Gman109

It's in UI layer, but with the Rift (haven't tried with Vive yet), you can use shif+contrl and use keypad */ to zoom in and out as well inside the cockpit.

As of last week, the Rift is delivering as quickly as the Vive - I ordered the Vive Friday, and the Rift on Sunday. I got the Vive that Monday morning, and the rift on Wednesday, so when considering the weekend, about the same time, only a few business days. In terms of delivering performance - there is NO way I would pick the Vive over the Rift for sit down simulations. IMO the Rift is superior in nearly eveyr way for sit down flight sim games - Elite, DCS, Aces High, FSX, every flight sim I've tried, the Rift wins hands down - for now.

No problem, after having dozens of my questions answered, being new to DCS and VR, it's only fair that I finally can answer one.

Yes you can, it's in the settings in game.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this - with the Vive the labels are large enough to easily read, yet with the Rift, they are impossibly small, just a blob of red/blue letters, regardless of pixel density/graphics settings. Anyone know of a notepad hack/correction that can change the size of the labels? I've tried changing the size of the models in the settings, but that has no effect on the labels themselves.

IIRC, if you go into your control settings, and the tab that allows you to select various aircraft pulldown has a scrollable list - at the bottom of that list is UI settings, and I think it's in there, along with some other VR related controls which can be mapped to whatever.

Going to get the Rift going on Monday I think. I CAN read the hud and the gauges with the Vive with my settings, clear enough to read numbers and so forth, no problem.

First thing I did when connecting the Vive is yank a 1080 out, not even just disable it, but actually have it sitting on my test bench in this system (I have another 6900k with SLI for monitor games anyway). Adding that 2.5 line to the Steam settings file - no, I didn't see much if any difference with it added or not, with the Vive, looked much the same to me.

Then why are so many others posting that they are putting 2.5 in that file, and that it's "so amazing" and greatly improves the Vive? I didn't know that the slider was for the Rift only, that's good intel.

Tried that already, set it back to 1.5, and tried 1.7, the F15 cockpit is still a disaster, the headset is tracking fine in other stuff, and like I said the Su27 seems to work properly. Is there something in the F15 settings I have wrong?

Haven't hooked up the Rift yet, and I'm trying to figure out the Vive with DCS first. I have settings for Pixels at 2.5 in game, and copied the settings I saw in another thread for the rest of the vid settings. Flying the SU27 instant action FC3 missions, it's not bad, seems to work-ish, but the F15C, either instant action or single missions, the cockpit is really really fubar - as soon as I turn my head it's a black wall to either side 1/2 the time, the poof, it'll kind of work, and I can look around, then it's back to the black wall with squiggly lines here and there. Plus, keeping the F15c forward view is impossible to be centered, I look and press the kp5 to center it, and it's like it's working backwards, and moves me further to that opposite side instead of centering. Very odd. Yet the SU27 seems to be ok. The A10 is kinda wonky too. Resolution is pretty awful if you ask me, doesn't look good AT ALL set at 2.5 with my system, really pixely IMO. I hope the Rift is a better experience than this, as IMO it sucks for the $ so far. I tried doing that notepad hack for the pixel density render 2.5, but my steam.vr file looked a lot different than the one in the example, and I"m not sure where to put the extra 2.5 pixel density line. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

Both of my units arrived today. I'd ordered my Rift on Wednesday last week, the Vive on Friday. NO emails other than the first confirmation were forthcoming from HTC, nor does the order show anything but "processing still" when I check the order number they gave me in the final email I got from them. Even after repeated emails to their customer service - nothing yet. I didn't worry because I'd just ordered it 3 business days ago + weekend. 8 am courier is banging on the door, I see the large box, and think "wow, if guys are saying the Vive's box is way bigger than the Rift, I wonder just how big the Vive box will be", expecting the Rift as it was out for delivery. It was the Vive - wth? Still no changes in my order - I should cancel it since it says "in process" and get a refund, and keep this mysterious box - j/k. Rift came this afternoon. Rift = much easier to set up, Vive, a bit of work but no big deal. Very impressed with early fooling around. DCS tomorrow! Thanks to everyone for all the help in this subforum and for answering what must seem like noob questions - I just decided screw it, I'm getting both, so I can use whichever is optimal with whatever game/sim I choose.

Obviously not obvious.... Thanks for all the help and posts again guys. Both my Vive and Rift arrived today.

