By: Erin
Posted: August 5th, 2024
Years ago, Mandy’s mother got us an Oculus Quest 2. It’s a neat little standalone VR headset, the kind of gadget I dreamed about owning since I was a kid riding on those VR arcade games where you fought skeletons while in a minecart. It’s pretty fun for games – Mandy loves the Chronos series, particularly AltDeus: Beyond Chronos, and we’ve both had a lot of fun with I Expect You To Die, and there’s nothing like running around VRChat worlds with my Kaede Akamatsu avatar!
The level of euphoria this gives me is frankly a little embarrassing.
…But for me, the true “killer app” that makes VR worth it is Bigscreen VR.
Bigscreen VR is an app by a small team that one uses to watch things in virtual reality. You load into a theater, or drive-in, or house, and you put things on the TV using the built-in Twitch or YouTube apps, or by your own DLNA server, or by using an app to stream your desktop to others. It’s fun! It was a lifesaver during lockdown, because I was missing movie theaters something fierce, but in general it’s nice to have somewhere I can go when I’m frustrated that truly feels like an escape. When I’m in Bigscreen I’m away from the phone and away from most stimulation outside of the virtual environment and whatever is playing on the screen.
One thing I enjoy doing but don’t often get the opportunity to do is use the app socially. There are always public rooms going, showing movies, people just having fun and messing around, or for some reason having deep religious and philosophical debates. I don’t go to those, or the karaoke, but I respect them enough. No, I prefer showing up to events. Recently, I jumped into a room where people were watching the Olympics and had a great time talking about rugby, which none of us understood, as we cheered for Team USA in the women’s bronze medal game.
One time I hung out with a friend to watch The Game Awards and threw tomatoes at Geoff Keighley whenever he was on screen.
Early on in lockdown I found a room where an older gentleman was streaming disco and funk music videos using the built-in YouTube app. He told me and another user, a military member from the West Coast, about what it was like growing up listening to the Village People, Funkadelic, and Parliament. We danced in a movie theater and then moved to an apartment rooftop at night, and we were joined by others in a virtual block party that lasted until the host’s headset died.
Like I say, I don’t get to do things like that much. I have a Quest 2 and, currently, honking large glasses that make it uncomfortable (though I have some prescription VR lenses in the mail!) and a partner I would rather be spending my time with. What I do get to do is relax and watch my own media, experimenting with the different environments and how they can affect your viewing experience. I’ve really fallen in love with the Sports Bar, using it to watch fighting game VODs and pro wrestling, and with the recent news of David Lynch’s emphysema I experimented watching works by him in various environments, and let me tell you – nothing beats sitting in the woods by a fire as Twin Peaks plays on the screen at night.
It makes me really want to gather up some friends for a first episode watchalong!
It’s hard using just pictures to express how cool this is in-person. There’s a sense of depth and place to it all that videos and screenshots don’t quite capture. That said, I hope that this little gallery of images shows off some of the cool and fun environments and adventures I’ve been having. I even managed to get EMN running in virtual reality at one point using an old Hauppage TV tuner connected to a laptop! Remote Desktop even allowed me to play Umineko extremely jankily! It was nuts!
Who wants to watch Eraserhead in a creepy barn with me?
Anyway, if you end up with a headset, even a Quest 2 like me, I really recommend Bigscreen. And if we’re friends, hit me up! I’d love to hang out in a virtual world together.
Gallery:
