Virtual Desktop - is it really a must?

[nachinus]

Hi!

I'm quite new in all things VR and trying to compile tips and recomendations to make the best of it. I keep reading how must people use Virtual Desktop and I wonder why is it. I have a Quest3 with USB link and use the native Quest desktop thingie to access my PC. It works ok, but I guess there is some reason why most of you use that program. 

Edited March 29 by nachinus

[ETBSmorgan]

Hi

With the meta application I had lot of bugs. It works perfectly with VD.

[Qcumber]

48 minutes ago, nachinus said:

Hi!

I'm quite new in all things VR and trying to compile tips and recomendations to make the best of it. I keep reading how must people use Virtual Desktop and I wonder why is it. I have a Quest3 with USB link and use the native Quest desktop thingie to access my PC. It works ok, but I guess there are some reason why most of you use that program. 

Both are good options. They gave similar quality and performance. VD is harder to set up and can be more temperamental (at least for me). Meta link sometimes has issues after updating so always make sure you do not opt in for the public test channel and do manual updates only. My advice is buy a cheap USB cable which needs the requirements for cable link and give it a go. For VD you will need to buy a dedicated router connected directly to your PC via Ethernet. 

[nachinus]

I'm currently using precisely that usb cable option and is working just fine. Next step is fiddling with different options to improve visuals and performance which I fear means entering a whole new rabbit hole.

Edited March 29 by nachinus

[Qcumber]

27 minutes ago, nachinus said:

I'm currently using precisely that usb cable option and is working just fine. Next step is fiddling with different options to improve visuals and performance which I fear means entering a whole new rabbit hole.

Yes. VR is lifelong learning. Post your settings here if you need any help figuring things out. 

[nachinus]

I'm familiar with dcs gfx options and I'm playing with them, but I don't even know where to start tweaking the VR settings, ingame VR tab? Occulus menu? Third party app?

[Qcumber]

8 minutes ago, nachinus said:

I'm familiar with dcs gfx options and I'm playing with them, but I don't even know where to start tweaking the VR settings, ingame VR tab? Occulus menu? Third party app?

Start with the Oculus Link app and Oculus Debug Tool. It's in the "...Oculus\Support\oculus-diagnostics" folder. You can adjust lots of settings here. Start with scaling. I would set the resolution slider to x1 in the Link app then use ODT to increase this to about x1.5. This will give you a resolution of about 3312x 3096. A good starting point. 

What are your PC specs? 

[nachinus]

Ryzen 7 5800X, 64GB RAM, GTX 5070Ti freshly installed

[Phantom711]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb nachinus:

but I guess there is some reason why most of you use that program. 

It‘s highly debatable if „most of us“ are using VD. I think people using 3rd party options, are usually more vocal about it. I don‘t mean that in any negative way though. There simply isn‘t much of a story to tell about using the regular QuestLink.

Sure I‘ve tried VD as well and it worked as advertised, but I prefer Metas ASW vs VDs SSW, which is my main reason to stick to QuestLink.

[Qcumber]

3 hours ago, nachinus said:

Ryzen 7 5800X, 64GB RAM, GTX 5070Ti freshly installed

Good setup. I bought a 5070ti and had it for about 2 weeks then managed to get a 5080 at MSRP. The 5070ti runs very well in VR.  

[diego999]

14 hours ago, nachinus said:

Hi!

I'm quite new in all things VR and trying to compile tips and recomendations to make the best of it. I keep reading how must people use Virtual Desktop and I wonder why is it. I have a Quest3 with USB link and use the native Quest desktop thingie to access my PC. It works ok, but I guess there is some reason why most of you use that program. 

 

Not at all. I've been using Quest Link for 3 years. I've only had problems when my cable died.

VD is a good option, but I tried it and never could match the visual clarity of the cable link. Besides, ASW is far superior to what VD has.

I'd say try both and see which one offers better results.

 

 

[nachinus]

Thank you all, guys. I'll stick to Quest Link then and start my fiddling.

 

I had a crash yesterday but I think It was because I increased pixel density in the Link App and forgot that I already had increased the multiplier in the DCSs VR tab too. Is there any difference/advantage between tweaking pixel density ingame vs Link App?

[Qcumber]

23 minutes ago, nachinus said:

Thank you all, guys. I'll stick to Quest Link then and start my fiddling.

