DCS Discussion

[Destraex]

The price difference between the units is that the cheaper one is VR dedicated and does not have the three screens in the MFDs. Although I fly almost exclusively VR, I still went with the screens in case I ever want to play in 2d. I do sometimes get the urge to revert to pancake for various reasons.

I see. So you are just feeling for the buttons in VR or through the VR camera to the outside world. I think I would rather a VR glove for that if that was more practical. That makes sense then that the phoenix is half the price if their are plastic placeholders for the lcd screens.
I play exclusively in pancake with a trackir and have never really used VR. I won't be making that effort until screens are 1:1 performance with pancake.
I have a friend who is using the occulus rift S and having to turn everything down constantly in VR/DCS to get it working acceptably. He has especially had performance problems since a few Rift/DCS updates ago. He was saying that the Rift software would not even let him run it unless he updated it and updates can screw things. I think others have blocked updates so that the program does not even know they exist.

The reason I was asking about servers was that I played on a US one the other day where I was getting kills while on the ground before I even took off. I imagine there was some sort of unusual script running. The kills were showing up in chat and in red on the bottom right when they happened, but the scoreboard was not registering them as should be the case. Wierd. Other servers were fine. I seem to remember the same thing happening probably on the same server years ago when I last got the bug.

[Jarhead0331]

I know there are some staunch VR holdouts out there, but, really, once you experience it, it is almost impossible to go back. We've discussed at length here and elsewhere how poorly optimized DCS is for VR. It is true that the sim desperately needs work here, but the joy and triumph of the immersion it can provide in the VR world is unlike anything else out there and makes all the tweaking and troubleshooting to maximize quality while balancing performance utterly worth it in the end.

The rift s is not a headset I would use to judge how good dcs can look in VR. That headset is at the very low end. You need to see it in a Reverb G2, Pimax 8kx or even a varjo aero if you can get your hands on one. I have all of these headsets and use them all, so I know. 

Yes, with peripherals, in VR you feel for the switches and toggles. I place adhesive beads on central or key buttons to get my tactile bearing. It works great. The motion glove technology isn't there yet, but I also do use PointCTRL, which allows direct interaction with virtual cockpit controls. It's a good alternative to dodgy devices like the captoglove.

With respect to servers, I don't really play in MP so I can't give you any feedback. I've dabbled with the thought of joining a squadron, but anytime I start feeling any sense of obligation, I pull back.

[Redwolf]

I have a friend who is using the occulus rift S and having to turn everything down constantly in VR/DCS to get it working acceptably. He has especially had performance problems since a few Rift/DCS updates ago. He was saying that the Rift software would not even let him run it unless he updated it and updates can screw things. I think others have blocked updates so that the program does not even know they exist.

The software that facebook ships for their VR devices is terrible. You would have a better experience with pretty much any other manufacturer.

[Gusington]

Off topic, forgive me - JH do you play any WWI flight sims in VR?

[Jarhead0331]

Off topic, forgive me - JH do you play any WWI flight sims in VR?

Only one fairly arcade-like sim on the Quest 2.

https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/3922378427824210/

I also have IL-2 Flying Circus, but I've actually never fired it up in VR.

WWI aviation is cool, but it just isn't my first choice for getting my flight fix.

[Destraex]

I know there are some staunch VR holdouts out there, but, really, once you experience it, it is almost impossible to go back. We've discussed at length here and elsewhere how poorly optimized DCS is for VR. It is true that the sim desperately needs work here, but the joy and triumph of the immersion it can provide in the VR world is unlike anything else out there and makes all the tweaking and troubleshooting to maximize quality while balancing performance utterly worth it in the end.

The rift s is not a headset I would use to judge how good dcs can look in VR. That headset is at the very low end. You need to see it in a Reverb G2, Pimax 8kx or even a varjo aero if you can get your hands on one. I have all of these headsets and use them all, so I know. 

