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submitted by palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey
I started out my life as a console gamer, but ascended in 2005 when I was 13 years old by upgrading an ancient HP desktop my grandma gave me. I built my first rig in 2007 using going-out-of-business-sale parts from CompUSA, going on to spend most of my free time gaming, running a fairly popular forum, and hacking hardware. I started experimenting with VR in 2009 as part of an attempt to leapfrog existing monitor technology and build the ultimate gaming rig. As time went on, I realized that VR was actually technologically feasible as a consumer product, not just a one-off garage prototype, and that it was almost certainly the future of gaming. In 2012, I founded Oculus, and last week, we launched pre-orders for the Rift.
I have seen several threads here that misrepresent a lot of what we are doing, particularly around exclusive games and the idea that we are abandoning gamers. Some of that is accidental, some is purposeful. I can only try to solve the former. That is why I am here to take tough and technical questions from the glorious PC Gaming Master Race.
Come at me, brothers. AMA!
edit: Been at this for 1.5 hours, realized I forgot to eat. Ordering pizza, will be back shortly.
edit: Back. Pizza is on the way.
edit: Eating pizza, will be back shortly.
edit: Been back for a while, realized I forgot to edit this.
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[–]Mod zeug666.No gods or kings, only man.[M] 156 points157 points158 points - stickied comment (35 children)
AMA Rules:
  1. Follow the rules in the Sidebar --->
  2. No personal attacks
  3. Do NOT edit your comments after you post them in the AMA thread. You're not allowed to change your question/comment! Also, deleting your comment after you received an answer is very much frowned upon.
[–]Voidsheep 442 points443 points444 points  (181 children)
I have a few questions regarding content exclusivity and it's role in Oculus business model.
Let me preface by saying I agree amazing content is necessary for VR to take off and Oculus funding was critical for it to happen. However, I worry Oculus might bring gaming console style competition into PC VR market, where exclusive content moves hardware and people are locked into whatever "ecosystem" a device comes with.
As you know, the PC gamers value fair hardware competition and the ability to choose their hardware based on unbiased benchmarks and throughout testing. Nvidia's exclusive features and tight partnership with game studios has been questioned a lot lately, but in general PC games don't require hardware from a specific manufacturer and it's something to hold on to.
  1. When I'm buying a new VR device in two years, am I buying Oculus for superior hardware and features, or because the content I want isn't available for other devices?
  2. You've repeatedly stated Oculus has "the best content", how big part does (exclusive) content play in your business model?
  3. Does publishing a game in Oculus marketplace involve some kind of an exclusivity contract, or are the studios free to sell them anywhere similar to Steam?
  4. Can competing VR headsets run content from Oculus marketplace?
  5. Do you have any intention to open source the runtime/API of the consumer model, like you did for DK1?
  6. What is your stance on future open VR standards? Do you see yourself collaborating on OpenVR and adopting it?
  7. Rift isn't profitable hardware and you said Oculus will make the money off software, what does this mean?
[–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 274 points275 points276 points  (175 children)
When I'm buying a new VR device in two years, am I buying Oculus for superior hardware and features, or because the content I want isn't available for other devices?
Superior hardware and features, but you might slightly misunderstand our business model. When we say "Oculus Exclusive", that means exclusive to the Oculus Store, not exclusive to the Rift. We don't make money off the Rift hardware, and don't really have an incentive to lock our software to Rift. That is why the Oculus Store is also on Samsung's Gear VR. Gear VR and the Rift are the first consumer VR devices coming out, but in the future, I expect there will be a wide range of hardware at a variety of price and quality points, much like the television and phone markets. Here is a good article from a couple years back talking about why we don't plan on selling a billion units alone: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-06-24/facebook-s-oculus-emulating-android-seeks-partners If that happens, we will be in a really good place, and will continue to invest in next-generation VR hardware that sets the bar for how good VR can be.
You've repeatedly stated Oculus has "the best content", how big part does (exclusive) content play in your business model?
Currently, a large one. Remember that a few years ago, we were the only players in the VR game. We had to make sure there was content for our device, and we have invested a lot of our resources into making that happen through both Oculus Studios and third parties. In the long run, though, I hope that the VR market is successful enough to not require huge content investment from us - if that happens, our risk goes down, and our profits go up. In the meanwhile, anything we make is going to go through our store. That way, the distribution cut also goes to us instead of someone else, which helps us pay our employees, give financial and development aid to game devs, and keep the price of our hardware as low as possible.
Does publishing a game in Oculus marketplace involve some kind of an exclusivity contract, or are the studios free to sell them anywhere similar to Steam?
Publishing a game in the Oculus Store does not require an exclusivity contract. Some VR developers will choose to be on one store, some will choose to be on all stores, some will choose to distribute themselves, but the vast majority are probably going to end up on our store.
Can competing VR headsets run content from Oculus marketplace?
Currently, the only headsets that run content from the Oculus Store are Samsung's GearVR and the Rift. If and when other headsets come out in the future, and if and when the companies making those headsets allow us to support them, you might see wider support, but we have to focus on launching our own products right now.
Do you have any intention to open source the runtime/API of the consumer model, like you did for DK1?
Not right now.
What is your stance on future open VR standards? Do you see yourself collaborating on OpenVR and adopting it?
I have talked about this a lot in the past, but the TL;DR is that I am supportive of open standards once we get further along, much like what happened with the early 3D graphics market - standardizing too early is a good way to limit rapid advancement in a new industry. When open standards do take off, they will be managed by an industry consortium, not a single company with a specific business interest. As an aside, OpenVR is not actually open source, the name is just a little confusing.
Rift isn't profitable hardware and you said Oculus will make the money off software, what does this mean?
It means we make money by creating and distributing content. We don't make money on the hardware because that would limit adoption of VR devices, leaving us and game developers with a smaller market in the short term and long run.
[–]patrizl001PC Master RaceID=patrizl001/ AMD FX-6300, Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 68 points69 points70 points  (51 children)
so basically, the Oculus Store is going to basically be a VR version of Steam?
[–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 122 points123 points124 points  (45 children)
The Oculus Store is built for virtual reality, we are not trying to make a general-purpose store for traditional games. I can’t talk about everything until we get closer to launch, but as one example: When you visit the store page for a game, we can load a 360 degree capture of a scene from the game, which gives you a much better sense of the game than a normal screenshot or video. Our store ratings system is also built around VR - most stores for any type of content are built around overall quality/fun, but some intense VR experiences are not comfortable for many or most people, especially ones with lots of vection-inducing artificial locomotion. We account for this with a comfort rating system that makes sure you can avoid games beyond your comfort zone while still making them available to the people who have no problems. Another benefit is knowing that everything in the store will run well on the recommended PC spec and continue to perform well through future updates.
[–]FarkMcBark 15 points16 points17 points  (30 children)
When you visit the store page for a game, we can load a 360 degree capture of a scene from the game
You're smart!
EDIT: Please also add a "PTSD rating" on how scary / scarring some of the horror scenes are.
[–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 65 points66 points67 points  (23 children)
No PTSD rating, but we are strongly discouraging developers from using jump scares. They are such a cheap way to get a reaction in VR.
[–]eguitarguyPC Master Racei7 4790K | MSI GTX 970 | 32gb RAM 20 points21 points22 points  (1 child)
When you visit the store page for a game, we can load a 360 degree capture of a scene from the game
That is brilliant. Can't wait to try it out!
[–]virtualpotatoDesktopi7-980x, GTX970, 5760x1200 36 points37 points38 points  (4 children)
360 degree capture. That's going to be so great. I'm going to have to put a ton of SSD in my system to hold all the software I'm going to buy for my Rift.
[–]Ax23000 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
Will this be implemented in the Gear VR store? Was super disappointed the first time I loaded up the Oculus Store on my Gear only to realize the 360 scene wasn't a feature yet. Actually the store on Gear VR is terrible in general for about a thousand reasons I'm sure you're aware of...I hope it isn't a sign of what I should expect when I boot up my 600 dollar Rift.
[–]I_love_g 26 points27 points28 points  (15 children)
could i have a clarification? when we say Oculus we often mean the Rift. in the case of exclusive content do you mean to the store or to the VR head set
[–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 114 points115 points116 points  (14 children)
when we say Oculus we often mean the Rift.
Yep, that is exactly the perception problem we are trying to deal with. That is one of the reasons my thread title specifies Oculus as the company I founded, and Rift as the device I designed.
When we say "Oculus Exclusive", it means exclusive to our store.
[–]socceroos 19 points20 points21 points  (6 children)
So then, people have to own a device that is compatible with the Oculus store. You can see how the Rift being the only compatible device (minus the gimped GearVR) effectively means you need to own one to play these exclusive titles.
It seems you're positioning yourselves to be a marketplace first. That means you have to effectively lock out Valve for at least the beginning of the VR market so that you can take a healthy slice. Hence exclusives? Does that explain you suddenly going cold on Valve a number of months ago, or was that caused by something else?
Effectively people do have to own a Rift to be able to play these titles - at least for the foreseeable future.
I understand the whole marketplace thing. That's where the dough is. What's upsetting is that we're bent over the barrel in the meantime. There's no denying Oculus is shifting in the near future from 'grow the tech' to 'grow the ROI'.
Word to the wise, across the broad spectrum of history when an entity has secured a monopoly they have proceeded to stagnate. You're up next if you don't have a long-term plan. ;)
I love what you're doing with VR and hope the whole industry takes off!
[–]Guilane2 246 points247 points248 points x2 (32 children)
So to summarize:
Valve made Counter Strike, a game that they funded and published, Steam Exclusive. There was a shitstorm, but Steam is now the go-to place for buying PC Games. Valve now makes their money from the cut on selling Steam games. Developers can choose if they want to only publish on Steam or elsewhere.
Oculus will make the games they fund and publish Oculus Store Exclusive. There was a shitstorm, but Oculus Store will be the go-to place for buying VR Games. Oculus will make their money from the cut on selling Oculus Store games. Developers can choose if they want to only publish on Oculus Store or elsewhere.
Does this sound about right?
[–]invesari 46 points47 points48 points  (11 children)
OpenVR is not actually open source, the name is just a little confusing.
This is what many people here seem to miss. Currently the Github repo for OpenVR is a bunch of compiled binaries, only Valve has the source code. Oculus would have to go through Valve if they wanted to change the API to suit the needs of their headset.
[–]muchcharles 9 points10 points11 points  (2 children)
Superior hardware and features, but you might slightly misunderstand our business model. When we say "Oculus Exclusive", that means exclusive to the Oculus Store, not exclusive to the Rift. We don't make money off the Rift hardware, and don't really have an incentive to lock our software to Rift. That is why the Oculus Store is also on Samsung's Gear VR. Gear VR and the Rift are the first consumer VR devices coming out, but in the future, I expect there will be a wide range of hardware at a variety of price and quality points, much like the television and phone markets.
This sounds more like Apple's failed "licensed" clone program than it does anything PC or Google's Android. The Gear VR partnership is much more involved than you make it sound here, involving technology transfer and deals related to the screen-manufacturing of your main first-party product.
Here is a good article from a couple years back talking about why we don't plan on selling a billion units alone: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-06-24/facebook-s-oculus-emulating-android-seeks-partners[1] If that happens, we will be in a really good place, and will continue to invest in next-generation VR hardware that sets the bar for how good VR can be.
The Android comparison is a disjointing, because only Amazon has done more to make Android follow the Apple model than you guys and Samsung have done with the Oculus Store. Distributing apps and preview builds is a giant pain, having to get special key signatures for each user we distribute to, and eschewing the Google model of allowing non-preferenced apps to run freely off-store or even to allow third party stores to exist.
You've repeatedly stated Oculus has "the best content", how big part does (exclusive) content play in your business model?
Currently, a large one. Remember that a few years ago, we were the only players in the VR game. We had to make sure there was content for our device, and we have invested a lot of our resources into making that happen through both Oculus Studios and third parties.
This is Animal Farm level rewriting of your early history with VR. You weren't the only players in VR, Valve was right there working with you guys on hardware, and in your own words about creating early content:
What is your stance on future open VR standards? Do you see yourself collaborating on OpenVR and adopting it?
I have talked about this a lot in the past, but the TL;DR is that I am supportive of open standards once we get further along, much like what happened with the early 3D graphics market - standardizing too early is a good way to limit rapid advancement in a new industry.
Precedent is hard to break, and I think that is why many have concerns. PR backlash almost never comes from maintaining the status quo. If, years from now, standarization still hasn't happened, there won't be any news article to write about it. It won't be news. In many ways the only reason we ended up with a semi-open PC platform, (at least open hardware wise), was an "oversight" by IBM and the strong force of precedent keeping it alive for the last ~35 years. So far it feels like you guys aren't sneaking in enough oversights. We're ending up with a future where you can't play Skyrim 3 because it was released as an exclusive for the wrong monitor.
Part of the concern on price is that with this exclusives strategy we have to "buy 'em all". $600 morphs into $1200 or more, ending the argument about the PC cost dominating the purchasing equation. Take, for example, the devs and engineers working on Oculus-funded titles bust their ass to hit perf and run on a GPU one tier lower just to reach 5% more people more consumers. To them it must feel like business people are coming in and pissing all over that hard work, by cutting the target market in half with console like exclusivity shenanigans. There's got to be another way.
[–]SocksismLaptopi7-4700HQ, 16gbDDR3, GTX770m 135 points136 points137 points  (62 children)
Hi, thanks for doing the AMA. I have a few questions.
  1. The initial hype around the Oculus was that it was meant to be this affordable and disruptive piece of VR technology that would put VR into the hands of a lot of people creating a cascade effect. At what point in the development process did the shift from being the "cheap, functional, and disruptive," VR headset that would change gaming, to "THE premium VR experience," occur? Why did it occur?
  2. 3rd party applications: Will the OR take steps to block 3rd party applications? I ask this because there are a lot of people saying, "YOU CAN'T WATCH PORN ON OCULUS!" As I understood things, pornography would simply not be allowed on the Oculus app store, and that 3rd party apps would be fine. So, I suppose my real question is, "Will Oculus, or can it, block 3rd party content related to pornography and other adult related content?"
  3. Can you, or will you, stop developers of "unapproved" content from making something with oculus support?
[–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 262 points263 points264 points  (59 children)
The initial hype around the Oculus was that it was meant to be this affordable and disruptive piece of VR technology that would put VR into the hands of a lot of people creating a cascade effect. At what point in the development process did the shift from being the "cheap, functional, and disruptive," VR headset that would change gaming, to "THE premium VR experience," occur? Why did it occur?
The goal never changed, but the timeline of achieving that goal did. I still want to make VR cheap, functional, and disruptive, but it takes a certain amount of quality to do that. Three years ago, I thought a good enough headset could be built for $300 and run on a decent gaming PC.
Since then, we have learned a lot about what it takes to induce presence, and the landscape of the industry has changed a lot too - we are no longer the only players, and the burden of bringing good VR to everyone is no longer solely on us. The best way to make a technology mainstream is not always as simple as making a cheap product as quickly as possible, that is what lead to the last VR crash! Tesla is a good example - Elon Musk had to convince the public that electric cars could be awesome before he could build the technology that would actually make electric cars mainstream. If Tesla had tried to make a $35k mass-market electric car back in 2008, they would have accomplished little. Instead, they made the Roadster and Model S, proved that electric cars could be awesome, invested heavily in R&D, and now have a clear path towards their ever-present long term goal, making electric cars mainstream.
Virtual reality is actually in an even better scenario. GearVR is already an awesome headset for $99 if you already have a flagship Samsung phone (like tens of millions of other people), and there are other companies entering the VR scene in the near future. Eventually, VR is going to run on every computer sold, and there will be a wide range of hardware at various price and quality points, a lot like televisions or monitors.
The Rift is the first headset capable of delivering presence, the sensation of feeling like you are inside a virtual scene on a subconscious level. As I have said before, VR needs to become something everyone wants before it can become something everyone can afford - I totally understand people who don’t want to spend that much on VR, but this is the current cost of making a really good headset. Much like smartphones, the cost of that quality is going to come down over time - you can buy unsubsidized phones for less than $100 that blow away the best $600 phones from just five years ago, that is what time does to the cost of technology.
