VR headset recommendation needed!

[Deacon Frost]

Hi fellow DCS lovers,

Couple weeks ago I started in DCS, so far loving it and learning to fly. I really want to go further so decided into VR so I am looking for recommendation from you guys as you definitely have more experience with various headsets. So I am looking for something in a price range around 500-700 eur maybe a little more, with focus on performance, FPS and immersion. I was thinking about Reverb g2, Pico 4, Pimax 5k or something similar but I really want to do this easy way. Now I see Reverb G2 not in stock so made me kinda confused if I can get hands on it. I will be thankful for all your tips. Thank you

 

My setup: i7 11700k, RTX 3080, 64 Ram, x56 hotas

Edited February 25, 2023 by Deacon Frost

[Mars Exulte]

Considering the number of VR companies imploding right now, I'd hold off until the dust settles. HP, Google, Meta, and a bunch of others appear to be either moving away from gaming or closing their VR divisions, and several others are conducting layoffs (like Pico among others). Too many companies and products for too small a market, basically. 

Valve is probably the best longterm bet, being focused on gaming, tbh. I'm waiting to see what their next headset offering is, hopefully ditching those base stations.

[Deacon Frost]

16 minutes ago, Mars Exulte said:

Considering the number of VR companies imploding right now, I'd hold off until the dust settles. HP, Google, Meta, and a bunch of others appear to be either moving away from gaming or closing their VR divisions, and several others are conducting layoffs (like Pico among others). Too many companies and products for too small a market, basically. 

Valve is probably the best longterm bet, being focused on gaming, tbh. I'm waiting to see what their next headset offering is, hopefully ditching those base stations.

Thank you, I am definitely not base station fan either

[Dragon1-1]

Currently, the Reverb G2 is still the best in this range, and if you can buy used, you can likely get it for less. That said, there's currently a dearth of good midrange offerings. I'd love to eventually buy something that would be like the Reverb G2, but with better lenses and slightly bigger FOV.

[slipstream21]

ReverbG2 hands down. 

[derneuemann]

Personally, I don't think there are particularly big differences between Reverb G2, Quest 2, Pico 4. All of them enable a very good picture and the desired VR immersion.

If all three are operated with the maximum possible settings of the headsets.

[Glide]

FYI, HP has exited the VR market, so you probably can't get a new G2.

[AlpineGTA]

I prefer my Quest2 to my Reverb G2. I have a love/hate relationship with the G2. I like the extra clarity but I hate the tiny sweet spot and (dis)comfort. I've just switched back to using the Quest2 and the much better sweet spot felt like having blinkers removed. It's so much easier, for example, moving my head around the cockpit to look at and click all the switches during a cold start. You have to look at everything precisely with the G2 and more often than not things look blurry because it's difficult to keep everything in focus when moving your head around, especially when looking down at side panels. The headset moves around on you face more easily and you lose that sweet spot.

People often comment on the comfort of the G2 but I find the Quest2, with the elite strap & battery, much more comfortable. Unlike the G2, the side straps are rigidly fixed to the headset so I find it stays in place better, is easier to adjust with the dial on the back (elite strap), is less prone to moving around on your face and along with the bigger sweet spot, just a more pleasurable experience. The link cable too is much lighter, thinner and more flexible than the heavy stiff cable of the G2, which I find myself having to be very delicate with for fear of breaking it. They're very prone to failure and expensive to replace, unlike the USB cable for the Quest2.

The Quest software too is very easy to use and 'just works' compared to the G2, even using OpenXR. I also get a smoother experience and can user higher fps compared to the G2 (my settings: 72fps vs 60fps, no reprojection) And features like the passthrough are very handy to have on the Quest2. It also has built in hand tracking and who knows, maybe one day that will get support in DCS - just something to consider/dream about.

The only real downsides that I dislike about the Quest2 are having to keep the battery charged, the slightly worse image quality compared to the G2 and some shimmering when looking at the horizon.

Everyone's experience will differ of course but these are just some of mine to consider, if it helps. 

[MADLOU1]

I have a Quest 2 and I'm satisfied with the resolution it can achieve.  Since replacing my cheap initial aftermarket cable with the official Meta Link cable which powers the VR as you use it, my headset is always charged.  

I would love to try the G2 given all the positive remarks I have read concerning its use for simming.  However, I have also read quite a bit about the unreliability and cost of its cable and since HP is getting out of the VR business the G2 option may not be a viable one.

I'm strongly considering a refurbished Pimax (not the Cyrstal) directly from Pimax.  They have a great FOV.  Some people have complained about how hard they are to set up though.  

We will see.