 

I had a crash yesterday but I think It was because I increased pixel density in the Link App and forgot that I already had increased the multiplier in the DCSs VR tab too. Is there any difference/advantage between tweaking pixel density ingame vs Link App?

Just stick with one place then it's easier to work things out. I prefer to increase the resolution in the oculus app/oculus debug tool rather than in DCS. 

[nachinus]

null

Oculus debug tool pixel override doesn't seem to be working or I'm doing something wrong. I typed that 1.5 and hit Service- restart Oculus Service, but there is no difference ingame.

Moving the slider to 1.5 either in DCS VR tab or in the Meta Quest app works, though. That way I get a good enough image quality specially regarding cockpit gauges and labels, which is a priority for me. I could use a little bit more smoothness in rolls and turns so I guess I'll have to sacrifice something for better fps.

Oh, Im launching DCS with Open XR option rather than Oculus VR, since I read DCS supports OpenXR natively. Should I be doing otherwise?

Edited March 30 by nachinus

[Tomcat388th]

when using the debug tool you have to hit the enter key for it to take at first.   it will show 1.500000 then once you click another cell it will show1.5     OpenXR is what you want

 

[TonyG]

With my 3080 I got better performance in virtual desktop.  With the new computer, it is far more stable and better fps through the link cable. I got a link cable with a usb-c power port so it delivers full power to the headset.  I’ve now got a pretty stable 72fps in all situations through link. 
 

I will say, when I could get VD to run through Ethernet, it was better than link, but it just won’t reliably stay connected.  Sometimes it does, sometimes it randomly drops connection. 

[RoboHackfeld]

Im running with VD because I can just start the Headset, start VD and I am ready to go. No cable, no Oculus Tray tool and no Meta Link that sometimes just does not work at the first start up. The downside is, I am fighting with some lagspikes, I dont have with Link, but they appear once per 10 Minutes or so and only in crowded areas.

 

[Qcumber]

Oculus Link is more stable for me. Very steady frametimes and smooth fps. With VD the frametimes are more erratic and there is microstutter. This is eliminated when I use an Ethernet cable to the headset but I can no longer get a decent bitrate this way. Overall, link cable is a better experience. 

[Hiob]

I opted for a dedicated Wifi 6e router/access point JUST for the Headset. Maybe a bit overkill, but being wireless was the main benefit of the Quest 3 for me. (Former Index user)

As far as I can tell, it is equal to the link cable solution for all intents and purposes. Or at least I can't tell the differences apart. 
I followed some youtube guides regarding settings (bitrate etc.) and it worked.

 

[Maddaawg]

17 hours ago, Hiob said:

I opted for a dedicated Wifi 6e router/access point JUST for the Headset. Maybe a bit overkill, but being wireless was the main benefit of the Quest 3 for me. (Former Index user)

As far as I can tell, it is equal to the link cable solution for all intents and purposes. Or at least I can't tell the differences apart. 
I followed some youtube guides regarding settings (bitrate etc.) and it worked.

 

Same here, I gave up on the USB and multiple adjustments in the Quest software. I found it buggy and occasionally wouldn't connect. VD connects easily every time.

[TED]

Im currently using a quest pro and have always used VD as my previous Pico 4 worked great with vd.

Considering trying quest link out of curiosity. Will QVFR and DFR still work with link? 

[Qcumber]

31 minutes ago, TED said:

Im currently using a quest pro and have always used VD as my previous Pico 4 worked great with vd.

Considering trying quest link out of curiosity. Will QVFR and DFR still work with link? 

Yes. QVFR works well. There is a setup guide on the GitHub site. 

[TED]

Stupid question, but where the hell is the oculus debug too?

[nachinus]

Quoting Qcumber: It's in the "...Oculus\Support\oculus-diagnostics" folder.

[TED]

Yep. I found it. Thanks.

Had a good test of link and in my opinion VD is just way better. It seems much clearer, much better performance and more user friendly.

Not sure why this is. When I set and compare both like for like - 72fps no asw, HEVC/H265, godlike resolution and 1.0 in oculus debug - VD is very smooth, with a much better image and no stutters. Link just is not. It looks worse with less clarity and quite stuttery. 

Edited April 3 by TED