3rd party applications: Will the OR take steps to block 3rd party applications? I ask this because there are a lot of people saying, "YOU CAN'T WATCH PORN ON OCULUS!" As I understood things, pornography would simply not be allowed on the Oculus app store, and that 3rd party apps would be fine. So, I suppose my real question is, "Will Oculus, or can it, block 3rd party content related to pornography and other adult related content?"
No. You can download and run games from outside the Oculus store.
Can you, or will you, stop developers of "unapproved" content from making something with oculus support?
[–][deleted]  (8 children)
[deleted]
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 40 points41 points42 points  (5 children)
    No.
    [–]YachtInWyomingLinuxi7 870 | 760 | Arch Linux/Win8.1 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
    For the confused:
    The parent comment said this:
    Since OR is owned by facebook will you probably have to be logged into FB to use the OR online by that point? So then you will be broadcasting what porno you are jacking it to? #KYjelly #pornhub
    and he got massively downvoted for one of the more controversial things people were afraid of(yeah, it's a 4Chan greentext...but still...it was on our minds.). It was at -12 when I last saw it.
    Although his phrasing was asking for downvotes.
    [–]cloudn0things 182 points183 points184 points  (11 children)
    opens wallet and unzips pants
    [–]SocksismLaptopi7-4700HQ, 16gbDDR3, GTX770m 17 points18 points19 points  (0 children)
    Thanks for the answer, I appreciate your time.
    [–]KabIoski 18 points19 points20 points  (13 children)
    Is the Tesla really a good comparison? The Model S doesn't depend on third parties producing content to make owning one worthwhile. It's not like having a small user base will lead electric companies to conclude that generating power for them isn't worth the investment.
    If VR suffers from a lack of new content in the coming years, how do you see OVR bridging that gap?
    [–]Heaney555PC Master Racei5-4970K 4GHZ | GTX 970 SC 55 points56 points57 points  (12 children)
    The Model S doesn't depend on third parties producing content to make owning one worthwhile
    It depends on 1st and 3rd party charging station, and Tesla fund those 1st party ones.
    In the same way, Oculus is funding 1st and 2nd party content to make owning the Rift worthwhile. They're funding 24+ games at the moment, as well as other non-gaming content.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 74 points75 points76 points  (10 children)
    Exactly. We are trying to jumpstart the chicken and the egg, hardware and games, at the same time.
    [–]thcollegestudentPC Master RaceSpecs/Imgur Here 3 points4 points5 points  (5 children)
    Is there a plan to make Oculus open source much in the same way Mr.Musk did recently with the Tesla patents?
    [–]socially_reddited 76 points77 points78 points  (9 children)
    I also have these questions which were compiled by /r/oculus:
    Oculus were apparently surprised by how fast the preorders are coming in. Do you plan to scale up production in order to meet the demand?
    When can we reasonably expect the Rift to show up in major brick & mortar electronics chains in Western Europe? And when will it be available through e-tailers like Amazon?
    In a recent blog post, Assetto Corsa developer Kunos Simulazioni didn't seem to be aware that SDK 1.0 was already available for select developers. They wrote they wanted to get back to working on Rift support once "a stable production SDK becomes publicly available". Their racing sim is still one of the best DK2 experiences, although they didn't touch the VR code in more than a year. Is your developer relationship department actively reaching out to unaware, but crucial devs like those to provide them with the software and early CV1's?
    Any news on the forward renderer for UE4 your software team was developing internally? Will you share it with other developers? Per Vognsen mentioned it in his OC2 talk.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 78 points79 points80 points  (6 children)
    Oculus were apparently surprised by how fast the preorders are coming in. Do you plan to scale up production in order to meet the demand?
    Yes.
    When can we reasonably expect the Rift to show up in major brick & mortar electronics chains in Western Europe? And when will it be available through e-tailers like Amazon?
    No announcements on retail availability beyond what we have said in our blog post yet, sorry!
    Is your developer relationship department actively reaching out to unaware, but crucial devs like those to provide them with the software and early CV1's?
    Always, but we are mostly focused on helping devs that are close to launch.
    Any news on the forward renderer for UE4 your software team was developing internally? Will you share it with other developers? Per Vognsen mentioned it in his OC2 talk.
    Better question for Epic, but we share basically anything that might help developers make better games as soon as we can.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 17 points18 points19 points  (1 child)
    Better question for Epic
    He's referring to the one that your engineering team made themselves for the Connect 1 Crescent Bay demos by modifying the UE4 source for forward rendering.
    Vognsen mentions it in his Connect 2 talk.
    [–]CMDR_DrDeathPC Master RaceVR enthusiast 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
    Always, but we are mostly focused on helping devs that are close to launch.
    In this example Assetto Corsa has already launched :)
    [–]sinisterzadLaptop 68 points69 points70 points  (49 children)
    I don't know if this is still going on, but what are the specs of your pc?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 273 points274 points275 points  (47 children)
    I have lived on the bleeding edge of PC hardware for as long as I could scrape the money together, but for VR, I am sticking to hardware that sticks to our recommended specs: https://www.oculus.com/en-us/oculus-ready-pcs/
    That way, I get the same experience as most of my customers. I don’t want to become disconnected from the reality of how our hardware and software performs.
    As far as traditional gaming, though… I am currently working on a new PC that people might find pretty interesting. I have experimented with liquid nitrogen cooling in the past, but it is a huge pain to work with in any kind of daily use, and can also be dangerous. My new project is a very small super-powerful PC with no heatsinks and no fans - it is cooled by liquid propane, boiled into gaseous propane in an expansion block. From there, I can either compress back into a tank under high pressure, or vent out of a burner nozzle for supercooling to subzero temps. If I had more time, I would vent the propane to a small turbine generator hooked up to the PSU, but I can’t justify that kind of work right now.
    [–]StLouisDiscGolfDesktopi7 4790k 16gb ram msi 970 16 points17 points18 points  (3 children)
    I would like a promissory note saying that you will post pictures of this build on this subreddit. Teaser photo? Please?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 52 points53 points54 points  (2 children)
    I will definitely post some pictures.
    [–]ziki61 76 points77 points78 points  (0 children)
    Liquid propane and electricity? Should be all right! Next day: "Oculus founder Palmer Luckey found burned alive in is house by a small PC". Is roomate told us:" Well at first I tought I was in my rift so I did not help him."
    [–]SenorTron 171 points172 points173 points  (11 children)
    "liquid nitrogen is too dangerous...so I'm using propane".
    That's definitely one of the coolest things I've heard this year.
    [–]kami77PC Master Racei7-3770k @ 4.5GHz, 16GB, GTX 980Ti @ 1.5GHz 10 points11 points12 points  (0 children)
    My new project is a very small super-powerful PC with no heatsinks and no fans - it is cooled by liquid propane, boiled into gaseous propane in an expansion block. From there, I can either compress back into a tank under high pressure, or vent out of a burner nozzle for supercooling to subzero temps.
    [–]AimlessArsonistPC Master RaceVRchat dev 60 points61 points62 points  (1 child)
    By far the coolest reply from both AMA's
    [–]ShadowthecatXD 47 points48 points49 points  (0 children)
    Hank Hill approves.
    [–]virtualpotatoDesktopi7-980x, GTX970, 5760x1200 11 points12 points13 points  (0 children)
    I would love to see some pictures of that design.
    [–]HexorgPC Master Racei7-4770K@4.0GHz, 16GB DDR3 1866Mhz, GTX 970, 250Gb 840 Evo SSD 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
    Might as well include a nuclear power source :p
    [–]letsgoiowaPCMR BuildsDuct tape and determination 40 points41 points42 points  (18 children)
    Simple question: what was the moment you realized that you could build something like this and that you actually were going to make it happeN?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 92 points93 points94 points  (17 children)
    When I started making money as a teenager, I dumped basically all of it into gaming, trying to get closer to the Matrix with high end GPUs, multiple 3D monitors, haptic feedback hardware, modified lightguns, etc. I started going a little bit crazy when I felt like it was all for nothing, nowhere close to what I really wanted, which was total immersion. That is when I started collecting and modifying VR devices, and eventually realized I would have to start from scratch to get what I wanted - there was no single moment, it was more of a gradual realization as the hardware got better and better. When I showed my first prototypes to my friends, the reaction was along the lines of "This is some pretty stupid bullshit", it took a long time to make anything worthwhile.
    I am really glad I happened to grow up as a tinkerer and hardware hacker with the ability to act on my dreams, or I might have actually gone crazy.
    [–]jonny_wonny 38 points39 points40 points  (2 children)
    When I showed my first prototypes to my friends, the reaction was along the lines of "This is some pretty stupid bullshit"
    Haha, I'm betting they're feeling at least a little bit foolish right now...
    [–]lionleaf 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
    And this is why the maker movement as well as encouraging kids and adults to build things is super valuable!
    [–]tacoguy56PC Master Racei5 Z97 R9 4690k MSI 390 PC Mate 30 points31 points32 points  (5 children)
    You're realizing the dreams of many people, Palmer.
    [–]Guilane2 124 points125 points126 points  (20 children)
    Hi Palmer! To truly understand VR, you need to try VR, there is no other way. I tried the Oculus Touch Toybox demo at gamescom this year. After that demo, I sat down at a table to interview you and my subconsciousness just couldn't believe that the table was real. I subconsciously tried to grab through the table to confirm it's existence. 'Am I still in the demo?' is what my subconscious tried to confirm. It was awesome.
    When I recieve my Rift, I plan to demo it to many, many people, so that they understand the power of VR too. For this I have some questions:
    1. Will you provide a short demo experience that showcases the Rift in different settings? It may be a hassle to switch in and out of games which may have storylines, menus or cutscenes.
    2. You probably have ideas on how to train retail salesmen on how to demo the Rift. Will you publish (parts of) that information so that private persons can demo the Rift as best as possible too?
    3. Will we be able to buy replacement face covers for the Rift? Are face covers easily washed?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 130 points131 points132 points  (13 children)
    Will you provide a short demo experience that showcases the Rift in different settings?
    Yes.
    You probably have ideas on how to train retail salesmen on how to demo the Rift. Will you publish (parts of) that information so that private persons can demo the Rift as best as possible too?
    Not a bad idea. I will think about it and see what can be done.
    Will we be able to buy replacement face covers for the Rift? Are face covers easily washed?
    Yes, and sort of. You can't just throw them in the washer, but they are cleanable.
    [–]Guilane2 83 points84 points85 points  (5 children)
    Not a bad idea. I will think about it and see what can be done.
    Did I just.. did I just give you a new idea? Wow.
    Thanks for the answers, can't wait to get the Rift in my hands!
    [–]lionleaf 16 points17 points18 points  (1 child)
    Not a bad idea. I will think about it and see what can be done.
    Oh wow, that would be great! I run a student hackerspace and we're demoing the Rifts all the time, and have already ordered CV1s
    [–]SuperRoach 39 points40 points41 points  (46 children)
    Hi palmer!
    Please show us a photo of your normal desktop setup.
    I'm also curious about connections. 3x usb 3 ports is near the limit (esp if true superspeed ports) of what's available. Do you have some kind of hub or central adapter for easier/ faster setups?
    Same thing for the video connection - running a tri screen setup without a rift, i think I'll need to reach around the back and swap connections each time! Minor possible annoyance.
    Would a hdmi switch interfere with latency?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 178 points179 points180 points  (40 children)
    Please show us a photo of your normal desktop setup.
    I have a better rig at work, where I spend most of my time, but this is my home setup. I share a house with six people, this is our shared LAN table.
    [–]Mod eegras.i7 3930k @ 4.2Ghz | 64GB DDR3 2666Mhz RAM | 2x EVGA780Ti SC ACX 51 points52 points53 points  (1 child)
    I share a house with six people, this is our shared LAN table.
    I can only imagine the LAN parties that you pull.
    [–]absolutezero132 15 points16 points17 points  (0 children)
    I share a house with six people, this is our shared LAN table.
    I don't know if I would have 5 roommates if I were a near-billionaire. Palmer Luckey, keeping it real.
    [–]darkwater_ 66 points67 points68 points  (2 children)
    Dude, is that your face on the catholic candles?
    [–]SCUZNUTSPC Master RaceSpecs/Imgur here 7 points8 points9 points  (0 children)
    Did you buy the house and move all your friends in?
    Because ... that would be awesome... assuming no one becomes a slob.
    [–]charte 17 points18 points19 points  (0 children)
    This is a photo of a man worth 700 million dollars.
    [–]XanderTheMander 25 points26 points27 points  (3 children)
    Watching porn must be awkward... I see why you want VR.
    [–]Wallach 7 points8 points9 points  (0 children)
    I am pretty sure I got those PC speakers like 20 years ago with my Compaq.
    [–]pyalot 67 points68 points69 points  (32 children)
    Huge thanks for the kickstarter backer rift, that means a lot to me (currently broke), thank you so much!
    1. Not a fan of the PenTile pixel geometry. What's your opinion on other pixel geometries like striped or stacked for amoleds?
    2. Any chance of better precision than byte per channel to address a HMD?
    3. Does the Rift support G-Sync/FreeSync?
    4. Resolution per eye to expect on the next HMD after the Rift?
    5. I live in Switzerland, when does my country to become shippable? I'm sure everybody in a non shippable country has the same question :)
    6. Are kickstarter backer rifts top of the queue in non shippable countries as well?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 92 points93 points94 points  (25 children)
    Not a fan of the PenTile pixel geometry. What's your opinion on other pixel geometries like striped or stacked for amoleds?
    Your experience with PenTile is probably based on non-VR devices, where lack of 1:1 pixel translation sucks for things like text. For VR, it is much closer to optimal - all movement being relative to your head combined with geometry correction means there is no such thing as 1:1 pixel mapping anyway. All things being equal, it would be better to have the same "spec" resolution in a stripe layout than PenTile, but the problem is not pixels, it is subpixels - we can only cram so many subpixels into a given size, and for custom VR displays, it makes sense to allocate those subpixels based on the varying sensitivity of the eye to different colors, as PenTile does, rather than equally to R/G/B as stripe does. Given infinite subpixels, the answer would be different.
    Any chance of better precision than byte per channel to address a HMD?
    Not in the first Rift, but I am familiar with the advantages of doing so.
    Does the Rift support G-Sync/FreeSync?
    No, it does not need to support either. We have been working with AMD and Nvidia to drive and sync our displays directly.
    Resolution per eye to expect on the next HMD after the Rift?
    Can't say, sorry!
    I live in Switzerland, when does my country to become shippable? I'm sure everybody in a non shippable country has the same question :)
    We are trying to expand our shipping list as fast as possible, Korea is one of the current top priorities. I wish we could ship everywhere, but 20 countries is already super hard.
    Are kickstarter backer rifts top of the queue in non shippable countries as well?
    Yes, but backers in non-supported countries should read the FAQ regarding their free Rift.
    [–]pyalot 13 points14 points15 points  (8 children)
    Your experience with PenTile is probably based on non-VR devices, where lack of 1:1 pixel translation sucks for things like text.
    I had the experience with PenTile in the DK2 where it bothered me.
    we can only cram so many subpixels into a given size
    Stacked pixel geometry would alleviate the cramming problem though as it could layer subpixels atop each other and achieve true light mixing and better coverage.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 61 points62 points63 points  (7 children)
    I had the experience with PenTile in the DK2 where it bothered me.
    The display in the DK2 was essentially a modified phone display meant to enable a development kit, not a made-for-VR panel. Even so, it was probably the low pixel density overall that bothered you, not the layout itself - if you took the same number of subpixels and put them in a stripe arrangement, it would have looked a lot worse.
    Stacked pixel geometry would alleviate the cramming problem though as it could layer subpixels atop each other and achieve true light mixing and better coverage.
    Potentially, but it is also one of many possible display architectures that don't currently exist in any meaningful form.