Yes, with peripherals, in VR you feel for the switches and toggles. I place adhesive beads on central or key buttons to get my tactile bearing. It works great. The motion glove technology isn't there yet, but I also do use PointCTRL, which allows direct interaction with virtual cockpit controls. It's a good alternative to dodgy devices like the captoglove.

With respect to servers, I don't really play in MP so I can't give you any feedback. I've dabbled with the thought of joining a squadron, but anytime I start feeling any sense of obligation, I pull back.

Great info thanks. It's good to have somebody around that actually has all this stuff so that we can get the low down off a trusted source.

[Gusington]

Thanks JH - when I do (finally) get VR set, it will be for WWI flight simming, one of my first PC gaming loves. I'll probably be retired by then and play 23 hours a day.

[Jarhead0331]

I know there are some staunch VR holdouts out there, but, really, once you experience it, it is almost impossible to go back. We've discussed at length here and elsewhere how poorly optimized DCS is for VR. It is true that the sim desperately needs work here, but the joy and triumph of the immersion it can provide in the VR world is unlike anything else out there and makes all the tweaking and troubleshooting to maximize quality while balancing performance utterly worth it in the end.

The rift s is not a headset I would use to judge how good dcs can look in VR. That headset is at the very low end. You need to see it in a Reverb G2, Pimax 8kx or even a varjo aero if you can get your hands on one. I have all of these headsets and use them all, so I know. 

Yes, with peripherals, in VR you feel for the switches and toggles. I place adhesive beads on central or key buttons to get my tactile bearing. It works great. The motion glove technology isn't there yet, but I also do use PointCTRL, which allows direct interaction with virtual cockpit controls. It's a good alternative to dodgy devices like the captoglove.

With respect to servers, I don't really play in MP so I can't give you any feedback. I've dabbled with the thought of joining a squadron, but anytime I start feeling any sense of obligation, I pull back.

Great info thanks. It's good to have somebody around that actually has all this stuff so that we can get the low down off a trusted source.

It is sad to say, but I pretty much do have just about everything. lol

Thrustmaster, Virpil, Winwing, MFG, Saitek, CH, every major VR headset with the exception of the Index, AMD, Intel, Radeon, Nvidia, all of this in the pursuit of the ultimate DCS experience. My last two rigs alone, which were both built to conquer DCS, probably cost about $8,000 collectively. It's totally offensive and unjustifiable, but its my love and it takes me to a happy place.

Any questions, about anything in particular, just ask. We also have some others here with a good mix of hardware, like SirAndrew, et al. 

...now, should I get a 4090? lol

[Pete Dero]

My last two rigs alone, which were both built to conquer DCS, probably cost about $8,000 collectively. It's totally offensive and unjustifiable

That is around what we pay for energy a month° in the my country right now, so in comparison it isn't too bad as your rigs last longer O0.

° a little bit exaggerated for the moment but we'll get there ...

[Jarhead0331]

My last two rigs alone, which were both built to conquer DCS, probably cost about $8,000 collectively. It's totally offensive and unjustifiable

That is around what we pay for energy a month° in the my country right now, so in comparison it isn't too bad as your rigs last longer O0.

° a little bit exaggerated for the moment but we'll get there ...

...and they probably burnoff the amount of energy you use in your house a month, as well.

First world problems, I guess... :-"

[Father Ted]

Thanks JH - when I do (finally) get VR set, it will be for WWI flight simming, one of my first PC gaming loves. I'll probably be retired by then and play 23 hours a day.

A warning note on that is that I think you're limited to IL2:Flying Circus for a WW1 VR experience.  Now I love that game, and it is great in VR, though not as hi-res as flat screen for me with Quest 2 and 2070 RTX.  However, I play exclusively in MP and I know that's not your thing, so you should be aware that a constant refrain from newcomers on the forums is that the SP experience is a bit anaemic.  Maybe by the time you get it, they will have fleshed out the content a bit more.

[CaptainKoloth]

I know there are some staunch VR holdouts out there, but, really, once you experience it, it is almost impossible to go back. We've discussed at length here and elsewhere how poorly optimized DCS is for VR. It is true that the sim desperately needs work here, but the joy and triumph of the immersion it can provide in the VR world is unlike anything else out there and makes all the tweaking and troubleshooting to maximize quality while balancing performance utterly worth it in the end.

