Took the Plunge...Expectations Far Exceeded

[krazyk 157]

49 minutes ago, steve310002 said:

I went from a 970 to a 1080 and found a big difference in X-Plane 11 before I started using VR. I can't comment on how the 970 will function bit I would imagine it would require you to lower settings such as HDR and number of objects to medium. It is also hard to say how much Laminar may optimize X-Plane 11 for VR with the impending update. This may help with older GPUs. I would say though that you can't go wrong with an overclocked 1070 or 1080 to get those valuable extra VR fps if you can spare the cash. 

Thanks. 1070 seems to offer the most for what it costs so I thought it would be a great way to enter the VR market. My current 970 might work with VR but of course the low memory on it and the high requirements of Oculus mean I'll be in for a disappointing experience. Of course, I wish I could afford the 1080Ti but as you said, the 1070 seems to be just fine in order to provide the baseline experience required for the sim and VR. 

[WebMaximus 372]

As a reference I'm running FlyInside in P3Dv3 using a 980Ti and have zero issues with performance with many settings in P3D more to the right rather than left.

[Muskoka 104]

No issues here with a gtx1060 6gb in either XP11 or Dcs, both look great, with Dcs looking better. Biggest issue I've found so far is getting the HMD situated correctly on your head, so your viewing through the sweet spot in the lenses, that's a must. If your off by the slightest bit it starts to blur. May be more of an issue for those of use that have to wear glasses. 

[WebMaximus 372]

11 minutes ago, Muskoka said:

getting the HMD situated correctly on your head, so your viewing through the sweet spot in the lenses

This is very good advice for new users. Took a while before I realized how important this is to get a clear image and just like you say it can get really blurry just because the HMD is a tiny bit too far up/down.

Another thing I would recommend is to get one of these -> https://vrcover.com

IMO it made the headset much more comfortable to wear and as a bonus you won't get these ugly markings after wearing the headset for some time meaning you can show yourself in public after a VR session without having people look strangely at you :D

[Muskoka 104]

1 hour ago, WebMaximus said:

This is very good advice for new users. Took a while before I realized how important this is to get a clear image and just like you say it can get really blurry just because the HMD is a tiny bit too far up/down.

Another thing I would recommend is to get one of these -> https://vrcover.com

IMO it made the headset much more comfortable to wear and as a bonus you won't get these ugly markings after wearing the headset for some time meaning you can show yourself in public after a VR session without having people look strangely at you :D

I ordered the "Long" version (for eyewear) the other day actually, hope the shipping isn't too long. I've got a really small pair of reading glasses here that focus things nicely, but become uncomfortable after a while. I'm hoping the extended faceplate might help some, and hopefully not affect the fov too much. Link for those that might be interested.

https://vrcover.com/product/oculus-rift-facial-interface-foam-replacement-basic-set/

I've sailed for most of my life so I know about "getting your sea legs", but until now I didn't know about "getting your vr legs". Man, the queasy feeling can really take over sometimes, especially in DCS where everything just seems to be much quicker. Snapping your head around trying to find the brat that's shooting at you probably isn't helping the situation either. I've read you get used to it, hope so soon. Sometimes have to pause the sim and take a breather.

 

[Iceman2 110]

Hey Guys,

I have today for the first time visited this VR forum as I too took the plunge into VR this week by buying the Pimax headset. It arrived this morning just before I headed off to work, so at present its unboxed.

I have a couple of questions before I hook it up tonight and probably mess it up.

1. Im using a large 4K TV and assume that having this plugged into the GPU (TitanX pascal) along with the VR will be very taxing and possibly impair performance of the Headset. Is it best to us a small monitor with less resolution or is it not an issue because P3D is only really running though the VR headset.

2. Am I wasting my time hooking it up to P3DV4 without flyinside yet being available for V4. I only have V4 installed so won't be able to test the Pimax with flyinside until the update version is released later this month.

Should I wait until this release and avoid disappointment with performance or are you folks finding P3Dv4 in its current VR readiness form, usable.

Lastly is anyone using the 4K Pimax that can steer me in the right direction regarding software installation.

Im guessing I start with piplay, and then what?

thx in advance 

IM

 

[YukonPete 581]

12 hours ago, steve310002 said:

After much internal debate, I decided whilst on holidays in Las Vegas to take advantage of purchasing the Oculus Rift bundle at Best Buy (far easier and cheaper to get a hold of than here in Europe). And Holy Smokes...was it a good idea.

Like many, I was on the fence about VR wondering if it is just 'another' gimic or fad that we see every few years. And for some it may be a fad but for flight simmers, gamers, and technology enthusiasts, it is mind blowing. My biggest fear was the resolution question which some have complained about in terms of reading text/dials etc. As far as the graphics go the resolution is not an issue. Everything looks awesome at least if you have a decent rig. For reading text on instruments, it is mostly fine assuming you have good enough eyesight. The beauty of VR is that you can move forward to look at dials closer for those ones that are not easily read just as you would in real life.

For the sense of immersion you get, it is like being there. No kidding. You literally feel the speed of the aircraft while you gaze in awe at how awesome your cockpit looks in 3D. You simply cannot understand or appreciate what this is like without trying it. No video on youtube will do it justice. Last night, I opened the door of my Cessna at 5,000 feet and leaned out over the edge. I literally felt like I could fall out. This is an absolute game changer. I had seen so many videos showing what VR can do etc. but I did not for a moment expect the technology to be that precise and immersive. And this is not to mention all the other applications you get for free either with it or available on the Oculus and Steam stores. I tried Google Earth VR and all I can say is...wow! It is mind blowing what they have achieved. I retraced my South-West USA roadtrip from the last couple of weeks and was literally back in the towns and national parks I visited, many of which have been recreated with real 3D models. You can literally stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon and feel a sense of really being there. It surprises be now that several posters have dismissed VR for various reasons. Whilst I fully respect their opinion, I do not see how for 400 dollars, one would not jump at the chance to experience this. It's the closest thing to matrix you can expect. If you are on the fence like I was, I suggest that you buy it whilst its on sale. Don't worry about the resolution, it really is not bad at all. The experience more than compensates for any concerns relating to this. And this is coming from someone used to simming on a 55 inch 4K TV. Now I only hope that they make FSW VR compatible 

Hope my mini review helps.