    [–]muchcharles 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    The display in the DK2 was essentially a modified phone display meant to enable a development kit, not a made-for-VR panel. Even so, it was probably the low pixel density overall that bothered you, not the layout itself - if you took the same number of subpixels and put them in a stripe arrangement, it would have looked a lot worse.
    There is something else to be said for RGB-stripe though. Performance. If you used the same number of subpixels in a pentile arrangement, you'd need render at a a ~33% higher pixel render target in order to take advantage of the layout, even though the number of subpixels is the same (though you could get some benefit for free in the periphery where lens distortion is causing downscaling anyway).
    Combining this performance advantage with 60hz and reprojection, PSVR is achieving Oculus-recommended spec like performance on much weaker hardware by using RGB-stripe. Since the Oculus-recommended PC still dominates the cost of the product, pentile seems to be a pretty big mistake (or at least seems like it was probably forced more for availability reasons than as preference).
    And you guys are right up against the HDMI bandwidth limits with your resolution and refresh. PSVR is able to hit 120hz thanks to pentile giving a lower nominal res. While you could do color channel packing to use less bandwidth and get something similar while keeping pentile, that might involve more custom display controller work and expense? I'm not sure. Certainly HDMI 2.0 would add more expense, and I believe the recommended spec ATI card doesn't support it.
    (I mention 120hz only because it allows the 60 to 120 interpolation to be an even multiple, avoiding stuttery artifacts reprojecting 60 to 90 would have, similar to a telecine three-two pulldown; which ultimately adds an additional chunk to PSVR's performance. If we had an RGB-stripe 60->120 reprojected HMD on PC, we could run top tier gaming experiences with no compromises, blowing away consoles and PSVR)
    [–]podorich 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    We are trying to expand our shipping list as fast as possible, Korea is one of the current top priorities. I wish we could ship everywhere, but 20 countries is already super hard.
    So will we be able to use mail forwading services, that provide you USA address to receive and then forward packages‎ to another country? Which means billing and shipping addresses can't be the same.
    [–]ayumumu 12 points13 points14 points  (5 children)
    We have been working with AMD and Nvidia to drive and sync our displays directly.
    Very interesting! It's really neat how much direct interaction with the graphics card manufacturers you guys (and I assume HTC and others) get to make VR even better.
    [–]rafal1 50 points51 points52 points  (14 children)
    Hi Palmer. I have three questions.
    1. No doubt built-in headphones are good. But I wonder If using my own headphones (open back with wide soundstage) paired with my own DAC+AMP would influence in any negative way spatial 3D sound or any of the Audio SDK benefits?
    2 I love watching my own content on Oculus Video (previously Oculus Cinema) using my Gear VR. Will this app be avaible at launch of Rift? Will it encode *.mkv? (Android can't do this, and it was frustrating to convert every .mkv file to *.mp4.)
    3 What do you think about 360 videos? I recall you wasn't excited by them back in the day. Has anything changed thanks to the progress of technology like the Lightfield cameras or "traditional" content from talented creators like Felix and Paul or Next VR?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 56 points57 points58 points  (9 children)
    1. No doubt built-in headphones are good. But I wonder If using my own headphones (open back with wide soundstage) paired with my own DAC+AMP would influence in any negative way spatial 3D sound or any of the Audio SDK benefits?
    Most VR developers are tuning their audio for the including DAC+amp+driver system, and that is also what we optimize our Audio SDK around. You won't get the benefits of that if you use your own, but you can do it. The answer honestly depends on the coloring and soundstage of your exact setup, I can't give you a general answer on how well they will align.
    2 I love watching my own content on Oculus Video (previously Oculus Cinema) using my Gear VR. Will this app be avaible at launch of Rift?
    Yes.
    3 What do you think about 360 videos?
    I like them, but many of them have technical implementation problems, and the medium as a whole has a long way to go before matching the standards of real-time rendered content like games (translation, high frame rate, etc). 360 videos are some of the most popular content on GearVR, people clearly like them even with current limitations! In the long run, technology will advance to the point where scene capture is nearly photorealistic in both capture and playback.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 8 points9 points10 points  (6 children)
    Are you still on track to add mulitplayer/social to Oculus Video for the consumer Rift, as mentioned in this article?
    Will we be able to watch movies with friends in VR with this?
    [–]KelErudin 51 points52 points53 points  (8 children)
    I saw that you tweeted that you can add a second camera on the other side of a room to improve tracking. Is support for that built into the SDK or do developers have to code for that. In other words, can we just grab a second (or third or forth) camera as long as we have the usb 3.0 ports and they just plug and play?
    Thanks for all you have done for VR. I've been dreaming of this since I was a teen in the 90s.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 77 points78 points79 points  (4 children)
    Our Touch controllers come with an additional sensor, and we will be selling them individually as well.
    We will be sharing more about the exact implementation soon, but the process should be transparent to game developers.
    [–]TD-4242 10 points11 points12 points  (0 children)
    Is there going to be any access to the actual video stream that the IR cameras bring in? Possible to use it to identify objects in the play area and automatically notify a user if they are getting too close to them.
    [–]silencerider 88 points89 points90 points  (27 children)
    Some of the major high end video cards Oculus recommends, such as my GTX 980, only include one HDMI port, but several Displayports.
    For those of us who need our HDMI port for 4k60hz TVs, what adapter would Oculus recommend for HDMI to Displayport? Will an adapter be included with the Rift?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 118 points119 points120 points  (7 children)
    No official suggestion yet on what adapter to use, but I will make sure we have a clear answer for people in your situation. Need to test on a lot of hardware to make sure people are being pointed in the right direction.
    [–]silencerider 21 points22 points23 points  (2 children)
    Thank you! I don't want to end up with extra latency and not realize where it's coming from.
    [–]SvenVikingDesktophttp://i.imgur.com/hrtOJIk.jpg 67 points68 points69 points  (28 children)
    Many USB 3.0 host controllers are reported as incompatible with Rift by the Oculus Compatibility Tool. Could you provide any details on what causes the problem with those controllers (e.g. latency?) Also, is there any way to know what will or won't be compatible when buying a motherboard or expansion card? Thanks.
    Cybereality suggested a PCI-E expansion card known to be compatible, but it would be good to have more information since that specific card may be difficult or expensive for people in some countries to source.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 66 points67 points68 points  (14 children)
    We will be providing more details on this issue soon. It is not just us, lots of USB 3 devices making full use of the USB 3 standard have issues with some chipsets, especially ones from the early days of the standard.
    [–]HavelokPC Master RaceOculus Rift DK2 15 points16 points17 points  (5 children)
    You guys should have an official recommendation out there for a usb 3.0 expansion card. It's not just for those having issues being Rift compatible - Those of us planning on getting multiple Sensors could use the info too so we can plug in all the things.
    [–]MayorAwesome 25 points26 points27 points  (10 children)
    Two questions: Will Henry the Hedgehog be available when the Rift ships? I saw it at OC2 and I'd love to show it to my nephew, Henry.
    While at OC2, I had a chance to talk to you and show you what my company was working on. I was able to show you the need we have for Touch controllers. Can you say anything about when the Touch dev kits will be made available? We were using Razer Hydras (which aren't the greatest) and Perception Neurons (which are overkill and aren't the greatest) until we got a Vive dev kit (which works great). We're targeting Oculus and Vive for our B2B product and we could really use a Touch dev kit sooner, rather than later. Thanks man!
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 57 points58 points59 points  (6 children)
    Yes, it will! Touch dev kits are available in limited quantities to devs that are well along on the way to launch (they eat them up pretty fast once you add up a whole team), but we will be shipping more widely as soon as we can.
    [–]MayorAwesome 13 points14 points15 points  (0 children)
    Awesome! Thanks. If I'd like to show off what we're working on, but it's not a game and not something we can post publicly (i.e. post a demo in the Oculus Store). Can I reach out to you personally to talk more about it or is there someone else I can talk to about B2B applications?
    [–]KubeKing4556 20 points21 points22 points  (6 children)
    Hey Palmer, thanks for being with us tonight.
    How do you see the rise of proper virtual reality affecting the sales of higher-end PCs and GPUs in the future? Oculus' "Oculus-Ready PC" program is certainly a step in the right direction, imo.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 45 points46 points47 points  (5 children)
    We have been working with Nvidia, AMD, and Intel since basically the start of Oculus - they know that virtual reality is going to demand better and better hardware, and drive demand for powerful GPUs and CPUs beyond the existing gaming and enterprise market. That extends to PC manufacturers using their components, obviously.
    Most people have not had a reason to own a high-end PC for a long time. VR will change that, much like video-related stuff drove high end CPU adoption.
    [–]bookoo 10 points11 points12 points  (3 children)
    ...But...but... I don't want to get rid of my i5 2500k.
    [–]KubeKing4556 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Thanks for your reply, /u/palmerluckey! That's something I wasn't expecting to say today! :D
    I really like the video analogy: new mediums and forms of expression drive large-scale change, not gimmicks.
    [–]nunofgs 19 points20 points21 points  (16 children)
    Any news on Nimble? does their tech still exist or were they just put to work on something else?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 54 points55 points56 points  (15 children)
    We have acquired several of the best computer vision companies out there, including NimbleVR, Surreal Vision, Pebbles Interfaces, and 13th Lab. We showed off some hints of what we are working on at our developer conference last year, Oculus Connect, but I can’t talk too much about it except to say that all of these teams are working on things that are better than anything you have seen yet. Don’t expect to see much of their work in the Rift this year, though.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 51 points52 points53 points  (12 children)
    except to say that all of these teams are working on things that are better than anything you have seen yet
    Hype hype hype.
    For anyone wondering, here is an overview of what those teams have already shown:
    Edit: And here's the hints from Oculus Connect 2 that he was talking about. At 23:35, skip to 26:23 and then watch until around 28 minutes.
    [–]HighRelevancyPC Master Racei5-4670 // 16GB RAM // R9 280X 3GB // triple 1080p 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    That NimbleVR and Pebbles stuff is awesome. Lack of hands is a big thing. Not having a body when I look down in a lot of VR demos and games freaks me out.
    [–]FarkMcBark 2 points3 points4 points  (3 children)
    Thanks for the links! I hope they are working on marker-less facial and full body motion capture.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 4 points5 points6 points  (2 children)
    Yep, they've already made significant progress on markerless facial capture, even with them having a VR headset on!
    Oculus VR have a whole department called Oculus Research that work on all of this. They have some of the top tech talents in the world working there.
    (And yes, that is that Michael Abrash)
    [–]FarkMcBark 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    WOW awesome. Thanks again! I think pushing for things like this is what makes Palmer a visionary. He knows what's needed.
    Damnit I'm gonna be poor buying each new generation lol.
    [–]S1R_R34L 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    That's fucking amazing
    [–]jonny_wonny 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Those SLAM demos are incredibly impressive. I'm a programmer myself, but that technology still seems like magic to me. I can't even begin to imagine how complicated those algorithms are...
    [–]HavelokPC Master RaceOculus Rift DK2 2 points3 points4 points  (4 children)
    There is alot of AR implication in those videos. My guess is a very fancy chaperone-like system will be in CV2, along with optional optical handtracking.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 2 points3 points4 points  (3 children)
    They will certainly add AR features, but these have some serious VR implications too.
    You know how the Rift uses IR sensors for positional tracking and the HTC headset uses IR laser base stations?
    Imagine if you could get positional tracking without either of these. Everything built into the headset itself. That's what they are trying to enable.
    You'd have an unlimited tracking volume, and even mobile headsets like Gear VR could have it (so you could walk around a huge warehouse or field and be walking around in a VR environment.
    [–]HavelokPC Master RaceOculus Rift DK2 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    Ah! Right. Inside out tracking. Totally forgot about that, it's what Valve was trying for awhile with QR code wallpaper as well.
    [–]SvenVikingDesktophttp://i.imgur.com/hrtOJIk.jpg 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Interestingly, Lighthouse technically is inside-out tracking, though not markerless. The Lighthouse base stations essentially act as markers. The sensors on the headset "see" light from the base stations similarly to how a camera would "see" light from fiducial markers, but it's a ton cheaper, simpler and more efficient than having to have markers everywhere or multiple cameras built into every tracked object.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    Yes, the QR code / marker solution has been solved many times, for over 20 years, but it's markerless that's the true holy grail.
    [–]2close2see 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    That's a great keynote! I couldn't help but think of this tho as I was watching.
    [–]Sethos88PC Master Race5960x @ 4.3 // X99 TUF // 16GB DDR4 // 2 x 980 Ti // XB270HU 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    You are such a tease.
    [–]augment_human 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    As someone else working on something that requires state-of-the-art computer vision, could you please stop acquiring all of the best CV companies in the world :)
    [–]Qualimiox 52 points53 points54 points  (21 children)
    Hey Palmer! Looking forward to my Rift. However, I'm nearsighted and will therefore have to wear glasses. I've heard numerous reports of the lenses in DK2 scratching, mostly when used with glasses.
    How easily do the lenses in CV1 scratch? Would you advise people wearing glasses to use a screen-protector for the lenses or should they be scratch-proof enough to prevent that from happening?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 58 points59 points60 points  (14 children)
    I can’t get into detail yet, but we will have guidance on this. I am mildly nearsighted myself, making the hardware work well with people who have less than perfect vision has been a priority.
    [–]Nukemarine 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
    Part of me worried that the FDA would regulate the Rift due to its ability to correct (and by similar methods, destroy) vision problems. Mentioning in the past as Carmack said that astigmatism could be corrected in software worried me a bit. I don't see the Rift as a medical device, but that doesn't mean bureaucrats and regulators won't feel the same way.
    [–]redmercuryvendor 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    By 'correct for Astigmatism', Carmack means that, in software, you can create an image that is corrected for astigmatism in the optical path (that path including the physical lenses in the Rift as well as your eye). He doesn't mean that putting on the Rift will 'correct' your vision.
    Same principle that diopter adjustments in binoculars work under: they help correct for aberrations that happen to be in your eye, but are not corrective devices.
    [–]Octogenarian 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Is Oculus doing any work with prescription lens makers? Some sort of partnership?
    [–]SulerinPC Master RaceR9 290, 8GB RAM, AMD FX 6300, SSD 1 point2 points3 points  (3 children)
    Since you also wear glasses, how comfortable is the Rift to wear with glasses?
    [–]PMentalPC Master Race4670K@4,4Ghz, 16Gb RAM, GTX670 "Phantom", 480Gb SSD 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
    From what I've seen from user impressions from CES it depends on your glasses, but generally works well.
    [–]SulerinPC Master RaceR9 290, 8GB RAM, AMD FX 6300, SSD 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    Cool. I've had serious issues in the past with headphones and glasses.
    [–]deathmonkeyz 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
    In terms of the headphones thing, this image shows how the bar holding the headphones is actually extended and doesn't touch your head. I imagine your glasses frame will slip in there no problem.
    [–]j82k 6 points7 points8 points  (3 children)
    So do the lenses scratch as easily as on the DK2 or not? you kinda skipped the real question.
    [–]mynameisntjeffrey 13 points14 points15 points  (0 children)
    He said he can't get into detail yet, so there's your answer.
    [–]Yokoko44DesktopFx 8350, Gtx 970, 16GB RAM, DK2 -3 points-2 points-1 points  (0 children)
    Then it's a yes...
    [–]rufus83 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    I've been kind of curious about this as well. I have mild myopia, I wear glasses that are -2.0 in each eye, and the DK2 A lenses were just a bit too blurry for me. Will someone like me be able to get away with not wearing my glasses in the Rift?
    [–]TD-4242 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Has it been considered to have a snap-in frame that we could take to our optometrist and have our prescriptions made to fit then use in the rift?
    [–]Shadowreaper666PC Master RaceYou are awesome :D 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    As someone with really really bad vision I thank you for this.
    [–]SulerinPC Master RaceR9 290, 8GB RAM, AMD FX 6300, SSD 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    On a similar note, how comfortable is the Rift to wear with glasses?
    [–]RommelTJ 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    My experience was with the DK2 at a 10 minute demo at a mall so hopefully someone can give you a better anecdote, but for me they were extremely comfortable.
