Pico 4: how to set it up for DCS?

[Hillman]

6 hours ago, Lange_666 said:

This is something that never worked for me.
When selecting "launch game" it opens a Windows Explorer window showing what's on the desktop.
If i pick a game shortcut there, DCS or whatever, it never launches the game (nor anything else).
The only way i can launch a game when in VD is double clicking on the icon itself on the VD desktop.
What do i miss?

Very strange. It works for me wether I'm selecting a shortcut or point it directly to the DCS.exe... Maybe something to ask on the VD Discord. It's described in the VD documentation.

What you miss is that DCS will run in SteamVR mode instead of Oculus mode. I think Oculus mode is marginally more efficient. And when you close DCS you are back at the windows desktop instead of in SteamVR world which might be a benefit... or not depending on you usage

Edited May 14, 2023 by Hillman

[kerlcat]

@Hillman yes, worked for me as well. He didn’t say if he created CMD or BAT file which you pointed out earlier. With register changed to none and starting DCS(set as VR mode) via VD shall directly bring into VR @ Oculus (in nature still OpenXR eventually as it ‘s set in Oculus as runtime).

[thunderbolt83]

Hi all, i'm new of Pico4 and use now with usb cable, is a good option use steamvr if yes there are some "good setting" for windows/nvidia/dcs to use without big headache 

[Jaroslav_SVK]

On 1/31/2023 at 4:48 PM, RealDCSpilot said:

Since the latest update for DCS this thread might need a little refresh:

DCS on native OpenXR runs excellent with Pico 4 over VD with SteamVR. (Currently with custom shortcut and command line parameter-> "--force_OpenXR")

@RealDCSpilot When you do that, in VD performance overlay show Runtime as OpenXR? I ask because I still get OpenVR shown as runtime...

[Lange_666]

Yes, it still shows OpenVR as runtime.

PS: I returned my Pico 4. One needs more then a 3080Ti to run it decently at native refreshrate. ASW is just plain horrible compared to a headset with a display port + way to many artifacts caused by streaming. Not good enough for me.

[Jaroslav_SVK]

15 hours ago, Lange_666 said:

Yes, it still shows OpenVR as runtime.

PS: I returned my Pico 4. One needs more then a 3080Ti to run it decently at native refreshrate. ASW is just plain horrible compared to a headset with a display port + way to many artifacts caused by streaming. Not good enough for me.

@Lange_666 Thank you, later I found post of @RealDCSpilot in this topic below where he explain how to check it in log file. In mine is "VISUALIZER (Main): LAUNCH IN VR OpenXR: SteamVR/OpenXR : oculus" so OpenXR should be use as API... Also I notice that OpenXR works as best for me in terms of smoothness on AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and RTX 3090, with Pico 4 of course

 

[59th_Wittman]

Hi all! Pico 4 has a new firmware. Version is 5.7.0. Anybody tested it?

I use v5.6.0 firmware, I haven't any problem with v5.6.0.

Edited July 22, 2023 by 59th_Wittman

[Gryzor]

21 minutes ago, 59th_Wittman said:

Hi all! Pico 4 has a new firmware. Version is 5.7.0. Anybody tested it?

I use v5.6.0 firmware, I haven't any problem with v5.6.0.

 

It seems to me that I have more microstutters with VD

[Qcumber]

I've updated to 5.7. No change for me. Still smooth as long as it can maintain target FPS. 

[Miles Vorkosigan]

5.7 is completely smooth for me. I am simply amazed by this HMD. 

[dureiken]

Hi experts

how to launch in OPXR  ? does -openxr shortcut works like G2 ?

how to change default openXR launching program with Pico 4 ?

 

Thanks

[SebastianR]

Openxr is MT default

[dureiken]

3 hours ago, SebastianR said:

Openxr is MT default

Sorry my question was not clear : but I found I had to define SteamVR as openXR runtime to launch DCS MT in OPXR mode. Seems to work.

 

I just have problem with MT version and OXRTK from @mbucchia. Can't tell it comes from here for sure but I have a lot of stuttering when OXRTK is on (remove all change, just use overlay that I like). Perfectly smooth in ST with OXRTK on, same for MT without.

 

Is that same for you ? thanks

 

 

[SebastianR]

Actualy i'm using streaming assistant at 90hz (via usb cable). No openxt tool kit. Steam vr as openxr and cap 45fps via RTSS (Rivatuner Statistics Server) and works well

Edited August 2, 2023 by SebastianR

[dureiken]

Ok thanks achieve to work with VD and openXR via steamVR

2 questions :

1. is that possible to use OXR without steamVR ?
2. how do you do to use stream assistant ? with AIR or link, it detects the HMD but when I launch FS2020 or DCS, games are stuck and nothing happens, have to kill them

thanks

[mrsylvestre]

1. The OpenXR runtime provided by steamVR is is to my knowledge the only one available for the Pico 4. 

2. I'd be happy to know as well, as streaming assistant was working for me in the past but doesn't anymore (DCS stuck with the clouds window, does not enter the Mig hangar in VR or the main menu in 2D). Not much of an issue as I use VD but I'd like to know if I broke something in my PC software of if I just don't remember the correct procedure for SA.

