people for what they use. That doesn't sound at all like prejudice to me.
    [–]TeHSaNdMaNS 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Shouldn't I have a choice?
    About as much as you get a choice in Public K-12, Public roads, a Military, Police Force, Bridges, Social Security and every other social program we have.
    that seems unfair to me.
    More fair than someone suffering or dying from preventable and treatable illnesses that they didn't do anything to get. Not to mention that unless you're making enough to actually be paying for this you'll likely see reduced costs in your own healthcare. If you are making enough then you'll see a more efficient use of your tax dollars since you likely are already paying for the ER visits by people in poverty that will never pay.
    [–]NZAllBlacks 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    So in your system, medical bankruptcy would be common.
    [–]Parrelium 1 point2 points3 points  (5 children)
    What you want is exactly what America has right now, and it's pretty fucked up.
    [–]ncocca 0 points1 point2 points  (3 children)
    I never said everyone should contribute equally, that'd be nuts
    [–]BlackDeath3 -1 points0 points1 point  (2 children)
    OK, that's fair, a bad assumption on my part (I seem to be doing that a lot lately). Maybe you should tell me - what should somebody pay for?
    [–]ZacAttack42 -3 points-2 points-1 points  (1 child)
    Maybe you should stop making assumptions.
    You could start by not assuming youre the one whos right and that its others' ideas that need explaining
    [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Wow, that's terrible logic.
    [–]AK_Happy 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    "America is literally Hell."
    Oh, Reddit.
    [–]dragonfangxl -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
    What would you do, only give vr to people who are related to someone with cancer? Because there isn't enough to just give them out for free, you've got to have some system
    [–]theth1rdchild 34 points35 points36 points  (4 children)
    his wife has breast cancer so he can't wish he could lose himself in his hobby
    Maybe you shouldn't be an asshole?
    [–]youpostyoudie 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
    Shit I totally didn't process that part.
    [–]theth1rdchild 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    I hesitantly retract the asshole part.
    [–]youpostyoudie -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
    I just read it as another guy complaining that he wasn't willing to shell out money for bleeding edge niche gaming peripherals. I think those guys are being whiny children, but the guy who is paying for his wife's cancer treatment didn't deserve to be mocked.
    [–]thebeginningistheend -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
    You don't get it. People with real problems don't deserve hopes and dreams. The American Dream demands only the fortunate and prosperous deserve happy, fulfilling lives.
    [–]jarinatorman 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    Fuck you.
    [–]youpostyoudie -3 points-2 points-1 points  (0 children)
    Don't get too riled up, we are talking about toys here.
    [–]JoriCal 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    Well I don't think anyone ever expected the oculus to be cheap, certainly not at the beginning.
    Heck, my first phone i bought was €200, now I bought the same one for €38.
    All new tech thingies are expensive, so i dont get it why people expected otherwise
    [–]BitStompr 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Only because they said in the ballpark of 350.
    [–]FailedSociopath 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Fret not. I was going to get us some pitchforks and torches and get everyone together to do a siege on his castle.
     
    Edit: Also, the guillotine has been gathering dust in the attic. It needs a little action to keep it in smooth working order. Start without me while I get it ready.
    [–]Raymuuze 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    The backlash I feel is mostly because this will increase the entry barrier.
    A higher entry barrier means there will be far less initial buyers, which means there is less incentive for developers to develop for the product right now, which means there are less products, which means there is less incentive to buy VR.
    It's not a first time. Affordability is a big part of success. The more early adapters, the more likely you'll see success in a new marker. Thankfully there are competitors that might be more affordable.
    [–]InTheTreeWithTheAnon 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    It's a thousand dollars in Canada. Our dollar averages around the American dollar. Oculus could let Canadians buy it for 600 cad and wait for the Canadian currency to rebound.
    [–]MyOtherRideIsYosista 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    600 $ is 4 years of water for me
    [–]riftsupport 1 point2 points3 points  (3 children)
    $600 is $12/week for 1 year.
    [–]zeekaran 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Who pays for anything weekly? Better to say $50/mo for a year, which is most people's internet bills.
    [–]bathroomstalin 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    How much is it per second over 7 years?
    [–]SeeYouAgainIReply 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    .0003 cents per second
    [–]Zerbulon 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Thats it, I'm an adult with two kids, mortgage, cars, holidays...yes, I could buy a Rift + PC but it would sting.
    [–]Henry132 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    $600 is more than my monthly salary :)
    [–]s2514 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    I've been budgeting 50 dollars a month for VR for a little more than a year and I've been budgeting to upgrade my PC since it was built. It's more money than I thought but I decided I wanted to buy a VR headset when they release for consumers so I planned ahead.
    For those that don't have the money and can't afford it skip this generation and start saving right now. 2nd Gen will probably cost less too.
    If you budget even just 1 dollar a day in a year and a half you would almost be able to afford a new rift and by then I'm sure you could get it used for less and there may even be a price drop.
    [–]Mike312 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    $600 stings, but it's about a third of what my PC costs
    I was at the card shop last night chatting with a dude who put $700 into a deck of Magic cards. He mopped the floor with me 3x in a row. Granted, it was a nice fucking deck, but there's no way in hell I'd ever drop $700 to build one deck. We've all got our vices.
    [–]rotide 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Agreed, and well put.
    [–]GoEaglesAyoo 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
    $600 is an entire PC for some people. STFU if you don't know anything, this is a shit price point and it is nothing but a gimmicky piece of shit
    [–]rotide 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    Why are you in this sub then? If it's just a "gimmicky piece of shit" you entered the subreddit, read the post, read the comments and replied.
    Chances are you do care and are trying to convince yourself you don't.
    Welcome!
    [–]GoEaglesAyoo 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Here from /r/all . Its a shame how much of a failure this will actually be.
    [–]xtracto 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    600 is the average monthly income for someone in Mexico :-( . You could feed a whole 4 kid family for a month
    [–]thelovicmachine 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Hey look at this fatcat over here. I bet he wipes his ass with non generic toilet paper.
    [–]Sal_Ammoniac 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Don't have $600 to my name, so the rest do no matter, anyway...