    [–]shadoweye14PC Master Racei7-5960X w/c | EVGA HYBRID 980Ti SLI | 32GB DDR4 | SSD-R0 |more 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Based on that note, how will the warranty and the RMA with the rift work?
    [–]r0lix 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    I work with HMDs with very costly optics for a living. Take an smartphone screen protector and cut it down to size for the lenses.
    [–]jam1garnerPC Master Race 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Just to point out, DK2 had acrylic lenses, so if this is an issue it won't be as big of one.
    [–]yellow-hammerDesktopi5-4690k, GTX 980 Ti 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Great question - my DK2 lenses got scratched to hell, despite my use of soft microfiber cloths to clean them!
    [–]Evil007 12 points13 points14 points  (3 children)
    Hi Palmer, I have a bit of a different question about the Oculus, actually about a non-gaming use for it.
    The price honestly doesn't bother me, because I was already planning on getting the ASUS PG27AQ this year, which is a 4k, IPS, g-sync display, which I have no doubts about being way more expensive than the Oculus anyway. Using my Cintiq as a normal monitor for editing and color correction is a great way to wear out its life, and that's quite a bit more expensive than anything else.
    But, as a 3d artist, VR sounds awesome. There would be nothing better than being able to build my own 3d world and then explore it, changing whatever I want. However, I can't just ignore the more pressing need of having another display that has accurate enough colors to do proper color correction on for projects.
    My question to you is this: Does the display that the Oculus has have accurate enough colors to compete with an IPS display? Is there a way to color calibrate the Oculus's display? Finally, is it possible to use the Oculus for normal desktop applications, such as Photoshop or Maya, even if it wouldn't have any benefit outside of just not needing to constantly switch between wearing it and not?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 23 points24 points25 points  (0 children)
    Does the display that the Oculus has have accurate enough colors to compete with an IPS display?
    Yes. Our OLED displays and control over the viewing environment make it one of the most accurate displays you can get. In the near future, VR displays are going to surpass traditional displays in almost every way.
    Is there a way to color calibrate the Oculus's display?
    It is calibrated out of the box. Every user gets the same image, which is especially nice for game devs.
    Finally, is it possible to use the Oculus for normal desktop applications, such as Photoshop or Maya, even if it wouldn't have any benefit outside of just not needing to constantly switch between wearing it and not?
    There are several people building virtual desktop applications. The biggest limitation is resolution per degree and lack of 1:1 pixel mapping compared to traditional displays. You can do it, but applications like PS and Maya are better on a normal monitor for now.
    [–]by_a_pyre_lightPC Master RaceGTX 690 i5 2500k 4.3GHz 480GB SSD 1.5TBHDD 12GB DDR3 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    What about doing modeling and basic coloring in the Rift and then doing color correction on a normal display? Think of it like fast prototyping and then refinement.
    [–]ggodin 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Virtual Desktop will be launching with the Rift and HTC Vive. It let's you use your PC in VR among other things.
    [–]AltephfourPC Master Race4Ghz i7-4790K GTX 980 41 points42 points43 points  (31 children)
    What is your opinion of FOVeated rendering? Specifically, in your opinion how far off is the technology to make this a realistic option, and how much of an impact will this be for the average VR consumer?
    Also, thank you for being one of the driving forces for VR. I look forward to seeing you in the Rift.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 47 points48 points49 points  (15 children)
    What is your opinion of FOVeated rendering? Specifically, in your opinion how far off is the technology to make this a realistic option, and how much of an impact will this be for the average VR consumer?
    Great, but not quite ready for prime-time. Eye-tracking for foveated rendering is much harder than eye-tracking for user interfaces.
    [–]lionleaf 5 points6 points7 points  (1 child)
    I was fairly skeptical towards eye tracking and foveated rendering, but after some math (it's too late to reproduce right now) I was surprised at how promising it looks.
    Yes, you'd need low latency eye tracking, but if I remember correctly getting 15ms eye tracking for instance would give a big performance boost that's visually undetectable!
    Add to that the social utility of having your avatars eyes point the right way and I'm sure eye tracking will become the norm after a while.
    (I have tried the expensive DK2 eye-tracking mod, unfortunately their computer wasn't good enough, but the tracking was pretty good. Not a fan of eye tracking as player input though)
    PS: I find it interesting that OP wrote FOVeated rendering, indicating he might be linking it to FOV, while it's actually from the word fovea, which is the area on your retina with the highest "resolution"
    [–]WormSlayer 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    And of course the benefits of foveated rendering get exponentially higher as screen resolution increases!
    [–]FarkMcBark 6 points7 points8 points  (2 children)
    I think eye tracking will also be great for player interaction / chats and NPC interaction as well. Really hope it will be in the 2nd Gen
    [–]bboyjkangDesktopSpecs/Imgur Here 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
    And interface control.
    Game controller + eye tracking
    There’s a video of a redditor controlling the desktop, and surfing Reddit with an eye tracker and a game controller (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IjTZcbXYQY).
    Eye gaze is for initial, instant, and possibly large cursor movements, and then the joystick of the controller overrides the gaze-control to offer an accurate selection of the target.
    The controller buttons are for clicking.
    Mouse + eye tracking
    A paper called “Mouse and Keyboard Cursor Warping to Accelerate and Reduce the Effort of Routine HCI Input Tasks” evaluates how initially teleporting the cursor with eye tracking in other common human computer interaction can affect the interaction.
    The authors have a video demonstration.
    A segment of the video has a task that requires the user to click “click-me” buttons that are generated in random locations as fast as possible.
    A competition pits a mouse vs. an eye tracker + mouse.
    You can see the performance of the eye-tracking warping + mouse at 2:41 of the video: http://youtu.be/7BhqRsIlROA?t=2m41s.
    “Mouse control + eye-tracking teleport” ends up being the clear winner.
    Eye tracking can be used to initially teleport a cursor near an intended target.
    Once there, the mouse or game controller can override eye-control when precision is needed.
    Navigating 20 virtual stock trading screens in Oculus Rift
    Traders can have 12 or more monitors for prices, news, charts, analytics, financial data, alerts, messages, etc..
    Bloomberg LP (makes financial software) built a virtual prototype of their data terminal for the Oculus Rift.
    Here is the image of their prototype with 20 virtual screens: http://i.imgur.com/Z9atPdh.png
    Looking at a screen, and pressing a “select-what-am-looking-at” button would probably be better than trying to move a mouse-controlled cursor across 20 virtual screens.
    [–]FarkMcBark 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    That's interesting. More fine grained control without having to adjust would be even better of course.
    Another interesting thing would be to combine this with speech commands - the eye tracking provides the context of what you command is about (like "close" for a window you look at).
    [–]jonny_wonny 12 points13 points14 points  (8 children)
    I'm guessing you are already aware of that, but the author of the article did claim that this company's technology seems to be ready for foveated rendering.
    [–]bbasara007 2 points3 points4 points  (7 children)
    Just like articles that said LiFi was ready for vr, they are wrong.
    [–]jonny_wonny 3 points4 points5 points  (6 children)
    Care to justify that statement? SMI's eye-tracking technology runs at 250 Hz with apparently very high accuracy, according to the author of the article (he was able to target an object just a few pixels across). 240 Hz seems to be lower limit to what needs to be hit for a visually seamless experience, so they've got that.
    What about their technology seems subpar to you?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 42 points43 points44 points  (1 child)
    (he was able to target an object just a few pixels across)
    Or he was able to auto-aim an object a few pixels across.
    [–]jonny_wonny 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
    If there were an auto-aiming mechanism at work in the demo, I'd like to think that SMI would have disclosed that fact to the journalist playing it. It would be pretty dishonest if they didn't, as clearly the journalist would be using their ability to aim as a gauge for how accurate the technology is. However, you are correct. That is a possibility, and one which I had not considered.
    [–]SvenVikingDesktophttp://i.imgur.com/hrtOJIk.jpg 2 points3 points4 points  (3 children)
    Just a thought, but technically, if eye tracking was perfect today the limiting factor would then be the rendered frame rate. If you move your eyes after one frame begins rendering, it'll take until the frame after that for the screen to update to match your new gaze location. So at 90Hz there could be something like 20ms latency. Prediction should help to some degree (i.e. guess where the eye is going based on acceleration/deceleration).
    [–]jonny_wonny 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
    Very good point. I wonder how well the concept of "reprojection" could be applied to this scenario? Probably not at all. There wouldn't be any quick operation that could be done to recreate the detail to be in sync with the eye position, as the absence of the detail is the basis for the performance increase to begin with. Hmm, interesting...
    [–]SvenVikingDesktophttp://i.imgur.com/hrtOJIk.jpg 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    Possibly you could render the whole image in very low quality, then render the higher quality bits afterwards based on the current eye position to cut latency down slightly.
    [–]jonny_wonny 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Interesting. Different portions of the screen could be updated at different frequencies. Maybe something like dirty rectangles (circles?) for VR.
    There's definitely lots possibilities here -- but I think the main question is how much is it possible to get away with before all these optimizations degrade the quality of the output to the point where it affects the player's perception of the scene. And I guess we won't know that until people actually start tinkering with this stuff.
    Either way, none of it is possible until we have good eye tracking, so hopefully we'll have that step out of the way in the relatively near future (assuming this MSI technology is as good as they claim.)
    [–]Nukemarine 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Hopefully it's ready in two years, assuming that's when the equivalent of the CV2 gets released. Mmmmm, foveated rendering and light field displays.
    [–]HexorgPC Master Racei7-4770K@4.0GHz, 16GB DDR3 1866Mhz, GTX 970, 250Gb 840 Evo SSD 10 points11 points12 points  (12 children)
    FOVeated
    Just wanted to let you know that foveate has nothing to do with Field of View.
    [–]AltephfourPC Master Race4Ghz i7-4790K GTX 980 6 points7 points8 points  (2 children)
    Thank you for correcting me. I would edit it but edits are not allowed for AMA's.
    [–]HexorgPC Master Racei7-4770K@4.0GHz, 16GB DDR3 1866Mhz, GTX 970, 250Gb 840 Evo SSD 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    No problem :)
    [–]JohnAdamZiolkowski 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Thank you. I saw the comment above and thought "oh, I didn't think they were related but that kinda makes sense."
    [–]FarkMcBark 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Words always have meant different things in different contexts though. Welcome to the birth of a new word meaning. It's historic and glorious. Don't resist it!
    [–]squirrellywhirly -1 points0 points1 point  (6 children)
    Just wanted to let you know that foveated imaging is a thing.
    [–]HexorgPC Master Racei7-4770K@4.0GHz, 16GB DDR3 1866Mhz, GTX 970, 250Gb 840 Evo SSD 3 points4 points5 points  (5 children)
    Yes, but it had nothing to do with the field of view. It comes from a word fovea which is a part of your eye that sees the sharpest image.
    [–]squirrellywhirly 1 point2 points3 points  (4 children)
    I thought that he was asking about this which has to do with field of gaze detection and tracking.
    [–]HexorgPC Master Racei7-4770K@4.0GHz, 16GB DDR3 1866Mhz, GTX 970, 250Gb 840 Evo SSD 1 point2 points3 points  (3 children)
    Yeah, I'm just not sure why they capitalize FOV in foveated. It's like saying MASter race.
    [–]squirrellywhirly 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
    It's a joke or pun. They're aware of the foveal system, intimately, and they know that FOV is a term that the users will at least be somewhat familiar with, and I'm sure FOVeate was just amusing to whoever named it.
    [–]HexorgPC Master Racei7-4770K@4.0GHz, 16GB DDR3 1866Mhz, GTX 970, 250Gb 840 Evo SSD 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    I... I guess I'm turning into a grammar Nazi :(
    [–]S1R_R34L 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    That article from Road to VR is the first I've seen it capitalized like that. IMO it made it really confusing when initially reading it.
    [–]hyperion337 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    Just an FYI, its "foveated rendering" not FOVeated. Its referring to your fovea not Field Of Vision.
    [–]somekirbyguyPC Master Racesomekirbyguy 14 points15 points16 points  (5 children)
    Thoughts on the Virtual Boy?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 49 points50 points51 points  (4 children)
    Not really a VR device, IMO. No head tracking, low field of view, essentially a monochrome 3DTV.
    A real shame, too, because the association of the Virtual Boy with VR hurt the industry in the long run.
    It did have the first LED display in a consumer device, though - probably the best contrast of any display up to that point!
    [–]Gc13psjDesktopi5 6600 R9 Fury 20 points21 points22 points  (1 child)
    Wow you actually found a good thing to say about the Virtual Boy. That's impressive!
    [–]rivermandan 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Wow you actually found a good thing to say about the Virtual Boy.
    it had a cool colour scheme, ummm, it could stand up on its own.... it had a controller?
    [–]Slats89PC Master Racehttp://steamcommunity.com/id/slatsking/ 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    I'm probably biased because I only had a Virtual Boy and a Game Boy growing up but I loved my Virtual Boy. It wasn't until a few years ago that I found out the system was a bust which made me sad. I only had three games and never got tired of any of them. Wario Land will always be one of my favorite games from my childhood.
    [–]RireMakar -2 points-1 points0 points  (0 children)
    I have a Chrome extension that replaces both the "Oculus Rift" and "Vive" with "Virtual Boy" and man, this confused the heck out of me as I tried to figure out which one it was originally.
    [–]ManokoPC Master Race 20 points21 points22 points  (13 children)
    I'm a full-time student, quite low on money, but really passionate about VR and its potential (I tried the Rift (DK2) multiple times in the same day when I got my entry into Paris Games Week's press day. Oculus employees in the Oculus booth started to know me, but allowed me to try every demo available, and I am very thankful for that.
    My question is: according to you, how long until someone in my financial situation (not a lot of disposable income) would be able to get into VR ? Would I need to wait for eye-tracking tech to be widely available cheaply for example (for foveated rendering, allowing my crappy computer to run some of the games in VR) ?
    I have to be honest with you, I expected it to be something I couldn't afford, but it still makes me pretty sad to not be able financially to be part of the start of this amazing breakthrough. I've been waiting that train for a long time, spent a lot of time daydreaming about it, all the while knowing I won't be able to board it.
    I know many people are in my situation.
    You'll probably not get to my question now since I posted it late, but thanks for the AMA, and your work on VR as a whole.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 48 points49 points50 points  (10 children)
    how long until someone in my financial situation (not a lot of disposable income) would be able to get into VR ?
    If you have a Samsung phone, Gear VR is your current best bet. Your crappy PC is the biggest barrier to adoption, which is why we are working with all the major hardware vendors to optimize for VR - if "normal" PCs get good enough to run VR, then the majority of people will be able to buy a relatively cheap headset and just use whatever computer they already own to drive it.
    [–]Shitscientist 3 points4 points5 points  (5 children)
    Any plans for an IPD adjustable gear? Why was the decision made to not allow gear IPD adjustment? The innovator gear was IPD moddable but the consumer version seems pretty impossible.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 7 points8 points9 points  (1 child)
    FYI, the Gear VR's hardware is designed and manufactured by Samsung, Oculus VR just designs the IMU (sensors inside it), collaborates on the low level firmware, creates/maintains the SDK, and does all the system software (as well as some great 1st party apps).
    [–]Shitscientist 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
    Well then. I'm off to write Samsung a nasty letter. Just gotta find a stamp..
    [–]Whirlmeister 3 points4 points5 points  (2 children)
    Both the Vive and Rift change IPD settings by moving the two screens relative to each other which wouldn't be possible with the GearVR (which only has one screen)
    [–]Shitscientist 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    True. Widening the gap between the images worked on the single screened DK1 though.
    [–]randall82 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    My guess is that the reason is cost, trying to hit that $99 mark.
    [–]0-cares-givenPC Master Racei7 2600k, GTX 970, 16GB DDR3 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    Unfortunately as I'm sure you're aware, that would require PC manufacturers to start selling their PC's with dedicated video cards by default.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    In future, foveated rendering will be there, and with it, integrated GPUs will be good enough to provide basic VR environments that are still compelling to be in.
