Callsign.Vega

I'm curious what you guys would recommend for a higher end HOTAS setup that could handle the F-14 and F-16 that I plan to focus on in DCS. Obviously I would like a split throttle to accommodate the F-14. I would like to keep a side-stick setup as it allows a much more ergonomic seat/desk area. I currently have: 1. Thrustmaster Pendular Rudders 2. Monstertech USA desk mounts. 3. 2x Realsimulator FSSB R3 Warthogs. 4. 2x VPC MongoosT-50 Grips (L+R hand) [currently attached to the FSSB R3's]. 5. 2x Gunfighter MKII Bases. 6. 2x VKB Space Combat Grip ‘KOSMOSIMA’ (Premium L+R hand) [currently attached to the GF MKII bases].. I've got a lot of the stuff above for use in Star Citizen but the game still has a long way to go. I'd like to hop back into DCS as my primary. Stick with the Kosmosima for the right side stick or replace it with something like the VKB Modern Combat Grip? The Kosmosima seems to be a pretty nice stick all around. Or go with something from Virpil? I don't think I'd want to go with the VKB F-14 Combat Grip as that would be too F-14 specific (and limited functionality), just like I don't think I'd want to go with an old Thristmaster F-16 Throttle Quadrant System as it's too F-16 specific. I think I am leaning away from force sensing as my wrist is damaged and the constant force irritates it. Although that Realsimulator F-16 grip does look sexy! Anyone have both the VKB MCG and Kosmosima that would have some thoughts for my usage? What is considered the top multi-role throttle these days?

TrackIR with a nice high resolution and refresh rate display. VR isn't there yet and needs a resolution bump.

Anyone compare the FSSB R3 versus high end "normal" bases like the VKB Gunfighter Mk II etc? In addition to flight sims, I play space sims. My biggest issue with my FSSB R3's (HOSAS) is that in situations like dogfight that constant aim/pressure is required (fixed gimbals/weapons), it really gets tiring. Also, not knowing exactly when the "limit" of the control is reached isn't intuitive like it is with a regular moving joystick limit. I have two VKB Kosmosima's on Gunfighter Mk. II bases inbound to compare versus my FSSB R3's. Any thoughts?

Huge news released tonight. Pimax 8K-X launch on Dec 18th. Dual full 4K RGB stripe panels. 75 Hz over one cable. Up to 90 Hz is scalar is used.

IMO force feedback is a love it or hate it kinda thing. I never cared for it. Felt too fake/cheesy for me.

Oh ya that is what worries me. If I buy the right hand and they never come out with the left hand, then my Star Citizen setup would be gimped.

Has anyone heard if they will ever release the left hand version?

They ever going to release a cheaper consumer version?

So I've spent quite a few hours playing games back and forth between my modded Vive Pro (Odyssey+ OLED panel transplant [same panels as Vive Pro but with anti-SDE layer] + GearVR non Fresnel lenses) and the Index and here is what I came up with: Vive Pro Positive: 1. Black levels. 2. Contrast. 3. Colors. 4. Clarity - mainly due to GearVR lenses. Yay for non-Fresnel! 5. Basically no god-rays. 6. No ghosting/trailing of objects under movement (OLED needs no overdrive). This makes up a lot for the lower 90 Hz refresh rate. 7. No pixel inversion artifacts. 8. USB-C DAC can plug in right at the face side/top of the headset out of the way. 9. Anti-SDE layer on the OLED panels makes up for the worse pentile panel matrix. 10. Can't see the edges of the panels. Vive Pro Negatives: 1. Slight "graininess" viewable from the anti-SDE layer on the Odyssey+ OLED's versus the stock Vive Pro OLED's without the layer. 2. Less FoV than the Index. 3. Slight barrel distortion that needs to be fixed with a .cfg edit. 4. Maybe slightly more eye fatigue, still trying to narrow this down but it's hard when switching back and forth between headsets as eye fatigue doesn't go away quickly. Wash: 1. Index's speakers definitely kill the Vive Pro's but it is a wash for me due to still using high end IEM's. Even though they Index speakers are decent, they cannot compare to the IEM's. 2. Index is more comfortable than a stock Vive Pro, but the Vive Pro is comparable once you put aftermarket padding on it. 3. Sweet spot seem comparable and no real issue with either. Index Positives: 1. Wider FoV. 2. No barrel or other world geometry issues. 3. Low SDE due to the full RGB panels instead of pentile. 4. 120/144Hz gives a slightly better motion smoothness. 5, Possible less eye fatigue. Index Negatives: 1. Vertical lines during movement caused by LCD pixel inversion. Seriously annoying. 2. Clarity, static viewing is around modded Vive Pro levels but the vertical line issue makes everything look worse in motion. 3. Colors. 4. Contrast. 5. Black levels. 6. Obvious ghosting due to much slower LCD pixels. 7. God rays a-plenty. 8. USB DAC has to plug in the frunk, leading to some messy cable routing for IEM's. 9. The Fresnel lenses of the Index just don't give you that clarity of the modded Vive Pro. 10. Can see the "squaring off" of the edges of the panels. It would be interesting to test the Index again if someone finds a non-Fresnel lens mod for it. Overall the modded Vive Pro OLED image "pop", non Fresnel lens clarity and no movement anomalies like the Index's vertical lines make it a fairly clear winner for me. LCD just can't compete with OLED and clear lenses.

