Short version: I no longer use my desk at all, Virtual Desktop has made it 98% irrelevant. I have re-arranged my room to reflect no longer needing to be at my desk.
A little background: I use my PC at home for entertainment purposes only. I have a company-issued laptop for work. I have it hooked up to a 47-inch 3DTV that I use as a monitor. I have a G27 for racing sims on my desk, as well as a Thrustmaster Hotas for flight/space sims.
How it started: I initially purchased Virtual Desktop as a way to play videos. I wouldn't have done this at all if the Oculus Video file-selection wasn't so weak and the videos had proper black levels. However, I was immediately struck by how well it worked as a monitor. Even before my CV1 arrived on Tuesday I was using it with my DK2 in limited instances as a monitor. Usually it was when I wanted to check something real quick in between games, and it was a huge pain to remove the DK2 with the shorter cable, separate headphones, and a wired Xbox controller. It was a 5 minute ordeal just to remove the headset, check e-mail for 30 seconds, and get it all back on without tangling. Even with the worse resolution and screen door, it was pretty usable on DK2, but never would have replaced my monitor.
Using VD with CV1: The first program I launched after the CV1 set-up was Virtual Desktop. It's the easiest way to check resolution/screen door on content that's not specifically optimized for the headset. I was suitably impressed. Even right now on this mostly-white page, I can barely see the screen door. The lower resolution is apparent but does not hinder legibility or use in any case I've found yet. Of course, your mileage may vary. Some people may need to see their keyboard to use it, I have no trouble using it without ever looking. Due to vision issues, I also keep my desktop resolution set to 1280x720. I have a feeling bumping this to normal 1080 would hinder text legibility quite a bit. However, due to the Rift's limited resolution, I don't think there's any benefit to running 1080 over 720. I quickly fell in love with this setup. I can resize or zoom in at will. I can reposition the image at any time for work in any position. The desk environment Wormslayer created it great, but I generally prefer the ability to fully customize the size of the screen offered by the void or cubemap environments. I didn't plan it, but I suddenly found myself putting on the Rift every time I sat down at my desk, even for a quick 5 minute Reddit browse or reading the news.
Using Rift with glasses: I have very poor vision due to cataracts as an infant, and therefore have to wear bifocal glasses. This necessitates a screen with larger text and a monitor right in my face. With Virtual Desktop instead of my bifocals I use a pair of cheap reading glasses from Wal-Mart. They're plastic so they won't scratch the Rift lenses. Also, somehow the Rift Lenses help with the vision correction somewhat. The reading glasses are +3.00 which is well short of my regular prescription, and in real life things are still blurry with these glasses. However, as soon as I put on the Rift things are crystal clear. Not sure how that works, but it means that I can be in the Rift and not have to lean in closer to my monitor to be able to read. For anyone with big glasses that don't fit well in Rift, I recommend trying out a cheapo pair of reading glasses from Wal-Mart or Target. It feels silly to put a pair of 5 dollar lenses in front of expensive Rift optics, but my regular frames don't fit and this sure beats not being able to see at all! (Due to corneal transfer surgery, the shape of my eyes does not allow use of contacts.)
How it changed my playspace: At first I was sitting in my swivel chair at my desk wearing the Rift, until I realized I had no reason to. I have a wireless keyboard and mouse, so I adjusted the tracking camera to point out to my whole room by mounting it on a tripod. Now, I am sitting in the recliner about 8 feet away from my desk across the room, laying back with my feet reclined and typing with the keyboard in my lap and the mouse on the arm of the chair. It's super comfortable, super easy, and allowed me to re-arrange my space. I moved my desk into the corner and my PC to the other side so the cable can reach farther. Suddenly I have a much bigger space in which to do the standing/walking demos. Instead of having to move stuff around every time and slide out of my swivel chair, I just pop out of the recliner and I can move around the room. The only time I use my desk now is when I want to play Project Cars, Elite Dangerous, or Eve Valkyrie with the specialty controllers.
Content Consumption: Playing games can get a little choppy every once in a while, but this is likely because I'm on a below-spec GTX960. It's never been enough to make me want to quit, and the pure black-levels of the amoled screen are just dreamy. I also have found myself using the Rift to watch movies more often than the $1000 projector I bought two months ago. For 2D movies it's good, but for 3D movies it's really a WOW experience. With the curved screen zoomed in to take most of my field of view, it really starts to feel like 3D films are actually Virtual Reality content. I have never seen Hollywood 3D have the kind of pop I experience with this set-up. I prefer to keep the background as the black void when watching movies. After 6 days I have already acclimated so much to the 'God Rays' that I don't notice them at all. Being able to recline fully in my chair and re-orient the video content to be in front of my eyes no matter how I am positioned is revolutionary. My back is already reaping the benefits. Due to my poor eyesight, I've always had to lean in towards my monitors. Not anymore.
Comfort of the Rift At first it hurt my cheeks worse than DK2. Then I figured out how to tighten it so the back strap actually held the weight (the top strap must be pulled up further than you're used to with DK2) I've had no issues. The headphones sound great and are set as my default windows sound device.
When it doesn't work Of course there are a few use cases where Virtual Desktop won't work. The other day I tried to use it while my monitor was turned off. It worked, but many things were freezing and a few windows including Google chrome would load but would not render. Turns out, any monitor you want Virtual Desktop to mirror must be on and recognized by the system to work correctly. I'm sure this is documented and I just missed it. Another example of not being able to use it is when I'm updating or installing apps in the Oculus store. It won't let you do so when another app is active (stupid limitation) so I have to completely close VD. Also of course have to load up windows before starting Virtual desktop. Also when you're installing an app and the 'Windows needs permission to install this" yes/no box pops up, that only shows on the monitor. Everything else though as far as adjusting settings, adding/removing programs, etc. all works perfectly. Another obvious limitation I'll mention: I play guitar as well, and of course I have to use the monitor to read tabs while I'm learning a new song.
Conclusion: It's not ready to be a 100% replacement yet. I sometimes regret the lack of spatial awareness of the room around me. I might install a webcam I can pull up just to see what's going on (my fiance, dogs, grabbing a soda, etc.) It's also annoying if I get a phone call, or especially if I'm having a text message conversation with someone. Having to take it off every 30 seconds to read and reply to a message, even with the greatly improved ergonomics, is still a pain. Overall though, it works great, and the benefits of using a more comfortable chair and being able to use it anywhere in the room and in any position I want outweighs the cons like resolution. There will be many individual use cases where it's not practical for everyone every time you're using a computer. But generally, I see no reason to be tethered to my desk anymore.
Submitted by trialobite | #Specialdealer Special Offer Online Shopping Store 2016
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