    I'm not talking about high fidelity gaming, but cartoony games, VR cinema (with your friends there too, of course, and the movie/TV show/YouTube video synced!), social VR (think Second Life but not shit), and more.
    [–]idzen 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    a Samsung Note/Galaxy demo phone can work with GearVR, as well, in case you are already locked in a contract or something.
    [–]iliketurtlesdurr 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    if you are in florida, feel free to hit me up in pm and come by my house for rift celebration party
    [–]FarkMcBark 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Probably have to wait a few years more I'd guess. Some of us been waiting for a long long time for this. Maybe get a job in VR?
    [–]lionleaf 24 points25 points26 points  (11 children)
    Hey Palmer!
    I'll keep it short :)
    What's your take on the following technologies, and how do you see them affecting the industry in the future?
    • high dynamic range displays
    • light field photography
    • foveated rendering
    Thanks a lot and congratulation on launching and igniting the spark that has created an industry! :D
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 36 points37 points38 points  (10 children)
    high dynamic range displays
    Really cool. Makes more sense for realtime content than movie content, which is currently pushing HDR.
    light field photography
    Will take off once the hardware for capturing gets better.
    foveated rendering
    Answered in another question.
    [–]eVRydayVR 11 points12 points13 points  (0 children)
    foveated rendering
    Answered in another question.
    Direct link (for those who want to see)
    [–]lionleaf 2 points3 points4 points  (7 children)
    Thanks a lot Palmer!
    Exciting times ahead :D
    Just graduating from college this summer and the VR industry has been a big factor in my career choices. So in a way you've had a direct impact on my career path; I've landed a job as a smartphone GPU architect at ARM starting this summer and will hopefully help make mobile VR even better :) Looking forward to the next few years in VR!
    [–]ZarphosPC Master Racei5-4690K, 8GB 2133 G.Skill RAM, Intel HD 4600 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    Off topic, but damn, GPU architect? That's freaking awesome man! How do you get into something like that?
    [–]lionleaf 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Thanks! I'm super psyched! I'm finishing up a CS degree now and I've taken a decent amount of computer architecture classes, one of which was a big project where we designed and built a custom GPU on an FPGA. That project was key. (We've been meaning to write up a nice website to demo it, but if you're interested here is the super long report: http://demolicio.us/demolicious.pdf ). With that background I got a summer internship at ARM last summer and through luck and a recommendation I got asked whether I wanted to interview for a unique opening on the architecture team :)
    [–]Me-as-IDesktop4770k Gigabyte GTX 770 1 point2 points3 points  (4 children)
    Congrats on the job!
    [–]Me-as-IDesktop4770k Gigabyte GTX 770 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
    Not going to bother him with this question, so I'll ask you.
    Do you know what he means by:
    high dynamic range displays
    Really cool. Makes more sense for realtime content than movie content, which is currently pushing HDR.
    I thought HDR is High Dynamic Range?
    [–]lionleaf 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    It is. As I'm reading he is saying that movie content is currently pushing HDR displays, but that it would actually make more sense for realtime content. I'm going to bed, but if anyone's got some links to back that up, I'd be interested.
    [–]Me-as-IDesktop4770k Gigabyte GTX 770 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Oh I see now, I was just reading the sentence wrong.
    Movies are pushing for it, but while that's nice, it makes even more sense for real time.
    [–]lionleaf 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Thanks! :D I'm super excited!
    [–]velocd 23 points24 points25 points  (5 children)
    I'm concerned about multi-GPU and VR. In a perfect world, VR and multi-GPU would work out-of-the-box for every VR title. The rendering is split automagically across each GPU.
    Unfortunately this probably isn't going to be how it works. Nvidia GameWorks VR SLI is sure to be like other proprietary GameWorks APIs, where only games that make use of the API will have SLI enabled for VR.
    Isn't there some way Oculus can skip the vendor-specific bullshit APIs and do the low level multi-GPU stuff themselves? So multi-GPU works for every title, and we don't have to wait on Nvidia GameWorks integrations or drivers?
    Like it is now for most PC games, I see a future where only lucky AAA titles have SLI support. And VR could really use multi-GPU for every title considering how much more demanding it is.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 26 points27 points28 points  (1 child)
    There is not really anything we can do to fix this. SLI support in VR titles still needs a lot of work by individual developers, there is nothing out there that makes it easy to do eye-per-GPU rendering.
    [–]wingmasterjon 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    I currently have a GTX770 SLI setup. Will I realistically need to upgrade to a better single card if I want to enjoy VR this year? It sounds like SLI support will take a long time to become a thing.
    [–]HighRelevancyPC Master Racei5-4670 // 16GB RAM // R9 280X 3GB // triple 1080p 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
    That's really not something that Oculus can or should be dealing with. The Rift generates some inputs for tracking, puts then into the game, the game talks to the GPU about rendering things, and the GPU gives an image to the Rift to display. You're asking for Oculus to insert themselves between the game and the graphics driver... somehow.
    And of course, there's two totally different multi-GPU systems that work with multiple different chipsets that work in totally different ways, and you'd be trying to subvert what Nvidia and AMD are doing and then be better than them at what they do.
    This is silly.
    The car analogy here is arguing that Michelin Tyres should fix engine issues associated with bolt-on turbo mods, for Subarus and Hondas and Toyotas.
    [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    AMD will also have VR CrossFire, so don't worry.
    Engines like Unity and UE4 will completely abstract this, but just as with standard SLI and CrossFire, if you're writing your own engine, you have to support each separately.
    [–]alienangel2PC Master Racei7-2600k@4.5GHz|GTX 970x2|1440p@144Hz GSync TN, 1440p@110Hz IPS 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    DX12's heterogeneous GPU task management is what is most likely to solve that in a vendor-agnostic way. Basically the idea with that is that application developers model discrete render tasks and ask the DX layer to execute them, and DX works out if it's possible to execute them on different GPUs without running into memory or synchronization constraints. If applications are written to support this, it wouldn't matter if the hardware underneath has a single or multiple GPUs, and theoretically doesn't matter if the GPUs are even from the same manufacturers.
    Note that I'm not saying this will make things easy either; it's a more complex version of breaking tasks down to execute correctly on concurrent processors, and we've had decades of working on that without it becoming simple to write good concurrent software. I'm just saying that this kind of abstraction between application software (the games) and the underlying hardware is more likely to work well in the long term than hacky short-term solutions like having devs set up their games to do eye-per-GPU rendering for both NV and AMD - and DX12 is trying to provide a framework for this abstraction right now.
    But DX12 isn't here yet. I expect SLI will still be annoying for VR for the next couple of years.
    [–]hawikPC Master Racehttp://steamcommunity.com/id/hawik/ 34 points35 points36 points  (6 children)
    I have no questions to ask but thanks for the AMA brother, may your framerates be high and your temperatures low.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 62 points63 points64 points  (5 children)
    Ad Victoriam, brother!
    [–]ThunderkleizeDesktophttp://pcpartpicker.com/p/3FC73C 7 points8 points9 points  (1 child)
    I should have known you'd be brotherhood scum, it really makes sense.
    [–]xaronax 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Go fuck a synth and prepare to be purged.
    [–]hawikPC Master Racehttp://steamcommunity.com/id/hawik/ 13 points14 points15 points  (0 children)
    That's one thing i really did not expect this night. I just.... shut up and take my money.
    [–]badama 13 points14 points15 points  (0 children)
    Outstanding.
    [–]skiskate 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
    I love you.
    [–]Dracil 11 points12 points13 points  (7 children)
    Hi Palmer! Thanks for doing another AMA. I've been following the CES hands-on reports about the CV1 experiences. One experience that has concerned me was someone who mentioned being told that his glasses might be too big, and indeed it ended up being too big. So as a glasses wearer, my questions are as follows:
    1. Is there some sort of reference on how big is too big glasses-wise for the CV1?
    2. I remember reading about some changeable facial interfaces being included about half a year ago. Will those still be included? How many/what kind/is there one for glasses wearers?
    Thanks again!
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 18 points19 points20 points  (1 child)
    Is there some sort of reference on how big is too big glasses-wise for the CV1?
    No reference, but your glasses have to be pretty wide to not fit. Height is not as much of an issue.
    I remember reading about some changeable facial interfaces being included about half a year ago. Will those still be included? How many/what kind/is there one for glasses wearers?
    Yes, and there are options for glasses users!
    [–]yggdrasilQ 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Yes, and there are options for glasses users!
    Will the changeable interfaces be able to be chosen prior to preorder shipment, or will they need to be bought separately?
    [–]camicaziDesktophttp://steamcommunity.com/id/camicazi 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    ill chime in here for the first question, there was a guy whose glasses fit in the rift and he said his glasses were these So if your glasses are of that size or smaller they should fit nicely, I dont know the maximum size tho if you have bigger glasses
    [–]FarkMcBark 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
    One way might be to buy a pair of cheap extra glasses and fit only the glasses into the rift using a 3D printed holder. There is also a company planning to do this professionally.
    [–]jecowa 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    That sounds nice. I'd like to not have to wear glasses or contacts in addition to the Rift. If I had a DK2, I'd definitely join the beta.
    [–]FarkMcBark 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    He answered a question about glasses here. They'll include a faceplate for glasses.
    [–]jecowa 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    When you say his glasses were too big, which part specifically was too big? Were the frames of his glasses too wide to fit? Were the lenses of his glasses colliding with the lenses of the Rift?
    [–]shingox 15 points16 points17 points  (3 children)
    Does Oculus have any plans to demo the rift with something similar to what HTC did with their 'world tour'?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 24 points25 points26 points  (0 children)
    We have been showing our latest hardware at conventions all over the world since we launched our Kickstarter, and will continue to do so. We also announced retail partnerships a couple days ago that will let us show off the Rift to a lot more people.
    [–]skiskate 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    They will be selling retail so you could try one out at a store.
    [–]Cunningcory 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    And how do we get a job on the bus?? :)
    [–]SCUZNUTSPC Master RaceSpecs/Imgur here 5 points6 points7 points  (18 children)
    Are you still collecting headsets?
    Given the explosion of headsets, what is 'good enough' for you to get, which out of the current lineup will you purchase?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 17 points18 points19 points  (17 children)
    Are you still collecting headsets?
    Yes, I have something like 70 headsets now. Pretty much everything that has ever existed, most of it pretty old.
    Given the explosion of headsets, what is 'good enough' for you to get, which out of the current lineup will you purchase?
    All of them.
    [–]firyice 4 points5 points6 points  (11 children)
    Do you have pictures of your collection? Would be awesome to see a gallery of each with names/dates/specs.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 28 points29 points30 points  (10 children)
    I want to put them in a gallery of some kind at some point, but it is mostly stacks of cardboard moving boxes right now. My real goal is to make a VR gallery that lets you virtually wear all the headsets, instantly turning the experience into the one you get from that particular headset.
    [–]Leviatein 10 points11 points12 points  (0 children)
    that would be so cool
    the virtual reality museum of virtual reality
    [–]spankeey77 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
    What an amazing idea! VR museums would be such cool apps on their own, I would love to see your VR headset museum... in VR!
    [–]WormSlayer 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
    Dude, I was just talking to someone today about making exactly that sort of *virtual, virtual museum! I assume you are familiar with the "A Taste of the New Millennium" demo?
    [–]rogeressig 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
    seems it's a popular idea! http://i.imgur.com/UTkVTNT.jpg a taste of the new millennium is one of my fav VR experiences, I did small-roomscale VR with my DK2 with that one. I laid on the floor for a while.
    [–]WormSlayer 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    • Simulated Amiga-quality VR brofist :P
    [–]jcde7agoPC Master Racei7 5960X | GTX Titan X 12GB Tri-SLI | 32GB DDR4 | 3x XB270HU 7 points8 points9 points  (0 children)
    a VR gallery that lets you virtually wear all the headsets, instantly turning the experience into the one you get from that particular headset.
    That sounds amazing. VRception!
    [–]NotsoElite4PC Master Raceformer peasant 6 points7 points8 points  (1 child)
    simulated nausea then?
    [–]by_a_pyre_lightPC Master RaceGTX 690 i5 2500k 4.3GHz 480GB SSD 1.5TBHDD 12GB DDR3 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    Given the history of the older VR headsets, that was my thought too.
    [–]-null 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    That would be amazing.
    [–]IamaLlamaAma -1 points0 points1 point  (0 children)
    Maybe that's possible with the google cardboard as well?
    Put on the google cardboard and experience the Oculus Rift. No need to buy the Rift anymore :)
    [–]FrothyWhenAgitated 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    Even 3DHEAD? Well, I guess you can't really call that VR.
    [–]zemeron 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    Well I guess that answers if Palmer is getting a Vive.
    [–]jecowa 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    It wouldn't surprise me if he had a few Vive dev kits already.
    [–]idzen 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Do you have a datavisor? Those fuckers always looked like the definition of movie VR HMD.
    You probably do.
    [–]gtmog 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    So if you segmented your collection into "probably my fault" and "not my fault" categories, what headset would be the last one added to the latter? :)
    [–]shadow56399 5 points6 points7 points  (3 children)
    What do you think the role social media sites (including, but not exclusively Facebook) will have in shaping the future of VR?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 20 points21 points22 points  (2 children)
    In the future, people will share full captures of experiences, not just tiny captured snippets like current videos and photos. Some of those captures will be from the real world, some will be from the virtual world. People want to share their lives with others, VR is not going to change that.
    [–]virtualpotatoDesktopi7-980x, GTX970, 5760x1200 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    I look forward to the real life version of Strange Days.
    Let some pro surfer go wear the camera and let me see the curl from her vantage point.
    Skydivers.
    Astronauts.
    I can't wait!
    [–]jonny_wonny 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    And to live the lives of others. I'm looking forward to the "Being John Malkovich" VR experience.
    [–]socially_reddited 95 points96 points97 points  (161 children)
    Hi Palmer. Apoligies for long question but you didn't seem to understand the issue in the last AMA.
    So the main issue for Australians is the shipping cost.
    Why the hell is shipping $130 USD (~$180 AUD)? Especially when it's shipping from Sydney!?
    It is cheaper to ship from U.S to Australia via a third party instead. So, why do you even have a warehouse in Australia?
    This is insane. There are also issues with taxation. It's shipping from within Aus so we pay GST of 10%.
    Yet the base price adds what I assume is U.S taxes, it goes from $599 to $685 or whatever.
    So we're somehow paying two taxes, plus the most expensive shipping costs the world has ever seen.
    If this issue is worked out, it would bring the cost down to around $900 and I would buy immediately.
    All you have to do is ship directly to Aus, instead of from within Aus.
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 44 points45 points46 points  (137 children)
    I can't throw anyone under the bus. Wish I had a better answer for you, I really do. If it helps, it should be clear from our international pricing choices overall that we are not trying to gouge anyone, I don't have anything out for Australia.
    [–]noorbeast 69 points70 points71 points  (76 children)
    Who from Oculus can provide a definitive justification for this $130 USD shipping charge for domestically shipping from within Australia, or should Australians refer their concerns to the Australian Consumer & Competition Commission to seek a formal response from Oculus?
    [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 74 points75 points76 points  (65 children)
    should Australians refer their concerns to the Australian Consumer & Competition Commission to seek a formal response from Oculus?
    Feel free, would be interesting to see what they say.
    [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 57 points58 points59 points  (29 children)
    You can file a complaint here using business information from this link.
    Just canceled my order as well. Everyone bumps up one.
    Some points from /u/ptisinge here
    I think there are a few aspects of the pre-order which can be relevant to an ACCC complaint, but I'm not an expert and I'm not sure about some of them.
    1. There was a clear mishap with the currency used - I don't know whether it's fixed when one tries to pre order now but it certainly should be unambiguous. Having said that we already know the answer about that. Is Australian GST included or not? If we're ordering via an Australian subsidiary or partner, the GST amount should be listed clearly too. This also leads to the next point:
    2. Where is the item shipping from? Are we pre-ordering from within Australia via a partner/subsidiary or direclty from the US? If the latter, it gets back to (1) why are we charged GST since it would fall under the $1000 threshold while importing (2) why are we threatened to have orders revoked when using forwarding companies; if the former, why the hell are we charged USD $130 for shipping - this last bit is what annoys most of us I suspect, but I don't know what ACCC says about shipping costs and their justification. Anyone knows about that?
