mhe

I think that is kind of a mixed bag - the higher the clarity and resolution of the HMD, the more obvious a lack of in-game detail will be. So they kinda go hand in hand. Optimizing for VR is a whole game in itself, per HMD model that is. If I had to choose, I'd go for clarity of resolution instead of in-game settings. But with reprojection techniques getting better all the time, the upcoming VR optimization patch and hardware getting better, it becomes less and less necessary to compromise.

I think for your use case it might be useful to wait for Acer's ProjectD OJO. It is basically a Reverb but with hardware IPD, rest should be pretty similar and it would make sense to price it similarly. It might also end up having superior optics compared to Reverb, but we will have to wait and see. I have a bog standard 64mm IPD and am happy with my RS and am eagerly awaiting my Index come end of June but there is definitely a use case for 2k² HMDs and DCS definitely is one of them.

It works with just one lighthouse for seated cockpit experiences like flightsims and racing.

I had the no-video bug once. It went dark completely and I thought it was broken. What can make a difference on some systems is to disable Power Management for the USB ports (right click the USB Root Hub in Windows' device manager, select properties and disable all power management stuff). No problem with the S since I did that, runs fine on both my desktop and my laptop without any issues. I had some audio noise, but I removed the faceshield, the little audio connector was loose. Fixed that as well.

You can get different headstraps, but VR Cover will start to offer replacement pads for the halo ring as well.

You can even take the whole halo ring off, I wouldn't be surprised if some better headstraps with better audio options are coming rather sooner than later.

Probably some trouble with HP:

This doesn't sound too good: Can neither confirm nor deny whether it is accurate.

Through the lens comparison vid of the Rift S:

23rd for me, I wasn't as quick on the trigger as I should have been...

Finally somebody who has his facts down and goes deeper than just the base resolution on the datasheet. Kudos to you, good Sir!

Sure, it is the same amount of pixels, but given that the view frustum of the renderer's camera has to be wider so DCS' FOV matches the HMD FOV, the engine has to deal with more objects etc. So, albeit indirectly, even at the same res, the wider FOV headset does indeed put a bigger strain on the system than the narrow FOV headset.

MRTV will do a review of the Reverb (possibly with through the lens footage) today when this post is 2 hours old:

Depends very much on how much clarity the optics provide without. Maybe we'll have to handle a bit less overhead than with Vive Pro and the like, that would help performance as well. But then, there will be a wider FOV to render. It is hard to predict the performance, I expect that good settings will surface here in no time once people get their hands on the Index.

I linked that exact thing, even with timestamp, before. Evidence was ignored as is common with naysayers.

Look at the video link. 70Hz is something I'd like to see improvements on as well, but who gives a crap about what display technology they use if the clarity is as depicted? Good luck trying to run 2k by 2k plus Supersampling at decent FPS to make the Reverb look good in DCS. The hardware required to even stand a chance of exceeding 70fps (in analogy to the 70hz) at highest details would probably cost you almost an XTAL, but at least StarVR prices. Basically where the XTAL shines is efficiency. The amount of graphic fidelity and clarity they can squeeze out a mere 1440p render resolution is insane. Sure, you can go the brute force approach and try to make the same thing happen with sheer res and supersampling, but in the end you spend just as much money, only in GPUs instead of HMD.

XTAL has better clarity than anybody else at this point. And StarVR - while still in the air, only announced to be re-released by Acer - had an RGB-stripe OLED if my memory serves me correctly. Custom made. Also, StarVR used 2x USB-C for connection, so VR SLI was basically a must. In any case, XTAL will release a consumer version eventually (I guess when they recuperated a large part of their development costs) at a more reasonable price. If it offers the clarity that SweViver has shown in his review vid, then this is the benchmark. Not only for clarity, but also for efficiency, as it achieves that with no Supersampling whatsoever. Look at this and please tell me how XTAL is garbage (timestamped at relevant point): Sorry, but in what universe does that not look awesome? And the FPS you get from only having to run DCS at 1440p to get THESE results is garbage? Sorry mate, but you seem to have no idea what magic optics can work. HMDs are not monitors. There are way more variables at work than just resolution and OLED vs LCD. Don't get me wrong, I'd freakin love to have StarVR rather today than tomorrow, but the XTAL is far from being junk.

Wait for the VR performance patch Wags hinted at.

Since the halo ring is detachable altogether, I doubt it will take long until somebody comes out with a desirable headmount solution.

Sure, but with the Index, you will always have the option to use an LH setup. If software support for inside-out is done by someone, you can pick whatever you prefer for your particular application. Which is basically the mindset behind the Index. It is meant to be hackable, Valve could have brought the price down even further if they had omitted the cameras, but they chose not to. Probably coding inside-out support for a camera arrangement like that would lead to them being sued by Microsoft or Oculus (pretty sure there are patents), but if that stuff is open source, Valve still has it on the feature list and is safe.

I think nobody would really want to use the knuckles for DCS. However, if all you need to track is a headset, having to use a lighthouse is kinda sad. I think once inside-out becomes available for the HMD at least, we will have a really good system for DCS. And they do sell every piece of kit separately, which will also bring the cost down for DCS fans who don't play other stuff with the Index.

Also, just a matter of time until we get a inside-out tracking software mod for the Index. Then we won't need any lighthouses for just DCS. I'll do other stuff with it as well, so I'll get the full lighthouse treatment for the play area, but DCS will remain a primary go-to for the Index as well. Damn, I can't wait. Put an improved version of a Leap Motion into that front expansion bay and I will be a happy man.

While stuff like the FlyInside simulator shows what is possible with the usual VR motion controllers, my preferred solution would be classic HOTAS combined with hand tracking similar to the way Leap Motion does it. Hopefully we will see a Leap module for the Index' front bay. I simply want to be able to use my hotas without any gloves or anything else interfering. As much as it helps to be able to push buttons and flick switches, HOTAS control is the one thing I won't budge on.

I wonder what the price of an XTAL would be if produced in quantities.

They never had hands on with XTAL as far as I know.