Tom's Hardware CES 2016 Final Video Roundup

By Fritz Nelson
published

CES 2016 is quickly coming to a close for the Tom's Hardware editorial team. We've seen an enormous number of new products, even some we won't be able to talk about for a while, and several dozen others we've written about during the week. These short videos are intended to pull out a few highlights -- maybe not the best of what we've seen, but things that stand out in some way. Once again, we asked our editorial team to tell you about a few things that stood out, for whatever reason, and you'll see them in the video.

We hope you've enjoyed all of our daily coverage and these video wrap-ups, and we'll also be producing our final "top picks" from CES 2016 very soon.

And then we'll get some sleep.

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Fritz Nelson
Fritz Nelson
Fritz Nelson is Editor-at-Large of Tom's Hardware US.
11 Comments Comment from the forums
  • rluker5
    I haven't been following vr much, but those examples look terrible. Maybe they could port freelancer over. Is it just going to be low res 3d with some kinect like functionality? There must be more. Just not seeing it.
    Reply
  • kcarbotte
    I haven't been following vr much, but those examples look terrible. Maybe they could port freelancer over. Is it just going to be low res 3d with some kinect like functionality? There must be more. Just not seeing it.

    Both of those examples are technology demonstrations.
    Virtuix Omni is the treadmill device, but they have a couple of small games to show it off.

    The toybox demo though is honestly one of the most amazing things of done in VR. Ignore the graphics, that's not what toybox is.
    The special thing about that demo is the social aspect of the game.
    We were playing together as if we were standing next to each other, but the Oculus employee was in a completly different room.
    It's not really a game. its again a technology demo.


    There are several games out there that are coming for VR, many of them visually stunning. Take a look for CCP's EVE:Valkyrie for a good example (which is coming with rift pre-orders, btw). porting games to VR doesn't work well at all. Needs to be build from the start with VR in mind to work properly.

    VR games will in general be less visually impressive than the top level AAA titles for standard pc gaming. The 90fps minimum for VR will dictate that games for VR will need to be less graphically demanding.
    Reply
  • rluker5
    17287316 said:
    I haven't been following vr much, but those examples look terrible. Maybe they could port freelancer over. Is it just going to be low res 3d with some kinect like functionality? There must be more. Just not seeing it.

    Both of those examples are technology demonstrations.
    Virtuix Omni is the treadmill device, but they have a couple of small games to show it off.

    The toybox demo though is honestly one of the most amazing things of done in VR. Ignore the graphics, that's not what toybox is.
    The special thing about that demo is the social aspect of the game.
    We were playing together as if we were standing next to each other, but the Oculus employee was in a completly different room.
    It's not really a game. its again a technology demo.


    There are several games out there that are coming for VR, many of them visually stunning. Take a look for CCP's EVE:Valkyrie for a good example (which is coming with rift pre-orders, btw). porting games to VR doesn't work well at all. Needs to be build from the start with VR in mind to work properly.

    VR games will in general be less visually impressive than the top level AAA titles for standard pc gaming. The 90fps minimum for VR will dictate that games for VR will need to be less graphically demanding.

    Sounds a lot like Kinect to me. In 2013 I hung a cheap 40" 1080p from the ceiling of my basement gameroom to the arms of my easychair. The 1080p was crap so I went 4k and found this: http://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-MW380B-Mount-Bracket-Plasma/dp/B001LL5JDA/ref=pd_cp_23_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FC3P1J88ZA2Z3PSEAPW
    I sit 2' from a 58", I still see the pixels but don't use the available 3d because it takes away more than it adds. I also run it with 2 780tis. If it sounds like I am doing a bad job of bragging because so many have better and could make the same setup for less than $100 with the 4k and gaming rig they already have, that's my point. Compare the step down I would have to take to the hype around "VR". 1080p in my face may as well be vga to me, and with a handful of 3d games. And moving your head around is a hassle. Looking with your eyes is much more comfortable.
    I know they are trying to make it mainstream, and it sounds good for 3D, and would be good with bigger screens and higher resolution, but where are the articles on immersive tv mounts so you can slide up a chair when the kids go to sleep?

    Reply
  • kcarbotte
    17288869 said:

    Sounds a lot like Kinect to me. In 2013 I hung a cheap 40" 1080p from the ceiling of my basement gameroom to the arms of my easychair. The 1080p was crap so I went 4k and found this: http://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-MW380B-Mount-Bracket-Plasma/dp/B001LL5JDA/ref=pd_cp_23_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FC3P1J88ZA2Z3PSEAPW
    I sit 2' from a 58", I still see the pixels but don't use the available 3d because it takes away more than it adds. I also run it with 2 780tis. If it sounds like I am doing a bad job of bragging because so many have better and could make the same setup for less than $100 with the 4k and gaming rig they already have, that's my point. Compare the step down I would have to take to the hype around "VR". 1080p in my face may as well be vga to me, and with a handful of 3d games. And moving your head around is a hassle. Looking with your eyes is much more comfortable.
    I know they are trying to make it mainstream, and it sounds good for 3D, and would be good with bigger screens and higher resolution, but where are the articles on immersive tv mounts so you can slide up a chair when the kids go to sleep?

