Varjo Aero: General guide for new owners

[Maksim Savelev]

11 часов назад, Supmua сказал:

I think some of us are more sensitive when it comes to having no reprojection.  

That's true! I'm absolutely intolerant neither to lack of motion smoothness  (reprojection) no to micro stuttering. I think it's because I'm coming from the real world of aviation and looking at the VR headsets like tool which can be used for training. And all of these imperfections lead to breaking of immersion which is crucial during simulation. I'll better will not use it at all than I'll be thinking that I'm in a videogame with a lot of restrictions. That's way I haven't been using simulators much before VR has been released. When the first time Oculus CV1 came out I was shocked how natural flying in the Sim can be. No stupid trackers, no mouse use for looking around. It was freedom and immersion was on top. Even at that time about 5 years ago I think, Oculus already offered ASW for the smoothness of motion. And now Varjo tells us to use the Aero for training with no solution for motion smoothness. what kind of immersion they want to reach? and what kind of simulator should we use? I think I'm hard on Varjo, but I can't understand why they haven't implemented this feature yet. I've got my headset on the 1st of January but still not using it)

Edited July 10, 2022 by Maksim Savelev

[Gordy]

I wanted to second the recommendation for using corrective lens inserts with the aero... I have been flying with my glasses on, and after switching to the inserts a couple days ago, everything is sharper and the sweet spot is much larger, I think because my eyes are closer to the headset lenses.   Also, a lot of my chromatic aberration has gone away.  If you're flying with your glasses on, this will probably make a noticeable difference.

[dburne]

3 hours ago, Gordy said:

I wanted to second the recommendation for using corrective lens inserts with the aero... I have been flying with my glasses on, and after switching to the inserts a couple days ago, everything is sharper and the sweet spot is much larger, I think because my eyes are closer to the headset lenses.   Also, a lot of my chromatic aberration has gone away.  If you're flying with your glasses on, this will probably make a noticeable difference.

I would third that. Been flying with my VR Optician corrective lens inserts in my Aero now for a few months , made a world of difference.

[Supmua]

Yeah lens inserts is the best option if you want to experience maximum sharpness with the Aero.  When I wear soft contacts the very small cockpit texts aren't tact sharp compared to lens inserts of the same prescription, so I'm thinking about switching to gas-permeable contacts which is still probably not as good as corrective optics.  There are owners who still don't realize how sharp this headset is, which is really sharp (except with VB 3.6.1, in my case lol), but your corrected vision also has to be optimal even at high res setting.

Edited July 11, 2022 by Supmua

[fastf1nger]

Am 5.5.2022 um 00:04 schrieb Supmua:

Just tried the 30 fps lock, not for me, too much blurring artifacts when looking side to side especially in the cockpit.  Personally I like vertical sync as it smooths things out pretty well.  It doesn't give sharp fly-by image like motion smoothing, but the overall effect is more natural (smooth blurring if you will without stuttering) like watching a movie when the camera pans quickly.

Can't really complain though, as I think what I'm getting right now is the best it's ever been.  I got clarity as good as 4KTV, great stereoscopic 3D effect, next to nothing shimmering, no stuttering in most maps (except Marianas).  Don't really need 90 fps, I'm ok with 45 (30 is too rough for me though).

 

@Supmua Thanks for your incredible work and effort. I got mine running pretty well now, but terrible stutters from time to time. Maybe a NVidia CP setting wrong here and there. What settings would you recommend in NVidia CP and in-game settings? Thanks and cheerz from Austria

[Supmua]

3 hours ago, fastf1nger said:

@Supmua Thanks for your incredible work and effort. I got mine running pretty well now, but terrible stutters from time to time. Maybe a NVidia CP setting wrong here and there. What settings would you recommend in NVidia CP and in-game settings? Thanks and cheerz from Austria

Thanks for your kind words.  I pretty much use default NVIDIA settings these days except Prefer Maximum Performance.

For fps gain, reduce your rendering resolution either via SteamVR or OpenXR res override.  With the Aero I found optimal horizontal pixels to be around 3200 for clarity, but you can lower to 3000 as needed for extra fps.

