Cockpits are very different animals visually in VR vs 2D

[FlyIce 354]

3 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

I have these same questions for a long time and I still don't think VR currently is ready for prime time.  To be clear, I have never tried it (simply because you must purchase it to do so) so this is based only only on what I have researched.

• the low resolution must be an issue?
• how does this work if you wear glasses?
• how do you easily manipulate real controls if you have to let go for a bit (stick/throttles) when you cant see them?
• conversely, how do you manipulate the VR knobs with added functionality (push/pull/rotate) without multiple mouse buttons available or having to wear hand items (controllers)?
• how do you work with third party apps like ATC, flightplanners, moving maps, ect that often appear in separate windows or even another monitor.?

With HP Reverb G2 low resolution is definitely no longer a big issue, provided you have good video cards like 3080 or 3090 to drive it at or near its full resolution. It still leaves quite a bit to be desired, but by any measure, the resolution is good enough.

I wear glasses and had no problem using G2 while wearing glasses. Good news to me.

Controls are 50/50. I use hotas setup and for VFR there is not much to be touched. But for IFR that could be a big issue. You can manipulate everything in VR using mouse, just like doing so in 2D, but it's definitely not ideal. 

Having separate windows in VR is easy, and you can place these windows anywhere in the cockpit, an interesting benefit you don't get in real flights or in 2D. But I haven't figured out how to use keyboard in VR, I just avoid typing anything in VR. 

All in all, I would say if you mostly fly VFR, definitely give VR a try, it's incredible. If you mostly fly IFR constantly keying/pressing/twisting buttons and knobs, staying with 2D probably is better idea. 

 

 

 

[turbomax 3,269]

3 hours ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

TrackIR gives you the same ability of course

say what?

move your head 180 degrees sideways, 90 degrees up/down and tell me what you see with TrackIR. plus, you can always still see the room your are sitting in with all its distractions, no immersion whatsoever. in VR you'll forget you are in a room sitting on a chair. TrackIR will still be always 2D, no stereoscopic view, no matter how much you move your head.

Edited February 4, 2022 by turbomax

[Shack95 2,658]

59 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

the low resolution must be an issue?

The cockpit is super crisp. The scenery is slightly blurrier than in 2D but for me, the VR experience more than makes up for this. 

59 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

how do you easily manipulate real controls if you have to let go for a bit (stick/throttles) when you cant see them?

At first this was a bit weird but I got used to it surprisingly quickly. When I fly the Airbus I have my side stick and throttle more or less where they are in VR so it's very intuitive (if that makes sense, but I guess you know what I mean).

59 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

conversely, how do you manipulate the VR knobs with added functionality (push/pull/rotate) without multiple mouse buttons available or having to wear hand items (controllers)?

I use the mouse just like in 2D. Works like a charm. It's like with the other peripherals, you get used to it very quickly.

59 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

how do you work with third party apps like ATC, flightplanners, moving maps, ect that often appear in separate windows or even another monitor.?

That's the only thing that's a bit cumbersome. I run them on a second monitor but I have to lift off the headset a little and press the Windows key to move the mouse to the other monitor. For the map and charts I use the Navigraph in-game panel so I don't have to do that very often. There might be better solutions but for me this works well enough.

Edited February 4, 2022 by Shack95

[Dillon 2,197]

45 minutes ago, FlyIce said:

With HP Reverb G2 low resolution is definitely no longer a big issue, provided you have good video cards like 3080 or 3090 to drive it at or near its full resolution. It still leaves quite a bit to be desired, but by any measure, the resolution is good enough.

I wear glasses and had no problem using G2 while wearing glasses. Good news to me.

Controls are 50/50. I use hotas setup and for VFR there is not much to be touched. But for IFR that could be a big issue. You can manipulate everything in VR using mouse, just like doing so in 2D, but it's definitely not ideal. 

Having separate windows in VR is easy, and you can place these windows anywhere in the cockpit, an interesting benefit you don't get in real flights or in 2D. But I haven't figured out how to use keyboard in VR, I just avoid typing anything in VR. 

All in all, I would say if you mostly fly VFR, definitely give VR a try, it's incredible. If you mostly fly IFR constantly keying/pressing/twisting buttons and knobs, staying with 2D probably is better idea. 

I use VR for all my IFR flights (don't use 2D at all).  I also found running FS in Windowed mode using VR is better if you need to get to a chart, the pushback app outside the sim, or something else.  As your in VR it doesn't matter as much to have the sim in full screen, and it seems to run better.

