Any Pico 4 users here?

[odourboy]

I have one on order and looking for best practices and setup advice for MSFS.... or just your thoughts on it.

[Daube]

I have one and I'm very happy with it. I wanted to buy an HP Reverb G2 second gen, but it was not in stock anymore here, so I went for the Pico4 instead, after watching carefully some reviews on youtube, including the famous MRTV channel.

The Pico4 can work in two ways: with the Pico streamer app, or with a 3rd party payware app called Virtual Desktop that you would have to buy from the Pico online store (price is around 20 dollars). Both require a (free) streaming client installed on your computer, that will send the picture to the headset. I have a strong preference for Virtual Desktop instead of the Pico app.

Other than that, the Pico4 will work with MSFS VR mode via SteamVR, so you'll have to ensure SteamVR is correctly installed and up to date on your computer. You'll also need to ensure you have a fast enough Wifi signal available, so that the headset can connect to the streamer app on your computer (both need to be on the same network/LAN).

Once this is done, when you switch to VR in MSFS, it will trigger SteamVR which will recognize your headset and display the sim in there. Be careful though, every time I do this, the SteamVR state window "steals" the focus from the MSFS window, so I first have to click back on the MSFS window (looking at my real screen on the desktop) to get MSFS in focus again, so that the keyboard commands are recognized again (for example SPACE to center the view... if that one doesn't work, then you know MSFS went out of focus 😄 )

[odourboy]

@Daube Thanks for the detailed reply! As a NOOB, it's unclear to me the fundamental role that SteamVR and Virtual Desktop actually serve in streaming from MSFS to the Pico 4. Could you explain this a bit more?

Also, not sure if you can help with this question (I've asked it a couple of times to YouTubers): my PC is equipped with WiFi 6 and I can create a WiFi Hotspot on it (which is cabled to my router and out to the www). Can this Hotspot be used by the Pico to connect to the PC (avoiding the router wireless connection)?

Have you tried streaming to your Pico with USB?  Is there any performance advantage over wireless? 

[tamsini]

I do not want to overcomplicate things but it is my understanding that you would use Steam VR if you have the Steam addition of MSFS. The MS store version uses Window Mixed Reality portal (does not require Virtual desktop). That is how I am currently setup with Reverb G2.

[odourboy]

8 minutes ago, tamsini said:

use Steam VR if you have the Steam addition of MSFS.

This is contrary to statements by several prominent youtubers. SteamVR is required to run the MS store version with Pico. I just don't understand the role if plays in this scenario. 

[tamsini]

26 minutes ago, odourboy said:

This is contrary to statements by several prominent youtubers. SteamVR is required to run the MS store version with Pico. I just don't understand the role if plays in this scenario. 

Perhaps, then, Pico is different in the way it uses VR than HP. Sorry if this was more complicated than it should have been.

[turbomax]

1 hour ago, odourboy said:

This is contrary to statements by several prominent youtubers. SteamVR is required to run the MS store version with Pico. I just don't understand the role if plays in this scenario.

welcome to the VR club, I am sure you can't wait, I couldn't when I picked up my first VR headset a few years ago directly from import customs. let us know when you got it.

make sure to check the special VR settings menu in MSFS, where you can change several settings to differ from your regular 2D mode, otherwise your fsp would go way down.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by turbomax

[Daube]

2 hours ago, odourboy said:

@Daube Thanks for the detailed reply! As a NOOB, it's unclear to me the fundamental role that SteamVR and Virtual Desktop actually serve in streaming from MSFS to the Pico 4. Could you explain this a bit more?

Virtual Desktop will stream the image of your computer to the headset, no matter if it's VR or not. To simplify, Virtual Desktop connects your headset to Windows.

SteamVR handles the transformation of the simulator picture from 2D to VR.

So, the picture of the sim goes to SteamVR to be translated into VR, and this is then sent to your headset by Virtual Desktop.

Pico Streamer is just like Virtual Desktop. However, Virtual Desktop is known to offer better performance and flexibility than Pico Streamer.

 

2 hours ago, odourboy said:

Also, not sure if you can help with this question (I've asked it a couple of times to YouTubers): my PC is equipped with WiFi 6 and I can create a WiFi Hotspot on it (which is cabled to my router and out to the www). Can this Hotspot be used by the Pico to connect to the PC (avoiding the router wireless connection)?

I'm not sure of the answer. This is actually something I want to try as well... Worth a shot anyways 🙂

 

2 hours ago, odourboy said:

Have you tried streaming to your Pico with USB?  Is there any performance advantage over wireless? 

Yes I did. The technique requires buying a USB to USB-c cable.

On my computer, this leads to better stability and slightly better performance, but it's a bit cumbersome to use. The technique consists of installing a new app on your headset by moving a .APK file on the headset internal storage (via USB, the headset is like your smartphone or a usb key) and selecting that file from the headset internal menu. This gives you access to a setting to enable the USB tethering of your headset. When you activate this option, Windows suddenly recognizes a new network and asks your confirmation to use it. Once this is confirmed, you can launch the virtual desktop streamer, connect to your headset via Wifi at first, then you can disable the wifi of the headset and the connection continues to exist 🙂

It sounds a bit complicated the way I explained it, but there's a nice video explaining it, and once you've done it a few times, it becomes easier. That being said, a user on the FS forums said the wireless connection finally gave him better or similar results, so he stopped bothering with the USB tethering technique completely...

[Daube]

1 hour ago, tamsini said:

I do not want to overcomplicate things but it is my understanding that you would use Steam VR if you have the Steam addition of MSFS. The MS store version uses Window Mixed Reality portal (does not require Virtual desktop). That is how I am currently setup with Reverb G2.

As far as I know, which version of MSFS you use (Steam or Store) doesn't matter.

MSFS uses OpenXR.

OpenXR can go through SteamVR or WMR.

In the end it depends on your headset compatibility. WMR headsets such as the G2 (or my old Lenovo Explorer) can use one or the other. The Pico can only use SteamVR.

[odourboy]

@Daube Dude! Thanks!

[odourboy]

58 minutes ago, turbomax said:

welcome to the VR club, I am sure you can't wait

😆 🤣 😂 😹 

[odourboy]

2 hours ago, tamsini said:

Perhaps, then, Pico is different in the way it uses VR than HP. Sorry if this was more complicated than it should have been.

No worries!  It's complicated. 

[Guest al watt]

I have a Ryzen 5 5600x 3.6ghz 6C 12T CPU  A Radeon RX6700XT OC GPU 

I was going to purchase the Peco4 125 for MDS2020 Simming as I only do flight simming and am not a gamer,   but some You Tubers have said it would not work as needs a 3080or 90 above to work..   

Is this true or will the Peco 4 work in my system

 

I have never tried VR

Thank you 

al watt

[turbomax]

56 minutes ago, Guest al watt said:

Is this true or will the Peco 4 work in my system

the cheapest Nvidia 400 series GPU would be a better choice because of its FrameGeneration fps doubling. but AMD supposedly will launch a similar solution called FSR 3

Edited March 19, 2023 by turbomax

[zalox]

Recently I just got a Pico4, the only information I used with MSFS is this Youtube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBtBydWz9vQ&list=LL&index=2

It needs a fast GPU, (I have paired with a RTX 4080) and stable 5Ghz Wifi connection because your PC will stream your desktop to the Pico4 using a fast and high quality video compressor.