[MartinMcGirk]

I'll take the other, more optimistic side of this.

The reason they're spending so much time on reinventing meetings is because they see that the killer use case for VR/AR headsets is to replace your laptop with a device that shows you a screen, or multiple screens, wherever you go, whenever you want it there.

If you start from the premise that eventually people won't huddle over their 16" laptop screens to make calls, but will instead be wearing a headset that shows them as many giant monitors as they like, then everything else flows from that. How do you handle calls in a world where every user is essentially wearing a visor? How do you collaborate? These aren't solved problems yet, but I'm a firm believer that the headset will replace the laptop, and if that happens I'll be glad somebody has put the effort in to make everything else around that as seamless as it can be.

[croak3r]

I really cant understand why people want to spend 8 hours a day with a VR headset on. I have a Rift S and after a couple of hours I cant wait to take it off, I'm sure as hell not going to wear one all day just for my job no matter how good the software is.

[ilaksh]

We don't, not with our current headsets, but also Rift S has been discontinued for awhile and the new Meta Quest Pro headset is significantly more comfortable and capable than Quest 2 and far better than the Rift S.

Within a few years, very comfortable lightweight goggles or glasses will have capabilities that can replace phone and PC interfaces.

Your comment is the equivalent of someone who bought an early airplane and based on that decides that commercial jets are impractical for long flights. Or someone who saw the early CRTs and decided that since they preferred reading paper teletype output that computer monitors would never be usable.

[croak3r]

I have yet to see any proof that the glasses style of VR is anywhere near being feasible. I have been an adopter of VR since 2014 when I bought the rift DK2 and the form factor is still practically the same, despite the costs being a lot higher for these new models.

I don't think your analogies work at all. I think VR is great for games, which is what occulus originally marketed it for, it's only since Facebook bought them that the direction has totally changed.

[TheGeminon]

While it doesn't have a ton of power, the Vive Flow[0] seems like a great form factor. A few more years of miniaturization and advancements, you will probably see some much more capable VR headsets in a more glasses-like form. They weigh 1/4 that of the Quest Pro.

[0] https://www.vive.com/us/product/vive-flow/overview/

[ilaksh]

Meta Quest Pro form factor is a very significant decrease. Multiple AR/VR glasses such as Leap 2 and Spectacles work great, they just need a wider field of view.

[boppo1]

We'll figure out how to interface with the optic nerve eventually.

[barnabee]

I'm happy spending all day with sunglasses on. Before too long, this'll not be much different an experience.

Already Lenovo and others have pretty lightweight glasses that provide a basic (1080p or similar) screen, the Quest Pro looks like a definite step forward from prior VR headsets, Magic Leap and HoloLens are on their second iterations, micro-OLEDs are coming, Apple is working on something, etc…

If you see the direction travel then I'd think you may at least admit that your Rift S experience (which is long in the tooth even prior to the Quest Pro announcement) is no useful guide to what the VR/AR future people are excited about will actualy be like.

[sherifmansour]

I think if we change our assumptions of a headset from what it is today to where it could get to - something like eating glasses every day (seems like a long way away) then this sounds very plausible to me. It’s a race to work out how convenient we can make these headsets.

[ohgodplsno]

Of course. Pop your VR headset on at a café, I'm sure it'll work out great. Bash people with your wide arm movements at Starbucks and look like a clown.

Those meetings that could have been an email? Now they're the worst of both worlds, remote but still forced to have this meeting in VR.

Instead of having a screen (or multiple screens), force people in a shitty virtual reality where you have to walk around still, but this time it's either by teleporting with joysticks or making you puke with smooth movement.

[nextlevelwizard]

> Pop your VR headset on at a café, I'm sure it'll work out great. Bash people with your wide arm movements at Starbucks and look like a clown.

Could you be strawmanning any harder?

I've been now full time remote working for 3 years and I have done exactly zero work from any kind of cafe. I have however done one day of work in a virtual desktop, but currently (as of couple years back) I didn't find it any better than just using normal desk and monitor setup.

>Those meetings that could have been an email?

This is complete a company issue. This VR tech is meant for actual meetings.

>Instead of having a screen (or multiple screens), force people in a shitty virtual reality where you have to walk around still,

You are completely misunderstanding the tech. You can literally have infinite amount of screens in a VR environment if you still want to cling to the notion of screens.