[Snowy55]

G2 are still available in the UK: https://www.hp.com/gb-en/shop/product.aspx?id=1N0T5AA&opt=ABU&sel=WKS&source=google&channel=cpc&adcampaign=OLS-UK-PHR-Acc-Goo-SEM-DSA&addisttype=g&kw=&adid=534086233106&gclid=CjwKCAiAr4GgBhBFEiwAgwORrQ2IL_v6xk2N5C9MflaqzPxr-ODrKWxLbIwNtVabHejy0-_giLUBuRoC39QQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[AlpineGTA]

A glowing review of the PICO 4 in MSFS with a setup guide:

 

[Deacon Frost]

Huge thanks to all of you guys and for your tips and recommendations, as already mentioned above, the G2 exited the market and while trying to order one I could already feel the price going up of the last pieces, There are still some in UK and Germany but in case of any warranty issues, I smell troubles so I rather have it hassle free in case something happens with the set or cables. So I have decided to go for Quest 2 mostly because of the mentioned situation.

Lets see what Quest 3 (if there will be) brings to the table at the end of the year, or any other VR set (definitely will upgrade in case I will become better in DCS), but for now the quest 2 is really good set (Link cable from Stouchi / elite strap from Kiwi design). Struggled with settings at the beginning, but I think I might be close... (managing expectations). Only issue I have is that I still can't see quite clear when looking at the horizon or to the distance. And I am spotting some ghosting on the planes and object so have to figure it how somehow how to tweak that.

If someone would like to share best settings for their Quest 2 in order to get rid of the mentioned above, I would definitely apreciate

Thank you again!

Edited March 9, 2023 by Deacon Frost

[A2597]

I'm the opposite, and love base station tracking, but I also do roomscale, where inside out tracking is just...bad.

I love the Vive Pro 2, but it's a hefty initial entry if you don't already have base stations. G2 is probably your best bet at that price range.

[Baldrick33]

I have the original Reverb and we have a Quest2 for family stuff.

I did try the Quest2 with the official link cable with DCS but found the image significantly inferior to the Reverb. This was some time ago so perhaps the video compression has improved?

[Thinder]

I had a G2, now a Pico 4, the difference in image clarity is minimal, but the Pico has a much larger "sweet Spot", nearly 100% of the lenses.

When you'll struggle to get this level of clarity working for you with the G2 because you have to aim the center of the lense to what you want to see, with the pico, I can read my instruments while looking at the runway in front of me for example.

In the Mirage F1 you can see your instrument panel and all the information the HUD doesn't show or much too small (old tech HUD) without the HUD mod. Tracking is excellent, never had an issue with it, the fact that I always play in a dark room with a 4W red Led behind the screen might help (high contrast).

As a mid-range I'd say it is the ideal headset for DCS because it is light (295g vs 550 g), it is well balanced thanks to the battery, has very good visual, and is fairly comfortable. You also can enjoy a growing library of free and payable apps and games which is something I came to appreciate.

In passing, controllers are good too, easy to use.

>>>

On the minus side, the USB cable doesn't recharge the battery but if you can play for longer than it last you'll probably shot you eyes anyway. It's new so its support and range of apps and game is still not on par with the competition but they are making a lot of progresses at this level. It will be supported for much longer than the G2 which is now out of production. DCS support for the Pico have been screwed by their "VR" update but they will correct this, it is already way better than a month ago. You'll need a strong GPU.

Talking of price range... £622.80 for a G2, £449.00 for my 256GB Pico 4, you don't need 256 GB of Pico storage to play PC-based games, the 128GB is cheaper.

Resolution: 4,320 X 2,160 X 2160 per eye.
Refresh rate: 72/90Hz.
Pancake Lens 105° FOV

To summarize, I wouldn't swap my Pico for a G2 today. ps, the red Led trick could work for other headsets too

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Thinder

[derneuemann]

vor 5 Stunden schrieb Baldrick33:

I have the original Reverb and we have a Quest2 for family stuff.

I did try the Quest2 with the official link cable with DCS but found the image significantly inferior to the Reverb. This was some time ago so perhaps the video compression has improved?

Did you optimize the link manually back then?

[Baldrick33]

23 minutes ago, derneuemann said:

Did you optimize the link manually back then?

It would have been December 2020. I recall it being a bit of a faff, I think I had to sideload virtual desktop, was probably running at a lower refresh back then too. Given I already had a G1 I spent just long enough to get it to work with DCS and decided not to pursue it further. I am sure things have moved on since then but it has rather tainted my view on headsets that don't have a DP connection, which is probably an outdated view. I might try it again one day just to satisfy my curiosity and update my knowledge.

