Seriously considering going VR?

[Andreas Stangenes 1,628]

I understand what people are saying about the low resolution. You see pixels, and if you just stop and stare at the lenses infront of your eyes, you see the circles of the fresnel lenses too. However, I dont fly without my trusted HTC Vive anymore. I've had VR for a year and a half now, and I dont want to go back to monitors. Of course I'm really looking forward to the day with great resolution and totally stutter free experience, but untill then there is nothing short of a real airplane or a home built cockpit that will do the same thing as VR does for me now. With that said, I dont really get stutters very often and my sim runs pretty smooth even in bad weather and some complex scenery. I fly pmdg stuff almost exclusively.

And having a good camera addon that is compatible with VR is a must for me. I'm actually a little bit surprised how little discussion there is about this little but very important part of getting around in VR. I dont fly vr in xplane because I cant get the view slots to work and I'm stuck with the pilot position. In p3d I use Opus FSI for cameras and I have a separate camera angle for PF, FMC, radiopanel and overhead + outside views. Just by the click of one of the 11 programmable buttons on my Razer Naga gaming mouse I get transported to the perfect position in the sim for any given task I'm about to do. I dont have to "lean in" to see anything - I just click a button and my face is positioned in the sim just where I need to be. As I said, I dont hear people talk alot about this aspect, and I find it surprising because it's such a fundamental aspect of my VR simming.

[mattyshigh 3]

Thank you so much for your replies so far. It seems that Virtual Reality evokes mixed responses among everyone that has tried it! The resolution does seem slightly concerning but overall I think the immersion factor will more then make up for this. However, it is a large amount of cash to blow on yet another toy. I have long had dreams of building a full scale cockpit sim but as pointed out, virtual reality may just make this idea redundant. I really do think this is the future.

I think I will go ahead and order the HTC Vive, the kid inside has finally got the better of me.

[Woozie 732]

25 minutes ago, mattyshigh said:

I think I will go ahead and order the HTC Vive, the kid inside has finally got the better of me.

This kid wont be disappointed ;)

However, if its not too late, a small warning though: Even though both Headsets (Rift and Vive) are absolutely great and have their own pro's and con's, the Rift is generally being considered the better option for cockpit/seating VR experiences. For a cockpit experience you would only need the base rift (1 sensor included) without the touch controller package with a second controller. The rift base package should be significantly cheaper after the permanent price drop as the VIVE comes with a full room scale setup out of the box. Also one of the stronger points of the Vive is room scale gaming due to the marginally better lighthouse system compared to the infrared cams of the Rift. However, that doesnt really add much for pure cockpit gaming. 

Another thing to add is the fact that Oculus' ASW (Asynchronus space warp) is working better and more reliable than the Steam Async Reprojection. As this technology helps to improve smoothness it could be quite a factor when using P3D in VR

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Andreas Stangenes said:

As I said, I dont hear people talk alot about this aspect, and I find it surprising because it's such a fundamental aspect of my VR simming.

I think that's because a lot of people may find this immersion killing. I would. I already have problems getting the idea I am actually there and constantly switching between different preset views wouldn't help...! 

[vortex681 806]

48 minutes ago, mattyshigh said:

I think I will go ahead and order the HTC Vive, the kid inside has finally got the better of me.

If you haven't actually tried one of the VR options, I'd seriously advise you to do so before splashing the cash. I tried both the Vive and the Rift. There's no doubt that the initial wow-factor is impressive but after a while you really start to notice the low res which, unlike some who've commented here, I just wasn't prepared to compromise with. Real pilots just don't need to regularly lean in to the instrument panel to be able to check the instruments! Also, don't underestimate the motion sickness effect that many people get when using VR. I found that after using the headsets for about 15-20 minutes I had to stop as I felt quite queasy, disorientated and had a slight headache, particularly if I'd been manoeuvring a lot (DCS was the worst for this). I've read online that you get used to it but that's not my idea of how I want to enjoy my leisure time.

The final thing to consider is that no matter how many functions you assign to your controllers, there will still be things you need to do with the keyboard which can cause problems. Also, you can't use a second monitor or tablet for your plates or as a moving map. VR's day will inevitably come but, at least in my opinion, it's not here yet for a number of reasons (particularly considering the present cost).

