Samsung Odyssey, first thoughts

[cordite]

@Thick8

 

SDE or not?

[wormeaten]

Guys look at this as positive. Obvious if Thick8 can't stop playing it there is some conclusion as well. Obvious it is working, it is good and there is no nausea. So it is so good that Neo decide to stay in Matrix.

 

:music_whistling:

 

Don't worry m8 just take your time to enjoy first eventually you will get some time to get back in real world to share it with rest of us common mortals. :thumbup::pilotfly:

[dopebogey]

HAHA...What Worm said! :thumbup:

 

I totally agree. I think it's a good sign.

 

 

Also!! Something happened to my Oddessey order from last Friday. Samsung messed something up on the order and I had to reorder on Tuesday over the phone. I was pretty pissed. But turns out to be a good thing. I just got a tracking update from fedex and it arrives today...holy crap! The guy told me it would be one to two weeks before it was even shipped. sweetness and good on Samsung!

Edited November 16, 2017 by walleye62

[BoosterX]

@Thick8

 

SDE or not?

 

SDE is same as the Rift I have. I had the Odyssey and returned it as it didn't feel like an upgrade for the extra $. Plus the thing was too big/bulky and the audio was not so great. It works fine in DCS, but I couldn't read the text as clearly as I could in the Rift. (yes I adjusted IPD)

[*Rage*]

^^ Thats surprising to hear.

[OneSlip]

SDE is same as the Rift I have. I had the Odyssey and returned it as it didn't feel like an upgrade for the extra $. Plus the thing was too big/bulky and the audio was not so great. It works fine in DCS, but I couldn't read the text as clearly as I could in the Rift. (yes I adjusted IPD)

 

Something is not right! It’s shouldnt be worst or even the same.... confused

[sea2sky]

SDE is same as the Rift I have. I had the Odyssey and returned it as it didn't feel like an upgrade for the extra $. Plus the thing was too big/bulky and the audio was not so great. It works fine in DCS, but I couldn't read the text as clearly as I could in the Rift. (yes I adjusted IPD)

 

Can you please elaborate a bit more. Many of us who own Rift are looking at these new headsets as an upgrade path. Would be interesting to know more details about your experience.

 

Thanks!

[Thick8]

Sorry Guys, I was cranking and banking till 12:30 last night. No worries about getting air sick as my GA flight instructor was also the acrobatic instructor at the flight club I flew out of in the early 90’s. Good call Worm.

I can’t speak much about a comparison to the rift as my time with it did not include DCS, and was only for about a half hour. What I can say is that I noticed the screen door effect of the Rift the moment I put it on. It was rather distracting to me. Not so with the Odyssey.

What I will do is position my eye point all the way back to the seat back and will incrementally move the eye point one click toward the panel. I will note at which point each gauge becomes legible and then at which point the graphic fidelity no longer increases.

What would you like the Nvidia, Oculus, and DCS Menu settings to be adjusted to for this test. My hardware is in my signature.

Hash it out amongst yourselves while I go blow some shit up for about a half hour.

Also, if there are any lua files that need to be tweaked let me know.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Thick8

[OneSlip]

How easy to spot targets especially air to air?

What performance like?

[Spectre1986]

I would use the VR preset; it should be nice and re-creatable for us. Try it at 1.0 pixel density too, you can try going up but I am curious about native performance. I have a few requests and questions.

 

1. What versions of DCS, terrains, and aircraft have you tested with? How is the performance of those you have tested? I hear Ryzen kind of sucks for DCS, especially VR.

 

2. If you have the A-10C could you try your experiment with the DSMS page? See how close you need to get to read what it says for the various weapons. Can you read the HUD? I am pretty sure it doesn't get larger if you get closer, so readability is a must.

 

3. How is the tracking in DCS? It was flawless in my testing during the demos I have done and I tried hard to mess it up, but they were short demos and they weren't as demanding as DCS.

 

4. Does any drift or other errors appear after prolonged use? Do you need to re-center periodically or is that good too?

 

5. What do you like the least about it? The most?

 

I am probably going to buy one tomorrow and try it out over the weekend, then return it next week. If I like it I'll go up there on Black Friday and pick one up for $100 off. I am running an old i7-920 OCed to 3.6 Ghz with 12 GB Ram and a 1060 6GB so I'll need to build a new rig soon...

Edited November 17, 2017 by Spectre1986

[trigen]

If the tracking is good id ditch my Rift in a flash tbh. Sadly its no available in Europe at the moment but i hope it will be soon. Looking forward to hearing more!

[cordite]

...

 

I am probably going to buy one tomorrow and try it out over the weekend, then return it next week. If I like it I'll go up there on Black Friday and pick one up for $100 off. I am running an old i7-920 OCed to 3.6 Ghz with 12 GB Ram and a 1060 6GB so I'll need to build a new rig soon...

 

If you mean the M$ store, I believe it said “up to $100 off”. The Samsung may not be one of the ones on sale, either, if the Canadian store is any indication.

[BoosterX]

Can you please elaborate a bit more. Many of us who own Rift are looking at these new headsets as an upgrade path. Would be interesting to know more details about your experience.

 

Thanks!

 

The lenses is what makes the biggest difference. Look at the Vive and the Rift. The rift has less SDE/better sweet spot but less FOV because of the lenses.

 

Look I'm advocating people try the Odyssey but I didn't find it much better so I returned it. I didn't like the bulk of the Odyssey it's really heavy and I didn't find it comfortable. Plus I really didn't like the Microsoft MR software.

 

I had ordered it from MS and when I saw it wasn't better for what it cost I returned it. The screens do look better (colors, fov less binocular) but I couldn't make out the gauges as good as the rift.

 

What it did do is convince me to just get a SteamVR headset and do away with the additional stores/platforms. Hopefully LG's is around the corner.

 

I'm not looking to get into flame wars here over cheap hardware so if this goes south like the other thread I'm not replying.

[dburne]

I am pretty sure these WMR headsets are not of the same overall level of the Rift and Vive. But they certainly have a good market I am sure.

[BoosterX]

I am pretty sure these WMR headsets are not of the same overall level of the Rift and Vive. But they certainly have a good market I am sure.

 

Yeah I think the Lenovo is a fantastic deal. If the Lenovo had the same screen I'd order one to try. For me it was the whole package. I'm really hoping Primax 5k is good or the LG headset.

[dopebogey]

So, my Odessey arrived yesterday (so I was up all night...haha). And I am definitely keeping it.

 

I have had the Rift for about six months and it's a great HMD, but the Odessy will replace my Rift. It is(to me) better than the rift. Not "OMG" better but it is better. Some things it is 'much better' at and somethings only 'better'.

 

The deciding factor was the Instant action Intercept mission for the L39 on the Nevada map. Before, when using the Rift, it was sometimes almost impossible to visually find the two other L39's that you are supposed to shoot down. With the Odessy I spot them almost immediately. I think it's a combination of things. I find the colors to be a bit better, the SDE is definitely better (it's still there though) and the resolution is MUCH better. And just to reiterate, the SDE is still there. You will see it immediately. I know some reviews I saw say "you had to look for it". I would have to disagree with that. It's still noticeable enough without having to look for it.

 

So I think it's a combination of all those things and not just one thing that helped me find the target aircraft. L39's, Hawks and other small aircraft are VERY hard to visually spot in DCS with the Rift and with the Odessey it was is a big improvement over the Rift as far as that goes.

 

I also did some other missions where I had had difficulty before with the Rift finding the targets visually and with the Odessey, spotting them was much easier. That there was a huge difference to me between the two HMDs and like I said before, it was the big factor in making my decision on keeping it.

 

Head tracking was great for me. No real difference(Rift was always great for tracking and so is the Odessey). Every once and a while I would get some chugging or rubberbanding but I think that's might be caused by steam. I had the same issue with Elite Dangerous in steam. Then when I launched it through the Oculus home it was fine. I REALLY hate the steam VR app! :ranting: It is so damn unstable to me.

 

Anyways, I would highly recommend the Odessy over the Rift for any new user that has not had an HMD before. For current user of the Rift, it may be a hard decision. Like I said it's not a massive improvement but still enough of an improvement for me to keep it. I can definitely understand why BOOSTERX did not choose to keep it. For some, it just will not be that big of an improvement, I think it's going to come down to individual preference for Rift users.

Edited November 17, 2017 by walleye62

[Precog]

Thanks for the review mate. Quick question - were the God rays present like we get in the rift?

[dopebogey]

Thanks for the review mate. Quick question - were the God rays present like we get in the rift?

 

Hi Precog,

 

Yep, they are there. They are Fresnel lenses just like the Rift so I don't think there is any way of getting around that with fresnel lenses.

 

However, they didn't seem to be as predominant as they are in Rift. There are some apps I have not used yet with the Odessey that I know will create significant god rays in the Rift. I'll try them out and let everyone know what happens.

Edited November 17, 2017 by walleye62

[Thick8]

I’m so glad there are Rift owners chiming in as my review lacks the side by side comparison that they can provide.

So far I’ve flown the A-10 and Huey. In the Hog I can see all of my dials on the gauges but the writing is fuzzy unless I lean in some. I have to lean in some more before the MFCDs become clear. In the Huey all the gages are completely clear with my head in the default position.

I hadn’t updated DCS for about a year but did so last night so I can give better review. I will follow the suggestions regarding option settings as well.

I’ve waited, followed, and longed for decent VR For nearly 2 decades. Is it perfect, no. Will it hold me over until VR 2.0 or 2.5? Yes.

[Thick8]

Also, I think ther is an issue with the way the hud is designed because it’s even a little fuzzy on a 50” 4K TV with 8xaa turned on. Maybe they make to look like it is glowing and that is causing it to be fuzzy.

[dopebogey]

I’m so glad there are Rift owners chiming in as my review lacks the side by side comparison that they can provide.

So far I’ve flown the A-10 and Huey. In the Hog I can see all of my dials on the gauges but the writing is fuzzy unless I lean in some. I have to lean in some more before the MFCDs become clear. In the Huey all the gages are completely clear with my head in the default position.

I hadn’t updated DCS for about a year but did so last night so I can give better review. I will follow the suggestions regarding option settings as well.

I’ve waited, followed, and longed for decent VR For nearly 2 decades. Is it perfect, no. Will it hold me over until VR 2.0 or 2.5? Yes.

 

I am wondering if it's a developer thing. I have noticed that too. Some planes instruments being easier to see than others. But I don't know much about software development so who knows.

 

Also, I think there is an issue with the way the hud is designed because it’s even a little fuzzy on a 50” 4K TV with 8xaa turned on. Maybe they make to look like it is glowing and that is causing it to be fuzzy.

 

I haven't noticed any fuzziness to the HUDs myself

[Spectre1986]

It is refreshing to see honest reviews surfacing here. Thanks Thick and Walleye! As someone who has tried both the Rift and Odyssey I can tell that you two are giving accurate reviews. Would you both agree that saying the Odyssey has WORSE SDE than the Rift is laughable? There are already tons of reviews for Elite Dangerous comparing the Odyssey to the Rift. They are all honest too and talk about the Rift-to-Odyssey switch being an upgrade in every way for cockpit experiences.

 

The SDE on the Rift is painfully obvious, it punched me right in the retinas every time I put it on, no matter what scenes were playing. I need to look for the SDE on the Odyssey to notice it and it needs to be the right type of scene to show it. I have better than 20/20 vision and don't need glasses. Oh, and my head is normal shaped and my eyes are a normal distance apart. Maybe that is the key? Having a normal-ish head size, face shape, and eye spread?

 

"My old Rift was about twice as good as the Odyssey and the Rift was 3D while the Odyssey isn't, it also had about double the FOV!" (but doesn't tell everyone he sold his Rift after losing one and a half eyes in some accident, lol).

 

I did notice the "light text on a dark background causes some reflections under the text" too on the Odyssey. It reminds me of projectors' SDE (this is very different than VR SDE, look it up). It is kind of like a fuzzy holographic mirror image of the text right under the real text (but only when it is light text on a black background at the peripheral of your vision). I adjusted the headset positioning on my face and it DID minimize/disappear as I got closer to the sweet spot and I didn't get to adjust my IPD during the demo.

 

I hope to pick one up after work from my local MS store today, 30 day trial so no risk... My PC will struggle with it but even if it is a slideshow, I will still get to check the readability of the gauges for my next PC build.

[wormeaten]

The deciding factor was the Instant action Intercept mission for the L39 on the Nevada map. Before, when using the Rift, it was sometimes almost impossible to visually find the two other L39's that you are supposed to shoot down. With the Odessy I spot them almost immediately.

 

Do we need better description or reason?

That is the only important thing to be competitive to other players in PvP MP gameplay.

[dburne]

Do we need better description or reason?

That is the only important thing to be competitive to other players in PvP MP gameplay.

 

I do.

 

While I love combat flight sims, I use my VR for more than just that as well.

 

How is positional tracking in say a moderately sized play area? How is it when facing all directions? Are all the movements smooth and stutter free, regarding both position and hand tracking? That is fine on the gauges, however I can mostly see mine clear as well.

 

What kind of performance is being seen in combat flight sims such as this one. What happens when framerates drop, how is performance then? Does it have an " ASW" type of feature for that? If so can one enable or disable it?

I would be curious how it handles a Spitfire Mission over Normandy as well ( a very resource hungry scenario).

 

Audio? How does it sound? Does it have good positional sound? How does it compare to the Rift audio?

[Thick8]

Good questions dburne.

There is a weakness in the tracking system. Because it uses cameras, therehas to be something on the walls for reference. Right now the wall I face and ceiling are just white. When I look up (60 deg+) the headset sometimes looses tracking. I’ll put up some pictures. So no gaming in the dark.

 

The sound is truly 360 positional and has good range and bass with no noticed distortion. Im not an audiophile but is just as good as my Turtle Beach 5.1 headset at the volume I listen at.

 

You can practically whisper to the microphone.

 

I’m still playing with the visual settings. I must be doing something wrong. The A-10c gauges and displays are clear and easy to read in 1.5, but with the same settings in 2.0 they are fuzzy and hard to read. I can’t clearly read the text on the MFCD no matter how close I get it in 2.0 yet In 1.5 I can read in clearly just by leaning forward about a foot. Any idea?