The rift s is not a headset I would use to judge how good dcs can look in VR. That headset is at the very low end. You need to see it in a Reverb G2, Pimax 8kx or even a varjo aero if you can get your hands on one. I have all of these headsets and use them all, so I know. 

Yes, with peripherals, in VR you feel for the switches and toggles. I place adhesive beads on central or key buttons to get my tactile bearing. It works great. The motion glove technology isn't there yet, but I also do use PointCTRL, which allows direct interaction with virtual cockpit controls. It's a good alternative to dodgy devices like the captoglove.

With respect to servers, I don't really play in MP so I can't give you any feedback. I've dabbled with the thought of joining a squadron, but anytime I start feeling any sense of obligation, I pull back.

Great info thanks. It's good to have somebody around that actually has all this stuff so that we can get the low down off a trusted source.

It is sad to say, but I pretty much do have just about everything. lol

Thrustmaster, Virpil, Winwing, MFG, Saitek, CH, every major VR headset with the exception of the Index, AMD, Intel, Radeon, Nvidia, all of this in the pursuit of the ultimate DCS experience. My last two rigs alone, which were both built to conquer DCS, probably cost about $8,000 collectively. It's totally offensive and unjustifiable, but its my love and it takes me to a happy place.

Any questions, about anything in particular, just ask. We also have some others here with a good mix of hardware, like SirAndrew, et al. 

...now, should I get a 4090? lol

And having just gotten a much better paying job and a nice signing bonus, I have now embarked upon a quest to take the baton from you on this... I'll let you know how DCS looks through my Reverb G2 with my RTX 4090, overclocked liquid cooled i9-13900K, 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, and 4 TB of M.2 NVMe storage when the PC gets here in the next week or two 

I am a very, very fortunate man that my wife couldn't care less about what "all that stuff in the basement" is or what it costs so long as the lights stay on!

[Jarhead0331]

I know there are some staunch VR holdouts out there, but, really, once you experience it, it is almost impossible to go back. We've discussed at length here and elsewhere how poorly optimized DCS is for VR. It is true that the sim desperately needs work here, but the joy and triumph of the immersion it can provide in the VR world is unlike anything else out there and makes all the tweaking and troubleshooting to maximize quality while balancing performance utterly worth it in the end.

The rift s is not a headset I would use to judge how good dcs can look in VR. That headset is at the very low end. You need to see it in a Reverb G2, Pimax 8kx or even a varjo aero if you can get your hands on one. I have all of these headsets and use them all, so I know. 

Yes, with peripherals, in VR you feel for the switches and toggles. I place adhesive beads on central or key buttons to get my tactile bearing. It works great. The motion glove technology isn't there yet, but I also do use PointCTRL, which allows direct interaction with virtual cockpit controls. It's a good alternative to dodgy devices like the captoglove.

With respect to servers, I don't really play in MP so I can't give you any feedback. I've dabbled with the thought of joining a squadron, but anytime I start feeling any sense of obligation, I pull back.

Great info thanks. It's good to have somebody around that actually has all this stuff so that we can get the low down off a trusted source.

It is sad to say, but I pretty much do have just about everything. lol

Thrustmaster, Virpil, Winwing, MFG, Saitek, CH, every major VR headset with the exception of the Index, AMD, Intel, Radeon, Nvidia, all of this in the pursuit of the ultimate DCS experience. My last two rigs alone, which were both built to conquer DCS, probably cost about $8,000 collectively. It's totally offensive and unjustifiable, but its my love and it takes me to a happy place.

Any questions, about anything in particular, just ask. We also have some others here with a good mix of hardware, like SirAndrew, et al. 

