A few years back we could agree about the high price of these devices, but today they had never been so acessible. I own a Quest 2, 3 and PSVR2 and love all of them. But in the gaming communities people gets angry when a new VR game is announced, why? It seems there's some narrative that VR = bad.
Most games on VR are in some level of immersive that none flatscreen game will ever be, even more when we talk about horror games. Why is so difficult to change the public opinion about playing on VR?
Nobody likes to be excluded from a franchise they love, and limiting a game to one platform will always be seen as elitist by the people who don't have that platform. Whenever a multiformat game goes exclusive, those missing out get angry.
I expect a lot of this will be from hardcore gamers with the best gear - 2/4k monitors with high framerates and they just hear about poor graphics in VR games. Many won't have put a headset on or some will have tried a Gear VR or worse, they'll have slipped a Motorola phone into some plastic case in 2015 and had an awful experience.
I confess, in the very late 90s I said I never wanted to use a mobile phone - why would I?
I haven't seen negative feedback of VR exclusive games but that may be because I've only really looked at Steam comments of PCVR stuff, and I spend some time on the MS Flight Sim forum where VR is looked at very positively, even by the non-VR users. I get the sense that sim enthusiasts like the idea, even if they haven't tried it. Although sims like that aren't VR exclusive, so that no doubt eases their minds... the VR inclusion still needs developer time though.
Non-VR users really shouldn't complain, considering the disparity in the availability of pancake games compared to VR. Are PSVR2 owners complaining? I had assumed they had a lot more non-VR titles too but I don't pay much attention to that format, plus a lot of VR games aren't exclusives.
If a company like Meta funds a VR title or buys a software developer, that triggers some people. Plus the number of AAA titles being releases is generally falling, definitely that's how it is on PC, so some may be looking for someone or something to blame.
It's the console war mindset around the idea that "exclusivity gives me power." Some consumers are so invested in a specific platform that they take it as a personal slight when another platform receives any sort of acclaim.
Just look at all the drama happening now that XBox is bringing some of their previous exclusives over to PlayStation and Switch. That move alone is generating more "hate" than anything VR has done.
Probably the biggest hate VR has received is when Half-Life: Alyx was made as a VR exclusive. The HL community was up in arms! 😚
At least for Halflife Alyx I can understand it, fans had been waiting 13 years for either the promised Halflife 2 Episode 3 or Halflife 3, then finally something new comes out and its a VR only prequel.
I think a lot of gamers just don't know what VR is like, or they tried a bad version (simple 3DOF google cardboard).
I've put students through VR many times. Some realise they love it, but some find it sickening or uncomfortable.
Honestly, I own a VR goggle and I hate it. It feels so uncomfortable and I can't even imagine having to wear this thing for more than 1 hour a day. It's really uncomfortable and it feels dystopian. It's a nice technology to keep on your shelf to show your friends so that they don't need to buy one themselves.
I think its more of a content in general thing. I use it for some sim driving I still like a flat screen, so I mix it up. Vr games are wonky and not really up to the hype of modern day flat screen gaming. Theres even people who complain about moving too much. I enjoy it all. But I see it from the current generations perspective. Everything is kinda like phone app games. I never got the quest 3 as I thought that was pointless (still do) the 2 not having the power of the 3 isnt enough to justify its purchase. And the battery is even worse. And I thought the 2 sucked with that lol. Overall though its fun.
