Just wait a few years, and AR will let you create as many virtual monitors as you want. Monitor on your wall! Monitor on your ceiling! Monitor in your fridge! Monitors covering your windows!
Yeah I have to imagine that most people who think working in VR is a no brainer have never actually tried it.
VR is awesome, and using a VR desktop is cool as a novelty, but even the best modern headsets get uncomfortable after more than an hour or two of use and vr pass through has its own problems in terms of accuracy and comfort
If for whatever reason your working situation was such that you physically couldn’t have a traditional setup, then yeah it might be the next best alternative, but I’ll take monitors and a standing desk any day of the week over a VR workspace.
Also, past a certain point, adding more screen real estate isn’t actually helpful. You can only actually look at so much info at a time, and having too many monitors means you’re going to be craning your neck to see the ones that aren’t in front of you. At a point, you’re much better off using workspaces with good keybindings to handle more windows
we’ll see, I’m skeptical out of the gate until reviewers get their hands on some models to play with as to whether or not it can fulfill it’s many quite optimistic promises.
Even if it does everything it says on the tin (which frankly, I’m pretty doubtful about), my other concerns are still valid here. I just don’t see what virtual screens add that physical screens don’t give you. The only real advantage to something like that is that you can work anywhere I suppose - but for comfortable computer work, you’re still going to want an ergonomic KBM setup, a comfortable ergonomic chair, and a decent desk - so even if this solves the monitor problem, it’s not likely to lure many professionals away from their desks anyways.
If others really want to work in VR, more power to 'em, but I’ve yet to see anything (even super optimistic upcoming stuff like the Visor) that makes me seriously consider ditching my Physical monitors
If nothing is squeezing my face and the screen is good enough I could see myself messing around with workflow set ups. Infinite monitors would definitely be awesome.
I have 3 monitors currently, two for coding, and one for things like spotify, discord, etc. Stuff i don’t have to access a lot basically. Also, it looks cool.
I don’t think 3 monitors qualifies necessarily as “too many” under what I was saying before - I also have 3 monitors, one ultrawide and two portrait monitors on either side. I can see everything I need with only miniscule head movements, and I make a point of keeping my main focus work on the center display, to avoid neck strain.
My point there was directed mainly at the people who want VR workspaces so they can be surrounded in a sphere of monitors
Current VR headsets don’t really produce text you’d want to read for 8 hours a day. We need “retina” level displays (which I believe even Apple hasn’t managed to pull off with their VR headset yet) that completely hide the pixels for that to work.
If you own a VR headset, there are several Linux and Windows window managers that will make this work. I believe HoloLens showcased theoretical floating windows years ago but I haven’t seen anything from HoloLens in a while, I think it went military/industrial operator exclusive.
people seem to forget that a 4k monitor is fine if you’re looking at it from 2 feet away, but in a vr headset it’s right in front of your eyeball. you will see the pixels
There are a whole bunch of AR glasses and even some portable VR headset window managers that have pass through. SimulaVR has a webcam window but I don’t have the hardware to properly try it out, sadly.
The VR screens I’ve used were all perfectly fine for an hour or so of gameplay, but focusing on text wouldn’t be a good experience.
Most of these applications don’t even use “monitors”, they just render Windows in a 3D space. Virtual monitors can work on Windows, but they need a dummy driver for various reasons (many of them having to do with compatibility).
I’m imagining a fold-out keyboard stand attached to my desk chair so I can effortlessly move 360 degrees. Certainly wouldn’t want to look behind me all day, lol.
I switched from 4x 1080p displays for work (1 over 3) to a 4k, a 1080p, and the laptop screen.
The 1080p is mostly for screenshares in meetings. Since most people don’t have 4k monitors, sharing a 4k display in a meeting is a terrible experience for everyone else.
But I’d much rather have “one big display” than the same real estate on more screens. Much more flexible with layout. A 4k monitor is the same number of pixels as 4 1080p screens, and I’ve got one 43” monitor (TV) instead of four 23”.
Just wait a few years, and AR will let you create as many virtual monitors as you want. Monitor on your wall! Monitor on your ceiling! Monitor in your fridge! Monitors covering your windows!
I don’t understand why it’s not a thing now. Valve Index resolution is already good enough for reading virtual monitors.
Camera passthrough a small rectangular window where your desk is at. (so you can see your hands and keyboard/mouse if you need it,
And you’re done…
Because it’s uncomfortable to have a toaster strapped to your face for 8 hours
Yeah I have to imagine that most people who think working in VR is a no brainer have never actually tried it.
VR is awesome, and using a VR desktop is cool as a novelty, but even the best modern headsets get uncomfortable after more than an hour or two of use and vr pass through has its own problems in terms of accuracy and comfort
If for whatever reason your working situation was such that you physically couldn’t have a traditional setup, then yeah it might be the next best alternative, but I’ll take monitors and a standing desk any day of the week over a VR workspace.