...now, should I get a 4090? lol

And having just gotten a much better paying job and a nice signing bonus, I have now embarked upon a quest to take the baton from you on this... I'll let you know how DCS looks through my Reverb G2 with my RTX 4090, overclocked liquid cooled i9-13900K, 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, and 4 TB of M.2 NVMe storage when the PC gets here in the next week or two 

I am a very, very fortunate man that my wife couldn't care less about what "all that stuff in the basement" is or what it costs so long as the lights stay on!

Wow. That is a monster rig. Who did you get it from? Is it a pre-built?

[CaptainKoloth]

I know there are some staunch VR holdouts out there, but, really, once you experience it, it is almost impossible to go back. We've discussed at length here and elsewhere how poorly optimized DCS is for VR. It is true that the sim desperately needs work here, but the joy and triumph of the immersion it can provide in the VR world is unlike anything else out there and makes all the tweaking and troubleshooting to maximize quality while balancing performance utterly worth it in the end.

The rift s is not a headset I would use to judge how good dcs can look in VR. That headset is at the very low end. You need to see it in a Reverb G2, Pimax 8kx or even a varjo aero if you can get your hands on one. I have all of these headsets and use them all, so I know. 

Yes, with peripherals, in VR you feel for the switches and toggles. I place adhesive beads on central or key buttons to get my tactile bearing. It works great. The motion glove technology isn't there yet, but I also do use PointCTRL, which allows direct interaction with virtual cockpit controls. It's a good alternative to dodgy devices like the captoglove.

With respect to servers, I don't really play in MP so I can't give you any feedback. I've dabbled with the thought of joining a squadron, but anytime I start feeling any sense of obligation, I pull back.

Great info thanks. It's good to have somebody around that actually has all this stuff so that we can get the low down off a trusted source.

It is sad to say, but I pretty much do have just about everything. lol

Thrustmaster, Virpil, Winwing, MFG, Saitek, CH, every major VR headset with the exception of the Index, AMD, Intel, Radeon, Nvidia, all of this in the pursuit of the ultimate DCS experience. My last two rigs alone, which were both built to conquer DCS, probably cost about $8,000 collectively. It's totally offensive and unjustifiable, but its my love and it takes me to a happy place.

Any questions, about anything in particular, just ask. We also have some others here with a good mix of hardware, like SirAndrew, et al. 

...now, should I get a 4090? lol

And having just gotten a much better paying job and a nice signing bonus, I have now embarked upon a quest to take the baton from you on this... I'll let you know how DCS looks through my Reverb G2 with my RTX 4090, overclocked liquid cooled i9-13900K, 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, and 4 TB of M.2 NVMe storage when the PC gets here in the next week or two 

I am a very, very fortunate man that my wife couldn't care less about what "all that stuff in the basement" is or what it costs so long as the lights stay on!

Wow. That is a monster rig. Who did you get it from? Is it a pre-built?

Yeah, Cyberpower. If you go by the ethos of the redditsphere, having someone else build your computer puts you in league with Putin, Pol Pot and Idi Amin, but I a) know how to do it and just find it time-consuming rather than enjoyable, and b) it's a much better way to get new parts than trying to fight the mad rush to get each one individually, and I need to upgrade everything anyway rather than just e.g. the GPU. I've had good experiences with Cyberpower in the past.

You know what else this PC will have? A Sound Blaster. Yes, you read that right- Creative is still making honest-to-goodness Sound Blaster cards in 2022. They're for very different purposes now- in my case, I had bad problems with electrical noise from my motherboard on my current PC causing audio crackling. I fixed it with an external USB-based solution, but this time I'm going to do it the "right" way and get clean audio internally.

[Jarhead0331]

^My last rig was custom built through Cyberpower and I'm very happy with it. It's i9-12900 with a 3080ti. I'm tempted to build something like you got, but I'm going to wait for the 4080s to compare and want to get some more feedback on how those new AMD chips compare to the intel 13th gens.

Congrats on that super machine! I presume it won't ship until after 10/20. I really hope you'll fill us in on how it runs DCS. I've already heard reports of DCS on 4090s showing 10-15 FPS increases. it doesn't sound like a lot, but in DCS that can be huge.

I'm excited for you and glad we have someone here who can give us direct feedback!