    [–]TheBluePanda 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    I wish $600 was more than half my monthly rent. Instead it's less than a quarter of it. An unfortunate aspect of living in a crazy expensive city.
    [–]thebornotaku 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    $600 is three months of electric/gas utilities.
    $600 is 30 months of gas and electric for my fiancee and I. Roughly $20/mo.
    [–]Obaruler 8 points9 points10 points  (1 child)
    All fun aside, that's actually pretty shocking to learn, especially as a well-off Nerd with the spare cash to jump into VR this year. :/
    [–]ElmaNore 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Not as pricey as the Hololens... but yeah, at least the Rift is sort of in reach?
    [–]bbaadd1 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Looks like I'm not buying one of those.
    [–]IronclawFTW 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    For me (Sweden), my order cost €742, which is $800 dollars. Then later it will cost more, if I understand this correctly: "Taxes, Surcharges and Fees: Applicable shipping, taxes and duties will be added to and charged in your payment upon shipment of the unit."
    [–]-DEAD- 13 points14 points15 points  (0 children)
    Genius.
    [–]sketchbookuser 4 points5 points6 points  (2 children)
    Good. Poor people shouldn't be able to have fun.
    [–][deleted]  (1 child)
    [deleted]
      [–]OurEyesArentReal 76 points77 points78 points  (281 children)
      Wasn't there another recent study that said something like 75% of people don't have $1000 saved. As someone firmly in the middle class, I read that and shudder at the stress those people live with. I'm not happy if I have less than 3 months of living income in cold hard cash, much less in all my savings funds combined. What the hell do people spend all their money on?
      [–]Rhapshe 344 points345 points346 points  (115 children)
      Generally, staying alive.
      [–]CallMeFifi 138 points139 points140 points  (64 children)
      Well, also iPhones and Xbox Ones.
      [–]SenorArchibald 134 points135 points136 points  (48 children)
      it's worth it if it distracts you from your shitty life
      [–]Death_to_Fascism 23 points24 points25 points  (5 children)
      That's why there's a correlation between poverty and addiction.
      [–]larry_appleton420 2 points3 points4 points  (4 children)
      Is there?
      [–]PimpSuitPrime 8 points9 points10 points  (3 children)
      That's an easy answer for anyone that's lived in poverty.
      [–]larry_appleton420 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
      I grew up around upper middle people and addiction was everywhere. Poor people = scum = addicts I think the perception goes.
      [–]PimpSuitPrime 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      I've lived with and among poverty. It's so brutal because your low status becomes internalized at a young age as you grow up. You pick it up from your parents and the other adults around you in your "bracket" so to speak. I was fortunate in that real poverty didn't strike until later, so it wasn't quite as harsh as being handed it from birth.
      Addiction happens because feeling like shit-fuck every day gets really really old. Being treated like shit because you've internalized that you are shit and doing the same to others. And so it goes round and round.
      People seek whatever they can to get relief. I was lucky enough that weed did the trick for me. Now it's legal and who gives a shit.
      But the unlucky ones try something harder first. Maybe their pain is deeper too and so harder is better. It's pretty easy to understand.
      [–]PimpSuitPrime 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
      As for the "middle class", there really is a lot less of that left than you'd think.
      A financial newsletter I've followed for a long time did a piece on what it takes for a "true middle class lifestyle". And on the coasts it's something like 125k-150k (not even a top-tier city), no joke.
      And with inflation and more competition for resources that's just reality right now. So the middle class being addicted is no surprise. They're the new low class. And the old low class became the literally impoverished.
      [–]arcticfunky 60 points61 points62 points  (9 children)
      I think we deserve some nice shit for making some other guy rich everyday
      [–]thebornotaku 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      that logic just makes other guys rich too tho
      [–]AK_Happy -5 points-4 points-3 points  (0 children)
      Well you don't.
      [–]jvnk -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
      Well, you have nice shit.
      [–][deleted]  (5 children)
      [deleted]
        [–]rdeluca 11 points12 points13 points  (30 children)
        Which is shitty because you buy expensive things to distract you...
        ITS AN INFINITE LOOP WITH NO SOLUTION except for not buying beyond your meaaaans... IMPOSSSIBLEEEEE
        [–]fascistsaregarbage 9 points10 points11 points  (2 children)
        The whole "they waste all their money on iPhones" nonsense is just that, nonsense. It doesn't really have a basis in reality.
        The real costs are rent, utilities, food etc. That's what's making people not have any extra money to save, not "iPhones and XBoxes".
        I'm sure the top commenter who started this is just repeating something he saw on the "news". That said, people that perpetuate this idea that low income people should not have even a single source of entertainment, and put forth the lie that these entertainment costs are making them poor, have a really gross agenda and should be disregarded.
        Not to mention, it's basically like begrudging someone the only entertainment in their lives, which is pretty despicable.
        [–]rdeluca 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Not to mention, it's basically like begrudging someone the only entertainment in their lives, which is pretty despicable.
        Agree with everything else but this is really ehhh debatable. Learn to enjoy cheaper hobbies.
        [–]sirgog 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Yep.
        When I was too ill to work for an extended period and on welfare, I was one rent increase away from destitution the whole time.
        My entertainment budget was $20 (Australian) a week - 15% of the amount my landlord got each week for my shitty little room.
        I had a pretty decent phone the whole time - on a contract I signed up to before I got ill, back when I had a stable part-time job and could easily afford it. The bill caused no end of stress each month. Nothing really to do about it though - mobiles are an absolute essential in today's society especially if you want to ever get a job.
        The overwhelming majority of money low-income earners have goes on rent, transport and essentials.
        Funny now that I'm stably employed and earning OK (if not great) money, I've kept so many of the frugal habits I learned then, and strictly keep to an entertainment budget (even if it is 6 times higher than it used to be).
        [–]Dietly 17 points18 points19 points  (20 children)
        I'm honestly curious, do you think poor people should just sit at home and stare at the wall?
        I've seen a lot of people arguing something similar. You don't need cable, you don't need netflix, you don't NEED x, y, and z. Just eat your rice and beans every night and watch paint dry until you fall asleep from boredom so you can get up and work the next day and do it all over again.
