VR & Flight Sim

[EdwardSm 5]

I've never looked into VR before; does anyone know how it will work when you have a yoke? Actually, I have been flight sim for many years and have several pieces of equipment. I don't see how you can use a thing that covers your eyes and use your flight sim equipment together. Can anyone help an older <cough> mature gentleman to understand how the technology works?

 

Thank you in advance,

Ed

[JacquesBrel 639]

You use your yoke, throttle levers, HOTAS, pedals, etc like you normally do. Your peripherals are right in front of you or right next to you, so it's no problem finding them and using them without looking. Like their real counterparts, they are designed to be used without looking. Throttle levers have knobs with different shapes so you can feel if it's the throttle or mixture lever. HOTAS buttons and hat switches are literally designed to be operated hands on only. 

It's as intuitive and natural as starting your car at night. You simply just remember where the ignition is and put the key in without looking. Same with the yoke - you just remember where it is and grab hold of it. 

[Spit40 197]

Of course it would be great if you reach out in the sim and your hand grasps exactly what you expect to be there. I’m working on it...... https://authentikit.org

 

[EdwardSm 5]

1 hour ago, JacquesBrel said:

You use your yoke, throttle levers, HOTAS, pedals, etc like you normally do. Your peripherals are right in front of you or right next to you, so it's no problem finding them and using them without looking. Like their real counterparts, they are designed to be used without looking. Throttle levers have knobs with different shapes so you can feel if it's the throttle or mixture lever. HOTAS buttons and hat switches are literally designed to be operated hands on only. 

It's as intuitive and natural as starting your car at night. You simply just remember where the ignition is and put the key in without looking. Same with the yoke - you just remember where it is and grab hold of it. 

Hmm, maybe for something simple like starting the ignition and putting the car in drive. However, as mentioned I have several pieces of equipment. I am not crazy about the idea of abandoning something like my VRInsight MCPII Boeing. So, essentially it is what I've seen in YouTube vids with other software? Once you put it on there is no looking 'under your glasses', so-to-speak? You are just locked into the field of view presented on the screen? I've spent too much money on equipement beyond the basics to abandon them. Surely there must be something in the works or some other solution?

[Lange_666 167]

You might consider Look Through option. I can only give some info on the Oculus Rift S but you can draw a guardian field around yourself to prevent you bump into something when walking around. If you draw the front guardian line halfway between where you sit and the monitor, you can move your head forward into the guardian fence which then switches to the outside world for you to see what's going on (or where you are). You can then move or select stuff on your controls/keyboard. Mind that it's in black and white and kinda blurry. If you move your head back, you're back in the sim.

Another option is point control: you can use it to control the entire cockpit in VR: https://forums.eagle.ru/forum/english/dcs-world-topics/input-and-output/219878-new-vr-pointing-device

[JacquesBrel 639]

8 hours ago, EdwardSm said:

as mentioned I have several pieces of equipment. I am not crazy about the idea of abandoning something like my VRInsight MCPII Boeing. So, essentially it is what I've seen in YouTube vids with other software? Once you put it on there is no looking 'under your glasses', so-to-speak? You are just locked into the field of view presented on the screen? I've spent too much money on equipement beyond the basics to abandon them

Well sure if you got that kind of equipment beyond the basics that I mentioned, then you won't have a very practical way of using them in VR. Instead you'd use the mouse or VR controllers to operate the autopilot and other cockpit switches and dials. Which I find is a pretty easy and immersive way of operating your aircraft in VR.

If you need to take the occasional look at your equipment, there are a few VR headsets like the Vive Cosmos that you can flip up.

Also, most VR headsets have hassle-free return policies, so you can get one and try it, and return it if it doesn't work out for you.

[craigeaglefire 197]

1 hour ago, JacquesBrel said:

If you need to take the occasional look at your equipment, there are a few VR headsets like the Vive Cosmos that you can flip up.

exactly,

with the Rift S - after a familiarisation for a few weeks - just gently lift the HMD & take a peek,

surprisingly effective with all the VR enabled sims,

generally I do this when need to get moving map bearings with FS-FlightControl on second monitor.

[EdwardSm 5]

19 hours ago, JacquesBrel said:

Which I find is a pretty easy and immersive way of operating your aircraft in VR.

😕 Wait, are you actually using VR with MSFS? Is that a Beta thing or is there some degree of compatibility? I feel like that guy who showed up late to the company party and everyone is staring at me right now. I apologize, really not trying to sound uninformed with my questions. I am genuinely interested in the technology but was under the impression this was not a thing with MSFS at this point. Also, thank you all for taking the time to educate me. It is greatly appreciated. 

Edited November 1, 2020 by EdwardSm

[JacquesBrel 639]

3 hours ago, EdwardSm said:

Wait, are you actually using VR with MSFS?

Most other flight sims have VR support. I've been using VR in Prepar3D, DCS World and IL-2 Sturmovik.

[dogmanbird 269]

I tip my head back and take a peek out through the nose arch, but there's quite a big gap on the quest 1

[EdwardSm 5]

My son swung by and let me barrow his Oculus Quest 2 for the weekend. I just finished another flight in P3D5 using it. All I can say is, there is no way I can permanently go back to flying 2D. Instead of upgrading some of my hardware, I think I'll look about investing in a full motion system. That was purely intense.

[CaptainNick 575]

On 10/31/2020 at 10:58 PM, EdwardSm said:

😕 Wait, are you actually using VR with MSFS? Is that a Beta thing or is there some degree of compatibility? I feel like that guy who showed up late to the company party and everyone is staring at me right now. I apologize, really not trying to sound uninformed with my questions. I am genuinely interested in the technology but was under the impression this was not a thing with MSFS at this point. Also, thank you all for taking the time to educate me. It is greatly appreciated. 

It is currently in closed beta.

[EdwardSm 5]

2 hours ago, CaptainNick said:

It is currently in closed beta.

Yes, which is why I asked if "that was a Beta thing".