PCS ARE VR-READY, BUT VR ISN’T
BUILDING A PC is much like assembling parts for a high-performance sports car. You’ve got all the bits and pieces, but there’s one critical part that makes everything work together: the ECU, or in the case of our PC, the operating system. And like the ECU in a race car, Windows 10 can be tweaked and locked down to perform better and be more secure.
Ever since Microsoft pushed out Windows 10, there has been a flurry of conflicting opinions about whether or not it is a worthy successor to Windows 7. Yeah, I said 7—we all know how Win 8 performed. But I can tell you definitively that, with the right tweaks, Windows 10 isn’t just a worthy replacement, it’s better in every essential way.
On my Windows system at home, the Windows installation is separate from my user folder, and all that is then separate from where I install my applications. This ensures everything is organized and there’s no cross contamination. The strategy I’m using was more effective when everything was on old hard drives, but it’s still good practice even with SSDs.
Aside from hidden tweaks and tricks, which we’ll show you in detail, the best way to avoid problems is to pay attention when installing something. More often than not, free programs slyly try to install adware or other components without you noticing. During the installation of any ny program, don’t just click through hastily.ly.
Once your setup is nipped and tucked, d, you’ll be ready to strap on a VR headsetet and play some games, right? Not really. y.
I’ve tried just about every VR headset et available. I’ve even tried VR backpacks ks that promise to untether you from the risks of tripping-related injuries. I have the final consumer versions of the Rift and Vive. It’s definitely exciting to see all the development happening around VR. Unfortunately, the reality of VR is that it just isn’t ready. It’s still cumbersome and costly. The setup process alone is enough to leave a bad taste in your mouth, and after all is said and done, there aren’t any major compelling reasons to stay in VR, aside from the amusement of a few impressive tech demos. Developers haven’t figured out a secret sauce to creating a great VR experience, and that’s because the two elephants in the room are going about things differently. Oculus wants a sit-down experience, and is pushing developers in one direction, while HTC and Valve are gunning for a room-scale experience.
The application side of VR is heading into murky waters, too: Contrary to previous statements, Oculus is now bent on locking down applications to its own platform. VR was supposed to be an open-platform revolution. At least, that’s what we were told from the very pioneers that spearheaded the movement. But that’s before it all became big business.
Valve and HTC are still going for the open approach, and right now have a more compelling hardware offering. But each direction has its own caveats, and VR has a long road ahead before it’s considered “mainstream.” I haven’t even touched my Rift or Vive in over a month. Tu an Nguyen is Maximum PC’s editor-inchief, also known as“the pointy end of the stick .” He’ s been writing, marketing, and raising hell in the te chi nd us try for 19 years.