[dureiken]

1 hour ago, mrsylvestre said:

1. The OpenXR runtime provided by steamVR is is to my knowledge the only one available for the Pico 4. 

2. I'd be happy to know as well, as streaming assistant was working for me in the past but doesn't anymore (DCS stuck with the clouds window, does not enter the Mig hangar in VR or the main menu in 2D). Not much of an issue as I use VD but I'd like to know if I broke something in my PC software of if I just don't remember the correct procedure for SA.

ok for 1

exacttly same for 2, even with FS2020

[Peedee]

4 hours ago, dureiken said:

Ok thanks achieve to work with VD and openXR via steamVR

2 questions :

1. is that possible to use OXR without steamVR ?
2. how do you do to use stream assistant ? with AIR or link, it detects the HMD but when I launch FS2020 or DCS, games are stuck and nothing happens, have to kill them

thanks

1. yes. I do that through VD with DCS beta. I have a shortcut on my desktop for that. I am not at home these days so don’t remember what I put in there. But you also have to edit a value in Windows registry to make it work.  I get somewhat higher fps and also crisper visuals by not using SteamVR. 
2. Don’t know  

[dureiken]

Just now, Peedee said:

1. yes. I do that through VD with DCS beta. I have a shortcut on my desktop for that. I am not at home these days so don’t remember what I put in there. But you also have to edit a value in Windows registry to make it work.  I get somewhat higher fps and also crisper visuals by not using SteamVR. 
2. Don’t know  

1. I did it with previous page, but its not OXR its Oculus runtime

[Qcumber]

28 minutes ago, Peedee said:

. I have a shortcut on my desktop for that. I am not at home these days so don’t remember what I put in there. But you also have to edit a value in Windows registry to make it work.  I get somewhat higher fps and also crisper visuals by not using SteamVR. 

I have tried running through Oculus runtime but without success. I remember there was sone discussion about a registry edit but I now cannot find it. Could you please remind me of the setup? 

[dureiken]

 

1 hour ago, Qcumber said:

I have tried running through Oculus runtime but without success. I remember there was sone discussion about a registry edit but I now cannot find it. Could you please remind me of the setup? 

 

[mrsylvestre]

On VD discord, one user has shown a screenshot of the current DCS-MT running with the Oculus API (VD emulates the Oculus runtime). To achieve that, he apparently renamed his SteamVR folder (presumably so that DCS can't find a steamVR/OpenXR runtime). No use of the registry edit was mentioned.

Currently, I am still using VD (godlike settings) with steamVR/OpenXR and I tune performance with OpenXR Toolkit (force resolution to around 3040x3040 per eye with 85% FSR so that DCS renders at about 2584x2584 per eye) and MBucchia's QuadView foveated rendering tool on top of that (it's designed for DFR on eye-tracking headsets but also works for FFR on the Pico 4). I get acceptable results with VD's retroprojection (@45 FPS) with very limited ghosting. Still playing with the settings in the hope of achieving 72 FPS without retroprojection and with acceptable image quality.

[Qcumber]

8 hours ago, mrsylvestre said:

MBucchia's QuadView foveated rendering tool on top of that (it's designed for DFR on eye-tracking headsets but also works for FFR on the Pico 4).

OXRTK supports fixed Foveated Rendering for NVIDIA. I'm not sure that QuadView offers anything extra, although I could be wrong. 

If you are aiming for 72fps without reprojection then I would advise not using 90hz. This will give you higher game latency as your GPU is trying to give higher frame rates. I can get 72 FPS at 72 Hz but if I set the headset to 90 hz my GPU struggles a bit. Reprojection at 45hz doesn't look great. I get significantly higher latency and obvious lag; e.g. dark edges in peripheral vision when moving head quickly and a lot of ghosting. 

Try setting VD to Godlike and don't force the resolution in OXRTK. I'm not sure why but I think it works better this way. 80-85% FSR is about right, although I tend to set it to 120-130% which is about the same. 

BTW. I've given up on trying to use Oculus runtime. I can't get it to work. It might be because I also use a rift s. Steam VR works fine with the Pico 4. 

[mrsylvestre]

AMD GPU in my signature, no FFR with OXRTK in DCS's DX11. That is why I use QuadViews. That said, I do use FFR from OXRTK in MSFS2020 (DX12 mode), but I must say DCS QuadViews look better, because the high resolution central zone blends more nicely with the low resolution peripheral zone. I can't do an apple to apple comparison, though, because MSFS2020 does not support quadviews. Perhaps it may be worth to someone with an NVidia GPU to compare both options in DCS. I suspect that performance might be improved, because OXRTK's implementation of FFR is generic while QuadViews is being developed specifically for apps like DCS which are "quadviews-aware".

If anyone is interested, here is my "settings.cfg" file for the Pico 4 (to be put in ..\AppData\Local\Quad-Views-Foveated)

# These settings are for all headsets and applications
smoothen_focus_view_edges=0.2
sharpen_focus_view=0.0

[SteamVR]
# These settings are specific to SteamVR devices such as Pico 4
peripheral_multiplier=0.4
focus_multiplier=1.1
horizontal_fixed_section=0.5
vertical_fixed_section=0.45
turbo_mode=0

[app:DCS World]
# The settings are specific to the app "DCS World"
# (no particular settings here, some are shifting focus upwards with vertical_focus_offset=0.1)

The setting sharpen_focus_view = 0.0 might seem odd (default is 0.7) but my thinking is there is anyway a sharpening pass done afterwards by VD so I might as well avoid sharpening on top of sharpening

Sound advice about using 72 Hz mode in VD when trying to maintain 72 fps, thanks. I'm nearly there with fps now in the high 60's - low 70's after dropping view distance in DCS from high to medium.

Edited August 6, 2023 by mrsylvestre
Corrected typo's

[Qcumber]

2 hours ago, mrsylvestre said:

QuadViews look better, because the high resolution central zone blends more nicely with the low resolution peripheral zone.

Interesting. I'll give it a go.