        That's not living, that's not the kind of life anyone is striving for.
        I'm not saying everyone needs to go out and buy a brand new cell phone every 6 months for $600 or this VR headset or a new $60 AAA release for their xbox every 2 weeks, but there has to be some kind of entertainment budget there.
        [–]jvnk 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        Entertainment is damn near free these days, provided you have an internet connection.
        [–]SwaggyMcSwagsabunch 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
        Dude, cards and board games. I work with a bunch of native Pakistanis who came to America and after listening to their stories I now find it very difficult to feel empathy for anyone who has finance issues and has a smart phone. Or a purse over $20. Or an Xbox. Or anything beyond basic necessities. These men leave their families and work upwards of 5 part time jobs alone in a country for years to get the rest of the family over. And even now that they are somewhat established here they still talk about solo moving to Dubai for high paying contract work until their children are in high school. The average American doesn't know real sacrifice.
        [–]jvnk -3 points-2 points-1 points  (0 children)
        Shhh, don't tell them that. Ruins the persecution narrative. These folks give their 100% every day and can't get ahead through no fault of their own, duh!
        [–]i_am_bromega -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
        It's more about what's a better use of your time and money when you're broke, playing video games or learning a skill/trade to earn more money, or picking up a second job to help your situation?
        [–]torsoreaper comment score below threshold-10 points-9 points-8 points  (14 children)
        No, poor people should spend their free time reading free books from the library or, if they can afford internet, learning shit on the internet to become more valuable.
        I grew up so poor I shared a 2 bedroom apartment with another family. Now I'm in the top 4% as far as incomes go. How did I do it? By wasting my money on bullshit and coming home to drink beer and watch football? Oh wait no, I did it by paying my way through college with a fuck ton of student loans and working part time jobs, and then doing it again to get a masters, and then doing it again to get a CFA. I'm 33 and have spent the last 29 years of my life working my fucking ass off.
        That's "what poor people should do". Unless they want to stay poor that is. Life is choices, choose to be successful or not. It's all up to you.
        [–]Titty_Sprinkles_III 9 points10 points11 points  (1 child)
        And this is the person you turned out to be. A self righteous jackass.
        [–]jvnk -5 points-4 points-3 points  (0 children)
        You bitch about being poor and helpless. Then you bitch when someone points out maybe the people bitching about being poor and helpless don't know what actually being poor and helpless is like, and that anyone who isn't in a vegetative state or otherwise disabled can improve their socioeconomic standing. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
        [–]Robot_Seizure -2 points-1 points0 points  (10 children)
        I don't know why you are being down voted. This is 100% correct. You don't like your situation? Change it? Poor people shouldn't sit staring at walls, but they shouldn't be playing video games either. Work on improving yourself. Get some ambition and work on building your skills and resume for a better job.
        The fact is that most people won't look in the mirror and realize they are lazy and self entitled, with no perspective on what it takes to be successful. People aren't handed high salaries for sitting home and playing xbox, or messing around on their iPhone. Pick up a book, learn a specialty, and go out and apply it. It's all about what your goals are, and how hard you are willing to work achieve them.
        [–]Barril 3 points4 points5 points  (5 children)
        Everyone's situation is different. Just because something works for you doesn't mean it works for others. You built a strawman for those who have real issues that presents them as simply as people who don't try.
        Even if one pulled themself out of the gutter and became a CEO doesn't mean that their anecdotal path will work for someone else. Assuming that they aren't trying their damnedest is naive, and pidgeonholes people into a mental corner where you can dismiss their situation and not have to care about their suffering. Whatever helps you sleep at night I guess, but you should try to have a little more empathy for their situation.
        A good metric for reality: Nothing in life has simple answers. If you think a problem is simple or has a simple solution, you probably are missing major parts of the equation, or are misrepresenting the problem.
        [–]jvnk -1 points0 points1 point  (2 children)
        This seems reasonable to me. But it also seems reasonable to me that a good portion of the people who "would be ruined by a surprise $500 bill" have some combination of poor self-control, little planning skills and no financial literacy. All of which are within everyone's grasp to correct, it just takes willpower. Which is harder than plopping down in front of some screen and forgetting everything for a few hours. So I think there is some merit to both sides of the argument.
        [–]Robot_Seizure -1 points0 points1 point  (1 child)
        I also agree with you on this. My rant does not pertain to everyone in life, and there are a lot of people that need assistance. But then there are a ton of people who sit on reddit all day, and don't grow as a person to better their situation. This is perfectly fine also. If one's dream is to live the life they are currently living while remaining stagnant, then that is fine, but I don't want to hear from those same people who have no drive to better their situation how they can't afford a new piece of technology to play video games, and how it's just not fair. They would rather sit and bitch saying "look at me" instead of making it happen. For example, anyone who says they can't afford $600 before April are just not driven enough to afford it. With the information that is available to learn any specialty, and the varying opportunities of today like Uber to make money while pursuing your goals, people are capable of a lot more then they give themselves credit for.
        [–]HadiDev -1 points0 points1 point  (3 children)
        If you're in a shitty situation and you decide the long term solution is to be distracted, you just don't have the right attitude. The right attitude is to slave even harder for years to catch a break. But sure they can complain about expensive toys. DID YOU KNOW HOW MUCH A FERRARI COSTS?
        [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
        Except "slave even harder for years to catch a break" applies only if you plan on continuing to work in food service or retail and otherwise not improving your skillset in any conceivable way.
        [–]thedrcoma -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
        33 - 29 = 4
        Who the fuck hires toddlers?
        [–]Tcarruth6 14 points15 points16 points  (3 children)
        Unfortunately the solution is generally a combination of an increased bankruptcy rate, higher taxes and devaluing your currency. Which sucks a whopping ballsack.
        [–]_juicy_ -1 points0 points1 point  (1 child)
        Actually if ur a smart entrepreneur u can make something of ur life. Break free. The problem is people get comfortable being poor or in the middle low class.
        [–]rdeluca 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        I can't take something like this serious when it's with "u/ur" instead of "you/your"
        [–]nairebis -9 points-8 points-7 points  (0 children)
        Unfortunately the solution is generally a combination of an increased bankruptcy rate, higher taxes and devaluing your currency.
