Starting to look into VR for simulations. Anyone have experience with flight / space / combat gaming with VR? What hardware are you using? Have thoughts or recommendations?
Check out this thread from the past.....jh has some experience and thoughts
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=16660.msg469652#msg469652
Yeah...start reading on page 3 of that thread. That is where I picked up an HTC Vive and started posting impressions.
I primarily went with the Vive because I really wanted access to the mil-sim Onward. Its nothing short of spectacular and its potential to revolutionize the genre is unmatched. Since that time, Occulus has released the touch controllers, which by all accounts, appear to be superior to the Vive units in that they convey a better control experience and help make your controllers feel more like hands, as opposed to solid objects that you manipulate. i haven't looked into whether the Vive has anything comparable planned, but if they want to stay competitive I'd suspect they have something in the works.
My simulator experiences have been a mixed bag. The big problem with simming is the difficulty with needing to use the keyboard, or peripherals that require the ability to see the bottons and knobs you are trying to access. There is no truly useful way to do this without lifting the goggles off of your face. The Vive does have a video camera that can be turned on to display your surroundings, but I have found that the picture is not high fidelity enough to really be useful for anything other than seeing what is in front of you so that you do not trip, or collide with anything. I believe there may be an aftermarket mod for the Occulus that creates a space between the bridge of your nose and the headset so you can actually look down and see, for instance, your keyboard.
Otherwise, my first few experiences in flight and space simming in VR were amazing. But, particularly with flight, I did get an uneasy feeling. I wouldn't quite describe it as nausea, but I could really only tolerate it in relatively short doses. YMMV.
If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks, very good stuff.
Have you had any experience with using in lieu of TrackIR for games that don't natively support VR? Thinking Rise of Flight for example.
Quote from: ArizonaTank on December 29, 2016, 09:39:01 AM
Thanks, very good stuff.
Have you had any experience with using in lieu of TrackIR for games that don't natively support VR? Thinking Rise of Flight for example.
I have used the VR headset with DCS World and Elite Dangerous, both games that I had previous experience playing with trackIR and both of which were not initially released with VR in mind.
On the one hand, perceptually, VR blows trackIR out of the water. The first time I loaded up DCS, I was in the damn cockpit of that SU25T. The sensation of speed and movement is unlike anything I have ever experienced in a digital environment. The immersion, situational awareness, ability to look around the cockpit and to see the world around you has to be experienced to be believed. Again, there are some major setbacks. The inability to see the keyboard and/or other critical peripherals is pretty damning to the experience. It, more than any other factor, has caused me to usually revert back to the old way with TrackIR. Another disadvantage to VR is the graphics. They are nowhere near as high fidelity and high resolution as the standard play on a monitor. This is because it is critical to maintain 90 fps and the only way to do this is at lower res and lower detail. It still looks good, but its not going to come close to what I see on my 43" 4k monitor. Finally, there is always that unsettling sensation caused by your brain's confusion over the illusory sensation of movement. This is a real show stopper for some people, but there is no way of knowing how it is going to effect you until you try it out. For me it is totally manageable, but some games leave me feeling a little uneasy after playing for awhile and even for some time after I'm no longer "plugged in". The FPS games are not as bad because there is a lot of actual physical movement. Physically turning, crouching, going prone, etc. Even small movements around your play area, walking, jumping or running. However, when you are stationary, or in a seated position, and there is all this movement around you, it can be much more disorienting. Some games try some unique things to lessen the impact, but again, its very dependent on the individual.
Jarhead is right. I avoid VR for flight simming because it prevents me from manipulating controls (including keyboard and clickable cockpits). Only good for games with simple controls or can be played with HOTAS alone.