yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Wow, do you actually read posts before responding or just blurt things out? I said on numerous occasions in this thread that I like the GVR and it is worth the money, it just isn't the WOW experience I was hoping for. My advice to you, since you're new and clearly don't know better, is read the words someone has said before commenting on them.

SMH
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Actually there is one experience for me that does have the WOW immersive feeling. It is the Lunar Theater in Oculus Cinema. When the lights come up just looking at that is so amazing. I don't care about silly fuzzy 360 videos, give me more content like THAT, not only to sit and look at but to roam and explore. Even have a moon monster or two jump out at me. :)
[Samsung Gear VR] zorglub667:
...and your point is?

the gear VR is a fun early adopter thing to experience the current status quo of VR. its impressive in some ways, not so much in others. thus the "innovator edition", thus no finished product on the open market yet from neither samsung nor oculus nor anybody else, thus the very transparent "this is only for people who like to come along for the ride early on" policy. the paths to better products is known, the technology is not quite there yet, but its already a lot of fun for some, and less fun for others. the end.

not sure what youre trying to accomplish here.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Um, did you READ the OP? Let me explain again. I am responding to the fact videos I have seen of people using the Oculus Rift (which has an inferior screen to this) that has them utterly gobsmacked. They laugh, they swear, they are AMAZED. Considering this device has a superior image I was expecting the same and am disappointed I have not experienced those emotions.

If you had actually read the OP I wouldn't have to repeat myself.

P.S., They are selling this commercially through BestBuy brick and mortar stores, so let's not pretend this is some alpha unit for "innovators" only, despite the clever name. Other than better content, I doubt future iterations of the Gear VR will be much improved until we get higher res displays.

** Dude, 13 posts in 8 years and you decide to finally pontificate in my thread?
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Folks, if you disagree with my viewpoint that is your prerogative, but at least show that you read the words I wrote before commenting. It is clear from the last two individuals that they did not read the OP.
[Samsung Gear VR] Toss3:
So another thread about the screen door effect ruining the experience for you'? Wasn't it enough to ruin just the one? IF you don't like the experience then sell the device and wait for the Note 5 or 6 (4K/5K screens) and Gear VR2.

The videos are a bit fuzzy I agree, but moving the device closer to your face will definitely increase your FOV (difficult to measure/calculate by just how much). Moving the lens further from your eyes doesn't make the pixel-issue disappear, but instead distorts the outer edges and makes for a worse experience (no wonder you hate it so much; you are lessening the amount of "in-focus" light that reaches your eyes while making the black edges all the more visible).

This is an INNOVATOR's edition and if you fail to see that then you truly shouldn't own one. The experience is the best VR experience we can achieve as of yet, and you aren't apparently able to comprehend that fact, and the fact that people are different; some aren't as anal about pixels being visible as you are, thus the "wow amazing!"-effect they get when using it..
[Samsung Gear VR] zorglub667:
1. i did read your opening post.

2. that some people have no trouble to oversee the obvious resolution shortcomings while others do, and that you in particular are disappointed in the resolution, all that has been discussed many many times now, i would say. would you disagree?

3. it appears you are pretty quick at judging people. my post was not meant as an offense in any way. i must say i found the tone of your reply surprisingly aggressive. we're just chitchatting about a tech gadget here. no reason to get worked up about it.

still fail to see the point in opening yet another thread about the same topic. no idea what youre trying to archieve by this.

yes, we will only get better resolution, once we have small displays with even higher resolution than the current qHD generation. in case anyone didnt know that already...

no, i do not think that the way samsung/oculus sell this is a cheat in any way. i fondly remember the *numerous* disclaimers i had to click through to get mine. rarely has a manufacturer tried so hard to NOT sell me a product :)

the product isnt even advertised in the slightest. if at all, one could argue that it appears that samsung has been quite surprised by the demand. what little batches they put out seem to have sold out pretty much anywhere rather quickly. so: demand is up even though its so openly communicated to be an prototype-y product, so the usual dynamics of the free marketplace kick in, so bestbuy jumps on the bandwagon. it appears, that many people seem to be fine with the current shortcomings. an argument could be made if they tried to sell this to people without letting them try it out first. to kind of HIDE the real nature of it or something. but that does not seem to be the case anywhere, and i dont find that surprising either - overall, most people really seem to react very much on the "wow, wtf!" side of things. that it didnt wow you, im really sorry and i mean that completely without any sarcasm whatsoever. but i think its enough to discuss this in 2 or 3 threads and opening yet another still seems kind of pointless to me. many people are impressed. you are not. what else is there to say?

oh, btw: ive been around on XDA for a long time (ever since the very early windows mobile days when HTC was still selling its phones not under the HTC brand but labeled as MDA/XDA/whatever). this is an old account i had forgotten and ressurected because i forgot the password of another. if you feel the need to judge people based on something as artificial as a forum post number, well: to each his own.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
And thanks for proving my point. You say, "so another thread about screen door effect ruining the experience for you?" Can you please point to me where in my OP I mention screen door effect at all? Right. I don't mention it. Not once.

