Elite and Gear VR / RiftCat

CMDR Alien Gh0st · Oct 10, 2016

So, each month I try this, it's getting better and better. My setup is this:

PC: i5(4690k) / GTX 960 4gb / Win 10
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S7
HMD: Gear VR (first generation)
Software: Android: VRidge (installed via SideLoadVR)
Windows: RiftCat (paid for version)
Network: Both phone and PC on the same 5Ghz wifi network (through a plus.net plusone fibre router)

VRidge Settings:
- Quality: Hight
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Framerate: 60fps
- Bitrate: 13mps
- Render Scale: 100%
- VidEnc: Media Foundation

Elite Settings:
- Resolution 1920 x 1080
- Graphics set to "VR High"
- Supersampling x1.5

With this I can get smooth playback with the occasional graphical glitch but wow....does it give me a good flavour for what this game could look like in crystal clear VR. The text is a bit blurry (read: almost unreadable) and there are quite a few graphical artifacts that appear, probably due to wifi/router bandwidth limitations, but how awesome does this game look in VR....stations, cockpits, planetary canyon runs, even the system map in 3D looks amazing.

tl;dr.....if you have a Gear VR and want to sample VR in E

, try this out.

Anybody else got any settings they care to share?

CMDR Alien Ghost

Artemis Zodiac · Oct 23, 2016

I do exactly the same as you....but I snapped out the built in usb connector so I can run a 90 degree usb cable through as a tether instead and with development access to my gear and occulus I can still run all my apps that would normally have to be plugged in officially.

Great program is riftcat.....I got pcars work8ng through its add a program option and not the steam vr option....mine ain't steam lol......

So far ets 2 and pcars and ED are sublime in VR.

Can't play them normally now

I find my s7 in vr has better image than the actual expensive "paying for a badge" alternatives.

Been through using trinus,virieo,tridef3d ect........

Riftcat nailed it....now they j7at need to make adding any game a possibility.....

9h and downl9ad the actual vridge gear vr app peeps...not the one from store...

Has to be done through sideload vr

cptwhite · Oct 23, 2016

How is the tracking? I got a working VR setup with the Homido HMD, Trinus VR, Freetrack and my nexus 5 around December but the experience was a little underwhelming and the set-up time was frankly off putting. Playing in 1440p with a simpler set-up is peaking my interest to try and give a go again.

Kickkerz · Oct 23, 2016

Double post

Kickkerz · Oct 23, 2016

Artemis Zodiac said:
I do exactly the same as you....but I snapped out the built in usb connector so I can run a 90 degree usb cable through as a tether instead and with development access to my gear and occulus I can still run all my apps that would normally have to be plugged in officially.

Do not do this, all they have done is turn the Gear VR into a google carboard HMD. The reason Riftcat made the Gear VR app is to make use of the Oculus sensors inside of it, Which are way better than the sensors on any phone that is on the market at the moment.

Apart from that the Gear Vr is a great way to get VR on the cheap and the tracking works great, When you are using the Oculus sensors.

Bungle73 · Oct 27, 2016

Artemis Zodiac said:
I do exactly the same as you....but I snapped out the built in usb connector so I can run a 90 degree usb cable through as a tether instead and with development access to my gear and occulus I can still run all my apps that would normally have to be plugged in officially.

I can't beleive what I'm reading tbh. Congratulations, you just trashed £90 worth of Gear VR........

Artemis Zodiac · Nov 14, 2016

Nah I can still put phone in without cable attached and still use it as it was...all it gear vr hmd is a fancy cardboard...only thing built in is its touch pad...well I use my ps4 controller to do it instead....picture is clearer aswell when not going through official port ect...

Samsung gear vr when unlocked to its full potential is a good vr experience...

Just need riftcat to get that 90fps limiter...instead of the 60fps.

I now have stooped using the built in headtracking and have attached my track ir style clip to my hmd and use opentrack to have a smoother gaming experience..

The problem with all mobile vr is drift....i don't get that now.

So not ruined or broke my gear.....if anything it's now a fully functional vr headset....all be it stuck at 60 fps.

To be fair I have played on a real vive and a rift...I'd take my picture quality over there's any day....they just pay to have it all put in a nice little package.....I'll buy a proper one when graphics actually look like real life.

Mind you graphics evolution doesn't seem to make the great leaps it used to between generations......I' would have thought in 2016 we would have had holodecks as a 8 year old scamp in the 80s......

