Oculus Rift

I was able to try out the OR Version 2. I saw a single scene. It was very immersive, except the resolution is still rather poor. The gauges are hard to read. I think it will work best on simple VFR aircraft, where you eyes are outside the cockpit all of the time.
 
Ever since the first release of Oculus Rift I've been intrigued. With the unit, a PC screen would be no longer, except for maybe starting the virtual flight/game. Once active, Oculus Rift would then give an immersion factor as if in the cockpit.

I have TrackIR5. I like the tracking concept, but dislike the feel of distance transmitted through the program. To me it does not feel right and inevitably I turn it off.

Oculus Rift (if they ever get it more refined. A higher resolution screen maybe?) will be a whole new world.
-If the developers (which they may have already) looked into the head tracking concept (an internal balancing sensor based on head position. Something like a sensing gyro. Tilt head-down-up-left-right, tilt down-rotate-left, etc) and could adapt this into the gear, that may be a direction with positive results for a gamer.

Who knows. I'm hopeful they get on the right track
 
In my opportunity to fly PD3 with the Oculus Riff Version 2 I found the head movement to be as real as it gets. The head movements match those in real flying. No more look 20% left to see 150%. If you want to look to a 45% over the shoulder, say when leaving the perch on an overhead approach, you need to turn to look over your left shoulder. The system was set up to fly the FSX version of the Maule. This was a perfect aircraft to use as a demo. I didn't need to use the gauges, other than airspeed. I had a throttle, stick and rudders. The rest was seat of the pants flying. I found it to be really immersive.
 
Yes, the latest version of the Occulus Rift includes the same movements as the TrackIR.
So basically, you will feel in the cockpit, and you will be able to move your head in all directions and angles, all your head movements will be replicated in the sim.
And finally the main interest of the Occulus will be the 3D vision. There are some videos on Youtube in which some guys are using the Occulus with some plane game or sims, flown from cockpit. They all agree on the excellent perception of volumes and distances due to the 3D vision (one picture for each eye, so the brain can combine them in 3D).

Right now, the main limitation is the resolution. It's way too low to be comfortable to use in a complex cockpit where you have to read the gauges and the buttons. But hopefully, they will improve this in the next versions. Once we get a decent resolution in that device, the virtual cockpits of our planes in FSX/P3D will never be the same anymore...
 
To re-ignite this thread I wanted to follow up to say I ave been lucky to acquire a DK2 Oculus Rift SDK Headset from work and could not wait to get it back home to plug in to P3D.

I am using a Demo from here (dcoc-vr.com) still in Alpha stage to run the interface between the headset and P3D. After a couple of nights playing around with a number of things I can echo everything said earlier in this thread..... Yes it does track movement like Track IR, yes the resolution is too low for beautifully created VC's, but in my humbe opinion it is a game changer of a magnitude I have not experienced before in all my years of flight sim.

My partner in crime at Flying Stations and I have modeled some British aircraft over the years that the original designers had no clue of ergonomics... so using the hat swich to rotate a view to an obscure corner of the VC to access various inputs is hard at the best of times, especially if flying fast and low... But this with ease puts you at an advantage that is almost hard to describe. Flying along side a movig ship in a helicopter to land on a small flight deck again is made so much easier with this. Also for once I genuniely feel you are sat in the correct position in the cockpit... not too high, too far from the panel etc etc..

The peripheral vision (other than resolution) I think at present is the one major thing that needs improving, imagine wearing a pair of glasses with some tape on the edges of the left and right lenses obstructing 15-22mm (1/2-3/4"), when this is widened the imersion would be amazing.

The head set is actually very light to wear not tiring at all and the cable management is well designed into the straps to pass down the back of your head.

Yes the resolution is low, you are staring at individual pixels at times, runway lights look like small balls of fire and all that money you spent of mesh and great ground textures are not credited at all, however...... the true imersion of the experience almost makes those things irrelevant as you genuniely feel the movement of the aircraft and its more about the sensation of flying than the eye candy of the scenery add ons. That being said I am told that commericial version will feature a 4K resolution screen with a wider view, when that is available forget spending your money on a wider moniter spread... this is the way to go..

I have the set for some time so please feel free to pm / message me with questions.

Cheers,

Sketchy
 
Sketchy, thank you so much for that feedback. This is precisely the kind of comments I was expecting.
I understand the limited peripheral vision and the low resolution are the main problems at the moment. But sometimes I think about just one just for the pleasure of flying a simple aircraft over beautiful scenery.
But it wouldn't be a good choice to spend money on these intermediate versions, better save for the final one.
 
How do you hit the correct keys on your your keyboard, with that thing on your head? :anonymous:


Soeren
 
We were only brainstorming this at work today after my experiences with the Rift in P3D.
The ability to reach up and click over head panels and infront of you is the thing I "sense" myself doing while under the goggles.

Since writing the review the other day I spent more time under the rift and truly believe it is awesome, I am totally addicted, my plan of a third screen for a wrap around display has been shelved now I have this. It will be some time thanks to Facebook now for the commercial rift release but I am very happy with this.

My 4 year old daughter loves it! Lol
 
Now that's neat. Our virtual world and interacting within is going to change. Holographic imaging to the extreme.
This news explained on the video, will erupt so fast, the technology will sustain itself due to the uses.

Thanks for sharing that video!
 
Hi Sketchy,

Would work allow you to attach a LEAP Motion controller to the front? They sell a bracket specifically for the Rift DK2. I just ordered one myself yesterday.

Andy
 
BTW Sketchy, what on Earth are these "over head panels" you talk of (unless you're in a Sea King)??!! :biggrin-new: Heaven only knows what you're flying these days mate! :p87:
 
How do you hit the correct keys on your your keyboard, with that thing on your head? :anonymous:

Soeren

Soeren, living in your lovely country in the dark winter months a few years ago taught me a lot of skills of finding things in the dark! ;)
I miss the Tuborg Christmas Beer :santahat:


Hi Sketchy,

Would work allow you to attach a LEAP Motion controller to the front? They sell a bracket specifically for the Rift DK2. I just ordered one myself yesterday.

Andy

LEAP Motion? Let me look into that Andy, I am not sure what it is / does, but I can do want I want with the Rift so all suggestions welcome!

I had problems with the head movement being recognised until last night, now I have it working leaning in to look at the panel to see numbers clearer is yet another game changer. Looking around over your shoulder to look down between the pilots seats is so cool, and yes over head panels.... The Alpha Merlin :) I cannot get the Sea King to work due to Virtavia's anti piracy coding not liking me unistalling it from FSX and trying to install it in P3D now it does not work in either... shame I loved that model.
 
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