This is a thread about whether you feel a "sense of immersion" that makes you say WOW. I am pleased that so many of you do. I have now shown this device to 10 people and not a single person has reacted that way. The general reaction has been, "Well, it's kind of cool but not what I expected" I ask them if they feel like they are "there" and not a single person has said yes. Most of my friends are older successful business people who aren't amazed by the latest bit of kit. Maybe older people have a more difficult time entering the VR world because they've been in the real world so long? 3 different people said, "Based upon the videos I've seen online I was expecting more (paraphrasing)".

The one exception, as I mentioned, is the actual theater (not the film but the theater itself) in Oculus Cinema. People thought the moon was the coolest and wondered why there wasn't more content like that. I'm hoping Oculus (or a developer) creates more soon.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
BestBuy is now selling this device out of their retail stores with demo units set up in hundreds of locations. They are selling it at full retail. Name one other "beta" product that has ever been sold in this manner? I don't think that setting up store demo's is an attempt to "talk you out of buying this device".

I think by calling it an "Innovator Edition" Samsung is sort of giving themselves a "get out of jail free" card. Yes, here is our "Innovator Edition", don't expect much but oh yeah, we're selling it at BestBuy with demo units for full price. That's fine. They call it marketing. I do like this device and think it is well worth the $200 - as I have stated on numerous occasions which some members apparently miss each and every time.

I think the fact is (as I said in the OP that no one read), some people have more of a suspension of disbelief about VR than others. To me, while cool, most of it just seems like as handy film viewer (which is worthwhile on it's own). This is also the reaction my friends who have seen it give. Perhaps the real problem is simply content. There are some moments which are immersive - which I also stated but everyone seems to miss.

Assuming the GVR is truly a "beta" (it's really not - you don't sell betas in stores), what are people expecting from future products? This is plastic, some lenses, a headstrap and some electronics. Perhaps they will come up with some miracle lenses which parse out all pixelization? I honestly doubt that. The Gear VR is what it will be. What will change is the phone and content.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Here's one thing to keep in mind folks. Very very very few people come to forums such as this to discuss the Gear VR. Those who come tend to be fanboys and enthusiasts, and that's perfectly cool. The mistake people make is that they take the impressions of the few individuals here and project that over the marketplace.

On the other hand I am attempting to see this product through the eyes of the average non-enthusiast consumer. Many here say their friends have loved the product. We tend to associate with those who think as we do. In my own experience, the reaction has been far more muted.

If you wish to comment in this thread, please discuss the topic of immersion. Attacking me is not OT. If you don't like what I have to say, don't read the thread, simple as that.

** I'm wondering if people using the Oculus are having a more immersive experience not because of the technology but because of superior content? Watched a YouTube of a guy playing Assetto Corsa on the Rift and it looked incredible.
[Samsung Gear VR] vanessaem:
Hi folks,

If you don't want to participate in this thread or any other created by the OP or feel that it's not contributing to the well-being of XDA, please don't post. Trolling and arguing is not allowed on any thread. If people would learn to ignore others, possibly there would be less negative back and forth posts. Everyone, please ignoring threads and posts you don't like. Differing opinions are fine and it's ok to disagree with them but it's really not that serious. However, if something is bothering you to the point of distraction, then call a moderator.

Regards
[Samsung Gear VR] zorglub667:
which is exactly the point where one could argue that thats exactly the same thing. because, why again is it that you feel a lack of immersion? judging from most of your posts, that would be...oh right, the screen door effect.

q.e.d.

so, to be a bit more blunt, youre saying that in contrast to these friends of yours, whoever would disagree with their findings probably does so because...they "havent been in the real world for so long"? or maybe because theyre not "successful business people". or maybe because theyre "fanboys" that "make the mistake of not seeing this through the eyes of the average non-enthusiast consumer".

those are the things you are implying (albeit in a somewhat subtle, suggestive way). well then, so be it. i will leave this discussion, but id like to point out towards the forum moderation that the question about who is trolling and who is not is at the very least somewhat debatable.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Once again you are attributing your interpretation to my intent then damning me for it. Do us both a favor and take my words at face value. I don't have a subtle meaning or agenda.

I was simply expressing the experiences of my friends and because it disagrees with your experience it has apparently short circuited your brain and convinced you that you possess psychic powers.