        Yes, that's certainly easier than having the population be fiscally responsible.
        (Not sarcasm, regrettably)
        [–]greg19735 7 points8 points9 points  (0 children)
        The problem is less about spending beyond your means and more that a lot of people don't see the point in saving. If it takes like 5 years to get savings that actually can help, it's usually not worth it for them.
        Plus, there is some truth to the idea that you may as well use your money now. I'd prefer to be happy for 20 years rather than save for 20 years and be happy starting at 45.
        I do realize that you can be happy and save money. I'm thankfully not in a situation where I have to pick either/or.
        [–]_juicy_ 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        That's the problem. It's a vicious cycle. Be poor. Invest in time wasting things to forget ur poor life. Waste time forgetting ur life and fall deeper into poverty. Repeat. Lol
        [–]Parrelium 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Yeah, why save my money when there's so much cool shit to buy.
        I really should start saving though.. After I order this.
        [–]Solataire 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Internet bills, credit card debt and not cooking my own food routinely. =\
        [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Also a variety of other garbage. But there are also other expenses that are unavoidable, generally health related. But some people really don't know how to manage their money. I'd venture to say that a solid chunk of those people aren't good at planning and don't understand much about finances.
        [–]JustHere4TheKarma -1 points0 points1 point  (6 children)
        But an iPhone and xbone cost 1000 tops how many can you possibly buy and not have money saved
        [–]CallMeFifi -3 points-2 points-1 points  (5 children)
        Monthly service plans, games, streaming services, etc.
        It all adds up, man!
        [–]fascistsaregarbage 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
        Bullshit.
        Low income people aren't failing to save because they are constantly buying XBoxes. Anyone who claims that is full of shit and has an agenda that's pretty despicable.
        Massively rising rent, food and utilities costs, combined with 40 years of completely stagnant or decreasing wages are the reason. Nothing at all to do with "iPhones and XBoxes".
        [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        In contrast, it's never been easier to be frugal and to be effective at being frugal than ever before. There are certainly circumstances where it is very difficult to save and live a meaningful life - kids, health bills, etc - but I don't buy it that the cause is entirely external factors. The idea that most redditors who bitch about being poor retail/food service employees are putting in 100% to change their situation is BS.
        [–]JustHere4TheKarma 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
        I don't consider equipment luxury the monthly service plans are. You can buy an iPhone or an Xbox and not pay a cent more after you buy it and still get great functional use from it. The problem is people are uneducated and think they need all these extras and they cause their own financial issues.
        [–]fascistsaregarbage 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
        The premise itself is bullshit. People with low income are not failing to save money because of iPhones, and anyone peddling this idea has an agenda that's probably bad for us all.
        [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Fixed expenses are #1 thing that drains peoples budgets. Of course cell phone plans are a big part of that. Rents aren't universally high. You can get a ridiculous amount of food for very cheap. Utilities are pretty much negligible(utilities for four guys in this house is about 150/month). I fail to see how cell phones could not possibly play a role in this, especially when it's entirely possible to pay ridiculous sums of money for the phone itself plus the plan for however many people. Other fixed expenses include payday loans and rental furniture/appliances.
        [–]YoStephen -1 points0 points1 point  (3 children)
        Keep in mind that in our consumer culture, if you don't have enough status items (commom examples being high end jordans or a smartphone) people will judge and stigmatize you. It's not just a simple matter of people spending money they dont have. It is that too but its not so cut and dried.
        [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
        That status spending you mention is the #1 reason a lot of people don't stay on the upper rungs of the socioeconomic ladder for long. They come into money and feel they need to spend like it. It's worth noting that a lot of truly wealthy people you would never guess are wealthy from their appearances alone.
        [–]YoStephen 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
        No youve misinterpreted what ive said. People at the bottom feel insecure about their status and compensate in order to avoid being judged as poor. Im not talking about the wealthy at all.
        E: and really? The number one? What are 2 and 3? Source?
        [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Okay, then that's separate from what I'm talking about. A lot of people who come into money end up getting into a lot of debt because they want the conspicuous consumption lifestyle that they see on TV.
        [–]NoxiousDogCloud 30 points31 points32 points  (4 children)
        y'know, rent, food, utilities, phone, internet. Stuff that you kinda need to survive in this century.
        [–]nodnar13 0 points1 point2 points  (3 children)
        The people making the statements against people of the current generation still see things like phone and internet as a luxury.
        [–]LikesTheTunaHere 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        Yes and no. Average cellphone bill where I live id guesstimate is 75 or so bucks a month, that puts you with one of the newer phones every few years. Add on another call it 10 bucks a month for the upgrade price you have to at the end of the 2 years and call it 85 a month.
        You don't need a brand new smart phone these days on a big plan unless you want it. You can use wifi and a galaxy 3 or something like it that costs 50 bucks used.
        You could go even cheaper and use a dumb phone on a cheap ass plan.
        1000+ a year for a normal smart phone. 300? A year for wifi and an older smart phone.
        [–]NoxiousDogCloud 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
        Like try to get a job without the Internet. Or a phone. Or booth. Seriously.
        [–]Bacon_Hammers 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        "What's your email address?"
        "I don't pay for Internet access."
        BZZZZZZRT
        "What was that sound?"
        "Oh, that was just me putting your application in the shredder."
        [–]crap_punchline 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
        Generally, moving out too early to maintain the pretense of being an independent adult.
        Fixed.
        [–]Shenanigger_returns -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
        Shh, go to bed kid, mom's home.
        [–]OurEyesArentReal -13 points-12 points-11 points  (39 children)
        If my household find itself in the dead center of median household income, 50% of people should have far more than $1000 in their bank account. People just live beyond their means. You should never have credit card debt, if you do, you're living wrong.
        [–]Rhapshe 56 points57 points58 points  (29 children)
        I'm glad your situation is different, but you are painting with far to large a brush if you are assuming all people are just living beyond their means.
        As an aside, how did you build good personal credit? I assume small loans.
