05-01-2021 07:21 PM - edited 05-01-2021 09:52 PM
Recently, I bought an Oculus Quest 2.
I love video games but my main reason is that I am a bed-bound person; I live currently recovering in a hospital bed. I will be here for a while and have been here for a while and it takes it's toll on a person.
I thought the Oculus could help. I don't get to go outside; I'm in the same room most of the time. I am in hospitals, a lot.
I was beginning to get depressed from it.
And then I read about how VR can be therapeutic for people like me.
So I got mine.
And it's not. It's been so upsetting I am wondering how to just switch it to my girlfriend's account so she can have it.
It will not acknowledge me as a person. If I play games, the guardian boundary will not go to the floor about 70% of the time and resets constantly; it hovers six inches above the floor. So this ruins my perspective.
Just now, I just straight up gave up in utter frustration, almost tears because I got Squadrons and thought surely, this game won't have anything like that since you sit in a cockpit - but alas, half an hour of lowering the controller to the floor and it would NEVER go all the way to the floor.
And if that's not bad enough, half the time, games also, on top of the floor being higher than it should be, don't acknowledge that I am sitting. So in-game, it feels like I am a child. I can't reach controls or interact or do anything right.
Please, don't suggest I take it to some stairs in order to trick it, or any of the other usual fixes for this. I don't have any, and I've Googled this for a lot longer than I've got to actually enjoy it. I've tried OVR, I've tried tricking the controller, I've used sitting options in games and the result is basically stuff like this:
In Spider-Man: Far From Home, I'd have to be able to reach through my mattress to put on my mask and do anything. The game won't let me turn so I can grab it from the side, and wont progress until I put on the mask that I can't get, and nothing fixes it. I tried OVR. Nope.
In Vader, episode 3, there's a part where you have to move a TIE Fighter in the bay using controls. Same problem. Grats - made it to the last episode, now you'll never see the end. And yes, I had sitting option turned on. Unfortunately, that option doesnt take people who are stuck in a bed into account. You can turn to the side and hit the buttons - and completely miss any of the action going on; unable to see the hangar, what the buttons you push do, or what happens.
This problem of course is everywhere. I had trouble reaching my belt for tools, though I managed that, by straining myself and hurting myself to reach by leaning over the edge of the bed. Same for the lightsaber, which I was unable to put down in Episode III, btw, because I couldnt reach my belt.
Almost kept me from finishing Episode II, because I couldn't put it away to climb and maybe right then I should've known I'd end up screwed.
And any game where an item is placed that far below and in front, rather than to the side and either even with, just barely below or above the eye-line, the same will be true. I just have no way of knowing until I am in a game and find out the hard way I am required to reach through my bed in front of me or to the side, and suddenly, for me, the game is over. And it hurts and is disappointing when that happens.
So now, I am pretty upset. I have a device I spent several hundred dollars on, to try to have fun and some escapism from this bed, after much research and here I am, finding out that not a single person considered any of this.
Who do you think needs VR more than anyone? People like me. Stuck in a bed, or if they're LUCKY, a chair (though even in my wheelchair, I'd not be able to put things on my belt due to, you know, wheels).
Yet obviously no one considered this.
I've found no solution. Hours upon hours of searching. Straining to try to physically accomplish things that there is no accessibility for, hurting myself to try to just ... BE in virtual reality and enjoy it.
I don't know what I expect.
I spent hours searching for solutions.
Everything I try comes to nothing.
I know there are probably games that would have no obstacles, but that won't fix the Guardian turning me into a child or refusing to set the floor height.
And I want to play the games I mentioned. Not be stuck having to play games based on whether or not Oculus or the game developers thought to invite me to the sandbox.
I do have one question: What can I do to switch the Oculus from my Facebook account to my girlfriend's?
Since it excludes me I have no reason to have it tied to mine and we don't want to just refund it, since she can at least use it with her friend who bought one recently.
Lucky abled people.
05-01-2021 10:17 PM
Man, I'm really sorry to hear @MrUnsleep 's experience. As I read it, I can understand the level of frustration given the promise and potential VR could have for people in that situation. I am not limited physically but have a very tiny play space that lends itself to seated games far better than standing. I have a typical office chair, with armrests. I have run into the same problems described above in tons of the games I play. I either can't reach down far enough or can't touch my waist because of the armrests and need to twist myself into awkward positions to make things work. Even then, half the time it goes haywire and I just can't get it to do what I intend.
I think accessibility needs to be a much higher priority in game development. That doesn't mean that game mechanics need to change for everyone, but devs need to enable a mode where controller buttons can replace or simplify certain actions based on mobility requirements.
Hope you get out of the hospital bed soon @MrUnsleep !
05-01-2021 11:26 PM
I am out of the hospital now, but I live at home in a bed and have for a while, recovering / healing. I am not even allowed to be up in a wheelchair right now per doctor's orders. Thanks for your well-wishes, and sorry that you too are having issues with the Oculus experience. 😞
So yeah... the promise of VR was entrancing and when I first started using it, I got a feeling of freedom... But then the problems started, and the disappointments and frustrations....and worst of all, more limitations. More places where, in design, no one thought of how someone in a hospital bed would play. You'd think it would be a no-brainer! Considering that one of the first things that surely comes to mind is the therapeutic applications for people in my situation - or even worse situations.