    You have no idea what you are talking about. Please go out and try VR before writing it off.
    This is not the 3D TV fad that was never going to be anything more than a gimmick add-on to an already tried and true medium. VR is not a gimmick add-on. It's a whole new medium of its own.

    First of all, its not 1080p in your face. The Oculus Rift resolution is 2160×1200 (1080×1200 per eye). You also have to consider that there are lenses that help make the view much more clear.

    Moving your head is not a hassle. If you sit that close to a TV then you already are moving your head from side to side while gaming. The difference is you shut yourself out from the real world while its on.

    No one is making "immersive tv mounts" because that's not something that the market is asking for. SItting that close to a TV isn't good for your eyes. They are designed to be bright enough to sit several feet back.
    Reply
  • rluker5

    You have no idea what you are talking about. Please go out and try VR before writing it off.
    This is not the 3D TV fad that was never going to be anything more than a gimmick add-on to an already tried and true medium. VR is not a gimmick add-on. It's a whole new medium of its own.

    First of all, its not 1080p in your face. The Oculus Rift resolution is 2160×1200 (1080×1200 per eye). You also have to consider that there are lenses that help make the view much more clear.

    Moving your head is not a hassle. If you sit that close to a TV then you already are moving your head from side to side while gaming. The difference is you shut yourself out from the real world while its on.

    No one is making "immersive tv mounts" because that's not something that the market is asking for. SItting that close to a TV isn't good for your eyes. They are designed to be bright enough to sit several feet back.
    I rest my head against the headrest on recliner when I game, I'm pretty sure I don't move it around when gaming like how my son did at first (which was cute). And reading isn't bad for your eyes. The tv is not quite big enough to fill my glasses- did with the pair I had when I got it, so I'm kind of shut of as well.
    And the headset I used when I was at the dentist (while only used for standard video) made it look like a small, low res tv was a ways off in front of me. If it was closer it would have looked lower res than that 1080p.
    But great 3d would be good. And I'm sure the looking trick is neat and works, albeit substantially more clumsily than a mouse or gamepad.
    But right now they should call it isolated 3d reality and vr when it gets closer to full field of vision at closer to retina display resolution.
    Reply
  • kcarbotte
    17290780 said:

    You have no idea what you are talking about. Please go out and try VR before writing it off.
    This is not the 3D TV fad that was never going to be anything more than a gimmick add-on to an already tried and true medium. VR is not a gimmick add-on. It's a whole new medium of its own.

    First of all, its not 1080p in your face. The Oculus Rift resolution is 2160×1200 (1080×1200 per eye). You also have to consider that there are lenses that help make the view much more clear.

    Moving your head is not a hassle. If you sit that close to a TV then you already are moving your head from side to side while gaming. The difference is you shut yourself out from the real world while its on.

    No one is making "immersive tv mounts" because that's not something that the market is asking for. SItting that close to a TV isn't good for your eyes. They are designed to be bright enough to sit several feet back.
    I rest my head against the headrest on recliner when I game, I'm pretty sure I don't move it around when gaming like how my son did at first (which was cute). And reading isn't bad for your eyes. The tv is not quite big enough to fill my glasses- did with the pair I had when I got it, so I'm kind of shut of as well.
    And the headset I used when I was at the dentist (while only used for standard video) made it look like a small, low res tv was a ways off in front of me. If it was closer it would have looked lower res than that 1080p.
    But great 3d would be good. And I'm sure the looking trick is neat and works, albeit substantially more clumsily than a mouse or gamepad.
    But right now they should call it isolated 3d reality and vr when it gets closer to full field of vision at closer to retina display resolution.

    before you make claims like that try it out.
    VR, as it sits right now, is still vr. Its not isolated 3D in any way at all.
    Even with the FOV as it is, you don't percieve the inside of the headset at all. Your full view is screen.
    It's not a hoveriing big screen. You feel like you are there, in the world, not looking through a window.

    The headset that you triied at the dentist does not sound like a VR headset. It sounds like a portable headmounted TV (of which there are several). Those aren't even in the same realm of immersion.


    Reply
  • rluker5

    before you make claims like that try it out.
    VR, as it sits right now, is still vr. Its not isolated 3D in any way at all.
    Even with the FOV as it is, you don't percieve the inside of the headset at all. Your full view is screen.
    It's not a hoveriing big screen. You feel like you are there, in the world, not looking through a window.

    The headset that you triied at the dentist does not sound like a VR headset. It sounds like a portable headmounted TV (of which there are several). Those aren't even in the same realm of immersion.

