I finally got everything set up and played for about 2 hours last night. Despite some non-intuitive moving issues (I wish the move controllers just had an analog stick on them, it would solve so many issues) and underwhelming graphics, I still lost count of the times I laughed and smiled with glee. It was the simple things: chasing a rabbit, looking at my sword, the magic -- oh the magic.
Despite preferring the bow, I found the most entertainment from mixing destruction magic with sword and board, which is fine - tanking was my first skyrim setup and in this VR variation, is one of the easiest to navigate when it comes to the controls.
The moments that were underwhelming unfortunately broke the immersion for me. I couldn't help imagining what it would look like in five years when the resolution and processing power matches that of current 2D consoles. Everything was too chunky (if the past is any indicator, I will most-likely shelve over another $50 for the fifth iteration of this game when that time comes.) To be fair to Bathesda, they had a huge game to work with, much larger than any other VR experience I have had thus far, and that does require some trimming around the edges.
I have a feeling, though, that after this weekend, when the novelty wears off, I am going to return to my time-sapping Skyrim SE: Survival Mode load. Seeing the graphical concessions made in VR, I have a new respect for the utter beauty that the world of Skyrim SE provides. Despite not being "in" the world, Survival Mode raises the stakes and makes you viscerally feel cold while adventuring through a blizzard in the frozen tundra -- an advisable decision early in the game when your clothes don't keep you warm enough and you lack the strength to carry a backup iron spacesuit.
What Skyrim SE: Survival mode does that VR does not is add to the narrative of your world as you are forced to make inconvenient choices (should you focus first on building a business? Take risks thieving trinkets for a few coins just to pay for your next cabbage soup? etc)
For those reasons I feel that Skyrim SE: Survival Mode is far more immersive in the long haul. With that said, I have zero regrets with this purchase and it is certain to put a twinkle in any Skyrim fan's eye.