Edited February 4, 2022 by Dillon

[threexgreen 3,135]

What I like to tell people asking about VR is: If you want to know what it's like, go sit in a real aircraft. That's what VR is like. Conversely, go put on a VR headset to know what a real cockpit is like. Of course there are still areas to be improved, like resolution for example, but that's really the best description of VR in my opinion since it's that realistic. It's a real cockpit (and world) brought to your PC.

Edited February 4, 2022 by threegreen

[regis9 4,004]

You guys are getting me all excited for my G2 to arrive next week!

[rocketlaunch 614]

When I first experienced VR in msfs i was totally blown away. It is just like you are there in the cockpit. There is no way to explain it, you have to experience it for yourself. I found myself reaching out trying to operate the switches which are actually "there"! I can't wait until that is actually possible. 

VR has also rekindled my passion for general aviation as the sense of realism is just,, well.... unreal!! 

I have a really decent card (3080ti) along with the Quest 2 headset, the cockpit is super sharp but the scenery can get a little blurry, As someone said in this thread already there is no going back to 2D for me. The future is so exciting. 

Edited February 4, 2022 by rocketlaunch

[dogmanbird 269]

 VR is still 2D. 

Not to our brain when in stereoscopic 3d, and that's what counts 👍

[Gerwil 177]

And you can't fit the whole world in a hologram 😄

[dogmanbird 269]

.....but if they manage to make a practical/cost effective version of the hologram system above, that would be awesome too

[blueshark747 1,843]

12 hours ago, fakeflyer737 said:

How is the resolution on modern VR? 
 

Can you easily read PFF and NDs?

 

Ive always wanted to try VR but everyone use to say the resolution is bad. 

Everything is sharp and readable in my Rift S using 1.4 Supersampling.

 

[turbomax 3,269]

9 hours ago, blueshark747 said:

but everyone use to say the resolution is bad. 

definitely not everyone. like always, it depends on the resolution of the VR display, HP G2 is very good, but has only a small hot spot, field where resolution is maximum. end of this year I expect much improved VR headsets based on SONYs new 4k x 4k OLED display devices.

Edited February 5, 2022 by turbomax

[Kaboki 437]

I think when 3rd gen headsets arrive it will be what we have waited for. 2nd gen is "almost" there and is very acceptable and they are more comfortable too wear than 1st gen, wich was really word not allowed and just a tease of whats to come. The g2 is good enough for me now, I dont get motion sick, can read all dials in cockpit and looking outside is decent allthough a little blurry...

Im really looking forward to the 3rd gen headsets:)

[javelina 56]

 

Not even close.  The depth perception goes along way in giving you what you see out the cockpit of a real aircraft.  Don't get me wrong TrackIR was great, but we've entered into the next level.  The only drawback for me is when you're in VR you're expecting to feel the turns on your body as you maneuver the aircraft and when that's not there it's weird, but I don't think we'll ever get to that point outside of putting on a G suite when you sim (don't think I'll ever do that). 

get a buttkicker 2, (or build something similar), it'll add a little bit more to your VR experience....  👍

[eslader 1,779]

21 hours ago, Mike S KPDX said:

• the low resolution must be an issue?
• how does this work if you wear glasses?
• how do you easily manipulate real controls if you have to let go for a bit (stick/throttles) when you cant see them?
• conversely, how do you manipulate the VR knobs with added functionality (push/pull/rotate) without multiple mouse buttons available or having to wear hand items (controllers)?
• how do you work with third party apps like ATC, flightplanners, moving maps, ect that often appear in separate windows or even another monitor.?

* My main flight sim computer runs HD monitors. My Reverb G2 delivers 2k per eye, so it's double the resolution of what I usually sim on.

*I wear glasses. Works fine. The VR lenses do not touch your eyes, so there's no contact between them and your glasses. And the headset is big enough that it doesn't mash your glasses against your face or anything. Once the set is on, you can't really tell that you're still wearing glasses.

* HOTAS controllers.  I'm going to build a flight sim VR pit as soon as the weather gets warm enough to use my unheated shop. Anything I can't set for a controller button, I'll use hand tracking for.

* There are a number of ways, from VR gloves to Leapmotion, which tracks your hands via cameras. I'm leaning toward Leap right now, because most of the gloves are crazy expensive. Though I did see something awhile ago about a controller that slips over a single finger which you can use to flip switches. Might get that instead if people have better experience with it.

* There are utilities to bring that stuff into in-sim windows, so you don't need to remove the VR headset to work with them.

 

 

Honestly, I think you're setting yourself up to be seen as foolish here. You say VR isn't ready for prime time, then admit you have no experience with it, and then say you've done a lot of research, following that up with questions and complaints that would be easily resolved with a little research. 

I don't think we're where VR will eventually take us, but I've done a little flying with my Reverb G2, and I can tell you that it's absolutely better than flat screen simming.