VR or not to VR that is my question......

Mav359 · Aug 25, 2016

Hi guys & girls

Ive been playing for about 2 months now and am loving it, i haven't bothered gaming regularly in over 15 years but am hooked after my cousin introduced me to this game.

Ive gone from not gaming to this, i was so engrossed that after a few hours i bought a thrustmaster HOTAS and after 4 weeks moved o the Saitek X52pro. I have a multi monitor setup anyways or a 4k 60" screen to play on but being a bit of a tech head anyways i have now turned my gaze towards VR headsets.

I haven't even looked through one yet & i need to upgrade my PC GPU to 1080ti (tomorrow) as i built the PC with a 660ti, (good card but wasn't really intending on gaming again), the rest of the PC kicks A so no issues there.

I'm after opinions of people who actually uses them though. 'Yes do it', 'for god sake stay away', regrets, tech issues Vive or Oculas etc etc

I figure there's no one better to ask then those already using for my intended purpose.

Cheers

Alan (CMDR Mav359)

Lestenio · Aug 25, 2016

I have been playing ED in VR for the past 2 years. I couldn't play it any other way.
Even after 2 years I still look around my ship in awe, mavel at the planets and get a chill thinking about the space outside my cockpit.

No regrets at all. Tech issues, not really, it's not 4k graphics but the wow factor makes up for any resolution issues.
ED with VR is a totally different game.

Lupin · Aug 25, 2016

Tech issued aside, if you really want a feeling of space and how BIG this game really is VR is the way to go.
As for combat looking over your shoulder or around for your target becomes so second nature you do not know you are doing it. UNTIL you do not have it.

fransoos · Aug 25, 2016

Lestenio said:
I have been playing ED in VR for the past 2 years. I couldn't play it any other way.
Even after 2 years I still look around my ship in awe, mavel at the planets and get a chill thinking about the space outside my cockpit.

No regrets at all. Tech issues, not really, it's not 4k graphics but the wow factor makes up for any resolution issues.
ED with VR is a totally different game.

It definitely is a game MAKER. If you can afford it go for it, rift or vive. I use rift with a 1080 gpu.
However there is one min , wearing glasses want you to use contactlenses.

Thoemse · Aug 25, 2016

I had a tripple 27 inch screen setup for years. I switched to a single 34 inch curved now. A main reason: All the games that are great in ultrawide are even greater in VR.
I have played ED for a whole 5 minutes on flat displays. I played countless hours with the DK2 and even more with the HTC Vive now.

Just that we get this out of the way: Resolution is low. You wont see other ships from far - they will be pixel blobs.
The game is a gazillion times better in VR. Once you landed on a station in VR once you will know what i mean. You will be more competitive in fights too because steering for the target you keep in sight goes absolutely natural.

I sold my DK2 in Oct 2015. My Vive got delivered sometime in April. I have not played ED a single minute in between. I saw no point in playing it on a monitor.

Globusdiablo · Aug 25, 2016

Mav359 said:
...I'm after opinions of people who actually uses them though. 'Yes do it', 'for god sake stay away', regrets, tech issues Vive or Oculas etc etc...

Welcome aboard Commander.

I don't have either, but I've tried the Vive and read all there is to read about both. I came very close to ordering a Vive, but ended up concluding that this is indeed as others have stated before "cutting edge" consumer technology, and I simply can't justify what I get for the price I pay. So I decided to brace myself for winter (tm), and while waiting for VR gen 2, I bought this little thing:

http://www.trackhat.org/product-page/4522944941

Good luck with your endevours and fly safe

fransoos · Aug 25, 2016

Globusdiablo said:
Welcome aboard Commander.

I don't have either, but I've tried the Vive and read all there is to read about both. I came very close to ordering a Vive, but ended up concluding that this is indeed as others have stated before "cutting edge" consumer technology, and I simply can't justify what I get for the price I pay. So I decided to brace myself for winter (tm), and while waiting for VR gen 2, I bought this little thing:

http://www.trackhat.org/product-page/4522944941

Good luck with your endevours and fly safe

I did use the tracking device before buying the rift; simply said : it is not the same. you still looking at your screen.
With VR you are in the game and that's a whole lot of a difference.
As stated above "if you can afford it buy it".
When generation 2 comes out I will probably the first again to buy one if the difference is big enough.

Mav359 · Aug 25, 2016

Wow thats all very positive....

Do we think its worth waiting for GEN2, anyone know when that might be? I'm still upgrading the GPU anyway but i have found a company that rents them out, might rent a unit to have ago and see if i can't nail down a next gen date, i'll buy it now and then they'll release a new one after Christmas probably

Cliché · Aug 25, 2016

fransoos said:
It definitely is a game MAKER. If you can afford it go for it, rift or vive. I use rift with a 1080 gpu.
However there is one min , wearing glasses want you to use contactlenses.