    [–]begenial 6 points7 points8 points  (1 child)
    Awesome, you are the hero we need. More Aussie cancel their preorders please so I can get mine in March.
    [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    [–]DARKSTARPOWNYOUALL 4 points5 points6 points  (3 children)
    Doing it now. What exactly are the key points to cover in the description of the complaint? I really hate this price gouging and shadiness from Oculus and how they won't release a statement even attempting to explain, and Palmer would rather be a cocky dick to us when asking - but I'm terrible at wording this sort of stuff.
    [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 7 points8 points9 points  (2 children)
    Well it's your complaint, it has to be your words.
    You can see mine in the screen shot. Basically I was worried shipping is being used to artificially raise prices for Australians and was requesting information on it.
    [–]DARKSTARPOWNYOUALL 4 points5 points6 points  (1 child)
    Ah I missed your screenshot. Not to worry, I'd already written one in my own words, in much the same vein. Submitted.
    P.S. The first link in your second paragraph doesn't work. I think you probably want to replace it with this one. https://www.accc.gov.au/contact-us/contact-the-accc/consumer-complaint-form
    [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
    Thanks mate. I'll update.
    [–]Dhalphir -1 points0 points1 point  (21 children)
    You're acting likea fucking clown mate. Sure, ask for clarification on the shipping because it seems high, I agree. But if you think Oculus is stupid enough to risk huge trouble from a government body just to make a few extra bucks from a handful of Aussies then you're as thick as two short planks.
    [–]Tubala 18 points19 points20 points  (15 children)
    Considering the company refuses to give a straight up answer to a legitimate question, what else should he do?
    [–]Dhalphir comment score below threshold-6 points-5 points-4 points  (13 children)
    Do you demand every company you deal with provide an indepth justification for every one of their prices?
    [–]Tubala 9 points10 points11 points  (9 children)
    When there is a single point of supply and an extremely unreasonable shipping price, yes.
    A refusal by a company to provide a straight up answer to a question like this implies that it is hiding something. This is particularly the case where there is evidence of much cheaper shipping prices from third parties.
    If the company points to the shipping provider and gives evidence of the cost (e.g. by linking the shipping providers description of the service) there is no issue and someone can just choose not to buy if they don't want to pay it.
    Australians obviously have a right to ask the commission to seek clarification of this sort of thing.
    [–]Dhalphir 1 point2 points3 points  (7 children)
    Yeah because the most likely scenario is that they are risking serious problems with governments in order to make a few extra bucks off a handful of Australians.
    [–]downvoteninja84 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    Essentially we all do. Don't like one companies service/price go to another. Business is built on that
    [–]Dhalphir 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
    You vote with your wallet, you don't jerk around and ask for documentation
    [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
    I do when they are charging $185 for shipping from Sydney and encouraged by the company themselves.
    [–]ruethegloom -2 points-1 points0 points  (0 children)
    Just not buy one? Crazy idea I know.
    [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 5 points6 points7 points  (4 children)
    I'm just asking for clarification, not damages.
    I've dealt with government a fair bit. Laying this out this way is the only way to get a response.
    Without that last sentence there is no complaint and no action required by the ACCC
    [–]Dhalphir comment score below threshold-6 points-5 points-4 points  (3 children)
    Then why add this dumb little sentence at the end of your complaint?
    "Shipping is being used to artificially raise the price"
    You're acting like a snarky twat jumping on a bandwagon.
    [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
    Because it is my concern. All I was asking is for clarification that this is not the case.
    [–]Dhalphir -2 points-1 points0 points  (1 child)
    The way you wrote it, it's an accusation. If that wasn't your intent you have some work to do on your phrasing choices.
    [–]lambanaDesktopi5-3330, 8GB 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    Would be interested to find out the answer. (Just curious. I'm not from the 20 countries.) Hope you share.
    [–]-Frances-The-Mute- 24 points25 points26 points  (2 children)
    Looks like there won't be a justification. So lets just assume someone at Oculus screwed up and got shafted on shipping contracts in AU/NZ.
    No apology either.. just this. Which is kinda sad to see.
    [–]fuckwpshit 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
    This was the same with the DK2. So it's not recent.
    [–]jimmy_bishHTPCjimmy_bish 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
    At least the DK2 was "only" $75 USD shipping....
    [–]TyrialFrostPC Master RaceGTX 680, i7@4GHz, 16gb, 1600p|1080p 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
    15 days for a response from ACC. We will see where it goes.
    The inclusion of the clause threatening to cancel any orders using redirection services is interesting. Be sure to include that in your complaint.
    [–]Virtual_Worlds 4 points5 points6 points  (5 children)
    Do you have the Company Detials? It asks for ABN etc. Lets do it, lots of us here and other forums are keen to see what comes of it.
    [–]WeaponstoMaximum 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
    Just do a general enquiry rather than the complaint form.
    [–]Virtual_Worlds 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
    Is this still the current one?
    ABN: 89 760 407 953
    [–]overclosenessPC Master Racei5 6600K 4.4GHz/GTX980/Oculus Rift VR Masterrace 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
    Hey guys is there an NZ version of this?
    [–]Tubala 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
    It would be the Commerce Commission, though I'm not sure whether they would actually look into this sort of thing.
    [–][deleted]  (6 children)
    [deleted]
      [–]shadoweye14PC Master Racei7-5960X w/c | EVGA HYBRID 980Ti SLI | 32GB DDR4 | SSD-R0 |more 15 points16 points17 points  (0 children)
      lol. Oh snap!
      [–]Dhalphir 1 point2 points3 points  (5 children)
      For what it's worth not all Australians think you're greedily ripping people off. I think if you could have got the price cheaper in any way you would have done so.
      The shipping costs don't bother me, they don't mean the difference between buying the Rift and not buying.
      If the shipping costs mean someone suddenly can't afford the Rift then they are living too close to the edge to be buying expensive early adoption hardware.
      [–]ruethegloom 0 points1 point2 points  (4 children)
      Same. I actually think it's overly expensive shipping, but at the same time I feel companies should be able to charge whatever they want for their products with us having the freedom to "speak with our wallet" as such, and not purchase. Going to the ACCC seems pointless and will achieve nothing.
      [–]_Confucius_ 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
      Of course companies should be able to charge what they want. The problem here is that we believe they are not charging what they want so they are instead hiding the extra in the exorbitant shipping price.
      [–]ruethegloom 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      Well they are charging what they want for shipping then. Seems reasonable to do that? I can just not purchase if I feel it's too much.
      [–]overclosenessPC Master Racei5 6600K 4.4GHz/GTX980/Oculus Rift VR Masterrace 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
      Thanks such a unique viewpoint, I find the idea of a company making profit off of shipping detestable.
      [–]ruethegloom 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      I don't like it either, and I haven't pre-ordered a Rift. Just my instinct isn't to try and get the government to protect me. Australia is a bit nanny state though so I get it.
      [–]WehavecrashedMac HeathenR9 280X 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      I'll also feel free to purchase a VR headset from one of your competitors instead. One that either doesn't blatantly price gouge or has competent staff.
      You aren't going to get away with this bullshit with the market you're targeting.
      Are you sending each rift individually with a personal courier first class?
      [–]DARKSTARPOWNYOUALL 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      Pathetic response from an atrocious spokesman. The mark ups are one thing, but your PR attitude towards us in both AMA's now has officially turned my entire gaming group away from your product.
      [–]HavelokPC Master RaceOculus Rift DK2 7 points8 points9 points  (1 child)
      Oculus would likely prefer to communicate through official channels about such things so honestly it's not a bad idea.
      [–]noorbeast 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
      I have not yet had a response from Oculus help regarding shipping costs, /u/palmerluckey is obviously not providing anything in terms of clarification so perhaps the ACCC is the only via option for Aussie concerns about shipping, tax and Oculus staff giving out false information regarding currencies used.
      There is the precedent of the ACCC taking on Valve and in this case Oculus has registered for GST so has far more specific consumer obligations.
      [–]ptisinge 1 point2 points3 points  (3 children)
      I really wish we had an answer to that. Most of us are used to ordering many things from the US, and this sort of shipping rate is what we pay for very very heavy items (eg a 25kg kayak from US to Aus costs the same as a Rift...). I asked the same question about the DK2 and never saw any answer - it was a developer's kit to it was ok I guess. With the CV1 though, I'd really like to see this fixed or answered. Your idea of involving the ACCC seems like the way to go if nobody from Oculus is willing to do the effort to research that. Palmer it would be really nice if that question could be taken seriously...
      [–]rajetic 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
      I could fly from brisbane to sydney, pick up the rift, fly back to brisbane and still have around $36au left over for lunch. (Jetstar $75au each way). For the price oculus is charging for shipping, I assume they are sending each rift by taxi, not courier.
      [–]noorbeast 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
      Sad to say but it is looking more and more likely that the ACCC would be the best way to get some clarification, and it is not just the shipping fee.
      GST and currency was not stated at the point of ordering and the change in price while ordering does not match what the GST could be. Oculus staff gave out contradictory statements about what currency was being used at the time of sale.
      It is an interesting question to ask if the ACCC would consider the Oculus threat to cancel pre-orders if a redirection service is used as third party leveraging, particularly in circumstances where Australian keep asking for an explanation of the USD $132 transport fee and get none.
      There is the precedence of the ACCC taking on Valve saying that Australian consumer protection still applies, even in international transactions.
      If Oculus won't give any information then the ACCC is about the only option Australian have, and being formal it may also shed some light on questions New Zealanders and Europeans are also asking.
      [–]noorbeast 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
      See my ACCC comment here, it may be our only viable option to get actual answers: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/40ea0x/i_am_palmer_luckey_founder_of_oculus_and_designer/cytltaf
      [–]ruethegloom 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
      Why would us Australians do that? Surely they can charge whatever the hell they like for shipping, whether accurate or not?
      [–]noorbeast 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      There is a bit more to it than that, particularly with respect to Australian consumer protection laws around clarity of pricing and tax, misleading information during sales and perhaps questioning if Oculus is engaging in a form of third party leveraging if threatening to cancel pre-orders if a redirection service is used: http://www.accc.gov.au/
      [–]xandergodPC Master Racei7 4790k GTX 980 Ti 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      He mad.
      [–]ScruffTheJanitor 18 points19 points20 points  (2 children)
      Any reason that Australians/New Zealands buy in USD when everyone payd in their own currency. Usually it wouldn't matter, but the Australian $ keeps dropping, meaning by the time it ships, it will cost even more.
      [–]Dhalphir -3 points-2 points-1 points  (1 child)
      What makes you think it'd be cheaper than $1100 if we paid in AUD? oculus still has to convert the money back to USD when they get it.
      [–]ScruffTheJanitor 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      It wouldn't now. But they would have to set the price now in AUD now. That wouldn't be able to change for us then.
      But since its in USD, the AUD will fall further going towards shipping dates, so it will cost us more by the time it ships.
      [–]socially_reddited 27 points28 points29 points  (12 children)
      If it's not gouging (subsiding with shipping costs), you really need to work out your shipping arrangements better. It's literally unbelievable that it costs that much. Just shipping via AusPost would be better.
      Anyway, guess I'm not getting the Rift then....
      [–]GrumpyOldBrit 3 points4 points5 points  (9 children)
      They charged everyone in Europe something like 25-27% tax, even though VAT in the UK is 20%. If it's not gouging, it's laziness or incompetence. Pick one.
      [–]Heaney555PC Master RaceVR Master Race 19 points20 points21 points  (0 children)
      That's just nonsense. Why are you spreading misinformation?
      Rift = $599
      $599 in GBP = £413
      £413 + 20% VAT = £495.6
      And the Rift was sold for £499.
      So they added £4, wow the bastards!
      But in reality, they actually would have had to cover import duty as well, so either they've built that into the shipping fee, or they're absorbing that cost.
      [–]RaticidePC Master Racei7 4790k - GTX 980ti 4 points5 points6 points  (7 children)
      You pay tax on shipping too, maybe that's the extra bit?
      [–]noorbeast 3 points4 points5 points  (5 children)
      To clarify in terms of importation to Australia 10% GST would not apply in cases where the item cost is below the $1,000 threshold where GST and import duties are applied: https://www.accc.gov.au/business/pricing/displaying-prices
      With the Rift Oculus has registered for tax in Australia, hence the 10% GST will apply. However, it is not illegal for Australians to import goods under $1000 and not pay GST.
      What is interesting is that Oculus is threatening to cancel pre-orders if a redirection service is used.
      [–]socially_reddited 4 points5 points6 points  (2 children)
      What is interesting is that Oculus is threatening to cancel pre-orders if a redirection service is used
      Link? I was considering doing this, despite the retardation going on (although super hesitant). They want to screw that option up as well? What the fuck, Oculus?
      [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
      We do not support freight forwarding or concierge services at this time. Oculus reserves the right to cancel your order if it is suspected to be utilizing these services
      I just canceled
      [–]Veedrac 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
      I think it's to stop scalping.
      Yeah, it sucks for those who need it, but it's better than scalpers.
      [–]--ZeroWaitState-- 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
      would not apply in cases where the item cost is below the $1,000 threshold where GST and import duties are applied: https://www.accc.gov.au/business/pricing/displaying-
      import duty and gst are different things, import duty triggers for items over $1000 AUD
      [–]noorbeast 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Imports with a FOB value, i.e. product value excluding shipping and insurance cost, up to AU$ 1000 are exempt from duty, GST and Import Processing Charge: http://www.dutycalculator.com/country-guides/Import-duty-taxes-when-importing-into-Australia/
      [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      No, you pay GST on the import if the value of the item is greater than $1000 AUD
      [–]VRismyreality -3 points-2 points-1 points  (1 child)
      He and his company trying his best. Stop making such comments please
      [–]TROPtasticDesktopSpecs/Imgur here 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
      If there was an explanation why the shipping is so much higher than literally everyone else that ships within Australia, then maybe people would not be so upset.
      [–]dbhyslop 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
      Oculus has always been at war with Oceania
      [–]ReckaPC Master Racei7-4790K 4.6ghz | GTX970 OC | 16GB | Glorious 1440p | Recka50 7 points8 points9 points  (23 children)
      You say that but when you select Australia in the country list the price jumps up from $599 to $649 which is presumably still in USD. Why?
      Edit: To those saying GST, $599 + 10% is not $649 so it's not GST. I'm waiting to see my options before making a purchase, this is just ridiculous that he doesn't answer the why of the extra $50.
      [–]TyrialFrostPC Master RaceGTX 680, i7@4GHz, 16gb, 1600p|1080p 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      They are registered in Australia to collect GST, yes it's a $10 discount, but then again NZ pays an additional $10 over their tax rate .. so its neither here nor there.
      The extra US$80 for shipping is pure bullshit though.
      [–]RaticidePC Master Racei7 4790k - GTX 980ti 5 points6 points7 points  (10 children)
      GST
      Yanks don't include tax in the normal pricing (even in physical shops!). Oculus are paying the GST for you so there'll be nothing extra to pay when customs get their mitts on it.
      [–]noorbeast 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      Actually I don't know that it is that clear, as it is not formally stated as GST nor does the amount equal 10% of %599, plus there is the issue of fluctuating exchange rates that complicate it even more.
      To clarify in terms of importation to Australia 10% GST would not apply in cases where the item cost is below the $1,000 threshold where GST and import duties are applied: https://www.accc.gov.au/business/pricing/displaying-prices
      With the Rift Oculus has registered for tax in Australia, hence the 10% GST will apply. But that bring into questions Australian consumer protection laws about how that information is made clear for Australian consumers.
      [–]ReckaPC Master Racei7-4790K 4.6ghz | GTX970 OC | 16GB | Glorious 1440p | Recka50 2 points3 points4 points  (8 children)
      GST is paid on import. So if it's over $1000 (which it is) we'll be hit with ANOTHER 10% on top.