        [–]The_Real_Max 11 points12 points13 points  (8 children)
        He never said that every single one of them was, and I don't think it's unfair to say that many many people live beyond their means. Stupid use of debt (maxing CCs, houses, new cars) crushes people.
        That's not to say that other factors like CHILDREN, higher cost of living areas, etc aren't a huge factor. These can definitely affect a "median" income to have a much lower effective use, but they aren't an excuse to not have $500 in savings if you're making median income.
        [–]iamPause 7 points8 points9 points  (7 children)
        Stupid use of debt (maxing CCs, houses, new cars) crushes people.
        Can confirm. Fiance and I break up. Traded in fully paid off midsized car for expensive sports car. Been kicking myself for 4 years for that.
        [–]The_Real_Max 4 points5 points6 points  (3 children)
        Exactly. Many people need a car to get to work or for other things if you don't live directly in the city, but cars are historically one of the worst investments you can make. A new car loses 30% of its value after being driven off the lot and depreciates every year.
        A NEW car should be treated like a hot tub or any other luxury good that has low resale and offers very little utility over a cheaper version.
        [–]gologologolo 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
        You, sir have obviously never been in my Subaru WRX.
        [–]synthesis777 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        If I had gold I'd give it to you but I'm too busy saving up for a new WRX myself :-D
        [–]workedog 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
        Higher depreciation on luxury cars makes leasing a better deal for people who want to stretch their budget to get one. That way you only have to pay the depreciation for the lease period and if you really love the car you have the option to buy. Some manufacturers will even offer the pre-owned warranty on lease buys so there's another hidden benefit of leasing. The extra couple hundred in fees and expenses from leasing vs buying is well worth it for the flexibility it offers.
        [–]xeladragn 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        The problem is when someone making $12 an hour tries to lease a $30k car because they want something reliable. You can get good reliable cars that will get you from point A to point B safely for many years for< $8k.
        [–]gologologolo 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Leasing is never a better financial option than buying the same car. It wouldn't be a thing otherwise.
        You're essentially paying for the highest depreciation stage of the cars life cycle and more+extra in taxes+higher insurance+damages. Not to mention, you're gaining no equity since the bought car's sale price can eventually recuperate your investment in it.
        [–]awxvn 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
        You can build credit solely through using credit cards and paying them off in full every month. You get a 30 day interest free loan and your credit score slowly rises.
        [–]synthesis777 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Not as fast as leaving 20-30% of the debt unpaid.
        [–]glap1922 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        As an aside, how did you build good personal credit? I assume small loans.
        You can use CCs but not carry a balance. I pay for 100% of my purchases on a CC and pay the balance in full every month. Even if you only do it for something like gas or groceries it works. It is a good way to build credit, get rewards, and not be in debt. It just takes a little work to make sure you don't overextend since you have to track purchases to make sure you don't spend more than you have in your checking, but at the end of the day if you are only using the CC for things you are buying regardless then you shouldn't be in trouble.
        [–]OurEyesArentReal 3 points4 points5 points  (15 children)
        Well yea, they are living beyond their means if they don't have any form of savings. Living at your means doesn't mean just barely paying your bills every month. It means making sure your bills aren't so much that you can't have any form of savings. You're thinking about the problem backwards.
        I build good credit by paying off my credit card every month. I've never paid a lick of interest unless it was a large loan. You shouldn't need to pay for interest on your daily living expenses, that's just stupid.
        [–]HKei 14 points15 points16 points  (13 children)
        Things like children happen. They cost a lot of money. Many people have - and are more or less locked into - shitty jobs that barely pay them enough to pay for shitty housing and shitty food. There are minimum costs for just keeping yourself alive and many people are earning barely above that.
        [–]some_asshat 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
        Medical problems and accidents happen as well. The former is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the country. It gets more assured and frequent the older one gets.
        [–]MisterGergg 3 points4 points5 points  (3 children)
        I always wonder why someone in their twenties with some shit job even decides to have a kid in the first place.
        Everyone knows you save up for a house or a car, but somehow that's not the case with a kid? Ridiculous.
        [–]HKei 7 points8 points9 points  (2 children)
        The "happen" was to imply that this doesn't usually involve any sort of planning or even intent. If getting children involved planning as a general rule the human species would've probably died out already anyway (there's no real hard incentive to have children nowadays like there used to be in the past).
        The thing about a house purchase is you can still get it annulled if you were shitface drunk when you did it, with conceiving children the story is a bit different.
        [–]MisterGergg 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
        But even the most basic planning, i.e. "Let's not have a kid yet" with a minimal investment in birth control stops 99% of kids "happening". It's so easy to not have kids that I honestly don't know how so many people manage to fuck it up.
        [–]HKei 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
        Well, but the fact is that this happens a lot, so you can't just outright dismiss it.
        [–]OurEyesArentReal -12 points-11 points-10 points  (7 children)
        Lol. Children don't "just happen".
        Children are a decision you make.
        Edit: I love that this is getting downvoted. I enjoy your bitter downvotes so much.
        [–]HKei 10 points11 points12 points  (2 children)
        You'd be surprised how often. Ask the skywalkers.
        [–]BitStompr 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
        So if I have kids I can just dump them in the dessert and it'll work itself out? Best. Parenting. Ever.
        [–]HKei 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Desert. You'll have to dump in dessert if you don't get rid of them in time.
        [–]buffpig 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
        Ideally you're right, but that's not how it always works.
        [–]HKei 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        No, but seriously, very few children on this planet are the result of a conscious decision of two people to have children.
        [–]YWxpY2lh 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        One person of two has that decision, yes.
        [–]Rhapshe 11 points12 points13 points  (0 children)
        Nah, I'm trying to look at the problem while trying to humanize the people. Instead of assuming "eh, living beyond their means, I don't need to care anymore" But that's probably putting words in your mouth. But that's how your statement appears to me.
        You know, this is an odd aside for a just a computer coincidence of putting these two topics near each other. How did I find myself talking about this.
        Edit: Oh, okay you do have a credit card then. Figured you must since it's the most convenient method of building good credit. This assumes you use it and pay it off.