So I just got done modifying my Vive Pro with the andi-SDE "Odyssey+" OLED panels and also added the non Fresnel GearVR lenses. Hardly any SDE, no god rays and the color/contrast beats out the Index. I'm going to do more A/B comparison but I think the modified Vive Pro may be the better headset. Keeping the Index controllers though!

I think I am going back to using my IEM's. The over the ear speakers are decent but I need to turn them too loud to get the same effect and you don't get the bass of IEM's.

I have both. If you look at the stats, the Reverb is suppose to have twice as many pixels. But the clarity difference definitely isn't twice as good. Maybe it's the better lenses in the Index, but I'd put the clarity of the Reverb "perception" wise about 30% greater than the Index. That is noticeable, but not Earth shattering. I prefer the Index for a few reasons since I do general VR games: 1. 144 Hz is sweet. 2. Outside-in tracking is just superior. 3. Better/longer cable. 4. IPD adjustment. 5. Worlds better controllers. 6. Slightly larger FOV. 7. More comfortable. 8. No messing around with WMR BS. If ALL I did was sim's, I maybe would stick with the Reverb. But for "overall" VR gaming the Index is an easy win. But for some reason, even with 1903 update, the Reverb's clarity doesn't seem commensurate with the resolution specs.

Same if not better resolution results with a tweaked Rift? LOL! Pentile 2.5m pixels versus RGB 9.4 mil pixels. That must be one HELL of a "magic" tweaking!

Got my Index kit in and been playing around. Pro's: 1. HMD is comfortable, like the extra foam back-head pad. 2. Sound is good. Although not as good sound as my high end IEM's, it's still acceptable and not having anything in or on ones ear is super nice. 3. Although the resolution is the "same" as the Vive Pro, switching to RGB pixels from Pentile has made a nice little clarity bump. This is also resulted in slightly less screen door effect. 4. Liking 144 Hz smoothness. 5. Tracking seems extremely good with the new controllers. 6. The cable is quite a bit longer than my HP Reverb's which is nice. 7. Just slight improvement in perceivable FOV. 8. Controllers are better than the original Vive's, but I still have to get used to this weird angle that you have to point with. Con's: 1. They sent me an HMD with a bright stuck sub-pixel in the right display visible on black background. Probably going to have to RMA. 2. Definite hit in colors/contrast/black levels going to LCD from OLED. Games just don't have the same "pop". 3. A little bit more motion smear with the LCD panels versus OLED. I'm modding my Vive Pro with Odyssey+ panels and non-Fresnel lenses so it will be interesting to see which I like better in the end.

So I have the Reverb and it looks quite washed out compared to the OLED Vive Pro. I also have the Index inbound. Is the colors and contrast terrible on the Index LCD panels too?

I have an Index inbound too so will compare it directly with the Reverb.

I have it. I'll go into more detail later since it is bed time, but I am quite disappointed overall in the Reverb. :cry:

You have to run the steam plug-in "Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR" to get any SteamVR game working with the Reverb. My point is if you run just WMR portal by itself with no Steam, it will be clearer than using anything that gets processed through SteamVR and that wacky non-native resolution re-sampling that IS occurring.

Ah ya, man these things are finicky! So I think I found out my reason for the lower clarity. It's the non-perfect/native being used by SteamVR. Test it. Just open only WMR portal. Inside, press the Windows button on the WMR controller. This will bring up the options menu. Here you will see the menu is pretty clear and you don't have any weird "waviness" or distortions, especially around the edges of the menu boxes. Now at 188% scaling in SteamVR (as close to the native resolution as you can get), launch a SteamVR game. Once in, do the same thing above. Notice how it is not as clear and you can see way more distortion/waviness of the edges of the boxes. We need to find a way to get SteamVR to do pixel perfect.

Now my Reverb seems to be stuck in 60 Hz mode even though I have the WMR control panel set at 90 Hz. What the heck!

Ohh woops I'm not paying attention (long day at work). I was changing the scaling under "applications" and not "video". Trying again...

Well got my Amazon Reverb in. Something doesn't "feel" right. Everything seems "soft", like it's not using native 2160x2160x2. Under Windows Mixed Reality, I have "Visual Quality" - Very High (beta) and resolution set to 4320x2160 (best quality). It still doesn't look super clear in mixed reality. And steam resolution is all over the place: 100% custom resolution in SteamVR = shows each eye at 1968x1932 and SteamVR seems to keep resetting it to 100%. 124% gets me the closest - 2192x2152. 188% gets me - 2700x2648, not sure why people were recommending 188% earlier in the thread. And the controllers seems to glitch all over the place... so far not too impressed. I have a RTX Titan so performance is not the issue. Any thoughts?

I receive my consumer Reverb version from Amazon tomorrow. You guys think I should do the splint/zip tie mod right off the bat? Anyone else get in the consumer version yet? What settings do you guys recommend to start off? Steam VR at 2160x2160?

AMD has the best value but Intel still has the best gaming CPU with the 9900/9700K's.

Putting both what VR headsets you own and what you plan to buy in the future makes the poll pointless.