I can agree with that, but there is one clarification in regards to wearing glasses. It's a little counter-intuitive, because the screens are very close, but the focus is set out if front of you (I think I read 2 meters). So if you can sit on a couch and watch TV w/o glasses, then you won't need them in VR. And I've read several people say they can wear their glasses with the Oculus, so I assume it's only a problem with bigger frames.

If you already have a 1080Ti, then VR is the natural upgrade.

Dozer.k.a.o. · Aug 25, 2016

i love VR, i have VR (oculus Cv1), i can´t recommend VR...

i only find two games interesting right now... ED and War thunder... suddenly ED doesn´t work fine anymore... game crashes, black screen, something related with memory leak or something like that... war thunder... last patch makes it to look blurry, opened a ticket ... still no answer or solution nothing.

Great simulation games that are in development are not interested in VR, no man´s sky, infinity battlescape, even starcitizen, rest of games that are done for VR are just simple entertainment for a couple of hours... kind of wii games not done for enthusiastic or adult gamers who need more deep.

And others doesn´t work well... subnautica has a lot of glitches and performance drops, DCS looks amazing but it´s just impossible right now to play at 90fps, Project Cars needs to lower so much the graphics for keeping 90fps stable that looks awful, at the end i prefer to play it with monitor, i really feel games that are not made for VR from the beginning struggle with the actual computer specs, and i can say i have a good rig.

I strongly think is not the moment, industry seems not to be interested enough in VR, and i feel i´m paying (in a very expensive way) being an early adopter, hope Playstation VR changes all this situation a bit.

It's my sinceer opinion, was hyped.. i'm more critic now, i hope this change in the near future.

[VR] Mad Mike · Aug 25, 2016

i love VR, i have had it since july 2014 and upgraded to CV1 as soon as i could. ED is like a different game in VR, the only downside for me is it has totally removed any interest in playing a flying or racing game on a screen again ever.

if you have the pc to run it, and the money to afford it i would say the oculus rift is worth it. it is currently an incomplete VR experience however, where as the vive has the motion controls........ i cant speak for the vive as i do not have one however.

Last night i played in ED on the rift and it worked fine, so not sure what issues the chap above is having, but they aint affecting me.

(note i even wrote the above without thinking but it sums it up imo... I do not play Elite Dangerous.... i play IN Elite Dangerous, and that is a totally different experience.)

its not perfect however, the FOV is a little limited, almost like if you go scuba diving or snorkelling , and the resolution is clearly not 4K but what you lose in fidelity imo is more than covered with presence.

I have heaps of games for VR, so not sure i agree with the guy above there either.

Pcars looks and plays superbly
Assetto corsa
ETS2/ATS
elite dangerous
Time machine VR
(Fly Inside)FSX
luckys tale (free)
blazerush
shufflepuck deluxe

there are loads more.

if you are not interested in flying or driving games its a harder call, but if you are.................................

ps as already said, unless you have harry potter glasses then, if you need eye correction you will either need to buy the special 3rd party glasses inserts or (what i do) use contact lenses#.

shadragon · Aug 25, 2016

If you have the money to spare then yes, do it.

With a monitor you fly a spaceship. In VR, you are IN a spaceship.

Kellan Fell · Aug 25, 2016

Lestenio said:
I have been playing ED in VR for the past 2 years. I couldn't play it any other way.
Even after 2 years I still look around my ship in awe, mavel at the planets and get a chill thinking about the space outside my cockpit.

No regrets at all. Tech issues, not really, it's not 4k graphics but the wow factor makes up for any resolution issues.
ED with VR is a totally different game.

Couln't agree more. I got the Oculus CV1 and it's made such a difference to the game, I can't even explain it. I was playing on a 4K monitor, and thought the game was stunningly beautiful, but once you've experienced the full 3D holographic cockpit, or walking around the bridge stations on the Anaconda you can't go back to playing the dead, 2D version of the game on a normal screen.
The Rift has some small resolution issues (not as bad as the Vive I believe), but you can actually lean closer to the menu if you're having problems, and I still find it hard to stop myself from reaching out to touch things in the cockpit.

I would never have believed how different the game feels, but it re-awakened my joy in playing once again.

Seneleron · Aug 25, 2016

I play with a CV-1 and a GTX 1080. the ONLY issue I have had is with the memory leak [the other day I pushed my entire system to "out of memory". I have 32 GIG] Took me a fair number of hours.

The resolution on the rift is absolutely AMAZING. Those complaining need only lean in close to something to see that. That's not to say that you won't still have halo effect, distance blobs, blurry text [there's a way to somewhat clean it up with the developer tools].

There's still a screen door effect depending on how far out your gaze is [makes more sense after you've put one on].

Also, turn that AC down, because it gets a little warm.

