Review of the Uniify UV002 Verge VR

Reviewing the Uniify UV002 Verge VR

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EYB1AGS ($38.99 / prime)

Also sold as the BoBo VR Z4

http://www.bobovr.com/product/bobovrz4/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EBR8YKU  ($38.99 / prime)

Video Review

Pros

• This thing is only $40, and quite a value for being only $40.
• It fits nicely on the head with some adjustment. The weight seems to be more evenly distributed than other headsets I have tried.
• Field of view. Unlike the shinecon which feels like i'm staring down a periscope, this takes up nearly my entire field of vision.
• More natural feeling. Not sure if this makes any sense, but with some VR headsets, it feels like there is a great deal of pressure involved in forcing your eyes to look at a 3d scene, and I just don't get that with this headset.
• It has a goddamn button! Now you can play all those cardboard games and apps without taking your phone out of your HMD.
• Integrated speakers, volume switch, and answer call button really adds some class and keeps you immersed.
• Air gap between the phone and the outside of the headset. This gives you access to the USB port and the headphone ports.
• Doesn't have a spring loaded clip that toggles the volume.

Cons

• The button only works if your phone is juussst right.
• Aligning the phone can be tricky, It just sits there.
• Because the screen sits closer to your face, if your phone has a crappy screen, it's easier to see pixelation.

Verdict

After buying this bad boy, I think I'm going to sit out from buying any more cheap cardboard headsets. This one is the one to beat, and I can't think of anything that would beat it at this price point. Maybe the Samsung Gear VR, but I don't have a Samsung phone, where I believe most of the benefit comes from.

Getting started with Cheap Ass VR

Getting Started With Cheap Ass VR

 This video I just worked really hard to make explains a little bit more about how to get started with VR gaming. It introduces some of the hardware and software you might use to get started. Now I will stuff your face full of links.

VR Headset (Amazon, $22.99 w/ Prime)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015CWDM9G/

This is my first VR Headset and it works pretty well. I enjoy the head straps and the two focus options. (Distance between lenses and distance from lens to phone). However, putting my phone in wrong means accidentally turning it off when trying to insert it. I hope to try some other ones soon.

KinoVR (Free, $10 to remove nag screen)

http://kinovr.kinoni.com/

This is the best software I have found so far for streaming to my phone. It is easy to configure, it runs exceptionally fast, it works on games running full screen, and playing games only requires one click from the phone. I wish there was some way to make some adjustments so the screen would scale to the size of the phone. It seems to be hard coded to google cardboard, but it is great for what it is.

You can also enable head tracking which is a really cool feature for playing FPS games. You emulate the mouse by moving your head around.

Tridef 3d ($39.99, 14 day trial)

https://www.tridef.com/cart/product.php?productid=3

This software is a game changer. It can turn nearly any directx powered game into stereoscopic 3d goodness.

Dolphin (Game Cube / Wii emulator)

https://dolphin-emu.org/download/

I have been using Dolphin for quite some time, but it filled me with joy to learn that it supported stereoscopic 3D right out of the box.

Well that's it!

I hope this post and video were helpful to you.

Welcome to Cheap Ass VR Gaming.

VR Gaming is too Damn Expensive (but it doesn't have to be!)

Thank you for visiting my blog. This blog is about cheap ass VR gaming. If you want an Oculus rift or a Vive, it's going to set you back between $800 and $600.

That's too much goddamn money. Maybe in a few years the price will come down as new units come out, but for now, the barrier to entry is to damn high!

But you want to get in on some of that sweet sweet VR action, you can still do that. This blog is all about how to get in on it.

What you NEED to get started

A smart phone

I only have the one, so that's the one I plan on doing all my gaming and reviewing with. Android is good, and an Android you can root is even better. 

A Google cardboard headset

You need a way to stick your smartphone in your face. Google has the specs and the plans, and a few recommendations here.

https://store.google.com/product/google_cardboard

But you really want to get one with head straps and some padding. I hope to review them as I can afford them and they become available.

Software to display your screen to your phone

The best software I have found for this is Kino VR (http://kinovr.kinoni.com/). Kino is so simple to use and is surprisingly fast, even over wireless. I plan on reviewing others as time goes on.

Some goddamn games

That's the whole point isn't it? Some games have native stereoscopic display, some games you can coax into it with a driver tweak.

A way to communicate between your phone and your computer

This is where having a phone with root can come in handy. You can either connect directly to your computer or If you have a very robust wireless network you can play wirelessly.

An input device

This is where the fun starts. You can awkwardly use a keyboard and mouse, no problem. But a 360 controller is good too, and I am going to review some more input methods when I have the means. (Wii remotes, etc.)

So what comes next?

Well soon I hope to have an actual tutorial on how to use some of this stuff, but I think this is long enough for a first blog post, eh?

I plan on doing some video tutorials, some reviews, beg for money on patron, and stuff like that.

Peace!