Guys VR is the future for FS. I can't go back to 2D

[Dillon 2,197]

Just thought I'd post this here to say first it was FS2020 that revolutionized simming but after have a VR headset 2D just look like what I thought FSX, P3D, and XPlane look like now.  Not trying to put any other sim down but let's face it we'll dealing with cartoon simulators versus something so much more stunning. 

Now my son got me and Oculus Quest 2 for Christmas that I could never quit get to work with our Wifi.  It was enough though to show me a whole new simming reality.  In adjusting my sim for VR I ended up refining my sim to a point in 2D it's liquid smooth with the sharpest graphics I've ever seen for any game/simulation I've ever used.😲  FS2020 looks like a sharp picture in a digital art gallery in 2D now and smooth as silk.  Back to the Oculus, it had a slight grain to the display versus what I get in 2D but what you see in the cockpit is just like being there minus the G's in a real aircraft.  I couldn't go back at this point.  I tried and tried but the Oculus was never stable in keeping it's connection.  I have to say whoever thought it was a good idea to run a VR headset back to a computer via Wifi needed their head examined.  That was until I figured out what it was designed for.  The Oculus is for gaming in the since of using internet games designed for it.  It was an afterthought to use it on a computer but they did their best to make it work as it was catching on with simmers.  You would have to have a dedicated Wifi router for the Oculus alone to pull this off or an apartment with not that many things using your wifi.  My house has solar panels that feed the wifi signal so we can monitor them, all TV's use wifi, phones use wifi, the wife works from home in my house, and other gaming consoles use wifi.  The Oculus is a no go as I'd start the flight and never complete it because the headset dies on me as far as the connection.

Again I was hooked so I took the plunge and bought the recommended headset for FS2020 and that's the 'HP Reverb G2'.  With this headset it plugs directly into my video card.  No more Wifi issues and battery life issues as it has it's own power connection.  Now I'm able to complete flights without issue. The display is not that much different in VR than the Oculus which as I said above can be a little grainy but it turns the whole simming experience on it's head. Flying DC's F14 and F16 is amazing in the perspective you get (I need to get DCS at some point and prepare for a divorce as the wife's not going to be happy😁, maybe I'll hold off). IFR into San Diego or Atlanta is amazing.  Landings from the real pilot perspective of a 744, A320, or Longitude has you reevaluating your landing technique. The smoothness of the visuals is amazing and I'm still tweaking.  Anyone going to VR will find it hard to go back no matter if the display is not as sharp as 2D.  The depth perception in the cockpit makes every aircraft a whole different animal than they are in 2D.

So all this being said all simmers need to try this.  It's amazing beyond what I thought it would be both for IFR and VFR. 💯

[RichieFly 733]

ok

[bernd1151 5,883]

Thanks Dillon for sharing your experience with us, especially with both the Oculus Rift and HP Reverb !

[slashed2 53]

Just as an FYI, one can connect the oculus 2 to the computer as well via a usb c cable.

[Bobsk8 12,759]

People complain about wearing a visor to use Track IR, and yet are willing to wear a scuba mask contraption to have VR.  😉

[slashed2 53]

I'll agree though, I haven't flown in 2d since I got the vr headset over a year ago.  Sure, it's a piece of kit over your face but if you can deal with it, the experience is beyond what I though it would be.  Not just for flight simulation, but racing games, fps etc....  it's at another level of sensory input that's for sure.

[MrBitstFlyer 3,881]

23 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

People complain about wearing a visor to use Track IR, and yet are willing to wear a scuba mask contraption to have VR.  😉

I don't wear a visor for Trackir.

[enright 496]

Agree with all of your points. Anyone in the market for a new monitor that hasn't tried VR should seriously consider investing in a headset first - or at least check out what the experience is like. It's a level of immersion that is well beyond anything a 2D monitor can produce.

FYI - It is possible to get the Quest 2 working well with MSFS, and the Quest 2 is an amazing value ($299) for those that can't afford the higher end headsets. You don't need to use wifi either - you can use a direct wired USB connection. Just make sure you are using a high quality cable (ideally, the official oculus cable, even though it's a bit pricey).

For a smooth wifi experience, you need to:

- Use a WIFI6 router or access point that is connected directly to the same LAN your desktop is connected to. Wifi6 doesn't suffer from latency issues with multiple devices (e.g. devices don't need to wait for a time slice to talk or listen on a given network)

- Place the wifi access point as close as possible to your headset (e.g. in the same room) for signal reliability and strength

- Connect directly to the access point via a dedicated SSID if possible (to avoid the possibility of connecting to the wrong AP if you have more than one).

Doing the above will result in a liquid smooth experience with no cables, which is fairly liberating. There is absolutely no perceivable lag, and the experience is subjectively SMOOTHER than the wired experience - an amazing technical accomplishment!