        [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Most of these people are living beyond their means. It is sold to us every day through all forms of media. Redditors represent a tiny sliver of the population, there are literally millions of people in the US who have bought such useless bullshit as Kimoji's despite most likely falling into that category.
        [–]tamrix 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
        That's right because everyone gets delt the exact same hand in life. /s
        [–]darkenspirit 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        Credit card debt kinda happens for the poor and soon they lose their credit.
        If you make only 100-200 disposable income a month, you car breaking easily puts you into debt.
        [–]ncocca 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        Lol I'm above median income but student loans have me living like poverty levels. It's not all about income buddy
        [–]IAmA_Cloud_AMA 4 points5 points6 points  (5 children)
        To be fair, I can't imagine how anyone is really $500 away from Financial Ruin unless they are already below the poverty line. I work with Low Income homes, and I will tell you that even the poorest of the poor who live in a home of some kind (as opposed to those on the street, of course) have a tv, typically some kind of smartphone (though how they pay for service may vary), and the majority even have a computer at home (Not all, mind you. Several use public services like Libraries for internet needs). Now, I'm not saying it's luxurious to have these things. In our day and age those are pretty necessary basic items to have. But if they find themselves in debt $500, they DO have things they can sell. They do have means to get medical care without paying a penny. I had no idea how quickly someone could make a few hundred bucks until I worked with Drug Addicts who were going through rehab. It blows my mind how, if people REALLY want money, they can get money really quickly (through illegal and legal means alike). I think "Financial ruin" is an overstatement of the reality that people in the US prefer to live at the amount they earn-- the majority spend what they make. It doesn't matter if you make $40,000 a year or $100,000 a year, both tend to generally spend what they make.
        [–]jvnk 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        You have to understand that a lot of people, despite making good money, are in debt. If you have no debt and $1 to your name you're doing better than a vast swath of the US. It's due to a combination of factors, less appealing ones like inability to delay gratification, poor planning skills and outright jealousy are among them too. Some folks in this thread will tell you it's all because of the 1% though.
        [–]PhreakOfTime 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
        the poorest of the poor who live in a home of some kind (as opposed to those on the street, of course) have a tv, typically some kind of smartphone (though how they pay for service may vary), and the majority even have a computer at home
        You have your head so far up your ass it's sad. The poorest of the poor that live in houses... have dirt floors. They have none of the things you mentioned. I've seen it myself.
        What you are describing is solidly middle-class.
        both tend to generally spend what they make.
        Which is a symptom of the problem. Do you have any idea how easy life is when you don't live like that?
        [–]IAmA_Cloud_AMA 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
        Well, I can only speak for Ohio I guess. But yeah, the poorest of the poor who live because of food stamps and donations from local churches tend to have actual floors. I don't know where in the US you live, but I actually have never seen a dirt floor in one of these homes. I'm a Social Worker, so I'm sorry if you think I have my head up my ass but I simply have never encountered what you're talking about. No need to be rude about it, but that is NOT middle class. Have you seen a middle class home before?
        [–]PhreakOfTime 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        I've seen it in Indiana(my roommate when I was close to that poor came from that house - his parents still lived there).
        I've seen it in West Virginia. I've seen it in Arizona. I've seen it in Illinois. I've seen it in Kentucky. Dirt poor exists in every state. They are the people that aren't even on your radar. They build cabins in national forests where the nearest person/road is miles away, and their families have lived in those conditions for generations.
        You exist in a bubble. The world is not defined by what you have personally experienced.
        [–]ahlersprix -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
        the majority spend what they make. It doesn't matter if you make $40,000 a year or $100,000 a year, both tend to generally spend what they make.
        This is exactly it. /thread
        [–]Navtec 67 points68 points69 points  (13 children)
        What the hell do people spend all their money on?
        They don't have it in the first place.
        [–]negroiso -3 points-2 points-1 points  (5 children)
        So true. Just one more Steam game!
        [–]Squishumz 10 points11 points12 points  (4 children)
        Wasting money on steam games isn't quite the same as having no money.
        [–]negroiso 1 point2 points3 points  (3 children)
        I don't consider them a waste of money. I get more of a return on a Steam purchase than I would on a night out at the bar/movie/other entertainment.
        [–]Squishumz 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
        The point is that OP wasn't talking about people who piss away money on hobbies. He's talking about people who literally don't have the money for expensive hobbies.
        Your comment about steam games after his post sounded like
        "Some people can barely afford food."
        "Ya, I can totally relate. I spent all my money on video games last month."
        [–]negroiso 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
        I mean, technically I have. Then forget that it's a friday and those deposits I made won't go through until tuesday so I have to find somebody that will buy me a hamburger today that I can pay them back on thursday...... I've said too much.
        [–]ApaUK 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Hear hear
        [–]OurEyesArentReal -15 points-14 points-13 points  (6 children)
        If I'm at median income, 50% of people have more money than me. I think less than 10% have as much in savings as me. That's fucked up and people are living way wrong and spending way too much.
        [–]Tenshik 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
        Who says you are at median income... Also wealth inequality exists so that's going to upset things. Then we have the areas people live in. I'm not sure of the exact figures but 80k in NYC prob gets you what 1200 a year gets you in fuckaduck, KY. When daycare runs 1000 a month near where I live and rent is 1300 for a 1br in the ghetto I can see why. You have to be pulling in almost twice the minimum wage to survive here.
        [–]therealScarzilla 9 points10 points11 points  (0 children)
        There are people with student loan debt, are you saying they are living wrong? There are people with medical debt, are they living wrong as well? Not all debt is from people spending money on shit they don't need. I'm glad you are doing well for yourself but it's about to the point that median income is just above poverty in some places.
        [–]XerKasovee comment score below threshold-14 points-13 points-12 points  (3 children)
        But you're on Reddit where libtards don't understand iPhones aren't a necessity.
        [–]rdeluca 10 points11 points12 points  (2 children)
        libtards don't understand iPhones aren't a necessity.
        Yes, obviously you need to make it a liberal vs conservative thing.
        eyeroll
        [–]FarmerTedd 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
        It's bait, mate.
        [–]rdeluca 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Yeah, I know, but... I still reply sometimes...