Ordered one today, they sent me an email saying it's shipping tomorrow - 1 day service in Canada, crazy. 914$ total, incl tax+shipping/etc. I've been stressing out about cancelling my Rift and going with the Vive after a lot of reading and questions here, so just decided screw it, no reason not to have both, not like they are going anywhere or that there isn't going to be PILES of stuff to use both units for (Elite Dangerous I really want to play too, and apparently ED + Vive = Poop...nice equation huh, I'm a math major!). Great resource this forum is, for a lot of different things.

Perfect explanation and clarification, thank you.

Still waiting for my Vive - can someone explain exactly what is going on in this thread? I've been told (suggested more like it) that I was stupid for asking about the keyboard and mouse working in DCS while using VR/Vive, and now it sounds like you can't just click with the desktop mouse. Is that the case here, with having to map your left click to a HOTAS control, because you actually CAN'T use the regular mouse for it? I was told that my prior question was dumb, and that "of course" the kb/mouse works in DCS/Vive. That being the case, what's going on here? Is there some difference between "VR cursor" and "regular cursor" we see on a normal monitor? I thought that all the normal monitor kb/mouse stuff was supposed to work in VR, why can't you just grab your mouse and move it to the switches as per regular non VR DCS play?

Does this mean you don't have to go into files and edit them with notepad any longer like this thread below in order to change your pixel density? I have a Vive en route, so I haven't tried it myself yet, but want to know beforehand if I should be going into files editing stuff or just using the "VR options" tab for PD as you said. http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=169141

Thanks again for all the answers/info. Found out a lot - cameras, the Vive room cam working in DCS, keyboard/mouse working - lots of stuff, thank you very much, I appreciate it.

If you google that, you'll get the phone book of people complaining about not being able to use the keyboard while the Vive is engaged. Now that I've read more, I've found that they are specifically talking about a virtual keyboard IN the Vive environment, but it's easy to mistake that for the actual KB/mouse being disengaged for some reason. Google this - using keyboard with HTC vive on The first several results all made it seem that the kb/mouse weren't working, hence the question for clarification. It's not obvious - at all.

Average Pilot - how far is that front lighthouse/cam from your chair would you say? Also, does your keyboard/mouse work in DCS along with your HOTAS when the Vive is on?

I've read in some other forums that the keyboard/mouse are disabled whenever the Vive is activated - even with Hotas I still need my keyboard for DCS for many controls, which would present a problem if it doesn't work when the Vive is working, or the Rift for that matter. What are the facts regarding this? I've read that the camera on the Vive can't be activated once DCS is launched in the Vive, and that's fine, I can type by feel, but if the keyboard isn't "on" and not recognizing keystrokes, it's a bust for me...

One question I have - my "play area" will be my office, and the one Vive camera will be behind my right shoulder in the corner of the room, and the other in front of my left shoulder in the opposite corner. When seated, will the rear camera be able to see over a DX Racer gaming chair, or does it not matter, and the front left camera will be enough for the "seated" VR to work with the Vive?

More great replies - I'm pulling the trigger on a Vive tomorrow as well, it'll be August before the Rift "might" even ship they said. Question about glasses/contacts - if you see OK for close up, ie reading and such, does that mean due to the closeness of the lenses on the VR headset you will likely be alright without distance glasses? The reason I ask is having my contacts in make it tough to read up close, but I can see perfect at distances, with them out, in the room distance is fine.

Thanks for the replies - I'm sticking with the Rift order for sure, I'll think about the Vive now though based on some of the replies, and perhaps just get it while I wait 2 months for the Rift to show up.

I've read through all the threads posted by those who have used both in DCS and other sims, but most of those are a few weeks to months old. I'm just wondering after some more time with them, what the opinion is now regarding which is better and why for DCS. From what I've gathered, the Rift seems to be the one getting the majority of the community thumbs up, but some on the Vive side as well. I was going to buy used versions of each last week, but after finding out they provide NO warranty coverage - insta void - for used models (not the 1st owner, in the TOS), I decided to order and wait. I'm on the list now for a Rift, but could have a Vive next week in my country (they have them in stock). I guess what I want to know is should I be patient for the Rift, or pick up the Vive as well. I don't want to get the Vive and then find that the Rift is far superior. I have no interest in stumble about the room popping balloons with the hand controllers sort of experience, I want VR specifically for combat simulations, which are all generally seated for now. I could however make enough space for the Vive if need be. Am I on the right path, waiting for the Rift, or should I consider the Vive, and keep both. $ not a huge issue in the decision. I'd appreciate updates on specific qualities of both in the DCS universe, and any other games where they work (Elite Dangerous, and the like). Thanks in advance.