Sansar Open Alpha Release Date This Summer But "TBD", Will Require Hardcore Gamer PC Specs

Straight from the source:

@AtStarbucksNow Plan is this summer, specific date TBD. Thanks for your interest! Applications for creator preview are open at https://t.co/K3ABYshiCF

— Sansar Official (@SansarOfficial) April 28, 2017

I've asked Linden Lab for an official comment on this, because saying the "plan" is for launching this Summer but "TBD" leaves quite a lot of wiggle room -- especially since this is a bit different from previously quoted statements that were definitively for this Summer. (And when the announced target open beta launch was once last Spring.) Hopefully I don't seem snarky saying all this, because I've been on the development side of several MMO projects, both as a designer and a marketer, and there's so many unforeseen factors that can delay a major project like this that are often not in the company's control. (While at the same time, from a PR perspective, you need to keep the public and media interested by promising a fairly imminent release date.)

Another tweet from the official Sansar account made me sit up and go "Whoa"-- the minimal hardware specs needed to run Sansar are going to be pretty damn high:

@RichRayVR The final min spec for Sansar is still TBD, but current recommendation is aligned to Oculus / Vive specs

— Sansar Official (@SansarOfficial) May 3, 2017

Here's the minimum hardware specs for the Oculus Rift:

• Nvidia 960 or greater (down from Nvidia GTX 970 / AMD 290 equivalent or greater)
• Intel i3-6100 / AMD FX4350 or greater (down from Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater)
• 8GB+ RAM (same)
• Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output (same)
• 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 (change from 2x USB 3.0 ports)
• Windows 8 or newer (change from Windows 7 SP1 or newer)

Not too bad, but probably no-go for most laptops and older desktop PCs. And here's the minimum specs for the Vive:

• Processor: Intel™ Core™ i5-4590 or AMD FX™ 8350, equivalent or better
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce™ GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon™ RX 480, equivalent or better. For additional graphics card options, view the complete list.
• Memory: 4 GB RAM or more
• Video output: 1x HDMI 1.4 port, or DisplayPort 1.2 or newer
• USB: 1x USB 2.0 port or newer
• Operating system: Windows™ 7 SP1, Windows™ 8.1 or later or Windows™ 10

... so basically, if you're not a hardcore PC gamer already, you're probably not ready to jump into Sansar when it Alpha launches this Summer. (Or TBD.)

Hat tip: /ProjectSansar.

Comments

[Dartagan Shepherd]

Oy vey. Meanwhile we're playing and building mods for Robo Recall (great fun smashing robots together and tossing them around) and experimenting with building with VR in the editor itself with Unreal Engine.

LL (and Rosedale) and game dev just don't go together, to be blunt, they're amateurs in the field, from knowing how to handle something like Desura to building game engines.

Also banking too much on it. While some game devs are having fun with VR and investing some efforts, the majority view seems to be that VR is not going to overtake non-VR games.

It's being pushed down from the top, not something consumers are demanding from the bottom up.

It's not too late to just do a modern and very successful Second Life 2.0 before someone else does it, and does it better.

[Dartagan Shepherd]

Amending to my above post ... actually it looked like the original intent pre-Sansar was to do SL 2.0 back in 2014 ...

https://www.lindenlab.com/releases/linden-lab-is-developing-the-next-generation-virtual-world

[Clara Seller]

Did I miss the memo that said the newest trend is back to bloated desktop computers? It must be the same memo that said how this booming economy has put so much disposable income into the hands of average people. Those same masses that are dying to gear up for this VR "experience" and leave their old mobile Facebook world behind.

Actually seeing these hardware requirements is sobering. It's not surprising. It's just absurd. It's absurd to believe that the masses are going to invest so much before they even get to try your product. Hardcore SL customers would do the investment. They would do practically anything to get an upgrade to their world.

I'd keep pushing that date back until they figure out plan B. Totally agree with Dartagan that the only way out is Second Life 2.0.

[Glass of Water]

Agreeing with comments above.
myself using Sansar right now, my system is running a new AMD 8-core 1800X with two GTX 1080 TI in SLI. my PC is taxing 95% of my system resources with a very strong broadband connection.
if they can add terrain voxels then they can add building voxels as well. both are based on the same thing while having to be saved the same way.
too bad they refuse to give customers what they really want! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezMpJgNJqHI

[Lusus]

LL has always relied on the idea that PCs become more powerful and cheaper over time, but its not always the case that SL residents are willing to pay out for high end computers. I think they would do much better to focus on ways to radically reduce the PC specs needed for both SL and Sansar if they're serious about a large and broad audience using them.

[Imagin Illyar]

I've been in Sansar. My PC barely meets the minimum for Oculus but not Vive. I experienced no lag whatsoever, even when uploading a HUGE model.

