VR Performance in DCS World

[j0nx]

Everyone is having problems with VR, even on low settings yet we have Mr. Wagner who commented a while ago saying VR gameplay in DCS is great and flawless using both headsets. What a misleading information!

I'm now cancelling my Vive preorder and the only thing I regret about is that a couple of months ago I've spent so much on the high end PC just mainly for VR in DCS and it turns out that not only I have to set everything on LOW in graphics settings but even then I can't have a smooth flight. I don't care how immersive you feel while wearing this useless (in DCS) headset through which you can't even see and appreciate high details of the sim even with 980ti.

I bet DCS is at least 2 years away from a good VR experience and about 5 years from calling an excellent experience.

 

So much hype with this BS VR on DCS forum!!!:hmm:

 

Describe exactly what problems you are having. You're not making much sense but doing a lot of emotional complaining without description. I looked for another post from you with detail about what's going on but didn't see anything. I have a 980ti and a 6700K so I'm interested in the performance as well.

[BigDuke6ixx]

Describe exactly what problems you are having. You're not making much sense but doing a lot of emotional complaining without description. I looked for another post from you with detail about what's going on but didn't see anything. I have a 980ti and a 6700K so I'm interested in the performance as well.

 

I get the impression he doesn't have VR.

[_Acoustic_]

At this point, I'm sure it's just placebo effect, but I really think it helped! :thumbup: I didn't see any major difference in frame rate, but it does feel smoother. Or at least I think it does.... But isn't that what really matters? :D

 

Haha, good to hear!

[DerekSpeare]

I agree that the "excellent experience" is somewhat enthusiastic, but since it's a highly subjective claim, it's impossible to qualify for each man other than leaving him to decide it for himself. However, the expected performance from those who have very high end hardware is quite different than the actual performance encountered on not infrequent occasions.

 

For example, I posted my settings previously, and I have high end hardware. All of my settings are essentially low, but there are times where the frames drop out badly, and this is in inverse proportion to the object count indicated by the frame rate counter. The higher the objects the lower the frames. I'm wondering what is the root of the cause, as I'd expect simple textured polygons not to kill frame rates like this.

 

On balance, VR basically makes the system render what is somewhere between 2 and 3 frames for each "frame" displayed. My experience is that VR demands roughly the same as performance as what's needed for three screens. However, and I have said this before, three screen users likely do not respond to the the occasional dips from 75 to 60 to 50/40 frames at times like a VR user would; lower than refresh rate frame rates can increase the potential for VR induced disorientation and discomfort.

 

I don't see how any system currently offered that could run a sustained base sim frame rate of 90fps and run DCS on maximum. That's an impossibility, but if ED knows that there are optimizations they can make which lead to more efficient rendering that enhances performance for VR (and all users), then they owe it to the user base to implement the changes.

 

They know their product best, and all of us are on the outside looking in. But I do believe that more can be done to harness the PC power available to many users. Multicore CPU support and SLI are two (I believe one of the testers indicated SLI may be happening) things they can do. Perhaps they can clean up how objects are rendered as well. In they end they know what they're not doing.

 

ED has been attentive to the VR groundswell. There's more to do it seems to make it an "excellent experience" for me. But I have been simming for almost 30 years, so I'll likely have to wait longer for what I would call an excellent experience for myself.

Edited April 16, 2016 by DerekSpeare

[vicx]

I think RUS38 makes a reasonable point. Some people very much enjoy their perfectly dialled in experience on a monitor; these are the people who need to know that VR is NOT going to be as reliable as non-VR for quite some time. I've tried not to post too many warnings about tempering ones expectations when it comes to VR performance in DCS. Still I'd say every second post of mine about VR has been about the great difficulty of delivering VR in DCS.

 

Of course I'm not just a skeptic, I'm also a true believer. I ordered a Vive when the store opened and I'm really looking forward to flying in VR. BUT I didn't order a HMD just to play DCS so I'll be fine if takes a while for DCS VR to get dialled in.

 

If you don't want to beta test DCS VR ... it might make sense to wait a little while.

[SkateZilla]

"Threaded Optimizations" was already known to cause issues w/ DCS for a while now..