Couple factoids you should consider. Most people who lurk (read but do not comment) at this forum probably do not yet own the GVR. They are just here to read feedback from owners. The average typical consumer that buys a GVR from BestBuy has no idea XDA even exists, and so they won't be commenting. So we are left with mainly enthusiasts who are at least somewhat invested in the idea they made a good purchase. That's not to say their opinion is not 100% valid, but it is to say that one should not project the opinions here to the rest of the marketplace. The sample is skewed. It is my opinion that the typical non enthusiast consumer will not be as impressed with the sense of immersion as you are. My friends which are a good sample of an older non enthusiast demographic were not. They all thought it was cool. No one was saying OMG and begging me to try it again.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Here's a perfect example in the differences of perceived immersion:

I just played DreadHalls after watching a YouTube of a full grown man playing it. He was so frightened that I literally thought he was going to pee his pants. He had to take a break mid-game just to catch his breath and calm his nerves.

So anyway, I just played it. Seriously, WTF? I might have found this scary when I was 8. Just think really really weak Doom. I say weak Doom because Doom actually was scary. Immersive? I guess if cartoon bricks and groaning noises are immersive for you. So here is an example of a user who was actually physically frightened by a game I just found silly. He kept saying, "Wow, it's like I'm really there!" I kept saying, "Wow, cartoon bricks!"

I don't blame the Gear VR. A large part preventing me from experiencing immersion is simply a lack of content. I'm also spoiled by years of triple monitor gaming with a fast PC and awesome video card. Now THAT'S immersive. When they create games that have the realism and texture of the Lunar Theater, then I'll start getting more excited about this platform.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Just played HeroBound for the first time (didn't have a controller before). Now that game is very immersive. The opening scene with the big volcano is amazing. If you haven't played that game definitely give it a try. Hopefully someone will bring that level of graphics to a 1st person shooter.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Amen brother. Finally another rational voice in fanboy village. :) Expect to get flamed for saying what you really think and not being completely agog over the amazingness of the GVR. You'd think I had insulted their mothers.

Merely calling it an "Innovator Edition" doesn't give them a pass. $200 isn't a beta price and you don't sell beta's at BestBuy with an interactive display. There are some parts of the GVR which are very cool and others that are complete suck. And you know what? It's ok to say so.

All that said, I still like my GVR and am glad I bought it. I think that once the content starts to catch up, this may end up being pretty cool. :)
[Samsung Gear VR] twistedumbrella:
That is the sort of thing that Oculus needs to hear. They are currently trying to pass off the minimal content as being a hiccup in developers submitting new games, but they tend to dismiss any feedback about the design issues altogether. It is largely the result of the issues being presented in a way that sounds like furious children throwing tantrums, rather than a concise evaluation that aims to remain impartial and even hints at the desire for success.

If you haven't yet, I recommend forwarding this on to them. A lot of posts on the Oculus forum hint at current issues, but don't present them with anything significant to diagnose or any real suggestions on how they can improve the experience before the user finds workarounds.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
If anyone hasn't tried BombSquad you should. Crazy funny little game. I can see how playing this in teams with friends would be a riot.
[Samsung Gear VR] Rayan:
The very first time I tried the Gear VR I was not impressed at all. Maybe because I consumed every bit of information BEFORE actually trying it.

Then after that, this friend lend it to me for a couple of weeks before deciding to sell it to me in two easy payments because he sold his Note 4... So I thought it was a good deal especially considering how hard it is to get one and $350 for a used one on CL was not good either.

The thing is that even though not initially impressed, and even let down by the apparent pixelation, I can not stop using it every tine I can. Now it has grown on me and really enjoy every aspect of it. Pixels are "no longer there" because I now concentrate on the experience and also I learned how to set the focus not too sharp and not too fuzzy.

Those people on YouTube are not exaggerating for the most part, I have demoed my VR to many people and every single one was blown away!

So, for me I think it's a great start in this marvelous VR world.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
The weird part is that most of the truly immersive games require the controller to play. No controller, you don't get to experience the best graphics this kit has to offer.

Herobound and BombSquad are both awesome to look at and fun to play. The graphics in both, especially Herobound are outstanding even if not in FHD. I hope someone creates a first person game with that level of lighting and depth. Right now the only room to room first person shooter is DreadHalls and the graphics on that are quite poor. If DreadHalls had the graphics of Herobound, it might actually be scary.

The most disappointing content by far is the 360 videos. Not much argument from anyone there. One simply cannot feel immersed when the focus is so poor. The Oculus Cinema is a mixed bag. While it's a great little movie viewer if you were on a plane or a long car trip (as a passenger), the pixelization keeps me from feeling as if I'm really in a theater. Still, very cool and for what it is, worthwhile.

Something I wish they offered was a chance to watch borderless FHD content in the Cinema. Not 360, just 180. You can sort of get this by putting a normal video in the 360 folder, but it zooms in so close, you can't enjoy the entire scene. If they would allow us that without the zoom that would be awesome.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
What's up with that Chinese Museum VR app? How do they even let something of that low quality in the app store. What a stinker.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
If you've not yet invested in a controller I highly recommend you do. The VR experience using a controller is dramatically superior to without. I picked up a nice Moga on sale at BestBuy for just $24. Not all stores have these so check inventory ahead. My store had 4 of them.