[charlie130 196]

A company called Pimax are, developing an 8k VR set (*2 4k optics). I haven't got a link right now but there is an article on the VR thread and it's Google able.

Its also supposed to have a wide field of view. Could be one to watch.

I would think that the other manufactures will follow suit if 4k becomes the norm.

Its definition and field of view that would tempt me over. As for now, a 4k 42" screen is the choice.

Regards

David.

 

[MikeT707 1,181]

2 hours ago, Andreas Stangenes said:

I use Opus FSI for cameras and I have a separate camera angle for PF, FMC, radiopanel and overhead + outside views.

Just by the click of one of the 11 programmable buttons on my Razer Naga gaming mouse I get transported to the perfect position in the sim for any given task I'm about to do.

I dont have to "lean in" to see anything - I just click a button and my face is positioned in the sim just where I need to be. As I said, I dont hear people talk alot about this aspect, and I find it surprising because it's such a fundamental aspect of my VR simming.

This is a great idea!

[Cargostorm 151]

Despite the fact that the hardware is just not ready (low resolution etc.), it would be good to know what the long-term effects are in terms of eye sight, myopia etc. Even sitting in front of a monitor for hours is not beneficial for seeing, but VR glasses are directly placed in front of your eyes...

[virtuali 4,421]

I'm nearsighted, and bought these:

https://vr-lens.eu/

Highly recommended, and since you will be required to fill all the standard data from your prescription lenses, they will be perfectly fit for you. And they are add-on clips so, if you must share the headset with someone else, you can just remove them

Before, having to fit my normal glasses inside the Rift was very annoying, but with these lenses, you can get the exact correction you need, so you can use VR glass-free.

It's important to note that, if you are even a *bit* nearsighted, VR WILL be out of focus so, either you wear glasses, or you add the corrective lenses. 

[Guest]

Out of curiosity: I tried P3D default VR and performance was bad. Aerofly is GREAT in VR. Anyone here who can tell me where Flyinside sits between those two? More near P3D performance or near AFS2 performance? I'd like to give Flyinside a try because P3D obviously is the far better sim...

[YukonPete 586]

I personally would hold off for another generation or two as the current VR is terrible. I had an OR and sold it after 3 months. Currently the resolution is terrible and anything off in the distance is fuzzy. You can also see all the pixel mesh. So people will tell you its wonderful but its not honest at all. You pay a price with the current VR's and that's mostly in resolution.

[MarkDH 234]

8 hours ago, J van E said:

Another thing I noticed during my half year with Aerofly is that, obviously, you get used to it

Well said. VR is the medium and if there is no message you will get bored with it regardless of how good it looks.

[Ident 198]

One item not mentioned as a pro to VR compared to anything else that is out there is the ease of ability to look around. After VR I couldnt go back to Headtracker IR because of the the lag and limited areas you could look. Yeah I know you can set your setting and I did but while Headtracker is nice, it can't compare to VR.

For me, VR all the way I gave up a nice simpit for a VR simpit.

[MarkDH 234]

3 hours ago, charlie130 said:

A company called Pimax are, developing an 8k VR set (*2 4k optics).

So that's a 4K display, then. And a 200 degree FOV, which means the resolution isn't much better than the Rift. Better, but it's still going to be fuzzy.

(P.S. Hello David, hope that wasn't too abrupt :)

[threexgreen 3,139]

15 hours ago, MikeT707 said:

You really have to try it to see if it is for you. Last year I tried the Rift and did not like the resolution. This year I tried it again and got used to the lower resolution so I use VR most of the time. If you can buy it at a place where you can return it if you don't like it, then go for it. And the comment about not being able to see the runway at the point in the approach where you should is not true. 

Let me rephrase - like Jeroen said, you do see the runway but it's not clear at all and I, personally, had trouble lining up with the runway from further out.

VR definitely is the future of simming and when it's available in at least full HD and hardware can support that I'll be the first to buy one. Until then, my 4k TV does the job really well.