 

Turning "Threaded Optimizations" off is Buried in the nVidia Optimization thread that's been buried itself over the years.

[DerekSpeare]

"Threaded Optimizations" was already known to cause issues w/ DCS for a while now..

 

Turning "Threaded Optimizations" off is Buried in the nVidia Optimization thread that's been buried itself over the years.

 

lemmie beg up this, then. Does one change this setting in the nvidia control panel? Thank you!

[BigDuke6ixx]

I think RUS38 makes a reasonable point. Some people very much enjoy their perfectly dialled in experience on a monitor; these are the people who need to know that VR is NOT going to be as reliable as non-VR for quite some time.

 

What does 'reliable' mean in this context?

[SkateZilla]

lemmie beg up this, then. Does one change this setting in the nvidia control panel? Thank you!

 

should be under global options.

[Warthog_Farmer]

Will disabling threaded optimisations improve performance?

 

I'm away from PC at the moment but any tweak is rather exciting.

 

I had folk over flying an A10C last night who have never had a go of a flight sim to date. Then I took them on a recorded Huey track with lots of slow flying, fast and low flying and tail whipping into reverse flight - their VR virgin stomachs called it quits at that =]

[Icebear]

I really don´t know why some of u are so pessimistic and negativ against VR.

I got my CV1 for 2 days now and I´m totaly impressed to fly with it. Ok, I have to turn the settings lower, but with the Huey on the Caucasus Map I have no problems with dropping framerates. It flies totaly smooth.

And it is only Beta-Software with an early Adopter Hardware!

[Jacks]

Hopefully the new pascal GPUs due out this year will make VR a much more enjoyable and smoother experience - definitely the future of flight simulation.

[BigDuke6ixx]

Hopefully the new pascal GPUs due out this year will make VR a much more enjoyable and smoother experience - definitely the future of flight simulation.

 

I believe we are already past the tipping point and DCS in VR has already become acceptably smooth and enjoyable.

 

Of course, VR will continue to get smoother as new GPUs come out. Goes without saying.

[Warthog_Farmer]

I really don´t know why some of u are so pessimistic and negativ against VR.

I got my CV1 for 2 days now and I´m totaly impressed to fly with it. Ok, I have to turn the settings lower, but with the Huey on the Caucasus Map I have no problems with dropping framerates. It flies totaly smooth.

And it is only Beta-Software with an early Adopter Hardware!

 

 

I'm not sure we're pessimistic.... It's more of a drive to make things better. I don't think many people aren't blown away by the possibilities of VR for our genre but the dream of better will always exist. Let's face it: the resolution is half of what we need and the performance isn't always tremendous, but that doesn't mean we're not happy to be where we are today.

 

My opening post of this thread is for people to discuss how to get good performance out of the engine with what we have. It seems that no matter what your hardware it will often dip below the optimum frame rate for 100% smooth flight and we have to help work towards eradicating those dips if VR is to flourish in DCS.

 

If you are able to fly totally smooth Huey flights then please, as the first post asks, share your system config and your graphics settings and let us know what your average and frame rate is in a built up town. Every little helps if we can figure out what's makes you different to those suffering the dips!

 

As for pascal - I am hoping this will sort our problems but I am, in that regard, a little pessimistic ^_^ I have yet to see my GPU struggling with DCS on Afterburner

[hannibal]

Hopefully the new pascal GPUs due out this year will make VR a much more enjoyable and smoother experience - definitely the future of flight simulation.

 

next to me getting the rift CV1, the news of the release of Pascal Titan is what im waiting on...

i need me that HBM2...!!

 

NEED NEED NEED!:lol:

[SkateZilla]

A quick note for DK2 and likely CV1 users..

 

If you are having severe juddering,

 

Check your GPU Clocks when you launch Oculus Home,

 

Mine Launches and Limits my GPU to Intermediate Clocks (ie 500MHz),

 

Alot of other DK2 Users on Reddit have the same problem, and figured out that you'd have to power cycle the HMD (Unplug USB or Power), after loading Oculus Home to reset clocks to full 3D Clocks and let it re-load the Home Environment.