[Han Held]

I ran the vive test on the desktop I just got last Oct. Both the cpu (amd a8) and the video card (nvidia gt 430) failed.

I don't see this having wide appeal. Not because it didn't work on my budget pc; but because it seems unlikely to work on budget pc's **period**; which limits their market to those who are willing to plop down significant amounts of cash on frivolities in THIS economic climate.

[YsabelleStewart]

I asked Ebbe Altberg about the minimum specs last year and he said: "For VR it will be the min-spec Oculus and Vive declare. For PC it will be less, but not exactly sure yet for day one." That was back in November.

https://twitter.com/ebbealtberg/status/797056620962385920

I've been putting off getting a new PC, which my family will actually be buying for me, till I know what the specs need to be. I will need to check prices for the specs above. Might be too much for me.

[Dani]

For those who do not want to leave SL ... Invest some money and if they have a business, I will not leave SL and start again after having invested maybe thousands of dollars in my inventory and keep the rent of my house and club, I do not want Leave SL because the variety of products in the Sansar Marketplace will take years to match the number of cars (luxury, sports, head to head race, etc), motorcycles (race, choppers and ride), helicopters (I have a large collection of spaceships and a small space station), accessories (of all types in Silver and gold), clothes in fatpack because I change my avatar daily (maybe my closet in SL is worthy of a Kardashian), ... I comment all this because I would like people to think about what they can expect to find in Sansar, that many Of the things they have in their in Ventario may not be available there. It's too much to match. Now that I have the minimum requirements of Sansar (at least in that beta) now less to go to Sansar. What can I find in Sansar that does not already exist in SL ?, Who will build my favorite places? Who will do the avatars of girls with great curves that I like to be in or see on a streeper tube? Naaaa ... I'm not going to Sansar

[Clara Seller]

YsabelleStewart, when I did a quick check on upgrading prices to meet specs on Occulus and Vive I was coming up with numbers ranging from $2500 to $5000 depending on how much you need and want. I'd say that most people will need a new system if they are going to meet specs for processor alone. There's the cost of the VR equipment, a powerful graphics card, power supply and the required USB ports. It makes no sense to spend a hefty minimum to upgrade to minimum when you know it's inevitable that minimum will be a dinosaur within months. So my amateur take is that you will need to spend a few thousand to get what you need to carry you for awhile. It's going to hurt your wallet like a bad trip to the dentist. Calling for financial pain is where Sansar is going to begin their introduction to new customers. Cross this threshold and see what they have to offer. I think this message is so untimely and they all know it. Americans are focused on super serious RL survival issues and finances right now and VR seems like frivolity and obscenity trying to crash your family members funeral.

[YsabelleStewart]

Thanks, Clara. Those costs are extortionate and I agree with you that this is not an economic climate which encourages those kinds of expenses, unless you have a lot of surplus cash. The VR side might not be feasible for me anyway owing to possible vertigo and other issues, but I did wonder what the difference would be if you didn't run a VR device, or couldn't, and how Sansar would function just using a screen. I guess we'll just have to see how things pan out. I was looking forward to checking the place out, but not feeling too hopeful right now.

[A Glass of Water]

Sansar is already filling up with questionable content"

A friend brought this to my attention.
'cottage in the woods from an unnamed experience in Sansar'
- http://i64.tinypic.com/mjpw0n.png
- http://tinypic.com/r/mjpw0n/9

Original Creator: Marcthur Goosson
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Cottage-BonNuit-COPY-MODIFY-MESH-medieval-cottage-textured-full-permissions/8397344

Terms of Service:
http://doublemcreations.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=138

10)DO NOT sell the product in a Business In A Box (BIAB) inside or outside any grid (virtual world). DO NOT sell as a reseller or resell these AS IS inside or outside any grid (virtual world) We will file DMCA or take other enforcement action as required if this licensed is abused.

'Is this cottage legit for use in Sansar?' Sansar is not mentioned in the terms of service.

How will linden lab handle a DMCA request from a SL resident against a SS Resident?

[Solas NaGealai]

Hello, about the "cottage in the woods", That is my experience and I have full permission from Marcthur Gooson, for the cottage and his other builds. Please before you post any info that will point figures at people for not being Legit. do your homework. talk to the creator and talk to the builder.

[Stephanie]

With these specs, Sansar will be off limits for schools, at least in Europe. Wasn't the original plan to make it work on almost any PC and also mobile devices?

[voyance serieuse par mail]

Franchement c’est un super blog grâce a ce site j’ai appris beaucoup de chose j’adore ce blog continue ainsi …

[Solas NaGealai]

Hey guys, Sansar is in Alpha stage, and i know lots of people who build with out the specs this guys has listed. So don't get your panties in a bunch until you know the facts.

[Gwyneth Llewelyn]

... and, of course, we Mac users will patiently fiddle our fingers (or use a fidget) and eternally wait for someone to remember to port it for us.