Also, past a certain point, adding more screen real estate isn’t actually helpful. You can only actually look at so much info at a time, and having too many monitors means you’re going to be craning your neck to see the ones that aren’t in front of you. At a point, you’re much better off using workspaces with good keybindings to handle more windows
Visor is coming out soon. It’s AR 4k made for working. Might be cool.
https://www.visor.com/
we’ll see, I’m skeptical out of the gate until reviewers get their hands on some models to play with as to whether or not it can fulfill it’s many quite optimistic promises.
Even if it does everything it says on the tin (which frankly, I’m pretty doubtful about), my other concerns are still valid here. I just don’t see what virtual screens add that physical screens don’t give you. The only real advantage to something like that is that you can work anywhere I suppose - but for comfortable computer work, you’re still going to want an ergonomic KBM setup, a comfortable ergonomic chair, and a decent desk - so even if this solves the monitor problem, it’s not likely to lure many professionals away from their desks anyways.
If others really want to work in VR, more power to 'em, but I’ve yet to see anything (even super optimistic upcoming stuff like the Visor) that makes me seriously consider ditching my Physical monitors
If nothing is squeezing my face and the screen is good enough I could see myself messing around with workflow set ups. Infinite monitors would definitely be awesome.
I have 3 monitors currently, two for coding, and one for things like spotify, discord, etc. Stuff i don’t have to access a lot basically. Also, it looks cool.
I don’t think 3 monitors qualifies necessarily as “too many” under what I was saying before - I also have 3 monitors, one ultrawide and two portrait monitors on either side. I can see everything I need with only miniscule head movements, and I make a point of keeping my main focus work on the center display, to avoid neck strain.
My point there was directed mainly at the people who want VR workspaces so they can be surrounded in a sphere of monitors
i wouldn’t mind a little discomfort if it meant entering monitor heaven
I think that’s fine for a day, but 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50+ weeks a year, for 40+ years? It’s going to mess up your neck, I think.
i am already messing up my neck 8 hours a day 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year
Sounds like your system is not optimized or you need a different work environment altogether.
But think about the neck gains!
It’s not there. Especially not on an index.
Even on my Pimax 8k I wouldn’t want to be working off of virtual monitors.
Also 3 2k monitors is often cheaper then a lot of VR headsets.
Check out the Bigscreen Beyond. Looks very promising with micro OLED screens.
Current VR headsets don’t really produce text you’d want to read for 8 hours a day. We need “retina” level displays (which I believe even Apple hasn’t managed to pull off with their VR headset yet) that completely hide the pixels for that to work.
If you own a VR headset, there are several Linux and Windows window managers that will make this work. I believe HoloLens showcased theoretical floating windows years ago but I haven’t seen anything from HoloLens in a while, I think it went military/industrial operator exclusive.
people seem to forget that a 4k monitor is fine if you’re looking at it from 2 feet away, but in a vr headset it’s right in front of your eyeball. you will see the pixels
Current VR headsets don’t really produce text you’d want to read?
Yes they do. I currently have one that is perfectly fine readable.
Yeah, I can have multiple monitors in VR setting.
But what hasn’t happened is
1 - No one has made an app with a camera passthrough window to your desk.
2 - Windows for some reason still has a problem with multi-monitors unless you actually physically have monitors mounted.
There are a whole bunch of AR glasses and even some portable VR headset window managers that have pass through. SimulaVR has a webcam window but I don’t have the hardware to properly try it out, sadly.
The VR screens I’ve used were all perfectly fine for an hour or so of gameplay, but focusing on text wouldn’t be a good experience.
Most of these applications don’t even use “monitors”, they just render Windows in a 3D space. Virtual monitors can work on Windows, but they need a dummy driver for various reasons (many of them having to do with compatibility).
Didn’t the Quest Pro do that? I think AR virtual monitors on Mac was a thing they showcased.
it’ll be a cold day in hell before I strap facebook to my body.
Well, with climate change …
And we will be monitored too!
and in a few years + a couple of days, you’ll realize that having to turn your whole head that often gets pretty uncomfortable pretty quick
I’m imagining a fold-out keyboard stand attached to my desk chair so I can effortlessly move 360 degrees. Certainly wouldn’t want to look behind me all day, lol.
In that case I’ll just have my hello world code floating in mid air. No need for monitors
I switched from 4x 1080p displays for work (1 over 3) to a 4k, a 1080p, and the laptop screen.
The 1080p is mostly for screenshares in meetings. Since most people don’t have 4k monitors, sharing a 4k display in a meeting is a terrible experience for everyone else.
But I’d much rather have “one big display” than the same real estate on more screens. Much more flexible with layout. A 4k monitor is the same number of pixels as 4 1080p screens, and I’ve got one 43” monitor (TV) instead of four 23”.