 

If I launch home and leave it at 500MHz, and launch DCS, it will infact stay at 500MHz, and cause lower FPS and increased Ghosting and Judder as you look around.

 

 

So:

1. Launch Home, if you're getting severe ghosting and stuff, check GPU Clocks.

2. If GPU Clocks are not correct for Full 3D Gaming, Unplug USB for Rift

3. Plug In Rift, Wait for the Display to Re-Initialize

4. Check Clocks, and Check to make sure ghosting and judder is gone.

Edited April 17, 2016 by SkateZilla

[DerekSpeare]

A quick note for DK2 and likely CV1 users..

 

If you are having severe juddering,

 

Check your GPU Clocks when you launch Oculus Home,

 

Mine Launches and Limits my GPU to Intermediate Clocks (ie 500MHz),

 

Alot of other DK2 Users on Reddit have the same problem, and figured out that you'd have to power cycle the HMD (Unplug USB or Power), after loading Oculus Home to reset clocks to full 3D Clocks and let it re-load the Home Environment.

 

If I launch home and leave it at 500MHz, and launch DCS, it will infact stay at 500MHz, and cause lower FPS and increased Ghosting and Judder as you look around.

 

 

So:

1. Launch Home, if you're getting severe ghosting and stuff, check GPU Clocks.

2. If GPU Clocks are not correct for Full 3D Gaming, Unplug USB for Rift

3. Plug In Rift, Wait for the Display to Re-Initialize

4. Check Clocks, and Check to make sure ghosting and judder is gone.

 

Thank you - I must check mine.

 

Would it be possible to obtain and list or be pointed to a summary of what each setting in the Graphics menu control? As such it's trial and error, and some settings show nothing where others are obvious. Discering the GPU and CPU load with terms like, 'minimal, moderate, high and very high' would help many of us know where to look and what to adjust.

 

:smartass:

[7ronin7]

90FPS with VIVE.....Can U tell us how???

[vicx]

A quick note for DK2 and likely CV1 users..

If you are having severe juddering,

Check your GPU Clocks when you launch Oculus Home,

Mine Launches and Limits my GPU to Intermediate Clocks (ie 500MHz),

 

Interesting. I'd love to confirm this but my DK2 will be packed away until the weekend.

 

Is this happening because DCS is not being launched via Oculus Home? If so that is a terrible thing for apps that just want to use the SDK.

[DerekSpeare]

I have found that my card runs at the Oculus home rate of 1189 when actually flying, but the DCS menu screens run at ~1400. This doesn't happen with FlyInside/FSX. I'd love to change it somehow.

[FalconFSX]

I'm using CV1 and I've using the Instant Launch Free Flight over Poti in the P51 to test. Using DCS v1.53 (Steam) with a GTX970.

 

I get 90 FPS unless I look in certain directions, then it will drop as low as 45. Specifically looking about 45 degrees to the right (from the start of the mission) and then will notice it if I turn right toward the landing strip the ally P51 lands at.

 

Is there an option I'm missing or is this something else?

[SkateZilla]

sounds like adaptive vsync is dropping you to 45 fps.

[j0nx]

You guys need to check what state your card is in with NI or GPUz. My bet is that oculus home is throttling the card to P2. If so then hard set P2 with your normal clocks with NI until this bug is fixed.

[DerekSpeare]

You guys need to check what state your card is in with NI or GPUz. My bet is that oculus home is throttling the card to P2. If so then hard set P2 with your normal clocks with NI until this bug is fixed.

 

Something is making DCS run at the Oculus Home clock speed. I don't have the same issue with FlyInside/FSX, which also runs on the v1.3 runtimes. The clock speeds when flying there are maxed out.

[FalconFSX]

sounds like adaptive vsync is dropping you to 45 fps.

 

I went into my NVIDIA control panel and vsync was enabled for global profile (not adaptive, I don't see the option). I turned it off and it doesn't appear to have any effect.

 

As for GPU clocks, using MSI Afterburner, my Core clock goes to 975 when Oculus is launched, then 1400 when DCS is launched. So I don't think that is the problem.

 

Any other suggestions?