All the best VR immersion type games require a controller.
[Samsung Gear VR] Rayan:
In my case, I use my Gear VR to relax and "run away" to a different place, so apps like Ocean Rift, The BluVR, Titans Of Space, Oculus 360 Videos, Oculus 360 Photos, and above all Oculus Cinema are a must.

So far these are my favorite VR games:

Google Cardboard:

Roller Coaster VR

Swivel Gun VR Log Ride

VR Roller Coaster

Refugio Flight

Space Terror

Zombie Shooter VR

Oculus:

HeroBound

Anshar Wars

Vanguard V

Temple Run VR

Jame's Legacy

Ikarus

Bombsquad

Proton Pulse

So far the one that has impressed me the most is HeroBound due to its quality, attention to detail, graphics and gameplay. It really feels like if you are there watching the action unfold before your eyes and there's this feeling of reaching out and grab objects in the scene. The same with Jame's Legacy which to me looks like Super Mario Galaxy clone (which is a good thing). Ikarus while interesting, feels kind of weird due to the fact that sometimes you are in 1st person, and sometimes 3rd person. Another one of my favorites is Temple Run VR, because it gives the roller coaster sensation.

All in all a great experience!

The only Cons so far:

Overheating Issues (I managed to almost double the play time by using Power Saving Mode, but there are just a few minor stuttering issues)

Limited Library

Cheers!
[Samsung Gear VR] ciscostud:
How is Darknet not on your list? Best game so far IMO and it FREE
[Samsung Gear VR] Rayan:
Honestly I have not tried Darknet despite all the positive feedback and attention.

I don't know, maybe the simplistic graphics and "minesweeper" concept have not caught my attention, but I promise I will try it later when I get home and post my thoughts about it!

Cheers!
[Samsung Gear VR] BleedingPurist:
What about DreadHalls? First-person experience that puts you in it.

I just finally got around to checking out Proton Pulse last night. It was surprisingly fun, definitely more engaging than Pong!
[Samsung Gear VR] ciscostud:
Cool, install it while you can for free. The Dev said it will be $10 once the paid store is up.

Its the full game and he didn't have to release it for free.

After you gain your first 500 BTC is starts to get real hard.

Good luck!
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Darknet is kind of like Candy Crush Saga. Fun and easy at first. After about 20 matches it starts getting brutally hard and takes some real strategy. Highly recommend.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
I personally recommend against DreadHalls. If the graphics in Hero are a 9, DreadHalls is a 3 at best. Try it you may like it, but I wasn't impressed. Proton Pulse is fun but I wouldn't recommend it for epileptics. :)
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
You know what's fun? When you're doing a brutal 22 minute Darknet Level and you nail that bast*rd with 10 seconds left! Lol, I feel like MacGyver! :)

I've taken out the Boss node with as few as 6 hacks before but I always go for sheer brute force 10 if at all possible. It's amazing how the game designer has laid things out just so to foil even your smartest strategies.

If you are new to the game the key is always think Isolate. Which piece on the board will be the easiest to isolate. Saves you a lot of time if you identify that piece right from the start.
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
Because the graphics are so bad. Room after room of bare walls and empty floors punctuated by the occasional haunted house monster that jumps out at you? But you aren't alone. Lots of people love that game and find it VERY scary. Complete yawner for me. The haunted house analogy applies here. Some people get very scared at them, I just think, "Ok, guy in a costume..."

And dude, you and I never agree about anything. It's almost beautiful in it's pure consistency. :)
[Samsung Gear VR] BleedingPurist:
So you actually played it through, getting killed a number of times, and were able to find the exit?
[Samsung Gear VR] mitchellvii:
No. I got bored fast and bailed at the Doom-like floating head thing. Maybe it gets scarier later, but you know how anal I am about eye-candy. I've never found games frightening. Sure if something jumps out at me I'll react but that's more being startled than afraid.

I lived in a real haunted house once - you don't know scary until you wake up in the morning and hear and smell breakfast being made in the kitchen when no one is there, or closet doors shaking violently when you walk past like someone is trying to get out. I had friends over for dinner one night and it felt just like someone was having a fight with the sound of big cardboard boxes flying all around us. My friends were like WTF? I'd be sitting in my office and all of a sudden a dude would start talking through the TV speaker and the TV wasn't even on. Could never make out what he said, just mumbling but I could tell it was words. My cat would stare at this spot in the middle of the room and then just freak out like someone stomped on his tale. Sold that place and within 5 years it had been bought and sold again 5 times. When I sold it I even told the people this place is haunted as sh*t and they said they didn't believe in that stuff. Lol, bet they do now. :)