It's good...but if ain't quite real enough or believable enough as it stands for me.

Once you get past the wow factor of its new and in your face....you get used to it.....

I also know I'm wearing a device on my face along with earphones to escape into another world.

The future of vr will be like simply putting on a pair of shades or contact lenses.

Unless these devices get smaller and lighter then it will fade off for a bit like in the early 90s with its massive alien head style hmd.

edit-
i understand about the sensors ect...but main reason for going tethered was for the best connection....wifi isnt as smooth or good for me,and i dont have 5ghz wifi router....im sure i dont?

so tethered usb,with my phone being the main wireless point from my router and PCs connection point.

Bungle73 · Nov 21, 2016

Artemis Zodiac said:
Nah I can still put phone in without cable attached and still use it as it was...all it gear vr hmd is a fancy cardboard...only thing built in is its touch pad...well I use my ps4 controller to do it instead....picture is clearer aswell when not going through official port ect...

Um, no, that is totally wrong! The Gear VR is not just a "fancy cardboard". It has extra sensors in it that are ESSENTIAL for obtaining the smooth experience that Oculus intended. You realise that the Gear VR version of Riftcat uses those sensors, right?

You've also completely cut yourself off from Oculus Home, the Oculus Store and all the Gear VR Apps

Samsung gear vr when unlocked to its full potential is a good vr experience...

You haven't "unlocked" anything. You've CRIPPLED it! You've just turned £90 worth of headset into a £30 one.

I now have stooped using the built in headtracking and have attached my track ir style clip to my hmd and use opentrack to have a smoother gaming experience..

Err the sensors you just permanently disabled DO provide a smooth gaming experience; that's what they're for!

The problem with all mobile vr is drift....i don't get that now.

Err the Gear VR doesn't suffer from drift; again thanks to the extra sensors

So not ruined or broke my gear....

Not imo.

if anything it's now a fully functional vr headset....all be it stuck at 60 fps.

It WAS fully functional before you trashed it. And the 60 fps is a limitation of the phone, not the GVR.

To be fair I have played on a real vive and a rift...I'd take my picture quality over there's any day....they just pay to have it all put in a nice little package

You realise that the Rift and the Vive have a ton of important extra features that just aren't available on mobile VR right? Like positional tracking.

.....I'll buy a proper one when graphics actually look like real life.

That will be never then.

Unless these devices get smaller and lighter then it will fade off for a bit like in the early 90s with its massive alien head style hmd.

90s VR failed because the technology wasn't ready. Today it is ready.

edit-
i understand about the sensors ect...but main reason for going tethered was for the best connection....wifi isnt as smooth or good for me,and i dont have 5ghz wifi router....im sure i dont?

so tethered usb,with my phone being the main wireless point from my router and PCs connection point.

Well why buy an expensive VR headset and trash it then? Why not buy a cheap headset in the first place?

This makes zero sense to me.

Artemis Zodiac · Nov 21, 2016

Bungle73 said:
Um, no, that is totally wrong! The Gear VR is not just a "fancy cardboard". It has extra sensors in it that are ESSENTIAL for obtaining the smooth experience that Oculus intended. You realise that the Gear VR version of Riftcat uses those sensors, right?

You've also completely cut yourself off from Oculus Home, the Oculus Store and all the Gear VR Apps

You haven't "unlocked" anything. You've CRIPPLED it! You've just turned £90 worth of headset into a £30 one.

Err the sensors you just permanently disabled DO provide a smooth gaming experience; that's what they're for!

Err the Gear VR doesn't suffer from drift; again thanks to the extra sensors

Not imo.

It WAS fully functional before you trashed it. And the 60 fps is a limitation of the phone, not the GVR.

You realise that the Rift and the Vive have a ton of important extra features that just aren't available on mobile VR right? Like positional tracking.

That will be never then.

90s VR failed because the technology wasn't ready. Today it is ready.

Well why buy an expensive VR headset and trash it then? Why not buy a cheap headset in the first place?