    I suppose I should try one. If a store carries a demo version I will. I have no idea what brand that thing at the dentist's was, just that she seemed awful proud of it. That looking through a window feeling was one of my concerns since I spoiled my fov standard. My 50" living room plasma feels like I am looking at a phone or tablet when I am on the couch. And even if the outside of the VR thing indicates a window view they could adjust with lenses. Still concerned over the resolution, but I'll reserve judgement until I see it. That Valkyrie looked pretty good, hope it's in the store demo.
    Reply
  • kcarbotte

    before you make claims like that try it out.
    VR, as it sits right now, is still vr. Its not isolated 3D in any way at all.
    Even with the FOV as it is, you don't percieve the inside of the headset at all. Your full view is screen.
    It's not a hoveriing big screen. You feel like you are there, in the world, not looking through a window.

    The headset that you triied at the dentist does not sound like a VR headset. It sounds like a portable headmounted TV (of which there are several). Those aren't even in the same realm of immersion.

    I suppose I should try one. If a store carries a demo version I will. I have no idea what brand that thing at the dentist's was, just that she seemed awful proud of it. That looking through a window feeling was one of my concerns since I spoiled my fov standard. My 50" living room plasma feels like I am looking at a phone or tablet when I am on the couch. And even if the outside of the VR thing indicates a window view they could adjust with lenses. Still concerned over the resolution, but I'll reserve judgement until I see it. That Valkyrie looked pretty good, hope it's in the store demo.

    The locations have not been announced yet, but Oculus did say there will be stores where you can go try it out for yourself.

    Reply
  • f-14
    the thrust master joy stick sucks i have one for mobile gaming, firing the missile launch button too much or to hard causes the front with the trigger to break off or pop off it's clips i solved this by using crazy glue after hot glue, then model glue failed. the crazy glue is starting to break.. i would recommend a thick resin plastics epoxy after crazy glue. i play alot of flacon 4 and dcs fighter sim collections. the shoddy construction will ruin gaming for 5 minutes to a day or a week/month depending how you handle it. mine broke within the first week, i went back to the store and exchanged it the second time it happened. the saitek stuff is not very good either where the internal x&y axis are bound to the gyros the gyro motivator slot wears out very fast and you end up with a growing hole which creates tons of increasing slop

    the case with the mini atx and itx board still needs 2 psu's for the very fun fact of the psu has only 1 atx and +8cpu mother board connector and the cpu load does not dimish just because the m/b form factor does. correct me if i am wrong but i have never seen a psu that supplies both connectors only psu's with dual 8 ping cpu feeds for those dual cpu boards. would appreciate a link to any psu that does have 2 full sets of connectors i'm interested in this for an older super case home server i still have lying around that can house 16 HDD or 48 SSD's sata ports might become an issue at that point thxfg for pci-e slots and sata cards would make for a nice 1990's scsi reboot machine to hold and harvest my movies and music collection on and and remotely connect to when out of state.
    F windows 10 drm auto removal, figured out how to disable it but not after i lost alot of music and movies i got while overseas piss off you drm nazi's saying i pirated, i have legal licenses alot of them are for tape and after the 3rd drive crash i got tired of trying to find, try and buy software that converts since win98 and the drm since xp has made it a nightmare that i just d/l some one else's rip for my legal copy lately esp for my 30,000+ cd collection. bad enough i had to buy 300+cds to replace some of my tapes when they wore out.
    Reply
  • 8R_Scotch
    Even trying it out is no garantee that you'll get a proper demo. I just did for the first time and it was aweful. It was an Oculus DK2 and some Razer 7.1 headsets. There was a little cart on the shopping mall and the first thing that should have tipped me off is that they weren't using the external tracking sensor.

    It was a virtual roller coaster ride (several themes) so I thought that it would be the Oculus roller coaster demo. Alas, that was not true either, it was a custom made track with graphics they made themselves, it was a small company charging for rides... mostly kids were trying it and I thought it would be immersive, cause most of the kids stopped mid-way in the ride crying from being scared.

    So I tried it and it sucked... the 3d virtual world they built was clearly not made for VR, the medieval themed houses and castles I passed were clearly flat and almost 2d, rain was clearly a plane where animated 2d dots fell like a rain curtain, fences were 2d, etc. I felt I was in a cardboard world. When the cart suddenly started to vibrate on some parts of the ride I understood why kids were scared, nothing to do with immersion, just a jump scare of sorts.

    I did get a little nervous on the big drops, but nothing close to true presence. The experience was so badly designed that I actually came off realizing that the Oculus was good because traditional techniques like 2d rain plains and simplified 3d structures slightly far away simply become obvious in VR and break immersion.I wouldn't have bought into oculus on that experience, but I know enough about it to know it was the opposite of VR done right and not a fault of the hardware. I can only fault it for the pixel contour/screen door effect and lack of lateral/vertical tracking on account of the non-use of the infrared tracker. 99% of people trying it didn't have this sort of knowledge though... then again the company wasn't advertising it as an Oculus Rift, it was just making a buck on their DK2's.
    Reply