Performance & Settings Guide

[intruder11]

I've been working on a Performance & Settings Guide for nearly a year now, combining both my own original research and verified information I've gathered from various DCS Discord servers.

Click To Read The Guide

Did You Know:

- You can reduce DCS World's disk usage by over 100GB with no performance hit?

- You can pass through your HOTAS and keyboard into your VR cockpit, even on headsets as old as the HP Reverb G2?

- You can set up separate graphics profiles and launch shortcuts for 2D and VR?

- Running low on disk space can reduce game performance?

- Enabling DOCP/EOCP can increase CPU performance by over 10%?

- Setting preload radius too high OR too low can cause problems?

- Raising LOD Switch Factor can make ships look better?

- Resizing your kneeboard pages to fit your display can improve performance?

- The AMD User Experience Program is incredibly cursed

I make an effort to update this about once a month

Edited June 21, 2024 by intruder11

[Marshallman]

Following!

 

[MAXsenna]

Excellent!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[intruder11]

Updated:

- Added recommendation against using Steam when playing in VR due to widely reported performance issues

- Added a safer version of the antivirus tweak Spudknocker posted on his YouTube channel, with a cautionary note about the risks when using mods or playing multiplayer.

[intruder11]

Updated:

- I purchased a Meta Quest Pro, and spoke to a buddy who has been using a Pimax Crystal and Bigscreen Beyond. Based on our findings, the guide now has more information on VR headset recommendations and tweaks specific to Meta headsets. Guidance on MSAA with VR is also updated.

- Added a short section recommending some good headtrackers, and an anti-recommendation for buying NaturalPoint TrackIR due to high price and lower refresh rate compared to competing products.

- Guide now clarifies how to find your Saved Games folder depending if you upgraded from Open Beta or started on Stable.

- Updated guidance on SSD free space.

[intruder11]

Updated:

- My buddy provided more information from testing the Bigscreen Beyond. After some tweaking, it's proven good enough to move into the recommended section- though like all VR headsets it has a number of caveats and tradeoffs to consider.

- With the terrain changes in 2.9.3 we've found that you can push preload radius much higher than in previous versions. Updated guidance to encourage users to test higher preload radius settings.

[intruder11]

The guide is now mostly stable with some minor iteration. I've also moved it out of Notion into a proper website.

[MAXsenna]

The guide is now mostly stable with some minor iteration. I've also moved it out of Notion into a proper website.

Thanks again! I do question that you claim that NaturalPoint TrackIR has a lower refresh rate. I was sure it was 120?
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[YSIAD_RIP]

Nice Guide indeed! Thanks - The Guide is especially useful for those just getting into DCS or for someone that has been away for a while.

Re: Head Tracking

• There are so many excellent choices now depending on budget and preference.  It is really hard for anyone to go wrong as long as they do their own research and ask around. 
• I got my TrackIR 5 back in 2011.  It is still working and I even "fixed/reinforced" the TrackClip Pro with epoxy to address the poorly designed fragile system.
• Tobii Eye Tracker 5 is so much better now then it was when it first came out.  For anyone who has a Tobii Eye Tracker 5 they really should try the Beta Camera Boost feature if they have not done so already.  It does help solve some of the lag and movement issues that I hated in the beginning.    

[intruder11]

10 hours ago, MAXsenna said:

Thanks again! I do question that you claim that NaturalPoint TrackIR has a lower refresh rate. I was sure it was 120?
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk
 

Yes, and the competition goes as high as 240Hz

7 hours ago, YSIAD_RIP said:

I got my TrackIR 5 back in 2011.  It is still working and I even "fixed/reinforced" the TrackClip Pro with epoxy to address the poorly designed fragile system.

Yeah, if you _already_ have one it's fine, but no reason to buy a new one.

7 hours ago, YSIAD_RIP said:

Tobii Eye Tracker 5 is so much better now then it was when it first came out.  For anyone who has a Tobii Eye Tracker 5 they really should try the Beta Camera Boost feature if they have not done so already.  It does help solve some of the lag and movement issues that I hated in the beginning.    

Interesting, I'll see if I can demo the newer version.

[MAXsenna]

@intruder11 Ahh, I see. Thanks! Maybe you should make a point of that, as the PS3 cams only does 60Hz(?), or maybe you did and I missed it.
Cheers!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[intruder11]

The guide has been updated. (I was waiting for the new DCS version, but with that now indefinitely delayed I'm releasing what I've got.)

This features a large overhaul of the VR headsets section, as well as minor revisions across the guide.

[PHMAC]

Thanks for your guide,..I am going throug it and making some changes to my installation and system right now.

I have a question about the Compactor tool. Do I need to run it everytime after a DCS update? What about mods that I have installed with OVGME? Do I need to run Compactor on a vanilla install before adding mods? Or maybe I should compress my mod-folder before copying them with OVGME?

I have also noticed that the link to OpenKneeboard’s guide to sizing is not working.

Thanks again for your hard working and sharing your knowledge!

 

Edited August 27, 2024 by PHMAC

[intruder11]

Yeah, you have to rerun Compactor after making changes to re-compress the files. (Game will still work fine if you forget, though.)

The order of operations doesn't matter. You can compress, modify and compress again, or just compress ince at the end. The compression is transparent- other applications don't even realize they're working with compressed data. Windows just magically handles it

[intruder11]

Fixed the link to OpenKneeboard's FAQ, thanks!

[pladoc]

> - You can pass through your HOTAS and keyboard into your VR cockpit, even on headsets as old as the HP Reverb G2?

Where is this addressed..?

[intruder11]

I've updated the guide, especially the section on VR with guidance on navigating the various headsets launching in 2025.

[CTB]

not sure how to save this post, so I'm just going to reply and hopefully can find it later when i need to 

[YSIAD_RIP]

4 hours ago, CTB said:

not sure how to save this post, so I'm just going to reply and hopefully can find it later when i need to 

You can bookmark the URL in your browser: 

 

[CTB]

18 hours ago, YSIAD_RIP said:

You can bookmark the URL in your browser: 

 

Yeah I will probably do that aswell, haven't set up a favourites folder for DCS yet.

[Bealdor]

On 3/31/2025 at 10:59 PM, CTB said:

not sure how to save this post, so I'm just going to reply and hopefully can find it later when i need to 

Just click on the Follow button at the top right (on PC) or the bottom (mobile) of this thread.

There you can adjust how to be notified of new posts. You can revisit followed threads through your account page under "Manage followed content".