All that aside, I wouldn't have bought the game without my rift, and I refuse to even ATTEMPT to play it without the rift. The cockpit of the Anaconda is bigger than the room I'm sitting in, with maybe 6.5-7' ceiling. You can fit maybe 2 Python cockpits inside the space in the Anaconda.

IT. IS. PHENOMINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The thing is, it's SUCH a transformative experience it's almost impossible to describe if you haven't actually seen it with your own eyes. It is 110% WORTH BUYING if you're big into Elite. It is 120% worth buying if you're ADDICTED to elite.

Of course it's the rift that sucked me into this game, and I find I can't get out.

and the TL/DR: "BUY, YOU FOOL"!

BigDuke6ixx · Aug 25, 2016

Just do it. And don't take any notice of people who had a quick demo and didn't like it, because a bad VR demo experience where things weren't tuned properly isn't a sound basis for an opinion.

subsy · Aug 25, 2016

Mad Mike said:
i love VR, i have had it since july 2014 and upgraded to CV1 as soon as i could. ED is like a different game in VR, the only downside for me is it has totally removed any interest in playing a flying or racing game on a screen again ever.

if you have the pc to run it, and the money to afford it i would say the oculus rift is worth it. it is currently an incomplete VR experience however, where as the vive has the motion controls........ i cant speak for the vive as i do not have one however.

Last night i played in ED on the rift and it worked fine, so not sure what issues the chap above is having, but they aint affecting me.

(note i even wrote the above without thinking but it sums it up imo... I do not play Elite Dangerous.... i play IN Elite Dangerous, and that is a totally different experience.)

its not perfect however, the FOV is a little limited, almost like if you go scuba diving or snorkelling , and the resolution is clearly not 4K but what you lose in fidelity imo is more than covered with presence.

I have heaps of games for VR, so not sure i agree with the guy above there either.

Pcars looks and plays superbly
Assetto corsa
ETS2/ATS
elite dangerous
Time machine VR
(Fly Inside)FSX
luckys tale (free)
blazerush
shufflepuck deluxe

there are loads more.

if you are not interested in flying or driving games its a harder call, but if you are.................................

ps as already said, unless you have harry potter glasses then, if you need eye correction you will either need to buy the special 3rd party glasses inserts or (what i do) use contact lenses#.

What he said

P3nT4gR4m · Aug 25, 2016

I didn't start playing ED til I got my CV1 but I'd recommend it all the same. For now, it's the closest thing I've seen to a killer app for VR. Don't get me wrong, PCars is the bizness and a lot of other stuff I've tried are awesome too but ED is what I've been playing constantly. I even account for the FOV restrictions by imagining I've got a space helmet on

Like others have mentioned ITT - 2d gaming is something I can't abide any more. Makes me feel queasy. Seems I'm highly susceptible to 2d sickness now.

Cliché · Aug 25, 2016

P3nT4gR4m said:
Like others have mentioned ITT - 2d gaming is something I can't abide any more. Makes me feel queasy. Seems I'm highly susceptible to 2d sickness now.

Hmmm, it looks like you're already dead. Can the dead get sick?

dutchy2000 · Aug 25, 2016

Dozer makes some good points, the number of actual titles are limited right now. And ED has some issues with VR, famous memory leak on Rift, Vive has resolution issues. Basically the current gen is not quite consumer ready. Its very close and if you get it working properly its mind blowing. If you can't get it to work, well its an expensive paper weight.

That being said, like everyone else, I have been playing with DK2 (now CV1) since 1.4 and its amazing, its like being in space, flying a real space ship. To increase the immersion I also have hotas and pedals and sometimes I forge the arms I am seeing are not actually mine. If you can afford it and want to be an early adopter I definitely recommend it. But the number of available titles is somewhat limited.

BigDuke6ixx · Aug 25, 2016

dutchy2000 said:
Dozer makes some good points, the number of actual titles are limited right now. And ED has some issues with VR, famous memory leak on Rift, Vive has resolution issues. Basically the current gen is not quite consumer ready. Its very close and if you get it working properly its mind blowing. If you can't get it to work, well its an expensive paper weight.

That being said, like everyone else, I have been playing with DK2 (now CV1) since 1.4 and its amazing, its like being in space, flying a real space ship. To increase the immersion I also have hotas and pedals and sometimes I forge the arms I am seeing are not actually mine. If you can afford it and want to be an early adopter I definitely recommend it. But the number of available titles is somewhat limited.

The CV1 and Vive are no less consumer ready than the latest graphics cards. The 'problem' is the majority of gamers are getting more and more stupid, they can't even google their way out of a problem for example. We see it here all the time with people asking the same questions all the time because they are too stupid to use the search box.

For example, if you build your an PCs then VR setup won't be a problem. But if you have to phone your mate when your pre built PC has an issue, then maybe hold off until your brain evolves a bit more.