Start with VR preset in DCS setting, PD 1.0, but I would keep shadows on flat and visibility on medium.  Textures should be medium for Apache for now, high may cause stuttering.

Run DCS with real-time CPU and GPU frame times monitoring (fpsVR for OpenVR, or OXR toolkit advanced overlay for OpenXR), fly around and observe your frame times and frame rate to see what's the limiting factor that affect performance (CPU or GPU), also see if there is any sudden spike in those numbers.  Increase or reduce graphics setting in DCS as needed to get the fps or frametimes that you want.  For the Aero you want fps to stay above 45, or below 22.2ms in frame time, for smooth gameplay (this may not always be possible in congested areas or in MP).  Personally I like Water on high as reflection looks much better than medium but that would also negatively affect fps.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Supmua

[fastf1nger]

vor 12 Minuten schrieb Supmua:

Thanks for your kind words.  I pretty much use default NVIDIA settings these days except Prefer Maximum Performance.

For fps gain, reduce your rendering resolution either via SteamVR or OpenXR res override.  With the Aero I found optimal horizontal pixels to be around 3200 for clarity, but you can lower to 3000 as needed for extra fps.

Start with VR preset in DCS setting, PD 1.0, but I would keep shadows on flat and visibility on medium.  Textures should be medium for Apache for now, high may cause stuttering.

Run DCS with real-time CPU and GPU frame times monitoring (fpsVR for OpenVR, or OXR toolkit advanced overlay for OpenXR), fly around and observe your frame times and frame rate to see what's the limiting factor that affect performance (CPU or GPU), also see if there is any sudden spike in those numbers.  Increase or reduce graphics setting in DCS as needed to get the fps or frametimes that you want.  For the Aero you want fps to stay above 45, or below 22.2ms in frame time, for smooth gameplay (this may not always be possible in congested areas or in MP).  Personally I like Water on high as reflection looks much better than medium but that would also negatively affect fps.

 

Thanks for all these details. Like many others i come from the Reverb G2 and also used the OpenXR route. Woked flawlessly and off course i had the positive side-effect of using motion reprojection. But also without that, i got incredible performance with OpenComposite. When i used SteamVR my prefered way was using Shaders Mods.

Can we still use Shaders Mods here with the Varjo? Like the ones from @Kegetys for example?

With my system i was always able to run nearly everything on maximum with the G2. I hope to get foveated rendering in DCS soon, like in the "other" sim we use sometimes  Or maybe motion reprojection. Besides that, i prefer visual fidelity and clarity over ultra-high performance, and i can get away very good with fps around 30. I can only speak for myself but my eyes adapted very soon after changing from high fps when using the Reverb

[Supmua]

4 hours ago, fastf1nger said:

Thanks for all these details. Like many others i come from the Reverb G2 and also used the OpenXR route. Woked flawlessly and off course i had the positive side-effect of using motion reprojection. But also without that, i got incredible performance with OpenComposite. When i used SteamVR my prefered way was using Shaders Mods.

Can we still use Shaders Mods here with the Varjo? Like the ones from @Kegetys for example?

With my system i was always able to run nearly everything on maximum with the G2. I hope to get foveated rendering in DCS soon, like in the "other" sim we use sometimes  Or maybe motion reprojection. Besides that, i prefer visual fidelity and clarity over ultra-high performance, and i can get away very good with fps around 30. I can only speak for myself but my eyes adapted very soon after changing from high fps when using the Reverb

No experience with Kegetys.  I only use Reshade 5 or OXRTK depending on which API I'm running DCS with, both are fantastic for improving visual quality.

[Wagyu]

In case anyone's interested, as a newcomer to the Varjo Aero (and having come from the Quest 2), I asked them about motion smoothing / re-projection and the answer seems to be the same:

"Regarding your question about motion smoothing and motion reproduction, our team is aware of the problem, and although I don't have a timetable for completion, they are actively working to fix the issue"

 

I've tried limiting to 45FPS in VB but like others it's quite juddery when looking to the side. All fingers crossed for a solution from Varjo soon.