      Edit: Also GST is 10%, so it should be $658.90 not $649
      [–]RaticidePC Master Racei7 4790k - GTX 980ti 3 points4 points5 points  (6 children)
      Merchants can pay the GST in advance for you. I think this is what Oculus are doing. That's probably why shipping is limited to only a select few countries.
      [–]ReckaPC Master Racei7-4790K 4.6ghz | GTX970 OC | 16GB | Glorious 1440p | Recka50 4 points5 points6 points  (5 children)
      GST doesn't make sense when paying in USD though...
      Edit: Also the whole thing I mentioned of $599 + 10% is NOT $649
      [–]WeaponstoMaximum 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
      Yes it does. 10% of the value is 10% of the value regardless of what currency it is in. To calculate the GST-
      • 1. Take the cost of the item in USD.
      • 2. Add the shipping cost in USD.
      • 3. Convert to AUD at the time it is posted. Log this value on the customs slip. If this value is less than $1000AUD, it will not be held by customs and no GST will be payable. If it is greater, proceed:
      • 4. Multiply value by 0.1
      • That value is the payable GST.
      What would make more sense for Australians would be for Oculus to organise things in a way that is non-retarded - make the Rift and shipping cost $999.99AUD so we don't then have to pay 10% to the government on top. All they would need to do is choose a more economical shipping method.
      $599USD Rift = $860USD. Hell, they could only be fractionally less retarded and just pick a shipping method that costs $139AUD for shipping. Then the total value comes in at below $1000AUD and boom - no GST.
      If they have incorporated in Australia and registered for GST then they have to pay GST regardless of the import value. I'm not nearly experienced enough in such matters to know why they would go with such an approach or what the pros and cons are.
      [–]ReckaPC Master Racei7-4790K 4.6ghz | GTX970 OC | 16GB | Glorious 1440p | Recka50 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
      Also I'd like to point out that they need to display the GST on the invoice - which they don't.
      [–]ReckaPC Master Racei7-4790K 4.6ghz | GTX970 OC | 16GB | Glorious 1440p | Recka50 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
      My point is more we get charged $649 USD when we select Australia. $599 + 10%, keeping in the same currency, is $658.90. So they're clearly not adding 10% on top.
      [–]RaticidePC Master Racei7 4790k - GTX 980ti 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      I dunno man... I'm in NZ and the price for me is US$699. GST here is 15%. Maybe they just round the numbers off to make things easier for them?
      [–]radditour 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      The Oculus Rift for Australian customers is US$590 + US$59 GST (10%).
      Shipping for Australians is US$120 + US$12 GST.
      Charging us in USD protects them against our dollar should it fall (which it looks like doing), and they will just pay GST on the appropriate AU$ amount at transaction time.
      [–]Virtual_Worlds 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
      I agree where is the $50 from. Price breakdown would be great.
      [–]bigfive 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Price breakdown would be less illegal
      FIFY
      [–]Shadomam 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      Nz is even worse, we get charged $699, our import tax and duties kick in on anything just over $200 us, so i expect to be paying shitloads when this arrives..... unless the $699 includes the tax and duty fee.... i assume oculus will just ship to Nz from sydney as well???
      [–]best4bondDesktopIntel i7-4770k/Nvidia GTX 780 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      I guessed on that point that they're absorbing some of the cost of GST, which is good I guess.
      [–]Dhalphir 0 points1 point2 points  (6 children)
      GST.
      [–]ReckaPC Master Racei7-4790K 4.6ghz | GTX970 OC | 16GB | Glorious 1440p | Recka50 2 points3 points4 points  (5 children)
      GST is paid on import. So if it's over $1000 (which it is) we'll be hit with ANOTHER 10% on top.
      Edit: Also GST is 10%, so it should be $658.90 not $649
      [–]noorbeast 1 point2 points3 points  (4 children)
      To clarify in terms of importation to Australia 10% GST would not apply in cases where the item cost is below the $1,000 threshold where GST and import duties are applied: https://www.accc.gov.au/business/pricing/displaying-prices
      With the Rift Oculus has registered for tax in Australia, hence the 10% GST will apply. However, it is not illegal for Australians to import goods under $1000 and not pay GST.
      What is interesting is that Oculus is threatening to cancel pre-orders if a redirection service is used.
      [–]ReckaPC Master Racei7-4790K 4.6ghz | GTX970 OC | 16GB | Glorious 1440p | Recka50 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
      What's important is they're not paying GST because it's not 10% added on...
      [–]KeelBugPC Master Racei7 4820K @ 4.8GHz | Sabertooth X79 | 32GB 2133MHz | GTX780 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      If they are, ATO would like to know im sure.
      [–]Virtual_Worlds 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
      Do you have evidence with regards to cancelling orders for using a redirection service? I was looking at Australia Post which has a USA address.
      [–]downvoteninja84 5 points6 points7 points  (7 children)
      A better answer?? There hasn't been an answer yet. We're pretty used to things being slightly more expensive down under, but from all accounts your numbers guy's are having some serious fun with the "Australia tax". Won't mean much, but that alone has turned me off a product I was pretty keen for
      [–]radditour 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      We are paying US$590 for the Rift, + US$59 GST. The US price of $599 does not include sales tax in the US, so that will be added based on the state it is shipping to.
      We are also paying US$120 for shipping, + US$12 GST on the shipping cost.
      So, there's not really much in the way of Australia tax, other than the GST taxes our Government requires businesses registered in Australia to collect (Oculus VR LLC is registered for GST as of August 2012); and the somewhat high shipping cost.
      I would like to know why we're billed in US$, rather than AU$, since the British, the Europeans, and the Canadians all get billed in their local currency.
      [–]Virtual_Worlds 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Seems they are going to loose a lot of pre-orders and Australian customers if they don't take a close look at this.
      [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 1 point2 points3 points  (4 children)
      Yeah but rolling that cost into shipping is something shitty ebay sellers do... not facebook.
      [–]downvoteninja84 4 points5 points6 points  (3 children)
      I'd settle for damn answer full of complicated economics and legal shit over avoiding it. We're pretty used to getting shafted with stuff (hello steam/origin) but this one doesn't make sense. As someone pointed out its cheaper to get one sent here via a third party. As oculus' top guy he should either be upfront as to why, or looking into local entities price gouging of their product.
      [–]KESPAAPC Master Racei5 4990k GTX 980 1 point2 points3 points  (2 children)
      As someone pointed out its cheaper to get one sent here via a third party
      Further up I've told palmer thats what I've done. It comes to $75 USD total... That's including the $30 Oculus charge.
      If they cancel my preorder I wont be getting an oculus. That extra $100 usd (180 Aud) puts it over the edge.
      [–]Virtual_Worlds 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Wow, thanks for letting us know.
      [–]downvoteninja84 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      Oops, sorry it was actually you.
      [–]KeelBugPC Master Racei7 4820K @ 4.8GHz | Sabertooth X79 | 32GB 2133MHz | GTX780 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
      I can't throw anyone under the bus. Wish I had a better answer for you, I really do. If it helps, it should be clear from our international pricing choices overall that we are not trying to gouge anyone, I don't have anything out for Australia.
      No answer would have been better than this answer.
      Oculus would just be remembered as yet another company screwing us Australians over for no reason.
      [–]Virtual_Worlds 10 points11 points12 points  (0 children)
      I'm sorry palmer but that is a bad response. How about finding out for us since this is daylight robbery :)
      [–]NXT_Aussie 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
      Good to hear - you coming down our way for a visit any time?
      [–]noorbeast 4 points5 points6 points  (1 child)
      I would like top clarify if there a single contract for global distribution from the manufacturer to international distribution centers and are ancillary costs being used to subsidize Rift revenue?
      [–]SomeoneCutCarlsHair 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      From his "I can't throw anyone under the bus" statement, I feel like it really is out of his hands.
      [–]TovrinPC Master RaceSpecs/Imgur here 15 points16 points17 points  (3 children)
      This is a massive issue for Australians. It's more than four times the amount that I had to pay for shipping my entire PC FFS! It's completely over the top. Someone is making a killing at that price.
      [–]socially_reddited 13 points14 points15 points  (2 children)
      I shipped half a tonne of salt from Sydney to Melb for less, $150.
      [–]ReckaPC Master Racei7-4790K 4.6ghz | GTX970 OC | 16GB | Glorious 1440p | Recka50 11 points12 points13 points  (0 children)
      I got the same results free* while playing League of Legends.
      Free* subject to the stupid amount of skins I've bought
      [–]Virtual_Worlds 7 points8 points9 points  (5 children)
      I also want to know this as Australians currently pay $1112 for the oculus which is 2X as much as Americans. This is a heck of a lot of money for us. It was only 6 months ago we were at parity and even better than the American dollar. Living in Australia is not cheap.
      [–]randomfoo2 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      $1112 AUD = $776 USD. With sales tax and shipping in the California, the total is around $680. Honestly, its much less of a markup than almost all computer hardware/electronics I've seen in Australia, and <15% more, vs the 100% you claimed, most of which seems to be a result of some unfortunate shipping arrangements (is shipping insurance much higher? Who knows?)
      You can always wait for the Vive (which I guarantee will be more expensive) or the PSVR (not very PCMR, and while the absolute price will probably be lower I bet you'll get shafted worse on exchange rates than w the Rift if Sony's historical pricing is any guidance (PS4 launched at 399 USD and 549AUD back in 2013 when the AUD when it was a much stronger currency)).
      [–]negroisoPC Master Racenegroiso 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
      Smart Australians would just pay to ship to me and I'd drop ship to Australians.
      [–]Virtual_Worlds 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
      Yes but who are you and why would we trust you? See where I am getting at?
      [–]negroisoPC Master Racenegroiso 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      I'm the guy who wants vr in everyone's hand as cheap as possible while bypassing red tape others have to go through.
      But really yes, who am I, how does one trust. VR escrow I guess haha.
      I'm not sure how much it costs to ship to Australia from the states.
      I just had a friend in Europe who I shipped stuff to all the time. It for some reason was more cost effective to buy here and ship there. Blank DVDs were crazy expensive there, I could send him a spindle of 100 for almost 2/3 the cost of what he could get them for.
      Now heavy ass shit did cost a bit. I'm sure the rift would cost $110 to ship from here to there but you're saving because you're paying the 599 American and no tax. Of course I don't know Australian Customs. Do you have to pay taxes on things you receive?
      [–]p_e_t_r_o_z 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
      I just checked and I get price with tax of $649 USD so it seems like it's only Australian GST applied, the postage is $132 USD.
      International post is often cheaper than domestic because (as part of the Universal Postal Union) Australia Post is forced to absorb all domestic shipping costs. International package only have to get as far as our border and the rest is free for the customer (subsidized by taxpayers).
      This is why Australia Post struggles to balance it's books since the rise of online shopping. It is also why you can buy junk from china for 99c with free postage, but sending that item anywhere within Australia would cost significantly more.
      [–]socially_reddited 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      Ah, $649, that makes sense to be GST. The rest is still fucked though. Maybe a third party redirecting service is the only option. Although I'm hesitant to buy it at all, considering how dodgy this all seems and the lack of answers.
      [–]Zarnox 9 points10 points11 points  (1 child)
      I'd also like to ask about the shipping. There doesn't appear to be an official answer about this anywhere.
      [–]Slayer219PC Master Race4670k @ 3.4 GHz / EVGA GTX 780 / 16 GB DDR3 9 points10 points11 points  (0 children)
      Yeah, I think he dodged the question on the other AMA as well.
      [–]fromthenakiPC Master RaceSpecs/Imgur Here 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
      If it's any consolation, your little brothers are even worse off - my rift is $837 USD to New Zealand.
      [–]socially_reddited 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      It's about the same here all up. 1100+
      [–]GfourtwolonPC Master Racei7-3820 3.6 GHz // Gigabyte GTX 970 // 8GB RAM DDR3 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      it would bring the cost down to around $900
      Dollarydoo? Because that'd be cheaper than buying one in Europe excluding shipping cost.
      [–]Dhalphir 0 points1 point2 points  (1 child)
      $599 to $649, which is actually less than 10%.
      [–]socially_reddited 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      Yep, addressed below, that was my mistake, but we're not allowed to edit question.
      The rest is still true and totally ridiculous.
      [–]Mod eegras.i7 3930k @ 4.2Ghz | 64GB DDR3 2666Mhz RAM | 2x EVGA780Ti SC ACX 6 points7 points8 points  (10 children)
      What's your adult drink of choice?
      [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 26 points27 points28 points  (8 children)
      I don't drink alcoholic drinks, actually. I usually get lemonade, nothing beats fresh squeezed lemonade - I was drinking a pink lemonade during the first interview I ever did, and similar drinks can be found in shots of our office.
      I also like Capri-Sun. Pouches are the ideal form factor for juice-like products.
      [–]andrewhl2HTPCMy email is my ID, so no. 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      I'm also like that, did the peer pressure ever bother you?
      [–]TheNobleRobotDesktopXeon or bust. 4 points5 points6 points  (3 children)
      I'm glad to read this. I also don't drink, mainly because I can't understand why anyone would want to. I simply don't get the appeal. I'm sure you have your own reasons, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one.
      [–]jecowa 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
      It tastes terrible, unless maybe you mix it with a bunch of sugary solutions, which would probably taste just as good (if not better) without the alcohol. There may be health benefits to drinking small amounts of it, but I get the impression that other than that, the primary reason to drink it is to get drunk, which doesn't sound appealing.
      [–]ScarsUnseen 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      Like many things, the various types of alcohol are acquired tastes. Same thing with coffee, certain foods - especially regional specialties - etc. And liking one type of alcohol doesn't mean liking all of it. Some people like wine, others spirits...
      I, for example, have found a particular taste for Belgian beers, particularly quadrupels. I also like red wines, scotch, and gin martinis. I very rarely will drink sweet mixed drinks, and then it's usually traditional egg nog. I want to try making Red Hots infused Vodka. I don't drink often, and never to get drunk, as I don't like the loss of motor control.
      So really, it doesn't taste terrible; you just don't have a taste for it. Which is fine. I can't stand natto, but the Japanese love that shit.
      [–]polynomialpusher 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      I like the taste of Pina Coladas and also beer.
      [–]DrapetomaniaPC Master RaceSTEAM_0:0:3805509 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      I used to not drink alcohol, either, but then there's nothing really quite like a good margarita or chocolate wine.
      [–]primerosauxilious 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      thats so awesome. I dont drink often either -- only when I'm peer pressured to at work/friend events. I opted to go for lemonade (yellow and pink) at our dinner party last night.
      [–]LadyList 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      You're so cute.
      [–]Mod zeug666.No gods or kings, only man. 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Especially one that would go well with pizza.
      [–]ravstar52Desktopi5-4690, R9 380 4GB, 8 GB 4 points5 points6 points  (6 children)
      I have a simple question, Palmer. I am extremely short sighted, and have to wear glasses. Have you (or anyone) tested the rift with glasses on? How comfortable was it?
      I only ask as I would love to get a set, but I can't wear contacts (allergic reaction to lens solution, and irritation). Will I be able to still wear my glasses under the Oculus? Or will I have to remove them? Will that affect my vision in your best guess?
      [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 9 points10 points11 points  (5 children)
      Have you (or anyone) tested the rift with glasses on? How comfortable was it?
      I have tried it with my glasses, it is great. We have a facial interface designed specifically for people with glasses.
      [–]ohyou123 5 points6 points7 points  (3 children)
      Hello,
      Do you foresee a time down the line where Oculus holds an on-stage show at E3 on an annual basis rubbing shoulders with Sony, Microsoft, EA and Ubisoft?
      I ask this as nobody owns the PC platform and thus, except for 2015, PC has never been involved in E3 in any meaningful way. Perhaps Oculus could change that with exclusive titles on display to bring that much needed light on PC gaming.
      [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 20 points21 points22 points  (2 children)
      Not really. More and more companies are addressing fans directly through things like Nintendo Direct.
      When we first showed the consumer Rift just before E3, we had a livestreamed event that did as well as many E3 keynotes.