        [–]theth1rdchild 24 points25 points26 points  (2 children)
        As someone who was lucky enough to climb out of poverty: it truly is horrible. I haven't had a panic attack in two years. Guess when I started my current job?
        As for what people spend their money on: it's fucking expensive being poor. Run out of gas? Hope you have good friends/family. Car breaks down somewhere not in your lawn? There goes half your week's pay on a tow. Fact is you needed a car to get to work, but you couldn't afford anything nice. So you took a chance on a thousand dollar jalopy. Sucks pretty hard when the alternator goes out. What if you don't know how to fix it and have to pay a garage? Even if you do know how to fix it, that's a bunch of time you could have spent relaxing or studying for a nicer job.
        The car is my main example but it applies to everything. Remember that dinner to you didn't cost enough to consider - the poor person is counting pennies over if they can afford steak this week. That said, food stamps are the shit.
        [–]sirgog 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Yep, reminds me of the fridge that I couldn't afford to replace (it still functioned, just not well, and food lasted two days max).
        Probably added $10 a week to food costs (missed savings from not being able to buy bulk) and tripled the number of trips to the supermarket. Being poor is expensive - now that I have a stable job, in the same situation I'd just shell out $150 to $200 for a new fridge, paying on credit if needed (and accounting for the extra 1.15% per month until it could be paid off, so that $200 fridge might cost $205 if it was going to take 3 months to repay).
        [–]kioni 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        'boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness
        [–]RiskyChris 24 points25 points26 points  (25 children)
        Do you have kids? A lot of people have crappy jobs and kids, and it's just like why even have a bank account, just send the pay checks straight to your debts.
        [–]drpinkcream 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Have you tried picking yourself up by your bootstraps or working hard? \s
        Seriously, my mistake was investing in a college degree from a prestigious private university. Chasing my dreams? What the fuck was I thinking?!
        [–]bathroomstalin 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        Was it difficult to maintain an erection impregnating your baby's mother at gunpoint?
        [–]TheFlapJackStrangler 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
        who forced you to have kids? and why should I have to pay for it?
        [–][deleted]  (19 children)
        [deleted]
          [–]OurEyesArentReal -7 points-6 points-5 points  (1 child)
          People choose to have children just like I choose to buy a Rift. You're right, if I chose to have children I probably wouldn't be able to afford it right now... but I wouldn't blame anyone else for my decision to spend my money how I wanted to.
          It's not like the cost of having kids is a secret. Everyone who has kids can't wait to tell you how much they cost. Maybe those people that complain about should either listen or be more responsible.
          [–]RiskyChris 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          The fact that you're comparing the "tradeoff" of having a child vs. buying a toy tells me you really don't have a true grasp on what it means financially to have a child.
          [–]susquehanna_weed 28 points29 points30 points  (9 children)
          What the hell do people spend all their money on?
          LOL As someone firmly below "middle class", what fuckin money is there to spend? What savings? That's kind of the point.
          Let the eat cake, right?
          [–]YoStephen -1 points0 points1 point  (5 children)
          Thank you. Im sick of all these broke ass republicans talking about other poor people like theyre mary Antoinette.
          [–]Poached_Polyps 3 points4 points5 points  (2 children)
          Why don't you just make more money? Geez it's not that hard!
          [–]YoStephen 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
          Just over come all the obstacles of your circumstances! I did it by being male middle class and white so that mean literally any one can! Any one who cant is lazy! I am great! #MakeAmericaGreat
          [–]Xetios 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          Why don't poor people just buy more money? Geez, it's simple!
          [–]YoStephen 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          I like my spellings middle american.
          [–]penprog -3 points-2 points-1 points  (2 children)
          - sent from my iphone
          [–]susquehanna_weed 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
          You're actually correct. My free, 3rd hand, screen cracked to shit, not even activated on a cellular network iPhone.
          #ballin #livinoutsideofmymeans
          [–]penprog -2 points-1 points0 points  (0 children)
          This may not apply to you how are all these people that can't handle a 300 dollar increase in price able to afford a 1000 dollar gaming pc?
          [–]damontoo 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
          60% have less than $1K. An additional 20% have no savings at all.
          [–]SoldierOf4Chan 12 points13 points14 points  (12 children)
          Where I live, they're spending that money on rent. Because that's what happens when your state becomes "cool," they fuck your wallet to death.
          [–]akatherder 15 points16 points17 points  (5 children)
          Hooray for the midwest where there's nothing cool! Just decent wages and cheap cost of living. Then you go home and sit with your hands folded until the next work day.
          Edit: Sometimes you watch the sports too
          [–]SpringwoodSlasher 4 points5 points6 points  (3 children)
          Then you go home and sit with your hands folded until the next work day.
          That's pretty much what we do on the coasts too. The high cost of living and the overcrowding means you don't have as much money or time to spend to do all the cool things that are around.
          [–]Titty_Sprinkles_III 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
          That's life. We wait to die.
          [–]SpringwoodSlasher 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          "Life... Don't talk to me about life."
          [–]Kaeleira 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          Well that's depressing.
          [–]TheFlapJackStrangler 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          lol thats sooo true.
          [–]ChristFollower1 7 points8 points9 points  (4 children)
          Up until 9 months ago I was exactly one of those people. Was going into red slowly, paycheck by paycheck, did that for over 20 years. I finally had enough. Did whatever I had to, to make that change. Sold some very prized possessions, along with about 90% of my other belongings. Got on a very tight budget, and sacrificed, pinched and scraped. Never thought I could do it. Now I have an emergency fund that saved my bacon after an at fault car accident in November that was a $1500 deductible. Even after that I was able to start my emergency fund back up. I'm used to a way more minimalist lifestyle now and will never go back to living paycheck to paycheck.
          [–]PhreakOfTime 7 points8 points9 points  (3 children)
          minimalist lifestyle
          This is the key item in your list.
          Most people choose not to do this, then complain about being broke.
          I followed a similar path as you after I ended up with a 90K hospital bill ~5 years ago. Once you realize you don't need all that fancy stuff, it becomes amazing how cheap it is to actually live comfortably. I spent my 'poor years' studying and learning the things I needed to increase my earnings, not going out and drinking with friends all week.