No matter what, if you are reading this thread and you haven't tried MSFS in VR, - please do! if you like simulators, it's an experience not to be missed.

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by enright

[Bobsk8 12,759]

1 minute ago, enright said:

Agree with all of your points. Anyone in the market for a new monitor that hasn't tried VR should seriously consider investing in a headset first - or at least check out what the experience is like. It's a level of immersion that is well beyond anything a 2D monitor can produce.

FYI - It is possible to get the Quest 2 working well with MSFS, and the Quest 2 is an amazing value ($299) for those that can't afford the higher end headsets. You don't need to use wifi either - you can use a direct wired USB connection. Just make sure you are using a high quality cable (ideally, the official oculus cable, even though it's a bit pricey).

For a smooth wifi experience, you need to:

- Use a WIFI6 router or access point that is connected directly to the same LAN your desktop is connected to. Wifi6 doesn't suffer from latency issues with multiple devices (e.g. devices don't need to wait for a time slice to talk or listen on a given network)

- Place the wifi access point as close as possible to your headset (e.g. in the same room) for signal reliability and strength

- Connect directly to the access point via a dedicated SSID if possible (to avoid the possibility of connecting to the wrong AP if you have more than one).

Doing the above will result in a liquid smooth experience with no cables, which is fairly liberating. There is absolutely no perceivable lag, and the experience is subjectively SMOOTHER than the wired experience - an amazing technical accomplishment!

No matter what you do, please try VR if you haven't already - you like simulators, it's an experience not to be missed.

 

I tried it twice, and about 15 minutes was all I could tolerate wearing that headgear. 

[MrBitstFlyer 3,881]

12 minutes ago, slashed2 said:

I'll agree though, I haven't flown in 2d since I got the vr headset over a year ago.  Sure, it's a piece of kit over your face but if you can deal with it, the experience is beyond what I though it would be.  Not just for flight simulation, but racing games, fps etc....  it's at another level of sensory input that's for sure.

I have used VR from the beginning, but not for flight sim.  I raced on iRacing for a few years in VR. I play several games in VR.  The problem for me with VR is nothing external can be used.  I plan and fly with Foreflight on an iPad.  I have a couple of StreamDecks.

VR is OK for a quick blast for the experience, which is very good, but it isn't suited to long complex flights with external apps and hardware.

[caneman 89]

Have a question I've been wanting to ask.  I have one eye that's 20-20 vision ... and the other, not so good.  Not really correctable and and see mostly blurry.

So, is VR possible with just one eye?    

[Dillon 2,197]

45 minutes ago, slashed2 said:

Just as an FYI, one can connect the oculus 2 to the computer as well via a usb c cable.

It's only a data cable.  Does nothing for it's connecting into the FS and the video card.

[regis9 4,026]

I had an Oculus Rift and used it a bit with P3D and a bit more with X-Plane 11.  Sold it before MSFS was released because it was collecting dust.  I didn't use it much because although the experience using it was neat, and it definitely gave the illusion of being in a plane, I found it was to low resolution to actually do any flying that required manipulating a panel, MCDU/FMC etc.  The screen door effect was annoying too and performance in P3Dv4 was pretty bad.  Also it had two (or three) sensors that required recalibration if they were moved in the slightest (my cats would keep bumping into them), so I got annoyed and didn't really use it.

I told myself I needed to wait a few generations but sometimes (ie reading posts like this) I'm tempted to try VR again, just not sure about the visual tradeoffs that come with VR and how far it's come since the Rift. 

[Dillon 2,197]

46 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

People complain about wearing a visor to use Track IR, and yet are willing to wear a scuba mask contraption to have VR.  😉

People who complain about Track IR would never get into VR.  And as far as the scuba mask concept it's worth it for what you get and of course like with all things it will get smaller and smaller with time.  As some point it will be no more than what wearing glasses are today.

[Dillon 2,197]

2 minutes ago, regis9 said:

I had an Oculus Rift and used it a bit with P3D and a bit more with X-Plane 11.  Sold it before MSFS was released because it was collecting dust.  I didn't use it much because although the experience using it was neat, and it definitely gave the illusion of being in a plane, I found it was to low resolution to actually do any flying that required manipulating a panel, MCDU/FMC etc.  The screen door effect was annoying too and performance in P3Dv4 was pretty bad.  Also it had two (or three) sensors that required recalibration if they were moved in the slightest (my cats would keep bumping into them), so I got annoyed and didn't really use it.

I told myself I needed to wait a few generations but sometimes (ie reading posts like this) I'm tempted to try VR again, just not sure about the visual tradeoffs that come with VR and how far it's come since the Rift. 

Times have changed trust me...