This all being said. I doubt this will catch on, however the facial expression capturing tech will be nice for future gaming and chatting applications.

[ohgodplsno]

I misunderstand the tech so much that I have a Valve Index. Working with multiple screens on that is absolute hell, taking up your entire view, locking you into a bubble. Enjoy your neck pain when you need to turn your head every other second. Oh and good luck with using both a pointer and a keyboard while in VR, I hope you remember where your keys are.

Facial capture for gaming will be absolutely worthless, and so will it be for chatting. Firstly because it already exists without wearing an expensive helmet that makes you sweat and is uncomfortable, secondly because nobody wants to wear a damn helmet so that people can see you smile ingame, and thirdly because nobody wants to put 1k+ on a device whoses uses are extremely limited.

[nextlevelwizard]

>Working with multiple screens on that is absolute hell, taking up your entire view, locking you into a bubble. Enjoy your neck pain when you need to turn your head every other second.

How is this any different from having multiple screens?

>Oh and good luck with using both a pointer and a keyboard while in VR, I hope you remember where your keys are.

What? Remember what keys? Like keyboard keys?

>Facial capture for gaming will be absolutely worthless, and so will it be for chatting.

Based on what? Just because you don't want them? How many people are cybering in VRchat at this very moment? You don't think these people would very much like to have a way to show facial features as they are performing them?

>Firstly because it already exists without wearing an expensive helmet that makes you sweat and is uncomfortable

Citation needed. What tech already does this? Also I don't sweat much with my Oculus Quest headset, why you think this is any different?

>secondly because nobody wants to wear a damn helmet so that people can see you smile ingame

I would very much like this. It would make VR games even more immersive if expressions would be captured and translated to the in-game models.

>and thirdly because nobody wants to put 1k+ on a device whoses uses are extremely limited.

Why is the price an issue? You said that you had Valve Index, looking at the price the headset with controllers and the tracking stations cost over 1k. Did you lie about having Valve Index or where the disconnect is? Anyways, yes, 1.7k for VR headset is a lot, but the tech will find its way to cheaper headsets as well, so price argument seems very weird to me.

[goosedragons]

Businessy apps like immersed already have KB/M passthrough. How it works there is you define a box with the location of your KB/M and can see it all the time. With the better cameras of the Pro I imagine it'll be even better. Some popular keyboards like the Apple Magic keyboard are also supported for passthrough in a fancier way.

If the resolution was bumped high enough you could probably use 3 monitors like you do in real life at a similar distance with similar resolution.

Wouldn't facial capture make chat in an MMO better too? Certainly not a requirement but it could make it more immersive and enjoyable?

[theshrike79]

What if the headset just projects a display into your view and you can set where it is in relation to the real world AR-style?

Then you just pop your displayless laptop down on the café table and start typing away like you would with a normal laptop, except you're the only one who can see your screen.

No need to wave around any controllers, no danger of accidentally smacking someone's grande venti mocha latte.

[ohgodplsno]

So, instead of carrying around a small laptop that is a square and fits in pretty much any bag, you're carrying a keyboard, maybe a mouse, and a full on head sized VR device that only fits in a backpack or a tote bag? Along with lacking the storage that a laptop offer, the offline capacity of it, the battery life of it?

The future sounds _great_.

In addition, I will not let you besmirch the name of the venti mocha latte. Sometimes all you need is three times your daily sugar intake in a single, deadly, way too hot cup of very average coffee.

[theshrike79]

The "keyboard" can just be a regular laptop with no display. All the storage and power you need.

[nomel]

This all reminds me of the tech communities reaction to the first iPod and iPhone.

[ryan_lane]

The reaction to the iPhone was incredibly positive, when comparing it to the closest competitor. It was obviously, immediately, that it was a revolutionary change in UI for phones.

Yes, the reaction to the iPod was negative, but honestly, at the time, the iPod wasn't dramatically and obviously better than the competition. It took a couple generations to show that it was not only better, but it was getting better considerably faster than the competition.

[Hadriel]

You'll appreciate this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzRjtvMQds4

[theshrike79]

If there, at some point, is a wireless capable VR/AR headset that can replace a ~32" 1440p monitor I'll be the first in line to buy one if it's priced under 1k. Maybe even under 2k.

I've got so much more I want to use my desk space for than a monitor =)