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FSX and Virtual Reality?

RyanJZ

RyanJZ

Members +
Hey guys,
anyone here use a virtual reality headset? I'm considering an Oculus Rift in the near future and I'm seeking advice. My main concern is whether my computer could handle it. I have an i5 processor, 64bit, on-board graphics driver, and 6G ram. I may be below some of the minimum specs, but I've heard of how FSX Flyinside raises the FPS in the headset to 90, so that has me wondering if there's any hope. For what its worth, I am able able to run numerous complex addons simultaneously on my system. Recently I flew the QW 787 out of Aerosoft's Aspen scenery, with Active Sky Next. The only time my sim stutters is when I'm on the ground and even then its usually only when I get close to buildings or other objects. What do you guys think?
 
Integrated graphics on an i5 is probably not able to do VR in any acceptable way. I would say the minimum is a gtx 1050ti or a radeon rx 470 / 570.
 
I agree with Stefano, unless your running some supper high end gaming laptop integrated just wont cut it
I'd even go a bit higher and recommend at least a GTX1060 or preferably higher.

You can always run the Oculus compatibility tool and see what it says

https://ocul.us/compat-tool
 
RyanJZ said:
Hey guys,
anyone here use a virtual reality headset? I'm considering an Oculus Rift in the near future and I'm seeking advice. My main concern is whether my computer could handle it. I have an i5 processor, 64bit, on-board graphics driver, and 6G ram. I may be below some of the minimum specs, but I've heard of how FSX Flyinside raises the FPS in the headset to 90, so that has me wondering if there's any hope. For what its worth, I am able able to run numerous complex addons simultaneously on my system. Recently I flew the QW 787 out of Aerosoft's Aspen scenery, with Active Sky Next. The only time my sim stutters is when I'm on the ground and even then its usually only when I get close to buildings or other objects. What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Forget it.
Your computer is not powerful enough to provide the minimum FPS level required to use VR headsets. With low FPS, your VR headset will provide you a terrible experience and you'll get motion sickness almost immediately.

Also, some new VR headsets are reaching the market very soon. Please check that thread:
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/108070-VR-headsets-are-they-worth-the-price
 
Daube said:
Forget it.
Your computer is not powerful enough to provide the minimum FPS level required to use VR headsets. With low FPS, your VR headset will provide you a terrible experience and you'll get motion sickness almost immediately.

Also, some new VR headsets are reaching the market very soon. Please check that thread:
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/108070-VR-headsets-are-they-worth-the-price
Click to expand...


Perhaps with the addition of the new VR headsets, possibly the Rift & Vive prices wil go down. Or maybe they wil offer lower cost models? NC
 
Navy Chief said:
Perhaps with the addition of the new VR headsets, possibly the Rift & Vive prices wil go down. Or maybe they wil offer lower cost models? NC
Click to expand...

I have owned an Oculus Rift since the development kit #1. Your system is not ideal but it's not true that you cannot run VR on it at all. FSX FlyInside uses an asynchronous timewarp system to turn 30 frames per second into 90 fps. It works wonders, believe me. But before that I used to run the DK2 on an old PC with an R290 graphics card. I had to turn some settings down but it ran just fine, and that was during multi-player gaming too in FSX.

If you want VR, go for it. If your current set up can't handle it, you can always upgrade later. Personally, given the choice between the best possible flight sim experience on a monitor and low visuals in VR, I'd go VR every time. I say that as a real world PPL too. It's a totally different experience and well worth the financial outlay - I got into development of airplanes for flight sim because of VR, it's that good :)
 
I would strongly advise people to wait a few months before spending their money on Occulus or Vive.
The problem with these two helmets is they have insufficient resolution (or more like, pixel density).
Aside from the text/gauges readability problems and the general picture quality problems, one of the biggest drawbacks at the moment is the screen-door effect (SDE).
I found quite a nice comparison picture to show what I'm talking about:

3f2fbac8b111cd082d91ce476c3d01925001ab28.jpg


This shows why it's important to wait for the next generation of helmets like the PIMAX 8K.
SDE, but also FOV (field of view) which is quite important for us virtual pilots.
And for those who might be afraid of the "8K" in the name, no the helmet does not require your computer to produce 8K pictures (even two GeForce 1080 Ti wouldn't be eough...). Instead, these helmets work with quite a standard VR source resolution, but then the picture is upscaled to be displayed on the nice helmet screens without screen-door-effect. Same resolution, better screen.
 
