It seems the game has faded from mainstream conversation, possibly due to shifting interests or limited new content.
It seems the game has faded from mainstream conversation, possibly due to shifting interests or limited new content.
VR Chat's typical number of active users jumped about 4,000 in the months after Quest 2 and after Christmas 2020, reaching a high of 25,000. That growth was limited to Steam, not other platforms, and doubled rapidly at first. Right now, Steam VR has around 2.31% of all users, which means roughly 500,000 people using SteamVR at once. These figures only reflect Steam data; Oculus and VR Chat don’t share their stats publicly. The Quest 2 launch also claimed nearly a third of the existing SteamVR audience, quickly surpassing every other headset in just a few months.
Steam users on MacOS who play VR make up 2.98% of the total. It shows you're aiming to highlight VR's expanding presence, but it hasn't yet matched the popularity of traditional desktop gaming on platforms most people avoid. I understand your enthusiasm, but it seems you're projecting VR as a mainstream phenomenon without fully grasping the current market size. Keep in mind, early growth often appears exaggerated. A complete jump from a small base doesn't necessarily signal significant impact. When you examine actual VR adoption figures rather than percentages, the scale becomes clearer. I agree VR could become a major force eventually, but right now it still feels like a niche pursuit.
I believe VR remains quite restricted in terms of accessibility. Headset prices are a big factor. My friend uses the Facebook model and shares positive feedback. The issue is that I’m not interested in a headset tied to Facebook or the other expensive ones I’ve seen. I wouldn’t pay over $1,000 for Valve’s device. I’d really like to play Elite Dangerous, No Man’s Sky, or even Alyx in VR.
This view matches my understanding quite well. The idea that only a small fraction of gamers matters doesn't suggest it's fading or will never gain traction. While MacOS users showed a higher growth rate, claiming it's already mainstream is far from accurate. Steam offers a massive player base, but truly mainstream gaming would require significantly larger numbers.
What? Purchasing a PS5 or a quality graphics card is like finding a lot of fish. A Quest 2 with 64GB RAM and a Chromecast dongle for your TV was under $500. You can actually purchase one right now from a retailer without any obstacles.
Investing $500 in a single accessory feels like a hurdle for many. Of course it could work for other games, but do you really want to try them? For me, exploring HL:A in VR is appealing, yet I haven’t felt the need to spend on a headset for just one title. So far, I’ve shown little interest in other VR experiences. To move forward, I’ll need to upgrade my gaming PC, but those plans are paused until costs drop.
This is an important point. I bought the Vive when it first released simply because I like buying new tech. I think VR is awesome, but even the requirement for a high(er) end PC aside, it has been slow and can often feel like a desert. The first wave of games were mostly what I'd label as "experiences". They are either on rails or provide an interactive sandbox-esque world (e.g. theBlu, Waltz of the Wizard) and serve more to gently introduce you to VR. Then came wave after wave of wave shooters. They are fun, but if you've seen one you've seen them all and you play them for artistic variation. Finally it's also plagued by (tech)demo's and early access (not exclusive to VR though). Boneworks and such are fun, but often I feel they're just proof of concepts that don't take it far enough and just feel incomplete. Just like how games with empty, lifeless open worlds highlight how important environment is, VR has highlighted me how important even a little bit of a story can be. There are quite some gems in the VR space, but even owning the Vive this long "value" is still not exactly the flair I would give it. It's not lacking games, it's lacking good games. Beat Saber, Superhot are excellent games and in my opinion Half Life Alyx set the bar for story driven action games. I believe we are in a bit of a vicious circle. It's not seeing great rapid adoption, because supply is small and studios are probably hesitant to go big, because adoption low. Also, games just fade. Nobody's really talking about DOOM Eternal anymore either, which released around the same time.