DCS VR... Is it worth it?

[brettt777]

So, I've been thinking about investing in an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive VR set. Some of my favorite PC games are going VR or have already and who doesn't want a more immersive gaming experience? Will DCS do VR or is it coming? Is it worth the $800-1000 investment for VR or should I spend that $$$ on a triple monitor setup and stick with the TrackIR 5?

[SkateZilla]

You wont be able to run VR on a GTX770 w/ 2GB

[DoctorStrop]

VR is awesome. I got the Vive, I don't regret it at all. There's little bit of tweaking, and the clarity is nowhere near what you get on a monitor, but for immersion, all I can say is wow. I find myself just staring round all the switches and instruments that just pop out. A couple of times I've reached for the canopy frame to pull myself up, only to be reminded I'm in VR.

 

You would have to update your GPU before you could run VR.

[funkyfranky]

In my opinion and from what I read from others, it is absolutely worth it. For me there is no going back to 2D. Hard to describe - you have to see for yourself. Adding one more dimension to the game is incredible! Resolution is not quite there yet, but the advantages outweigh that by a large margin.

Also, VR is already running very well for DCS. And it's going to be better and better. I am very happy that ED jumped that train so early.

So spend your money on VR is my recommendation:)

[S D]

Yes, simple answer. All depends on personal circumstance, if you can afford it (and the hardware to run it) and understand the resolution draw back. Then go for it... its as big a leap from not using track IR to using it, if not more so.

 

The one to one scaling (or as close as) makes flying so much more natural. Situational awareness is improved immensely, as your brain understands where you are in 3d space. This really translates for chopper flying, hovering becomes second nature not even a real thought process. As you naturally use reference points in your peripheral vision, not unlike real pilots, except they get the inertia input aswell.

 

Also depends on what your flying, as for HOTAS aircraft, with the corrosponding hardware, its as close as your going to get to sitting in a jet. But even then, i cant speak for the Vive as i use the Rift. But doing tasks in the real world isnt that hard, Keyboard/Mouse interaction is fine.

 

Going back to the resolution "downside", if you want to call it that. Is in my opinion completely outdone by the feel of being inside the virtual space. Sure you might have to use the VR zoom function to read certain small displays, like switching a radio freq, but its really not a big fuss. As a poster above said its hard to describe.

 

Also you'll hear reports of motion sickness and the like, i can only speak for myself but i've never had such issues. I guess if your used to TrackIR then you should be able to transition with no ill effects. I did get a slight headache for 5/10 mintues when i first used it, but i attribute this to me focusing on the screen pixels. Which takes a little time to adjust to looking "through", almost like you would a fine mesh infront of your eyes. But once your doing stuff in game you dont notice it.

 

Now it just feels natural, no way i could go back to using even trackIR.

 

P.S You'll be suprised how big the American cockpits are in VR, the Mirage is so cosy in comparison.

Edited December 20, 2016 by Shadow.D.

[FragBum]

Damn these replies, I'm even keener to go Oculus however I have questions regarding the audio,

 

How is the mix down and does it track head movement with head phones?

 

Does the audio mix track head movement in surround sound?

[EntropySG]

Worth it? Hell yes!

I can't go back to flying in 2D ever again

[Jabbers_]

Damn these replies, I'm even keener to go Oculus however I have questions regarding the audio,

 

How is the mix down and does it track head movement with head phones?

 

Does the audio mix track head movement in surround sound?

 

Yes, sound is spatial, I often use the sound to figure out where a helo, or plane is relative to me, turn my head, figure out which ear got louder.

[S D]

I dont really know much about technical audio stuff, but i can say it just takes the audio output from the game. So its no different than moving your head around using the numpad for example. I think we're all aware the DCS audio engine does have some querks. Any slight audio issue i have heard, i have checked with a friend who has trackIR and its the same thing. So for instance turning left and right in the Mirage there was a slight bug, but this is just the sound engine/sound sources, nothing to do with VR.

 

When i first started using the Rift i detached the onboard headphones and used my normal headset. It didnt take me long to just go fully over to using the Rift headphones and mic. All built in, no extra cables, the only thing you have to do is switch your audio output in playback devices, and switch the mic input if your using something like TS. Couple of clicks and your away.

 

I actually find it much easier than when i was using trackIR, making sure my sensor was aligned and my screen in the right position in relation to my hotas & chair. Now i just get comfortable, pull on the HMD and re-center. Job done...

