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Comment by whazor | Hacker News Reader

Disagreed, for VR/AR there are many issues that can make the experience uncomfortable or even sickening. The hardware and software are key to making a better device that is actually nice to use. Just putting on a Quest 2 headset is a tiring experience, if the battery is not drained again. Even small details like font rendering can cause headaches.

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There are lots of possible hardware issues, yes.

But I don't think I'm being a fanboy when I say that if I trust any company to fix physical comfort/usability issues, it's Apple (with a $3,000/device budget).

Right, it's Apple, the company that makes the most unergonomic mouse in its price range, and the only wireless mouse I know of that can't be charged while in use. Also the company that once pulled a "if you can't get reception, it's because you are holding your phone wrong" followed by "have you considered a case".

We can be certain that it will look great. That's one thing Apple nails every time. For usability and comfort they have their ups and downs like anyone else, and an above average share of "it might not be very usable, but look how sleek it looks".

I like the mouse. It scrolls well, it’s thinness means it fits well in bag compartments, and I’ve never been bothered by the charging because I only have to charge every few months and use it at a desktop, where I have a lightning cable handy. Maybe if I gamed or something I wouldn’t like it, or if I were working with spreadsheets or something where I’d have to click around a lot, but for reading and writing, it’s great.

Your comment can be turned on its head. It’s exactly because Apple ended up making a mouse that can’t be charged during use that their contribution to VR are vital: they think different.

Their mouse has a great battery life that requires charging it sparingly. Your Mac tells you when it needs charging.

They thought about the mouse charging problem. They arrived at different answers than the rest of the industry.

Exactly. I figure they put the mouse charging on the bottom on purpose so that people would not just leave it plugged in. I end up charging my mouse about once every few months so it’s not an issue.

    I end up charging my mouse about once every few months

Wah, that is crazy. What is so special about this mouse that it needs so little power? Why isn't this reported more widely!? Other wireless mice that I have used need regular recharging or new disposable batteries. Always a sub-par experience.

Yeah that’s why the port’s on the bottom. To force a change in habit learned from subpar hardware. The thing charges enough to last a whole day in like a minute or two.

This isn't special. My Logitech MX lasts a couple of months on a single charge.

If I want to use it plugged in, that's my own damn business.

Sometimes when you "think different" you invent relativity, and sometimes you invent Time Cube.

Every mouse on the market has a battery life of months. Every mouse on the market will tell the user when the battery runs down. Apple is not special. The thing is just built wrong. And they haven't fixed it after all these years.

That is the smallest fatal flaw with that mouse. The bigger flaw is ergonomics. Selling something that likely to cause injury should be illegal.

It sure is nice to look at, though.

My Logitech MX lasts a couple of months on a charge, and Gnome warns when it is down to 20%, and it's done that for as long as I can remember.

The difference here is that sometimes I ignore the warning and then it gets too low but I can plug it in as I use it for 20 mins, whereas a Mac user can't.

I love Apple's mouse. The touch surface is simply amazing, especially with third-party apps, i.e. https://highlyopinionated.co/swish/

The usability issues here aren't in the realm of "does it have a polished case and nice straps", it's more "the state of the art VR tech isn't good enough for sustained work" unless your work doesn't involve reading or writing.

And, I mean... that's gotta be the bar for $3K, right? Even the most insanely passionate gamers would have a hard time justifying a $3K gaming accessory, IMO. And what else is there? The only usecase that I feel is ready is movies/TV, which... yeah is also a hard sell for $3K, especially since every family member would need one if you want to watch something together.

I think that VR business meetings would be quite valuable. But indeed, you cannot make your employees wear a VR glasses for prolonged periods if it gives them severe headaches and/or nauseousness.

I like the Quest 2 but you’re so spot on about the battery. I have to plan a day ahead — ‘maybe I want to use the Quest 2 tomorrow, better plug it into the charger and make sure everything is updated!”.

Although (tangent incoming!) I think omitting the OLED from the Quest 2 was a bit of a mistake. My theory is that the screen actually has more to do with why most games in the library have that same-y bright cartoonish look, rather than just the limitations of the XR2. It’s a relief the Apple headset is going OLED, if this leak is to be believed that is.

The latest Quest firmware has an “update before shut down” option that should help a bit, but it’s mostly a band-aid. The Quest Pro comes with a dock and just stays silently updated and charged, which seems the best way to go.

As far as the cartoony games: that’s actually the “fault”[1] of Unity/Unreal Engine which powers quite literally 99% of Quest titles (you can count the titles using other engines on one hand). VR studios are hyper-indie and don’t have the budget to build out games that look different, especially when that cartoon style lends itself to higher performance.

1. It’s not actually the fault of Unity/UE: Red Matter 2 is built on Unreal but looks spectacularly better than most other standalone titles.

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