MJY65

I think that forums and YouTube produce a lot of confusion (along with good information) to new prospective players. The drumbeat of things not working correctly and longing for the "next new thing" certainly makes it seem as though doing less would pretty much guarantee a disappointing experience. That may not be true.

Not a great option for those of us considering getting into it for the first time. The current cost of entry coupled with ongoing technical problems created by sketchy companies that over promise and under deliver doesn't do much to draw in new customers. It's not just the 5090. It's the constant barrage of complaints about various I/O devices that are only semi-compatible with each other and "kind of work" some of the time. I have to believe there are many of us that have a background in (or love of) aviation that would like a smoothly working sim that doesn't require extensive IT skills.

The reality of the 5090 does present a bit of a dilemma for those of us that waited for our first DCS setup in hopes of increased performance. I guess I’ll be paying a premium for marginally improved results. It seems likely that we’ve reached a plateau where things will stay for the foreseeable future. The next GPU, next “and beyond”, next gen VR, etc aren’t likely to change much. Accept DCS as it is now (with minimal improvements) or forget about it and move on.

Based on advice from members, I held off on my set up last Fall to wait for the 5090. With the release of 5090 GPUs and the Pimax Super headset both imminent, I'm reconsidering my shopping list. My initial plan was to get a Samsung 49" monitor and think about VR "in the future". Now, it's looking like we might be there in terms of performance and compatibility. Would you still recommend a large monitor and wait for VR, or just jump straight in with VR and pair it with a small monitor for admin tasks?

PC Partpicker looks like a good resource for someone like me if you guys think it is reputable information. Even their "glorious" gaming set up is significantly cheaper than prebuilt. Is there anything DCS specific that you would upgrade or change from their recommendation? https://pcpartpicker.com/guide/cwv6Mp/glorious-intel-gamingstreaming-build

I don't live in a large city, so I'm not sure where I would find such an individual. Since I'm not deep into the gaming community, my selection would be a total shot in the dark. That's not to say I wouldn't seek out a custom build, but it probably is going to be someone recommended on this forum who may be located half a country away. I don't mind learning new skills and can work with precision tools, but I simply lack the knowledge required to set something up from scratch. I picture it turning into a $5,000 boat anchor due to some mismatch of components.

^^^^ Daunting is right! I am in serious need of a shopping list from those that have BTDT or I'm going to make expensive mistakes. Any suppliers that offer advice or set up based on a customer's performance wish list?

Sharpe, That was a starting budget for a complete system. I have nothing right now (typing this on a Mac), so I need a PC, display or VR, controllers, etc.

I guess I'm not sure what "nice" costs. I'd assume it would be $5,000-$10,000, but I'm here to learn.

^^^^ I guess "cheap" is a personal threshold. I'm willing to explore "nice" if it means paying a bit more up front. What I'm not interested in is having to do a lot of patching things together to make the various hardware compatible with each other. An expensive plug and play is preferable to a cheap Frankenstein.

I was seriously looking at getting into DCS a couple of years ago, had gathered information on hardware and then decided to hold off. It seemed like there was a fairly big move from displays to VR going on and I didn't want to get caught one the wrong side of it. Fast forward to today: I'm still interested in getting into it. Has VR matured enough to go all in on it? If so, what do you recommend for a really nice set up? Looking back at my notes, pretty much every piece of hardware that was considered top tier is now down in the middle to bottom. Please help me put together a shopping list aimed at the smoothest set up and learning experience that will last me at least a few years before becoming obsolete. My primary interest is modern jets. Thanks

I was planning to buy a Maingear Ultimate which is 4090. I just don't want to spend $10,000 on a computer and peripherals only to be tearing my hair out because I lack the knowledge to set it up to work up to its full potential.

^^^^ I'd definitely be buying a pre-built computer from MainGear. It just seems like endless messing around with settings (outside of DCS) to get it to run right and for all the hardware to work together. Maybe I'm reading too much into comments.

I've been watching YouTube videos and reading in preparation for getting started in DCS. From what I'm seeing, the initial hardware set up is not exactly plug and play, but often requires LOTS of tweaking. I'm not averse to technology, but have never built a computer and most of my experience is with Mac and iOS. Is getting DCS set up to run properly beyond the capability of a middle aged guy with limited experience? Is this the realm of IT specialists and lifelong gamers?

I'm starting from scratch with the goal of a really good DCS experience with enough power to go 5 years without bogging down and choking. Here's the hardware list I've come up with from watching a bunch of videos and reading: Maingear Ultimate=4090, i9-13900, 32GB, 2TB SSD Second SSD?? Varjo Aero VR headset Lighthouse basestations x 2 Winwing Orion 2 HOTAS MAX throttle and stick Winwing takeoff panel Winwing PCR panel Thrustmaster TPR rudder pedals Next Level Racing Boeing Military SimPit Keyboard Small monitor for start up Mouse Audio Headset?? DCS modules I'd expect this will end up being $9,000-$10,000. Yikes!! I realize that one can get started for much less, but I know I won't be satisfied with keyboard shortcuts, etc. If I'm going to do this, I need to do it right. My biggest concern is that I spend this much and have it obsolete in a year or two. What do you think? Am I missing anything? Thanks