 

[Supmua]

Varjo’s motion prediction will require depth info from that particular software so it probably won’t be universal unless they choose to step down and go SteamVR route.  No idea if DCS does provide that, but there’s this depth option in MSFS beta now.  Varjo also complicates things further by rendering 4 different zones on their dual screen so each eye sees two different resolutions between the center and periphery.  It will likely tank the fps if anything.  Don’t get me wrong this is great for business projects such as CAD or visualization of objects in VR, but remains to be seen for action gaming when fps matters.

Edited July 17, 2022 by Supmua

[rvgriff]

Such a pain..... I had everything working flawlessly in OpenXR and all settings on max and then I had to go and update DCS.  LOL

Now I have the double cursor issue and anything through Steam is pointless due to lag.  I am seriously thinking about ditching the Aero and going to a different headset.  I can't even use my 6DOF rig due to all the issues in Steam and Aero.

[dburne]

6 minutes ago, rvgriff said:

Such a pain..... I had everything working flawlessly in OpenXR and all settings on max and then I had to go and update DCS.  LOL

Now I have the double cursor issue and anything through Steam is pointless due to lag.  I am seriously thinking about ditching the Aero and going to a different headset.  I can't even use my 6DOF rig due to all the issues in Steam and Aero.

Strange Steam VR has been way more stable for me with the Aero than any previous headsets. I have yet to see a Steam VR crash with my Aero - been running it since late Jan. I have no game breaking issue with Steam VR and my Aero. I just run vsync on in Varjo Base with FPS locked to 45 and adjusted my graphics and resolution so I can always maintain 45 fps for the most part. I understand though doing it this way is not for everyone - I can only say in my case I get a very pleasurable experience with it.

Also if I am not mistaken any DCS update is going to overwrite the modded file and you have to put it back in. I currently do not use the mod so others would have to chime in with the details after a DCS update.

Edited July 19, 2022 by dburne

[Supmua]

DCS update or repair will overwrite Opencomposite’s openvr_api.dll (with the original dll) so it’ll break OpenXR.  Remember that OpenXR is a hack (or mod if you will) that is not an official solution by ED as DCS was developed for OpenVR platform.  The fix is really simple (to regain OpenXR mode) by replacing that file again with the one from Opencomposite site or from my original post which really takes a few seconds.  I also don’t have any performance issue with Steam OpenVR mode, even run Reshade 5 on top of it.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Supmua

[rvgriff]

29 minutes ago, Supmua said:

DCS update or repair will overwrite Opencomposite’s openvr_api.dll (with the original dll) so it’ll break OpenXR.  Remember that OpenXR is a hack (or mod if you will) that is not an official solution by ED as DCS was developed for OpenVR platform.  The fix is really simple (to regain OpenXR mode) by replacing that file again with the one from Opencomposite site or from my original post which really takes a few seconds.  I also don’t have any performance issue with Steam OpenVR mode, even run Reshade 5 on top of it.

 

That was where I started by replacing the opervr_api and I still have the same issue with the double cursor that was not there prior to the update in DCS using Varjo OpenXR.  I guess I will try to run DCS in Steam mode and try to get it dialed in.  I started to try to get Steam to work originally, but once I tried OpenXR and it worked so well outside of Steam I quit messing with Steam all together and that was why I quit using the rig.  The motion compensation only works with Steam at the moment.  I would rather DCS work great than have motion and a game that was useless due to lagging. 

Has anyone identified the root cause for the double cursor and a fix for it when running DCS in OpenVR without Steam?  Did not seem that a solution was found based on Supma's updated 1st post.  Be nice to figure that out just in case I am unable to get Steam to work correctly again.