But apparently not. The consideration only goes so far.
And we're left behind. Again. Just thinking about it again has me tense.
05-02-2021 01:36 AM - edited 05-02-2021 01:40 AM
I'm using the Rift CV1 and the Valve Index - never had problems resetting my positions in space (sitting and standing). But these hmds require external sensors and thus are more cumbersome to set up - but you gain the best tracking and tracking volume you can get in VR. Works perfectly with Squadrons 😉
Oculus Rift CV1, Valve Index & PSVR2, Asus Strix OC RTX™ 3090, i9-10900K (5.3Ghz), 32GB 3200MHz, 16TB SSD
"Ask not what VR can do for you, but what you can do for VR"
05-02-2021 05:11 AM
Thank you for your reply.
I wish I could afford to just buy a bunch of peripherals, or even one, really. I could barely afford the Oculus Quest 2, with medical expenses and just a lot of other stuff to deal with - I live in America so, capitalism > all. It is more important than life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. I used the last of my stimulus check after paying bills and such to buy this VR device hoping it would help where medication fails. Even if I refunded it, it wouldn't be enough to afford a setup that will recognize me as an adult human being.
So, sadly, I could never afford the stuff on the Index list to have anything close to a setup that would work for me. 😞
But I greatly thank you for your input and suggestion.
05-02-2021 10:33 AM
@MrUnsleep , you could be a good source of information for devs looking for feedback or advice on accessibility. If you could post on Reddit about the games that do work well versus those that do not, and why, it could help others in your situation as well as the devs working on games who simply aren't familiar with the challenges. I've tested games for a few devs by engaging on Reddit subs and providing detailed constructive feedback that I later saw had been implemented in the games. This is a win win in my opinion and it would give you something to do that may be a little less frustrating as you would be actively expecting to find challenges and offer solutions instead of stumbling into the issue trying to to play the game. Just a thought. Get well and don't give up on VR!
05-02-2021 07:07 PM - edited 05-02-2021 07:09 PM
I use the Quest 2 while in bed, but I use it to play PC games mostly. As you said, native VR games largely assume an able bodied full range of motion. But with the help of Virtual Desktop or Immersed, and a wireless KB/M, I can horizontally enjoy all the standard PC games out there all day, along with the standard pc stuff like news, social, and videos, without having to roll to the side or hold a phone over my head all day. or spend thousands on some bed contraption to have heavy monitors dangling over me. Plus those apps allow you to resize the screens to crazy proportions, which is pretty cool. A VR headset is the last type of pc monitor I'll ever buy.
05-03-2021 05:32 AM
Well, I have used it where I can to play what it will let me play.
If the guardian works properly, I am able to play Squadrons without much trouble (though having to use a controller kind of blows the immersion a bit, that's just a problem for everyone who doesn't have a ton of cash to blow on a HOTAS, and isn't a discrimination problem - just a poor design choice).
But I don't want to be limited to certain games because developers of either games or the Oculus didn't bother to think of people in my situation. I shouldn't have to be. Having to be destroys the entire purpose of getting it, as I got it to be therapeutic and healthy escapism but instead it just becomes another reminder of the horrible situation I am in - and the bias and thoughtlessness from others that comes along with it.
I do appreciate your post, however and will look into your suggestions. Thanks 🙂
05-03-2021 05:35 AM
Thank you very much for your post.
I will admit I had not considered any of what you said - at this point the hurt of finding out how limited I am by it has kind of been my consuming thought, and trying to find a way around it my drive.... Kind of thoughtless of me, which is ironic.
I am not really much of a redditor, but my girlfriend is and can show me the ropes. I will look into what you have suggested, and offer my input where I can, and my services as well. You're right to look for and find both a silver lining and a way to potentially help other people in my situation. I may have come to it eventually; just not in the state of mind to have that kind of thing occur to me. So again, thank you. This is the kind of suggestions I am looking for. No, it doesn't solve my problem but it puts a little light in the tunnel.
05-03-2021 08:01 PM
So sorry you've had such a frustrating time. I use my Quest sitting, but that doesn't help you. There are some good meditation apps that help with pain. I can recommend Tripp because it has a recline mode and does not require much interaction with the controllers.
That said, you can dis-associate your Quest from your Facebook account so you can give it to your girlfriend. You can do a factory reset, but she would have to buy games all over. Game purchases remain tied to your account. ( https://www.reddit.com/r/OculusQuest/comments/eucgtq/how_do_you_unregister_quest_from_account_so_tha...)
Or you could keep it but share it ... allow her to log on in her own account. She would have to buy her own games though. She could not use any purchased on your account. Maybe one day you will be recovered enough to use it, too. (I know ... your disappointment may block that option. But you might feel differently then.)
https://vrscout.com/news/how-to-oculus-quest-multi-user-login/
Did this answer your question? If it didn’t, use our search to find other topics or create your own and other members of the community will help out.
If you need an agent to help with your Meta device, please contact our store support team here.
Having trouble with a Facebook or Instagram account? The best place to go for help with those accounts is the Facebook Help Center or the Instagram Help Center. This community can't help with those accounts.
Check out some popular posts here:
Getting Help from the Meta Quest Community
Tips and Tricks: Charging your Meta Quest Headset