VR Requirements + questions!

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Uh, not a typical "can I run it?" Thread, I currently know my aging PC can't handle VR.
I get a max FPS of 55 in high/ultra at 1080p.
(Not bad for an AMD 6870 1GB!)

However, I know nothing about VR.
Are they 3D? Cos I can't see 3D very well (lazy eye! Like the rest of me )
Also are they 4K? Cos I can't see the difference between 1080 and 4k on phones sized screens either! (I can on big TVs)

So I was kinda wondering if I have lower requirements for VR than most peeps?

It's a long long way off for me yet. I need to get my PC sorted first, it's currently trying to cook things. Lol

Thanks! o7

 

[Hell Razor5543]

Basically, from what I understand, the VR screen is from a smartphone, and does not work in the way that 3D works (shuttering, and alternate frames). There is a shield that separates the screen into two halves. Using lenses to shorten the focus, each eye sees a complete image (albeit for the specific eye image), and the brain then interprets these as a real view. I do not know what the resolution is (as I have a Rift DK2, so not current technology), but it really is immersive, despite being slightly pixelated.

If you live in the UK, you might want to ring around your local PC World branches. Some have started demonstrating the HTC Vive.

 

[Logical Viking]

The CV1 has two separate screens opposed to the one in the Vive but both use their screens to the same effect. Basically, lazy eye or not, if you have depth perception in real life, you will have it in a headset. People's experiences and opinions vary widely with both brands and I agree to try to demo one to see how you get on with it if you haven't tried it yet. For minimum specs needed in your PC, I'd consult whatever brand you are going with at their website. They have specs listed. The specs are recommended for frame rate enough to keep it smooth and not vomit inducing. Don't focus your attention on the specs front as to whether you prefer higher resolution or not, the screens are what they are and you must drive them at a minimum FPS to keep it smooth within reason due to asynchrous time warp which REALLY helps compared to older implementations on Oculus anyway. I've no experience with Vive.

 

[Faster than Jesus [VR]]

Also are they 4K? Cos I can't see the difference between 1080 and 4k on phones sized screens either! (I can on big TVs)

The lenses are so close to your eyes the individual pixels are quite apparent.

 

[Phord Prefect]

1) Are they 3D? Cos I can't see 3D very well (lazy eye! Like the rest of me )

2) Also are they 4K? Cos I can't see the difference between 1080 and 4k on phones sized screens either! (I can on big TVs)

Short'n sweet answers.

1) Yes. Very 3D. Like, Virtual Reality even. ( It's really cool ).

2) No, the resolution isn't 4K. Your first impression going from Ultra monitor settings to VR in Elite might be... underwhelming. Here comes the but.

BUT! When you get into the furball firefights, dock-it-like-you-stole it smuggling runs etc, you're not going to notice the pixels so much. This game SHINES in VR. Absolutely shines. Just thinking about playing it on a flat screen makes me want to whine with dismay.

Regarding running on less than optimal, it's doable. Here's some less than optimal for you. I'm running a 1st generation Nehalim I7 920 processor. Overclocked mind you. It's the only " You're not meeting requirements " item on my list. The game is being driven by an MSI 970 Gpu.

Does it work? Boy... does it ever....

 

[jabokai]

Basically, from what I understand, the VR screen is from a smartphone, and does not work in the way that 3D works (shuttering, and alternate frames). There is a shield that separates the screen into two halves.

The CV1 has two separate screens opposed to the one in the Vive but both use their screens to the same effect.

Both the CV1 and the Vive use one screen per eye. And the screens aren't repurposed mobile displays any more, they're made for the headsets.

 

[Frank]

There's a very simple difference between stereoscopic 3D and Virtual Reality 3D. If you move your head when you're watching a stereoscopic movie, the illusion is shattered. If you move it in Virtual Reality the 3D effect is enhanced.

A lot of people get their 3D awareness from the movement of their heads more than the convergence and divergence of their eyeballs. It's what enables people with monocular vision to have better depth perception than would've been expected.

The biggest surprise to people donning VR headsets is how big everything looks. You get a real sense of scale when you actually have to crane your neck to see the top of a high building.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Thanks for your answers!

My left lazy eye is OK, but mostly just (very)blurry, I still have perfect depth perception (or I'm just very good at parking my work van semi blind!).
As for resolution, I found that I don't even notice that. I play on a 32" TV, sat literally 1" away, with FSAA off.
And I can only see the pixels if I decide to look.
On my Nexus 5, I can't see the pixels even if I want too. lol

I'm hoping VR headsets fit over glasses? Lol

I'm currently running an AMD FX 8320, and 8GB DDR3 (@ 1600mhz, but can do 2133mhz).
And my trusty old HD 6870. Lol
I'll probably get an SSD first, as my HDD is getting abit slow.
But that'll be after I can convince the girlfriend to let me just buy a new case!
Mine is from 2001, and only has 1 fan :-( lol (it is extremely heavy and sound proofed though!)

 

[Frank]

If you can see far way objects in focus then you won't need glasses. Both headsets are supposed to have enough space for spectacles but there have been reports of the headsets causing pressure on the sides of heads when they are used.

You may be interested in..
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/451454651/vr-lens-lab-glasses-for-virtual-reality-headsets

They've got 12 days to go.

 

[Slopey]

The Rift in general does not fit over glasses, unless your frames are very very slim.

The Vive does fit over glasses somewhat (with the lenses pushed out to the limits), but it makes it even more uncomfortable (which is a feat in itself!), so ymmv.

If you can, wear contacts, look at a 3rd party solution for your chosen HMD, or if your prescription is slight - just use without.

 

[shadragon]

If you are near sighted you shouldn't need glasses.

 

[Tepescovir]

Never mind all that 3d talk, vr is a first generation holodeck

 

[CoWplagued]

resolution is not a huge issue, the current gen are "good enough" yes you can see the pixels if you look for them but you can also ignore them without too much issue. Stereo is also not going to be that important if you have a lazy eye as you'll get the same depth perception you do in real life, so you're not missing out (well other than in general). The unfortunate bit, which was sort of your initial question, is you do need a powerful system because frame rate and response times are very important. it's not like a low frame rate on a monitor, your brain is accepting the image as what is really in front of you, so stuttering, jumping or tearing can really throw you and make a lot of people sick fast.
You really need to have a go, playing the game from the inside of your own cockpit really is a world away from sitting in front of a monitor.
One other thing that might interest you is there's been some good research on using VR headsets to correct lazy eyes, as you can send each eye different view points and gradually try and drag your weak eye back into action. So you can play eye training games for an hour a day and improve your vision (or in some cases fix it).