The resolution it horrible. Telling others it's not really that bad is setting people up for disappointment.  But if people don't do there own homework beforehand then they can't really complain. lots of posts out there tell the truth about poor quality resolution.

[warbirds 555]

It is all about the experience and not the resolution. Yes it is two screens with a resolution of 1080x1200 per eye so it will not be near 4k. 

[MikeT707 1,181]

I have had the Oculus Rift for a couple of weeks now and am really enjoying the experience. I do anticipate that I will fly with my 4k monitor at times and in VR other times so as this is the case, I have a settings profile set up specifically for my VR adventures as well as others set up for my 4k flights. 

Definitely worth trying out. Find a store that offers a return policy and give it a good week or two week trial. Nothing says you have to sell your monitor and fly exclusively in VR, but for me it is a great additional way to fly. I would guess I fly VR half the time. 

[steve310002 1,198]

7 hours ago, YukonPete said:

The resolution it horrible. Telling others it's not really that bad is setting people up for disappointment.  But if people don't do there own homework beforehand then they can't really complain. lots of posts out there tell the truth about poor quality resolution.

Horrible is far too strong a word. I respect your opinion Pete but the same could equally be said that you are dissuading people not to purchase by exaggerating the negatives of the resolution. Sure, it is not 4K by any means but as Warbirds points out the immersion and feeling of 'being there' in a cockpit far outweighs the difference of a 2D super crisp 4K experience (that in someway eventually ends up looking like a cartoon in my experience compared to VR...once you have tried it). I'm a fan and early adopter of 4K screens but there is no way it is better to look at flat panel than the feeling of actually being there and being totally immersed in a detailed cockpit and surroundings as well as the sense of speed and situational awareness it gives you.

I am someone that is quite factual, and whilst I do respect your opinion, using words such as 'horrible' sort of exaggerates the negatives of the experience. At the end of the day, this is a 400 dollar device (and an incredible one at that) with a lot of free software, not a 3500 dollar 4K screen as mine was when I bought it a couple of years back. That in itself is quite a difference. For 400 dollars, I think the resolution is more than adequate for the joy most would get out of the experience. It is also a device that lets you virtually interact with touch controllers which are in themselves also super impressive.

[WebMaximus 372]

All very well said Steve.

[costamesa 88]

So much tempted to buy but since I am on a laptop (MSI GT72VR) I am not sure about the performance even though it is "VR" series. How would 6700HQ + GTX1070 + 24GB RAM combination perform for P3D and X-Plane? In a payware airport with NGX+UT2+Orbx Global+Europe+Vector+As16 I get around 20-25 fps and 777 around 20 fps. 

[AnkH 2,233]

How do you actually operate all those switches inside your cockpit while flying in VR mode? Is there a good solution for this? I imagine that it is rather strange to use the mouse for this, no?

[JRBarrett 3,038]

13 hours ago, Muskoka said:

I ordered the "Long" version (for eyewear) the other day actually, hope the shipping isn't too long. I've got a really small pair of reading glasses here that focus things nicely, but become uncomfortable after a while. I'm hoping the extended faceplate might help some, and hopefully not affect the fov too much. Link for those that might be interested.

 

I'm very farsighted. My distance vision is 20/10, but I need a +2.0 correction for close work - basically anything closer than about 2 feet is blurry without reading glasses.

I don't need my glasses at all to use the Rift. The internal lenses in the headset collimate the image so that it appears to be physically distant. The only folks who would need their glasses with the headset are those who are nearsighted, who require a correction for distant objects.

[WebMaximus 372]

4 minutes ago, AnkH said:

How do you actually operate all those switches inside your cockpit while flying in VR mode? Is there a good solution for this? I imagine that it is rather strange to use the mouse for this, no?

I have only tried VR using the FlyInside software. Using this software I think the integration with the mouse works really good in P3Dv3.

You use the mouse just in the same way you would using a 2D screen but there are also other options such as using the FlyInside cursor where you can instead simply look and "point" this cursor to the knob you want to operate etc and then move it using a pre-assigned interaction key mapped by yourself in the FlyInside software bindings.

The third way of course is assigning commands to buttons on your controllers. For instance I have the A/P and A/T disconnect functions in the NGX mapped to buttons on my yoke easily accessible on final.

Yet another option which I heard quite a number of people are using is 3rd party software which allows you to generate key commands using your voice.

Lastly the way I've understood it in the latest version of FlyInside you're also able to use the kind of touch controllers that is available for the Rift headset. Not sure about the equivalents for the HTC Vive headset and whether these are supported as well.

Other than controlling different features and functions FlyInside also has other very smart features such as being able to import any of your normal 2D windows/applications meaning you'll be able to interact with those without taking your VR headset off. I use this for vPilot, FS2Crew, GSX etc.

Another alternative to using virtual windows is to "peak" through the small opening just below your nose. This way you're able to see your normal 2D screen again without taking the VR headset off. Can become a bit uncomfortable though if you peak like this for longer periods leaning your head back like that.

For this reason I prefer using that method only for short things such as updating my VA flight plan every now and then with a simple mouse click on a button on a webpage where I rather use the virtual windows feature for things such as checking out ATIS information in vPilot or settings up approach parameters in FS2Crew and so on.