          Currently, I have a 24month emergency fund, a sizable savings, and believe it or not my boss just called about an hour ago to give me a significant raise without me even asking for it.
          [–]Tysonzero 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
          I mean honestly living that way can mean that you can afford cool, not minimalist, stuff like an oculus rift. The stuff you actually want, rather than the REALLY EXPENSIVE stuff that you are supposed to want, such as another 500 square feet.
          [–]IIIllllllllllllllll 15 points16 points17 points  (0 children)
          Food, water, shelter and the cell phone I'm talking to you on you fucking asshole. That's what I spend it on.
          [–]wombatjuggernaut 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
          What's financial ruin matter when you can escape to a new virtual reality?
          [–]topredditbot 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
          This is now the top post on reddit. It will be recorded at /r/topofreddit with all the other top posts.
          [–]a_really_bad_throw 4 points5 points6 points  (3 children)
          You know what I find odd is the entire original point of the oculus rift was to be a budget piece of equipment which would penetrate the masses and bring VR to everyone thus finally establishing a VR userbase so that devs could make games for it and do away with the chicken and the egg problem.
          Now it is triple the starting price and they added tons of shit I don't want or need.
          [–]justthetruth81 10 points11 points12 points  (4 children)
          Cool so people near the poverty line don't have enough money to buy a cutting edge virtual reality headset. Cool wouldn't have thought.
          [–]Alexxis_ 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
          I'm nowhere near poverty line and was expecting $500.. not willing to pay $600 for a maybe. Did you try the new Steam Controller? I pre-ordered that and while I see what they were thinking it just feels like cheap crap. They were pressing the Oculus off like it would be cheaper. I don't know why people are being so nose-in-the-air.. I'll just wait for the Vive in April.. I was expecting to drop more money on that anyway.
          [–]Brett_Hulls_Foot 7 points8 points9 points  (3 children)
          VCRs used to cost close to $1000 when they first came out. Of course this will too.
          [–]Weedity 6 points7 points8 points  (16 children)
          Why is this such a big deal? Wasn't the ps3 500 when it first came out years ago? Aren't new phones 400 to 600 dollars?
          Like calm down. Wait a year for the price to drop.
          [–]Abn0rm 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          I found this quite funny, It wasn't edited btw, I'm guessing they have some issues with load at the moment :)
          [–]onedestiny 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          Waayyyyyy to expansive :(
          [–]dilberito 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          Yeah, but Oculus will save people so much more money by making it completely unnecessary for them to live.
          [–]Root176400 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          Hella meta.
          [–]nerd0001 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          LOL...my CC expires next month...so I ordered it anyways just to say I did! I guess I'll decide if I want when they try to ship and collect $$ in May. Yes...the confirmation order said it would ship in MAY. Fuck.
          [–]joseexhil 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
          Make a VR in which you have a bit more money
          [–]epoxy_proxy 20 points21 points22 points  (10 children)
          Yet they all somehow already own a $700 smart phone, a $1000 60 inch flat screen TV, a $300 XBox, and a Steam account with 1000 games of which they've played seven.
          [–]manachar 5 points6 points7 points  (5 children)
          So the price of a nice monitor?
          [–]DaltoniusRex 17 points18 points19 points  (3 children)
          $600 is the price of an enthusiast monitor. People can get the 22" 1080p 60hz monitors that satisfy the vast majority of people for $150.
          [–]manachar 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          That's not a nice monitor. That's an adequate monitor, which does indeed satisfy most people.
          [–]VR-Tech 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
          Ps3 was 600$. But most people hadf a TV. Oculus is 600 but need a beefy PC
          [–]VRBabe15 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
          and 90% of rest of the world sells kidneys to pay for the CV1. They will lose their other parts cos the touch will cost them and arm and a leg.
          [–]wurzel_sepp 1 point2 points3 points  (45 children)
          Early adopters back and forth. Gamers are oculus main target. I don't think gamers are that rich. Seriously, this is a big marketing fail in my eyes.
          [–]Klorel 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
          dunno, there are plenty of people with deep wallets. just look at all the 980ti owners in the PCMR subreddit.
          [–]wingmasterjon 2 points3 points4 points  (5 children)
          It's not just gamers. They're targeting the enthusiast market. People who are willing to spend $1k+ on a computer. And they're targeting them because that's where they'll see most returns on the investment on the current generation of tech. They can't appeal to the masses until the hardware to run vr is more readily available. If someone can't afford the rift, they probably can't afford a capable pc either. I know the other argument is that it's not about price, but the expectations of a cheap headset. Those expectations have been inaccurate since oculus has been trying to hint at the higher price point for almost a month now, but people are hung up on older information and in denial that their cherry picked quotes means they were lied to.
          [–]wurzel_sepp 2 points3 points4 points  (4 children)
          Well the low price was part of oculus base concept for the last 4 years...
          Currently 99% of oculus rift compatible software is related to games. 1% is reserved to mediaplayer to watch porn.
          [–]Sphynxter 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
          63% of people saying they won't purchase an oculus now are fucking lying. I really won't, because I actually don't have any money. Fuck.
          [–]Shadered 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          I really won't, because I actually don't have any money. Fuck.
          Doesn't stop most people from buying stuff as far as i can tell.
          [–]Qwiggalo 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
          No they're not. They're going to get a Vive.
          [–]AntiFury 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
          Then they shouldn't buy an Oculus Rift. It's a high-tech, cutting edge piece of first generation technology. Of course it's expensive. People need to chill.
          [–]VirtualDumbass 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          Is this the new first world problem?
          [–]Fuckitall2346 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          Well that's why we have credit cards, silly.
          [–]HausuWaxu 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
          I think they should have released this on 2024, when the manufacturing costs of the key components goes down so that it's price will be around $100.
          [–]IAMBEOWULFF 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          where can I see the specs on the final version?
          [–]NiceFormBro 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          Something something oculus fallout.
          Something something fallout 4
          [–]JustAlexander 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          Surprise!
          [–]adamsworstnightmare 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
          You smell that kids? That's grade A dank right there.
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