Edited July 19, 2022 by rvgriff

[Supmua]

Double cursor I believe is only seen with Varjo OpenVR which now uses Varjo’s quad rendering instead of the simple stereo mode.  Double check and make sure that DCS is run via force steam VR command only to avoid this.  Beats me as to why it only happens with DCS and not other games, and it wasn’t like this at all when the headset first came out…everything was nice and dandy other than slight edge distortion.  Now the distortion is gone, but we have this problem plus the blur and chromatic aberration with the new software.  I’m currently using the hybrid software version mentioned in my post, this helps a lot with sharpness especially in MSFS more than DCS.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Supmua

[dburne]

The chromatic abberation seems better for me in 3.6.

[Supmua]

3 hours ago, dburne said:

The chromatic abberation seems better for me in 3.6.

That’s good for you I guess.  In my case using web browser in dark mode is unbearable with white texts showing both chromatic aberration and blur, after switching to the old 3.5.1 distortion profile everything is nice and sharp again without color fringe.  It may be that people with preexisting visual conditions are more prone to these, I do have astigmatism as well as myopia but these should be corrected via lens insert.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Supmua

[dburne]

Well I mainly use my Aero for just gaming, probably why I don't see it as much.

[Supmua]

1 hour ago, dburne said:

Well I mainly use my Aero for just gaming, probably why I don't see it as much.

It’s much harder to see in gaming, but very noticeable when using the headset as a regular monitor doing regular chores such as web browsing or checking emails.  Once I put on my Aero I typically don’t take it off and use it for everything until PC shutdown because the clarity is that good (with the old software).

Edited July 20, 2022 by Supmua

[rvgriff]

On 7/19/2022 at 7:28 PM, Supmua said:

It’s much harder to see in gaming, but very noticeable when using the headset as a regular monitor doing regular chores such as web browsing or checking emails.  Once I put on my Aero I typically don’t take it off and use it for everything until PC shutdown because the clarity is that good (with the old software).

 

I had it working PERFECTLY and was getting all set up for a week of playing around inside to avoid the heat and now I will be spending all that time chasing bugs due to updates.  LAME!!!!  The Aero is leaps and bounds better than the Rift S it replaced but starting to think it is not worth it due to all the issues I have been fighting.  I'd love to just get in the rig I built and FLY like I used to be able to do.  It is always something with the Aero.  Either the motion compensation isn't working because of Steam or the Aero is lagging to the point of being useless.  Hopefully they will fix it soon....

 

 

Edited July 21, 2022 by rvgriff

[dburne]

Motion Compensation is not ready yet for Aero, best to turn that setting off in VB.

[rvgriff]

2 hours ago, dburne said:

Motion Compensation is not ready yet for Aero, best to turn that setting off in VB.

Yea I am using OpenVR Motion (OVRMC) that runs in Steam but I quit using it and the rig because running DCS through Steam was pretty much unusable for me.  I tried Varjo OpenXR and it worked great so I just quit using Steam and the motion software in the hopes things would develop over time and get better.  Didn't expect the one thing that worked to get worse.  LOL 

Edited July 20, 2022 by rvgriff

[Supmua]

My VR Optician lens inserts came in today, much better than VR Rock version which is what I'm using currently.  These have better fitment and higher index (thinner) lens.  So far these are the best one that I've tried, and the shipment is actually very fast with FedEx option (Ordered Fri, received Wed).

[dburne]

3 hours ago, rvgriff said:

Yea I am using OpenVR Motion (OVRMC) that runs in Steam but I quit using it and the rig because running DCS through Steam was pretty much unusable for me.  I tried Varjo OpenXR and it worked great so I just quit using Steam and the motion software in the hopes things would develop over time and get better.  Didn't expect the one thing that worked to get worse.  LOL 

 

I myself am pretty happy running my Aero through Steam VR. Especially love the simplicity of it. Fly more and tweak less, I like. But I would not try to use any Motion Compensation with it as it is not ready.

Edited July 20, 2022 by dburne

[Jarhead0331]

Strange new problem since the update today. Image and performance are still good, but there is some strange distortion when I move my head that is very difficult to describe. Its almost like the image itself is slightly moving. It is subtle, but very disorienting. I re-installed the open composite files. No other changes.

Sorry if I'm not explaining the problem well, but I'm not sure how to describe it.

Anyone else having issues since the update?