[derneuemann]

vor 8 Stunden schrieb Baldrick33:

It would have been December 2020. I recall it being a bit of a faff, I think I had to sideload virtual desktop, was probably running at a lower refresh back then too. Given I already had a G1 I spent just long enough to get it to work with DCS and decided not to pursue it further. I am sure things have moved on since then but it has rather tainted my view on headsets that don't have a DP connection, which is probably an outdated view. I might try it again one day just to satisfy my curiosity and update my knowledge.

Auch noch pro Virtuell Desktop, das ist mit dem Link Kabel sicher nicht zu vergleichen und ist klar ein schlechteres Bild, selbst heute noch. Ich hoffe, dass das sterben Meta AirBridge das etwas besser kann, sobald die Mal in Deutschland verfügbar wird.

Ich habe selbst nach und nach noch ordentlich gestaunt, wie viel mehr optische Qualität sich noch aus der Quest 2 raus quetschen lässt, wenn man den Link optimiert, im Vergleich zu Stock!

[Marshallman]

16 hours ago, Thinder said:

I had a G2, now a Pico 4, the difference in image clarity is minimal, but the Pico has a much larger "sweet Spot", nearly 100% of the lenses.

When you'll struggle to get this level of clarity working for you with the G2 because you have to aim the center of the lense to what you want to see, with the pico, I can read my instruments while looking at the runway in front of me for example.

In the Mirage F1 you can see your instrument panel and all the information the HUD doesn't show or much too small (old tech HUD) without the HUD mod. Tracking is excellent, never had an issue with it, the fact that I always play in a dark room with a 4W red Led behind the screen might help (high contrast).

As a mid-range I'd say it is the ideal headset for DCS because it is light (295g vs 550 g), it is well balanced thanks to the battery, has very good visual, and is fairly comfortable. You also can enjoy a growing library of free and payable apps and games which is something I came to appreciate.

In passing, controllers are good too, easy to use.

>>>

On the minus side, the USB cable doesn't recharge the battery but if you can play for longer than it last you'll probably shot you eyes anyway. It's new so its support and range of apps and game is still not on par with the competition but they are making a lot of progresses at this level. It will be supported for much longer than the G2 which is now out of production. DCS support for the Pico have been screwed by their "VR" update but they will correct this, it is already way better than a month ago. You'll need a strong GPU.

Talking of price range... £622.80 for a G2, £449.00 for my 256GB Pico 4, you don't need 256 GB of Pico storage to play PC-based games, the 128GB is cheaper.

Resolution: 4,320 X 2,160 X 2160 per eye.
Refresh rate: 72/90Hz.
Pancake Lens 105° FOV

To summarize, I wouldn't swap my Pico for a G2 today. ps, the red Led trick could work for other headsets too

 

 

CAn I ask, does this work with Open XR please?....total newbie to VR...lol

[Thinder]

2 hours ago, Marshallman said:

CAn I ask, does this work with Open XR please?....total newbie to VR...lol

It really doesn't need Open XR, this is one of the half bum solutions introduced it an attempt to recover the loss of performances that came with the "VR" update, I had much better performances before and adding layers after layers of apps isn't the solution, it just contribute to more loss of performances even if it allows the headset to run with a disabling VR update.

Just to give you an idea, even after deleting and uninstalling all the stuff I don't need running in Windows 11 Pro background, I still have more than 55 apps doing so, now, the more apps, the heavier the load on the system, the lower the visual quality, it was working great before the update, why would anyone want to add more apps for playing VR?

It looks like this situation have been corrected since, I still don't use Open XR and it's better now, even if not as good as it was in early January, it's a progress, not telling you not to use Open XR, just saying it really doesn't need it.

I can tell you the procedure I use to launch a game and DCS in VR, 1) Streaming assistant; Steam VR kicks in, once in the room it presents you with the options you chose, I have Elite Dangerous and Virtual Desktop, to make sure I don't associate DCS with Steam VR directly, I launch it from Virtual Desktop.

I had better  results improving visual using a simple trick; setting the Resolution in the / Saved Games / DCS / Config/ Options.lua ["graphics"], 800 to 100 and 10280 to 320, the load on the GPU is reduced since it doesn't have to fill up the screen you don't see with the headset anyway, I noticed a clear improvement in cockpit instrument readability.

When it comes to environment, with the way I test DCS, flying at very low levels where redraw is much more demanding, the change is much less noticeable and I still can't see the electric lines before I got my nose right on them, as opposed to what it was before, the FPS is also stocked in the low 40s.

I estimate the loss to <> 20FPS just looking at how smooth the game was with much higher settings, so the increased load on GPUs since this update is important, with no improvement in visual quality whatsoever but the opposite, but to be fair, part of it also comes from mediocre AMD drivers introduced after the update...

Reducing GPU load in VR.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Thinder