      [–]danielfrost40PC Master Racei7 2600K | GeForce GTX 980 3 points4 points5 points  (2 children)
      Hey Palmer, great that you're doing this, y'know.
      How, currently, is the state of SLI and rendering each eye with each GPU?
      I can't imagine this'll be 100% boost, but is it actually significantly better than just running regular SLI?
      You must excuse my engrish, I'm Danish.
      [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 8 points9 points10 points  (0 children)
      Every game needs to implement support to get a significant benefit. You can get huge boosts in theory, but that is not the reality of the situation for most current VR games.
      [–]ElrabinPC Master Racei5 3570k/16gb/970 GTX/Crucial M4 SSD 9 points10 points11 points  (10 children)
      Are there any plans to have advertisements on the Oculus Rift to monetize it? Be they Facebook ads or any other third party ad partner?
      [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 42 points43 points44 points  (6 children)
      No.
      [–]Me-as-IDesktop4770k Gigabyte GTX 770 5 points6 points7 points  (13 children)
      What kind of pizza did you get?
      [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 15 points16 points17 points  (12 children)
      Pineapple.
      [–]ArszillaLaptopHP Pavillion G6 1246-ee | i5-2430M | AMD HD 6470M -1 points0 points1 point  (3 children)
      May I ask this: Why make a 'bundle'/promotion with EVE?
      I mean there are other, better games than EVE. I can suggest Elite Dangerous (And Horizons), ARMA 3, Insurgency maybe and so forth. But why EVE?
      [–]palmerluckey.Palmer Luckey[S] 7 points8 points9 points  (1 child)
      Because it is an awesome game that has been built for VR from the ground up, no compromises. Some of the games you are listing are not even VR games.
      [–]Nukemarine 22 points23 points24 points  (5 children)
      Thanks for the new AMA/Q&A. Long time supporter of Oculus, preordered back in October 2012. While an enthusiast I was able to help many projects by testing out their games/demos and providing feedback. Later I did technically become a developer with helping the janusVR Virtual Web Browser.
      My questions:
      1. Oculus created two types of commercial headsets, GearVR for mobile and the Rift for personal computers, and consider these as separate markets and not competitive products. What would be the pros and cons of Oculus entering the gaming console market by producing a VR headset for a console other than the PS4 (which already has the PSVR)?
      2. Leaked photos of CV1 mockups from two years ago showed plans for a front mounted camera and possible LIDAR like system. What decisions went into not attaching a front mounted camera into the Rift CV1?
      3. Unlike the DK2, the CV1 Rift has no passthrough USB port. What decisions went into that route and how has that impacted third party manufacturers that utilized that port for such things like the LEAP?
      4. The DK1, DK2 and now CV1 are touted by Oculus as being very good deals being made at or below cost. Combined with the slower production schedule not able to meet demand, that created a black market of sorts for people selling Rifts second hand for two or three times the purchase. Does Oculus see this as a problem and what are some methods they'll use to address it?
      5. With the cancellation of DK2 productions and the CV1 being $600, what does Oculus predict will be the market reaction for used DK2s and no new VR headsets in the $300 to $400 range?
      [–]CatchMyExceptionPC Master Racehttps://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3nmfag/what_do_yo 8 points9 points10 points  (1 child)
      How does Oculus plan on competing with Kelloggs cereal box included VR
      [–]HexorgPC Master Racei7-4770K@4.0GHz, 16GB DDR3 1866Mhz, GTX 970, 250Gb 840 Evo SSD 11 points12 points13 points  (5 children)
      Hello, Mr. Luckey. Last time you were asked about hardware exclusivity you said that there were Oculus-store exclusive titles. Could you clarify please - are the developers of those titles free to support other HMDs but those titles are only sold through the store, or are they required to only support the Rift HMD?
      Thanks!
      Edit: Palmer answered this question above! Thanks!
      [–]FredH5 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
      Hi,
      I have two questions:
      • Will the tracking work correctly in a room with mirrors out will it be confused by the reflection of the Rift ?
      • What IPD range is supported by the consumer version ?
      Thank you
      [–]noorbeast 14 points15 points16 points  (0 children)
      My DK2 was shipped domestically via Australia Post, I still have the details from the Oculus notification.
      Will the CV1 Rift be shipped in the same way?
      If so Australians would like some clarity concerning the USD $132 domestic shipping cost.
      Is there a single contract for global distribution from the manufacturer to international distribution centers and are ancillary costs being used to subsidize Rift revenue?
      [–]josh_thunder 12 points13 points14 points  (3 children)
      Hi Mr Luckey,
      Do you have any news about breakthroughs with SLI support for the rift? Wherever I look I get mixed messages! Thankyou.
      [–]RealParity 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      According to reddit and the Oculus forums, there seem to be compatibility issues with quite some of the USB3 controllers on the market (VIA, ASmedia, Renesas). While on paper meeting the required specification including having enough USB3 ports, some of us get an error with the compatibilty checker like this. The ports work fine otherwise on other USB3 devices.
      Oculus recommends a specific extension card to fix the issue. Can you tell us what the issues with those incompatible controllers are (bandwidth? special features?), and if they will eventually be supported with later driver/runtime versions of the Rift?
      [–]SHARPxSHOOTERPC Master Race!flairGalaxy AMD 8350 4.8GHz/Sap 290/16GB 4 points5 points6 points  (4 children)
      Thank you for doing this AMA!
      1. I have a question about AMD side of hardware requirements. As you may know, most AMD processors don't have good performance per a single thread. I was going to purchase a kit but found out that my rig is not supported by the Rift. Will you be working on fixing this in the future?
      2. Will most games support VR even though it is not quite implemented into the engine? I noticed that from Source games were being demo'd with the Rift.
      3. What do you think of the full VR machines like the Omni and the Cyberith machines? Do you think your company will work on something similar?
      Edit: Added 3rd question.
      [–]dylanobilly 9 points10 points11 points  (0 children)
      What are some of your favorite VR experiences when you use virtual reality? Are they making their way to us consumers in late march when CV1 ships?
      [–]brianjonespfk 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      Hey Palmer, I got my pre-order in at 8:04AM PST. I know the Rift will be under 20 milliseconds motion to photon latency....but how many milliseconds latency till the Rift is in my hands?
      Thanks.
      [–]tinnedwaffles 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
      How do you manage to deal with any of this lol? I know you ran a website before, did that drill the patience of saint into you or something?
      1. Are there still plans to show off feature prototypes at Connect even though there will be no more dev kits? I'd love to see what sorta progess Research have made since over a year ago with Crescent Bay. I still remember the murmurs of a certain super light weight prototype :P
      2. Is there going to be an event for the game/app announcements? I was expecting at least a few at CES but now I'm assuming you're leaving it to the devs or just closer to launch? I saw that Alien Isolation tease at Connect 2 god damn it when can you just say its happening
      3. Have you guys considering making a version of Oculus Medium that uses head tracking to paint and controller/kb&m for the rest of the controls?
      4. If multiplayer/socialization multiplies presence, what do you think of making the very first menu you drop into in Oculus Home a lobby with one or two other people?
      5. In relation to launch content, did you ever have a specific selection to prove VR works in different genres? eg Luckeys Tale proves third person and Valkyrie proves cockpit etc, but what about RTS static table top or an FPS with a locomotion solution?
      [–]DoctorBagPhDPC Master Race 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Hi Palmer!
      I'm one of the lucky kickstarters/ enviable assholes (depending on who you ask in this sub) that pledged to receive a DK1.
      I have three questions(sorry), the first is that the phrase "Kickstarter edition Oculus Rift" has been used to describe the CV1 that backers will receive, will the KS edition differ from the actual retail Rift? If so, could you tell us a bit about the changes?
      The second is I've heard various media sources talk about when the backer's Rifts will ship out, but I can't seem to find an official shipping estimate from Oculus. I'd love to know if you guys have an ETA of when I can get my grubby mitts on my Rift.
      And finally, a question I've seen several backers ask: Will shipping be free for backers? If I'm honest I'm more than happy to pay for shipping, but knowing whether or not I have to budget for it would be a huge boon for me.
      Thanks for everything, Palmer. Not just the free Rift, which believe me I am super grateful for, but for seriously shaking up the future of videogames and making VR as exciting and possible as it is today. Hope you enjoy your pizza, and thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. See you in the rift ;D
      [–]becausebearPC Master RaceFX-8350/390 6 points7 points8 points  (5 children)
      I want to start by saying thanks for doing this ama!
      My questions revolve around AMD CPUs and the removal of my processor (the fx8350) from the Oculus Rift requirements. Way back when this processor was listed as capable of running Rift, but has since been removed.
      My questions are: Why was the minimum requirement of an FX8350 removed? And, Are there any AMD cpu's that can handle rift? My eye specifically is on the FX9590, being the 'top spec' for the AM3+ socket.
      I am hopeful for a positive answer on the 9590 as with the Rift now running 600, a swap to Intel is now way out of my budget.
      Again thanks for doing this!
      [–]FarkMcBark 4 points5 points6 points  (0 children)
      Can you add additional "constellations" to track to the tracker? In order to use cheap wearable LED clips to track hands and body and elbows? More motion capturing could make the Rift much more interesting for room scale VR and might be great for VR content creation as well. Will there be an API or SDK to suppor this? (both to extend tracking and as an API for games to use)
      And thank you so much for doing this AMA and kickstarting the VR industry!
      [–]jayturnsPC Master RaceJay Turns 2 points3 points4 points  (1 child)
      How would one go about obtaining some sort of funding to create a VR treatment for a medical condition? Ever since I got my dk1 I knew vr has so much potential beyond gaming. I want to create a treatment for a condition called misophonia or 4s, which causes people to experience a fight or flight response, rage, and extreme anxiety when they hear a trigger sound(gum chewing usually being the biggest trigger). I don’t really think I can make it into a high enough quality treatment by myself though. This condition has a tremendous impact on people's lives. Most people still don’t know it even has a name and they are not alone. It has been receiving more attention the past year or so though and people are starting to realize they aren't alone. I have great ideas how I can help people with coping using VR, but I haven’t worked on it much besides a couple simple leap motion game prototypes without actually involving a treatment which will involve triggers in the environment with control over which triggers there are, how frequent, and how loud to use in the treatment. I have been also been working on a bunch of non-treatment related platformer game prototypes that I am working on making into a vr game using ue4 since I got my dk2 so I have some experience in creating VR content.
      trdl: How can someone obtain funding for a VR treatment for a medical condtion?
      [–]OctorokHeroTransitioning PeasantHot and Steamy 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
      What's your favorite video game of all time?
      What's the most creative use of your hardware you've seen?
      What's your favorite type of meat?
      [–]DanThePatheticGamerDesktopi5-4460, Asus/Strix 980, 24gb DDR3. 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
      I know you are getting flooded with questions, and I appreciate your reach out to the community, so thank you for that!
      My only question for you is on PCI USB Cards. There have been multiple reports on the r/Oculus subreddit that when using the tool you guys have made to check if your PC is Oculus ready that some USB cards don't check through. Would this be due to how the system checks or due to the cards themselves?
      [–]dbhyslop 6 points7 points8 points  (0 children)
      Hi Palmer,
      With shipping backlogged to summertime -- and presumably more orders by then -- are you considering opening a second manufacturing line?
      [–]Sethos88PC Master Race5960x @ 4.3 // X99 TUF // 16GB DDR4 // 2 x 980 Ti // XB270HU 2 points3 points4 points  (2 children)
      Hey Mr. Luckey,
      I was wondering, what's your take on SLI / Crossfire in regards to VR. We know that VR requires a high, stable framerate to truly shine and the resolution will keep going up. To truly get the high resolution, FPS and eye candy, you are already starting to push the capabilities of most high-end cards.
      Is it something that you actively encourage developers to go for, via something like GameWorks VR or do you think single-card is the way forward in the future, for VR?
      Have you any plans of adding support for it on SDK level?
      [–]Rickyplayer6PC Master Racei7 4790k gtx 980 7 points8 points9 points  (0 children)
      Hello! What type of game do you want to be made on Oculus that was not made yet?
      [–]Assanater601PC Master RaceMSI 970, 4790k, MG279Q 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
      Would you consider this a no compromises device? Are you holding anything back because of the price tag? I just don't want to jump into something to be underwhelmed. I know this is the first of its kind but I want to be blown away!
      [–]Bamzooki1Laptophttp://www.steamcommunity.com/id/Bamzooki1 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
      What are your favorite Rift experiences, game or otherwise?
      What's your favorite game of 2015 and all time?
      [–]BOLL7708Former PC Master RaceNow VR Master Race 4 points5 points6 points  (1 child)
      Have Oculus partnered up with any camera manufacturers to have Oculus approved cameras for easy content creation by users? I'm thinking about things like 360 spherical panoramas and such.
      A follow-up question to that is if Oculus' own media apps from the GearVR will be available for the Rift.
      [–]sneakpeak1PC Master RaceSpecs/Imgur Here 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Thanks for doing this AMA here as well!
      The problem with getting people in on VR imo has been to make them initially interested in the product.
      Lots of people are interested in it for a while but nothing more because it just seems like another "unnecessary" gaming peripheral like car wheels and the like.
      I thought it was like that as well until I actually tried the DK1 for the first time a while back. To actually experience the feeling of true VR was so weird and awesome and unexpectedly cool.
      My question is, how are you planning on getting more people on board the platform of people who are "in" on the VR experience?
      [–]hatyn 0 points1 point2 points  (0 children)
      The fact that you are a well promoted and presumably well funded company with a new hardware device coming out in a few months is completely bizarre to me since the other fact that you haven't done any regular promotions on the software and games you are launching with is true.
      I'm an industry where companies take dives with their release dates just to get a better release window to increase their sales or to secure a more concrete promotion plan..occulus seems completely out of norm.
      Are you hoping for a shock and awe tactic and hope consumers are satisfied just by the fact that they supported emergent tech?
      [–]Sky427PC Master Race4670k Titan X 3 points4 points5 points  (1 child)
      Are there any plans for large scale mmo types of games from the oculus development studios with procedurally generated maps or worlds to explore (.hack// anyone?) All the games we've seen thus far seem great but none as far as I've noticed incorporate any multiplayer that can involve 20+ players or have any sort of economy and I don't foresee such games having a strong hold on players interests and wallets outside a single initial purchase.
      [–]CatchMyExceptionPC Master Racehttps://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3nmfag/what_do_yo 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Hey Palmer, just wondering if you could shed some light on a problem I've had ever since I pre-ordered. When I finished my order I received an email stating that my shipping address couldn't be verified for some unknown reason, it gave no description of what was wrong, since then I've edited some of the fields and haven't received any further emails about my address but I'm uncertain about whether it's all good...
      I made a ticket that day but it's been left without response so me along with the other folk I've talked to about this issue are stressed. Is my place in the queue still good?
      [–]no_diss_me_senpai 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
      Hey, thanks for being very receptive to what gamers and the vr community has to say about VR and Oculus. I just have two questions.
      1. You have frequently mentioned that Oculus wants to deliver a premium feeling product and experience (similar to what Tesla has done for electric car). That said, why is an eye-tracking feature not present in the current Oculus?
      2. VR glasses in sci-fi has imprinted a certain form factor for the vr headset, at least in my mind. In your experience how much effect does the form factor play in getting the average person to try Oculus?
      [–]majoraswhore 2 points3 points4 points  (0 children)
      Hey Luckey, thanks for your time.
      1. What do you do daily (in your job)?
      2. What tips do you have for aspiring tech entrepreneurs (specifically if we wanted to get into hardware)?
      [–]Evil_StreetsPC Master RaceFX-8350 @4.7, HD7970, 16GB-1866mhz RAM, 256GB-SSD/7TB-HDD 7 points8 points9 points  (0 children)
      Do the lenses scratch easily? Are they replaceable? How should they be cleaned?
      [–]arkatect2 5 points6 points7 points  (0 children)
      Hey Palmer, congrats on the successful launch of CV1. Quick question:
      1) Will Foveated Rendering be cheap and reliable enough to expect in second generation HMD's? Or is this something you see in future generations?
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