VR News

@smokinhole. For DCS in particular, everything I have read has suggested that the Rift is the better headset. Lighter, more comfortable, better optics (larger sweet spot and less screen door effect). The Rift also has integrated headphones which seem pretty good to me (and it is extremely convenient to have the headphones as part of the headset itself). It is considerably cheaper than the Vive as well.

Another factor is that the Rift has a small nose gap. That might sound like a disadvantage, but in reality, it allows you to glance down over your nose to see just enough of the keyboard that you can use it. I am able to jot down a 9 Line in this way too. As soon as you look up again, the nose gap is invisible, so it isn’t an immersion killer.

So, if room scale gaming isn’t your thing, the Rift makes more sense. The Vive does roomscale better by all accounts, although the Rift roomscale experience is pretty darned good in my opinion.

Personally, when it comes to what company makes it, I don’t really care. I just want the best experience when it comes to what I want to do with VR, which is cockpit based sims. With the current gen headsets, the Rift wins in several areas (AND it is cheaper by quite a margin).

The Touch controllers are very cool. Great for shooters, The Climb and also Google Earth VR. I am not sorry that I bought a set. They come with an extra sensor as well, so they are excellent value, but at the end of the day I don’t use them a whole lot.

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I am using Rift for a few months and I absolutely love it - there is no going back for me. I haven’t tried other VR sets and I agree that the resolution is not as crisp as on the monitor, but the immersion and feeling of being in the pit is just incredible.

Now again, I cannot compare, but I find Rift to be extremely well done, easy to set up, with good headphones and a built-in mic, which is also important for MP sessions.

As for visibility, as Paul says, the small nose gap is just enough to be able to type (I never look at the keyboard anyway, so typing is not a problem at all for me).

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I remember a lot of people thought you’d be needing a FB account to use the Rift, and that it would become a social media tool, when they bought Oculus :slight_smile:

While I do share your concerns, there’s no evidence of that happening, so far. And, besides, in a few years there will be new VR headsets on the market. Perhaps a totally different developer. It’s not like you’re have to marry either Oculus or HTC to buy their headsets today.
So, while it’s a factor to be taking into account in the long run, it doesn’t matter when it comes to deciding between a Rift or a Vive. IMO, of course.

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Doesn’t matter though, i already have it. Just saying the main reason I chose one over the other. I’m sure we probably have a few here that would avoid anything Steam related. But besides the room scale stuff, which I originally only intended to fly sims with mine as well so wasn’t a concern, there are ways to run Oculus Exclusives on a Vive, but not the other way around. I know i’m in the overwhelming minority having a Vive instead of the Rift here. Is what it is.

I understand.
As I see it, the Vive and the Rift are rather similar products. One is leaning slightly this way, and the other, that way.
But unless one of them does something incredibly stupid, I will get whatever VR headset that works best for me, at that time, in the future. I won’t be thinking a lot about who owns them. If the Valve offering comes out on top, that’s what my VISA statement will say.
I don’t dwell over things that the developers might do, or not. I will consider what they have done though.

So far I see no need to take the speakers off my Rift. As noted, they are good and Very convenient. Also, lets not forget that we are still on 1st gen HMD. I will wait for the second gen. However, for now these things are AMAZING. HMDs are total game changers.
My last thought: Wearing a lighter HMD makes difference when the game goes on for more than 30 minutes. You will notice the difference a few ounces makes. .

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Ya. I’ve noticed with my Rift that the picture is clearer if I make it tigheter, but then I get a headache after a short time, not to mention the awesome imprint it leaves on my face. lol.

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A question - perhaps was asked earlier, but I am too lazy to scroll all the way up :stuck_out_tongue:

What settings won’t matter in the Rift in DCS (as you won’t see a difference anyway), which ones are crucial (apart from the slider)? For instance the cockpit resolution (1024 every frame?), the anti-aliasing etc?

I love the builtin headphones and mic on the Rift, the headphones sound suprisingly great compared to my usual headset (Sennheiser 598), and I’ve played a ton of Elite multiplayer in VR and the builtin mic is seamless and so convenient.

To be honest just based on companies I would prefer to own the Vive headset, I am a heavy Steam user (hundreds of games) and I’m not on facebook and hate the company and most of it’s positions on privacy, but when I did my research, the Rift had the advantages when it came to use for simming (ASW etc), so that’s what decided it for me at least in this 1st gen, but I think since then the parity has gotten closer and I love the competition.

I do try to buy most of my VR games on Steam instead of the Oculus store whenever possible, just so that I’m not locked down to Oculus when the gen 2 and beyond headsets come out, at that time I’ll do the same bang for the buck for sim evaluation without any loyalty to any company.

Thanks all. Buying soon but only after I get bored with BMS.

Well, when budgeting, I would include a couple of hundred $/£/Euro in addition to the cost of the unit.

When you experience it you are going to be wanting to buy quite a few VR progs - be they FlyInside x3 or Onward, Virtual Desktop or whatever, it makes a bigger hole in your wallet than initially anticipated!

PS - if you buy the Rift, I wholeheartedly recommend the VR Covers facial interface with it’s 3 different padding materials - it is an excellent add-on to your headset, especially in the ‘comfort’ department.

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you can get thinner face padding

And for wearers of spectacles
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1869563556/new-oculus-rift-facial-interfaces-with-replacement

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For anyone who has been on the fence for the VR experience, or put off on the price of a setup, Oculus Rift with the touch controllers is now on sale for $399 on Amazon and the Oculus store. I couldn’t resist, and had to pull the trigger finally.

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Yeah…I saw that special…that is a good deal. $399 on NewEgg too…

https://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.3557144&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=GD071017&cm_mmc=EMC-GD071017-_-landing-_-Item-_-0TH-00CC-00038

Calling @smokinhole … Now is the time my friend! That’s an incredible deal.

Of course! Just a few weeks after I buy my Rift, it goes on sale. Such is life.

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Don’t feel too badly @ST0RM. A bunch of us paid US $798 for the same hardware that is $399 now. Having toured the ISS, flown helicopters in downtown Las Vegas, and traveled the world in Google Earth VR, I have little regret.

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Just ordered from NewEgg! Mudspike saved me cold hard CASH! Thanks!

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words not often heard here