 

 

EDIT:- I will add a downside, which may only apply to the Rift. This totally depends on USB related issues. If you get lucky it will all be fine, but some USB ports/firmware can be iffy. This is mainly down to the software on the Rift itself, which as its being updated is getting better. I have an issue where if i power down my system or do reboots, the Rift headset is not recognised. The software tells me the HDMI is not connected, this just requires pulling the USB for the HMD out and in again. To recycle the connection if you will.

 

At one point they fixed it for me, then another software update broke it again. But its such a small thing, its just part of me getting ready to fly now.

Edited December 20, 2016 by Shadow.D.

[FragBum]

Thanks for the replies I will see if I can spring for one early next year.

 

 

Yes flying the Huey the aircraft sound is a key component of understanding what the aircraft is doing and an important aspect of the immersive experience. Looking forward to going VR. :thumbup:

[fitness88]

Hi brettt777 I went from 1 screen to 3 and of course there is no going back even though there is a big drop in FPS. I mention this because I plan to jump past trackIR which I never got and go straight to Oculus Rift but first...the big expense of a new PC which half the price will be for a decent video card which is a must!

I am a bit discouraged by everyone's comment about the lack of resolution, I just love using 3 big monitors and the great resolution they provide. Also I've heard different stories about the low FPS and stuttering issue, I'd like to hear more about that.

[Pipe]

Ok so what about in combat? How is spotting and tracking bandits with lower resolution?

Also spotting ground targets

thx

[cichlidfan]

Ok so what about in combat? How is spotting and tracking bandits with lower resolution?

Also spotting ground targets

thx

 

IMHO, my 4k monitor is better. Spotting can be tough in the Rift but to be honest, I use the Rift for recreational flying not combat.

[Pipe]

I suspected it may be more for casual flying at this point

[cichlidfan]

I suspected it may be more for casual flying at this point

 

That is my opinion as well, but I I can't fly a combat mission now so pleasure flying is my only option.

[Goblin]

I find combat flying is easier in VR. Resolution is good enough, but if you use high pixel density settings, small targets disappear until they are closer, or fill more pixels if you will.

It's easier to maintain situational awareness in VR.

But, I can't swap aircraft as often as before, and flying the FC3 aircraft is harder. I need to program the HOTAS with care, and remember every button. And having a clickable cockpit makes life a lot easier.

[Simon1279]

Ok so what about in combat? How is spotting and tracking bandits with lower resolution?

Also spotting ground targets

thx

 

Talking about my own experience on the HTC VIVE, spotting ground targets is hard in VR, but for an example if i fly a WW2 AC it's not that hard after the last update, because i suppose that ED changed something about scaling the models and i can also run DCS with HIGH presets in Graphic options with SS set to 1.4, i have ste SS to 1.4 because if you set it higher than that everything becomes very bright since tha las 2 updates. I'm talking about HTC VIVE don't know what happens with Rift.

 

Additional Infos on topic: Since when i own VR i really can't fly/combat in DCS on a traditional monitor anymore

Edited December 21, 2016 by Simon1279
Additional Infos on topic added

[simo1000rr]

Let me put it simple to you because I’ve been in this dilemma for long time to take the decision of buying the Rift , I kept hesitating and asking my self “ can I lose the beauty of My 4k screen and the nice graphics?, oh what about seeing targets ?? blah blah …”

 

 

Well before I tell you my experience let me explain that no matter what words you read, it will never describe the feeling of being inside the Plane in VR, VR is the closest we can get of being actually inside the Fighter jet , Bottom line .

If you ever offer me a 10k 2D monitor instead of VR I will not trade. VR is a Must now for me for DCS. My worst nightmare now became what if my rift dies what will I do? I cant play DCS anymore.

 

 

Now let me tell you my experience, I fly with a squadron in the Eagle as a wing man, most of you knows how hard it is to maintain your responsibility as a wing, you have to continually search the radar different pattern while keeping in formation and don’t lose sight of your lead . With 2D monitor that was very hard ( not impossible but very hard ) .

 

 

The minute I got in the Rift its just feel natural. Flying formation while keeping an eye on the Radar and doing the entire work load is a lot easier, the Size, the immersion the feel of speed and height makes flying next to your Lead is indescribable. The First time I got close to the F15 in formation in the VR , I couldn’t stop smiling . to bottom line it nothing comes close to VR but flying the Real Aircraft.