Perhaps I should wait to see what comes into the market. But I could return the Oculus if it just didn't pan out well...
 
The promised new headsets do look like the future, but I've read that they're not quite up to scratch yet. Furthermore, the FSX FlyInside software needed to enjoy VR in flight sim is not configured to run with those headsets ( it's Vive and Oculus at the moment ) although P3D v4 does have in-built support for VR so one can dive straight in there.

I personally have no problem with resolution in the Rift. I run P3D v4 at about 75% maximum settings and get a consistent 90fps in the Rift. Yes, there is a slight pixellation if you look for it, but the brain blocks it out within moments of putting the headset on. It's not so much about the resolution but the experience itself. Sitting inside an airplane with full stereoscopic vision is something to behold. Clouds that are the size of a cigarette packet on a monitor are a mile across in VR, just like real life. If you're afraid of heights in real life and you walk to the edge of a cliff in VR, you'll be afraid of the height.

There's no comparison really - if you haven't played flight simulator in VR, you haven't really played it at all yet... :adoration:
 
DC1973 said:
I have owned an Oculus Rift since the development kit #1. Your system is not ideal but it's not true that you cannot run VR on it at all. FSX FlyInside uses an asynchronous timewarp system to turn 30 frames per second into 90 fps. It works wonders, believe me. But before that I used to run the DK2 on an old PC with an R290 graphics card. I had to turn some settings down but it ran just fine, and that was during multi-player gaming too in FSX.

If you want VR, go for it. If your current set up can't handle it, you can always upgrade later. Personally, given the choice between the best possible flight sim experience on a monitor and low visuals in VR, I'd go VR every time. I say that as a real world PPL too. It's a totally different experience and well worth the financial outlay - I got into development of airplanes for flight sim because of VR, it's that good :)
Click to expand...

Do you think Flyinside is strong enough to compensate for my specs?
 
DC1973 said:
The promised new headsets do look like the future, but I've read that they're not quite up to scratch yet. Furthermore, the FSX FlyInside software needed to enjoy VR in flight sim is not configured to run with those headsets ( it's Vive and Oculus at the moment ) although P3D v4 does have in-built support for VR so one can dive straight in there.

I personally have no problem with resolution in the Rift. I run P3D v4 at about 75% maximum settings and get a consistent 90fps in the Rift. Yes, there is a slight pixellation if you look for it, but the brain blocks it out within moments of putting the headset on. It's not so much about the resolution but the experience itself. Sitting inside an airplane with full stereoscopic vision is something to behold. Clouds that are the size of a cigarette packet on a monitor are a mile across in VR, just like real life. If you're afraid of heights in real life and you walk to the edge of a cliff in VR, you'll be afraid of the height.

There's no comparison really - if you haven't played flight simulator in VR, you haven't really played it at all yet... :adoration:
Click to expand...

I fully agree; while I would like the resolution to be higher, for me the Rift is entirely acceptable. I do understand that people want to wait for the next generation of VR sets - and no doubt there will be a FlyInside type of software around – the better can be the enemy of the good. New VR sets will be coming, each generation better than the last. The advantages of waiting for a better future are obvious, but I am glad I can enjoy the present, which is quite good enough for me. My advice would be: try the various candidates out at sim events, trade shows etc. (that is what I did with the Rift) and then make your choice, weighing availability, price, teething troubles, software support etc.
 
So Oculus Rift does have a option to fit it with prescription lenses? I thought only Rive did? Anyway, I went to the only place in Pensacola that offers demos of Oculus Rift and HP's and Microsoft's new VR headsets at Best Buy. Wasted my time. The demo representatives for EITHER product never showed, and I waited over a hour.

Crap.:banghead:

NC
 
There will always be better technology across the horizon. Someday someone will even create a computer fast enough to run an FSX-engine-based simulation at 60 fps over Seattle at full detail. :)

But in the meantime, I love flying with my Rift. It's a dramatically more immersive experience, even if the resolution could be better. When the next great thing comes out, you can get half the money you invest in a Rift back reselling it to someone and jump on there.
 
Navy Chief said:
So Oculus Rift does have a option to fit it with prescription lenses? I thought only Rive did? Anyway, I went to the only place in Pensacola that offers demos of Oculus Rift and HP's and Microsoft's new VR headsets at Best Buy. Wasted my time. The demo representatives for EITHER product never showed, and I waited over a hour.

Crap.:banghead:

NC
Click to expand...
That's some unbelievable customer service:dejection:
 
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