Not sure if this is the right place......I am considering getting into VR and to be honest really know next to nothing about it.

There are so many different possibilities in manufacturer, memory sizes etc.

I'm not looking for the cheapest bottom end unit but rather a good cross between cost and quality and ease of use and set up.

Sims I currently use MSFS2020/2024, XP12 and occasionally Aerofly 4.

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

 

I have been flying in VR for the last 6 for so years.  Its the only way I will fly.  In a nut shell,  Flying with a monitor, even a large monitor still gives you the feeling of flying from the outside looking into your monitor. You still see everything in your home, around you and are somewhat disconnected with the sim world. Don't get me wrong, its still a great and fun way to fly. VR basically puts you inside the plane, actually sitting in the pilots seat, and you are looking out the windows of the plane as you move your head around.  Everything is 3 dimensional and is true or close to true to size.  It is the closest thing to actually being in an airplane.  However, there are some drawbacks.  You cannot see what’s on your desk when you have the headset on. I do not use any VR controllers, I still use a yoke, throttle quadrant, and petals, and use the mouse to interact with the controls.  You will quickly learn thru muscle memory, where they are, so its really not a big deal. 

As great as VR is, it is not for everyone.  Some people cannot get used to seeing the world in VR. Fast movements and heights can cause motion sickness, fear of heights feeling. If you do try out VR, give it some time for your brain to adjust if you get suffer from this. Start in a slow plane or just walk around and in short 10min sessions. I think most people adjust to it quickly.  

Unfortunately, in order to get the best out of VR, you do need a beefy computer.  VR headsets are like running two 4K monitors, at least the higher end units are. You need to have a powerful GPU to push those pixels and keep a smooth framerate.

Would really need to know what hardware you have, or will have, and what type of flying you like to do.  Flying the PMDG, Fenix into Toronto, LA, NY etc. even with the best hardware and a good VR headset, some compromises will need to be made. 

So your computer hardware you have will likely narrow down your choices for VR headsets. 

 

Good luck on your VR journey

Hi RickJake,

Thanks for the reply.

My computer is good, 7800x3d, 5070ti, 64 ram, m.2 drives, 1300w power supply. Monitor is oled 49"MSI.

I had a chance to try VR out about 10 years ago. Very low resolution compared to what is there today....but I was impressed. Did an approach into Innsbruck with an A320 at the time.

I'm quite interested but will be doing a lot more research into what units are available and at what cost. 

Dave

VR has  come a long way in 10 years.  Started out with the Vive Pro, was a good headset, but you could still see the screen door effect because of the lower resolution and you had to lean in to read small instruments. 

Although I never owned one, the Quest 3 seams to be a popular choice for a starter, or mid level headset.  The Pimax Crystal Light also comes highly recommended for a VR enthusiast.  Lots of choices out there.

I have been using the Varjo Aero for the last 4 years, and have been very happy with it, but Varjo has discontinued this unit and going back to just commercial clients. They are also ending support for it staring Jan 1.  So I am now looking at upgrading.

Some very good reviews on the Pimax Crystal Super, So i ordered one on a boxing day special.  It is higher resolution, larger FOV then then Varjo Aero, but is heavier. Will see how it goes.  Its pricey, but not much more then I paid for the Vive Pro back in the day, or the Varjo Aero. both were over 2K Canadian. I justify it to myself, as I really enjoy flight simming and do short flights at least 2 times a week (or more), so if it lasts 4 years or so, I think I get my moneys worth.   Your mileage may very. 

 

 

On 12/28/2025 at 8:27 AM, dbw1 said:

Not sure if this is the right place......I am considering getting into VR and to be honest really know next to nothing about it.

There are so many different possibilities in manufacturer, memory sizes etc.

I'm not looking for the cheapest bottom end unit but rather a good cross between cost and quality and ease of use and set up.

Sims I currently use MSFS2020/2024, XP12 and occasionally Aerofly 4.

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

It all depends on your computer specs, gpu and cpu. A good thing to add as a footer for all forum posts. I use a Pimax Crystal Light successfully with 4070 and 5800X3D. Another good one for hardware at my level, or less, is the Meta Quest 3 (not the 3S). 

 

Or the new Steam Frame

 

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamframe

 

Steam Frame has my interest. Have to see what the price is. Not being overly computer savvy this looks like it will be simple to initially set up and then use.

Pimax Chrystal Light also looks good and is in the running.