 

The second experience is Air to air refueling. All I have to say is that air refueling now is heaven and earth different on 2D monitor. I take full load of fuel without any stress. It has become very natural, Ya it still needs formation skills but it becomes very fluid because I can sense the speed and the distance between me and the tanker .

 

Lastly, taking off and Landing on the Runway. Well I will leave that one to you till you try VR . All I can say it’s a mind blowing.

All of the above made the trade over 4K monitor very easy for me I will never turn around. I will take VR in DCS any time without hesitations; I regret not taking the decision a long time ago.

I have to say though that I have an air force seat with TM Hotas mounted to it so I never need a KB flying the F15 and I assigned all I need to switches and the hats.

 

sorry for the long write up though

Edited December 21, 2016 by simo1000rr

[reemit0772]

VR is the closest we can get of being actually inside the Fighter Jet

 

Cool summary of what VR is all about. It's awesome to look forward to fly VR every day. I can't go back to 2D, I have Nvidia 3D vision too, and that was good, but this is great.

[MainSail]

Flying (helicopters) in VR is soooo much easier than on a 2d monitor because you can actually see depth. I can not fly without my vive anymore.

The only thing with current VR is that you need supersampling/pixel density at least at 1.7 for a reasonable sharp image. So you need a high end graphics card.

Spotting enemy's is also bit tricky in VR but we now have a zoom function on the vive that makes it somewhat better.

[S D]

Although the spotting distance may be reduced in VR. The situational awareness you gain, in my opinion, outways the negatives. This is true for all aircraft, but more so in a ground pounder.

[BlackLion213]

I think the issues are well covered in this thread and the other similar threads on the topic.

 

As someone who just started using the Oculus CV1 3 days ago, I can confirm that it transforms the experience and is a DRAMATIC change from using a monitor. This is one of those pieces of technology that leaves me in awe of what we can see and experience in a room of our house. It certainly is the sort of thing that we only dreamed about during the 90s. The concept capitalizes on the existing interactive features of DCS (6 DOF cockpits, clickable cockpits), but pulls them together into a totally different experience than using a monitor. In terms of realism, VR will get better an additional features could improve it (haptic feedback for hand interaction, Simshaker/buttkicker, etc), but I can't imagine a more complete experience in your house without building a giant full motion/cockpit based simulator.

 

That said, the realism and limitations of first generation VR will hinder some activities compared to using a monitor. So the decision to upgrade depends on your desired use and willingness/ability to acquire the best hardware. Case in point: I am running a i7-4790@3.6 GHz with a GTX970 and 16 MB of RAM - VR runs with decent graphics and a pixel density of 1.7, but ASW/ATW are clearly working often and I need to upgrade. If buying the latest graphics cards is not reasonable, then approach cautiously. If you try it, you'll probably love it, but it will be frustrating if DCS runs poorly.

 

Also, if your primary interest in DCS is multiplayer kills, then losing the rapid head mobility of track IR for actually turning your head will make things tougher. Also, it's harder to see objects at a distance with the current resolution (though model enlargement and zoom really help to offset). I've heard someone say "the cockpit looks great, but everything outside is a blurry mess" - I would call this a gross mis-characterization (IMHO), but seeing objects at a distance emphasizes the current limitations of VR.

 

But if your primary interest in DCS is experiencing realistic air operations and realistic (meaning challenging :)) combat, then no better tool has been created for simmers since the computer....it feels that significant to me!

 

-Nick

 

PS - when you first try VR in DCS things won't look too good, but once you adjust the headset, pixel density, and general settings - things get way better. Day 2 was much better for me than Day 1. Keep tweaking and you will get there.

[simo1000rr]

Case in point: I am running a i7-4790@3.6 GHz with a GTX970 and 16 MB of RAM - .

 

why are you running your CPU under clocked from the Default speed, Default should be 4.0 Ghz which makes a lot of difference in DCS , also mine is OC to 4.5 GHZ with no issue on default voltage no increase in Voltage at all.

[cichlidfan]

Bottom line. VR is amazing and worth every penny.

 

I haven't flown in two months and I still love my 4k monitor but VR is awesome. Especially, as someone else mentioned, in helicopters. The ability to have a sense of where the ground is makes an amazing difference.

[Neldrion]

I think the issues are well covered in this thread and the other similar threads on the topic.

 

As someone who just started using the Oculus CV1 3 days ago, I can confirm that it transforms the experience and is a DRAMATIC change from using a monitor....

 

This post is a very good explanation of VR regarding DCS, that is short und has all the main points in it :)