Astronut

The first sim I had you could only look straight ahead (Psion's Flight Simulation on the ZX Spectrum). Then we were able to use snap views using a hat switch on your stick. Then the first 3D pits came along which allowed view panning and mouse-view mode (I think DiD's TFX was the first time I came across that step forward). Then TIR 1 which was a glorified mouse view (i.e. Fixed head position, then 6DoF with subsequent versions of TIR became the standard. Now the torch has been passed on to the VR headsets with great 1:1 tracking and near total immersion. One day, in the not too distant future, we will have hi resolution VR with headsets that look like a large pair of sunglasses. Very light and no doubt adjustable focus for those of us who require corrective lenses. Exciting times!

My TIR hasn't been used since the 26th of April (the day my Rift arrived).

I waited for the CV1 even though I was closely following the Rift development from the start. I kind of regret not jumping on the DK2 back when it was first released. I think it is a mistake to judge the current headsets just on raw specifications. My "approximated" screen shots really don't do the experience justice because, well, VR is so much more when it is brought to life in a sim. I'm sure Goblin will agree with me when I say that short of a professional simulator, VR in it's present form is as close as you can get to the experience of being sat in a real cockpit without doing it for real. I train every 6 months in a Level D sim and in some areas my Rift feels more immersive (any situation where maneuvering is required such as unusual attitude recovery, stalls, circling approaches etc).

Again, if you haven't tried it, you can't really pass judgement on the Rift or Vive. The only thing that I find I miss with the Rift is the ability to take pretty screenshots. I guess I could save the track after a flight and then launch DCS in 2D to grab some shots (although that is a bit of a pain). The resolution, when viewed through the headset, really isn't that bad. It's not tack sharp like a 4K screen i'll grant you, but if you want to have the closest experience to what it actually feels like to be in a cockpit then VR is where it's at. I created these images to approximate the image quality I am seeing with the Rift CV1. It's very usable. Using the VR Zoom function you can read all the small switch labels. Interacting with the switches and buttons, using the mouse is far easier than using the mouse with a Track-IR due to the fact that head tracking is 1:1 in VR, rather than exaggerated with Track-IR. That makes the cursor far more stable and easier to control. The images do not represent the FOV, just the perceived image quality.

Have you tried it? :blink:

Hmmm. Peripheral vision is important but to be honest all it is good for is picking up movement around the edges of your focused vision. A monitor gives pin sharp vision right out to the edge, so how is that more realistic? VR brings so much to the table and it frankly amazes me that people are throwing up excuses as to why it isn't ready, when it frankly is ready. Of course it will get better with subsequent generations but that doesn't mean what we have now is un-usable or any less amazing. Do you think checking 6 in a real fighter is easy while wearing a helmet and while pulling G's? It is far more realistic to have to put some effort into twisting around to look behind you. Flying fighters is a dynamic and physical activity. It's not easy (or everyone would be able to do it). If anything, flying DCS in VR should give players a new and deeper appreciation of those who do this kind of flying for real.

I'm thinking that the vast majority of those who dismiss the current generation of VR headset for use in DCS World haven't tried it. It's a mind-blowingly better experience in VR. It's not perfect, but it is still streets ahead of a flat screen and Track-IR. Streets ahead.

In VR though, the messy cockpits are the best which means the British cockpits will be awesome :thumbup: .

LOL, I'm the opposite. Since getting my Rift I have been spending a small fortune catching up with all the modules that I never intended to buy, but now that we have VR I just have to have them. MiG15, MiG21, F5E, Gazelle, M2000C, L39 all since the end of April. :music_whistling:

Thanks for the info CptSmiley. I'm still very green where the M2000C is concerned. I have a lot to learn but it's a really fun airplane to fly!

ok, I think this is because the Flight Path marker/Velocity Vector doesn't have a non-conformal state (at this point in time). For example, in the F15C, the Flight Path marker flashes if the vector is somewhere outside where the HUD can display it.

If the indicator is above the 0º pitch line the airplane should be climbing. I'll do some more testing.

I'm new to the module so please forgive me for what might be a dumb question. When landing I have noticed that you can have the velocity vector indicating above the horizon line yet the aircraft is still sinking. I have noticed this mostly when I start to flare and I get a little slow, hence the sink. Has anyone else noticed this? What am I missing here?

100% VR here. I don't care how pretty the graphics are on a flat screen. I'll never go back. I have been simming for 32 years now (OMG I'm getting old). I got my Rift at the end of April and it has completely revitalized my interest in flight simulation (and particularly DCS which has really done an outstanding job of adopting the technology).

I'm 8 missions in and it's great in VR. I will admit that I use labels to help with distant objects. Once I can resolve the targets I turn off the labels. The MiG 15 is awesome with the Rift.

If you are not already using a 4K setup then the resolution of the Rift will be less of a problem I think. I went from flying on a 1080p 32inch TV to the Rift and the drop in resolution didn't seem terrible. I could never go back to flying on a flat screen now. The Rift has it's limitations and challenges for a DCS World pilot, but the immersion is unbelievable. I bought the Mig-15 module yesterday and the first time I fired it up I just sat there in the cockpit marveling at the detail. For some reason the nuts and bolts attaching the gunsight to the glare shield put a huge grin on my face. Little details like that just pop in VR.

Same issue for me too.

I would prefer it if the Rift only became active when you jump into the mission. Flight/Mission planning and briefing are much better undertaken on a sharp hi-red 2d screen. Once you click Fly, the Rift then comes into it's own. Once you exit the cockpit, back to 2D for the debrief and prep for the next mission.

That's great to hear Joatm0n. For a number of years they made it a throw away item, but the price was still that of the previous model. Seemed a bit greedy even though it was a great product. Evidently they came to the same conclusion.

I used the Relief Band back in 2003 while I was training for my instrument rating. I couldn't last more than about 10 minutes under the hood while flying in a C172 during the hot, bumpy July weather in Ohio. After getting the relief band I could stay on task for a couple of hours. It was amazing. I don't suffer from it much these days, probably because I fly so much. The Rift has made me queezy on a few occasions. The biggest culprit was Adrift, and then just yesterday I felt a little 'off' while practicing hover-taxiing in the UH1. Fixed wing flying with the Rift has not been a problem. Anyway, 2 thumbs up for the Relief Band even though it is an expensive item. One thing to consider though is that the latest models don't let you change the battery (the earlier models did). That makes it a bit pricey for constant use.

Rift CV1. I could never go back to a flat screen now.

Updating did the trick! Thanks SkateZilla!

well that would explain it.. I'll try to update then. Thanks for all your assistance!

I'm using DCS World 1.5.3 51417 Using the procedure you listed above, when I launch DCS World, I get a gray screen in the Rift with a loading circle very briefly. I then get pushed back to the Oculus home environment (while on my monitor I see the main DCS menu screen. It's like it tries, but but something fails in the process.

3rd Party options was enabled. I rebooted and still no joy. When I start DCS World, Oculus Home launches but the Rift doesn't activate when I try to fly (I just see the Oculus Home store in the Rift). My monitor shows the DCS 3D environment though.