TimberWolf

Got my Crosswinds today, and been playing with them for a bit. Initial reaction is that they are much better than the Saitek/Logitech pedals. First off is the build quality. There is no play with the crosswinds. The Saiteks have a noticeable amount of lateral play in the pedals: they jiggle. The Crosswinds are quieter and much smoother than the Saiteks. Also, they are much more adjustable. Even at the lowest tension, the Saiteks are still a bit too stiff for me, and with a marked centre detent, it is difficult to provide small pedal movements. I like that the angle of the pedals can be adjusted, too. The one thing that I had to get used to is that the Crosswind pedals don't move straight back and forth. Due to the mechanism, the pedals actually describe a shallow arc laterally. It's not bad, just something that I had to get used to. After a few minutes, you don't even notice it. The other nice thing is that the pedals are removeable, so you can add aftermarket pedals, or even make your own. I know there are some 3D-printed pedals for heel-on-floor use. You can also use the stock pedals for that as well, just set the angle more vertical. However, I find that not to be very comfortable. I think you need a low seat, or raise the pedals, for that position to be comfortable. Since I use a normal desk chair, I find the heel-on-pedal position much more comfortable. I don't have any experience with the other high end pedals, but compared to the Saitek, it is far better. If you want pedals, and can't afford more than $200 for a set, the Saitek will work fine. But I don't regret buying the Crosswinds.

Did you check your system events to see if you are getting errors?

I've seen that and other threads about "heel on floor" pedals. What I don't understand is that the Crosswinds allow you to tilt up the pedals until they are almost vertical, so why can't you do heel-on-floor in that configuration? It seems like it would work. I guess I'll figure it out when I get mine in a couple of weeks, but it looks like you can almost cut the bottom off the pedals, or maybe just use a piece of plywood, and get similar results.

I have that rudder pedal. Just ordered an MFG Crosswind. While the Saitek is fine, it feels cheap and springy, with a pronounced center detent. I'm hoping the MFG is better in that regard.

I built my own setup, dirt cheap, out of 2x4s. After spending so much money on a dedicated computer for VR flight sims, I wanted to keep the price of a mount as cheap as possible, while still being easy to build and sturdy.

You don't need two GPUs to run VR. I've never used the integrated GPU in my Intel chips, at least for my gaming PCs. I ended up getting a 10700KF for my new sim rig. I would compare prices to a DIY computer, although it might be easier to get a GPU in a system instead of by itself. Make sure the included CPU cooler can handle the heat load if you plan on overclocking it.

Before you continue messing with DCS, have you tried playing in the VR house? You can pull up a browser, and try some VR demos like the deep sea one. That should tell you whether the headset itself has issues. Once you know that the headset is working properly, then you can try to get DCS set up properly.

Depends how desperate you are. Right now the best card is whatever is in stock at close to MSRP. Otherwise you might have a long wait ahead of you.

I don't see how that original article is wrong. VR is still a niche product. So are flight sims. In the latest Steam survey, less than 2% of users have a VR headset, so that is hardly a ringing endorsement for VR.

How do I know if I'm on the list? I PM'd Firecat, but haven't heard back at all.