This makes zero sense to me.

i was getting drift in all apps before i snapped out the usb connector i assure you...theres loads of threads online about gear drifting even with its sensors being used from the hmd.

and how earth do you think you know what i can do with it?..i can accsess occulus and all apps as before...i have developer accsess....

ones s7 does not have to go through the existing gear vr port to get to use the official apps...i disabled that part of it..i can open the cinema up right now without it being plugged into anything.

even after calibration my gear vr would drift in cinema and all apps after a while,and this is before i destroyed it as you say.......its a good thing i actually have another one that my son uses if i wish to use it.

also can get non steam games to work through riftcat like my copies of ATS and pcars......just add -openvr to your launch paramiter....and a dll for the hook if not already in the game.

i had cheap crosscolor hmd and others lol......been tinkering with mobile vr for ages.

im going to test my sons gear and see if i get drift in that...but it doesnt have a usb passthrough for tether...my wifi is too far away to be good to stream like a cable would you see.

also i dont consider the gear vr a dear headset...and i fully understand that rift and vive have extra ssensors ect...i play games where i am either driving or flying...i diont worry about if it tracks me standing up and walking around.

one thing we should agree on though bungle..

riftcat is a top notch app that gives peeps a insight into how vr does actually look.....i was using trinus,kainy....you name it i probably tried it...but riftcat does what its meant to do.

i must say that i am having great fun with mine playing ED and the truck games,pcars ect...

for me i have great performance,and the headtracking is as good as the riftcat one...just cant look right behind me,but i never do that anyway.

thinking of buying the new black gear vr as long as the usb is passthrough......currently waiting for the next batches/gen of hmd to come out before shelling a holiday out on one lol

Bungle73 · Nov 21, 2016

Loads? I've come across about two, and in one of those it was full of people stating that they didn't have a problem. I have a GVR and an S6 Edge and have experienced zero drift problems, including watching a ~one and a half hour movie in Oculus Cinema, and also playing ED using the GVR version of the Riftcat app.

And you realise that the positional tracking of the high end HMDs is not just for getting up and walking around? In fact this is something Oculus advises against with the Rift. It enables you to do cool stuff like look around corners, or lean into the scene to examine things more closely. It's enables a more natural range of movements than purely being able to turn your head left and right.

Artemis Zodiac · Nov 21, 2016

Bungle73 said:
Loads? I've come across about two, and in one of those it was full of people stating that they didn't have a problem. I have a GVR and an S6 Edge and have experienced zero drift problems, including watching a ~one and a half hour movie in Oculus Cinema, and also playing ED using the GVR version of the Riftcat app.

And you realise that the positional tracking of the high end HMDs is not just for getting up and walking around? In fact this is something Oculus advises against with the Rift. It enables you to do cool stuff like look around corners, or lean into the scene to examine things more closely. It's enables a more natural range of movements than purely being able to turn your head left and right.

oh yeah totally mate

funnily enough i can do that with my headtracking...when i move forward so does the view...so i can look at the comms txt up real close ect...and move side to side ect......but yeah i know what you mean,normally its just up down left right.

im got yaw,roll,pitch and z,y,x set up...well as far as the tracker will let me turn my head anyway.

gonna give my lads a shot using my same s7...ill test the occulus cinema and see if it drifts on his.

bungle why cant we get more than 60fps? (well 57-58 lol) i read on the dev updates that it is possible but we may get bad screen tearing or just general artifacts everywhere...it may be implemented in the future perhaps for those that want to test it out?

i think even our 60fps limit is a smooth experience...90 would be that little extra sparkle......its ok at 45 fps also it seems

im now thinking of opening up the gear vr again and seeing if i can make a cable from my tethered one that connects back to the gear....reconnect it if you will but latching onto my tether at the same time.....probably can be done....i have done more advanced electronics than that.

i tinker with gadgets all the time.

Magic Man · Nov 23, 2016

Artemis Zodiac said:
I do exactly the same as you....but I snapped out the built in usb connector so I can run a 90 degree usb cable through as a tether instead

Phoenix_Dfire · Dec 2, 2016

Top Shift 72 :- Riftcat

I try out Riftcat in the latest Top Shift. Not a bad effort

[video=youtube_share;PVhKt9PnMRA]https://youtu.be/PVhKt9PnMRA[/video]

Mr_Zomby00 · Oct 3, 2019

Rob Huxtable said:
So, each month I try this, it's getting better and better. My setup is this:

PC: i5(4690k) / GTX 960 4gb / Win 10
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S7
HMD: Gear VR (first generation)
Software: Android: VRidge (installed via SideLoadVR)
Windows: RiftCat (paid for version)
Network: Both phone and PC on the same 5Ghz wifi network (through a plus.net plusone fibre router)

VRidge Settings:
- Quality: Hight
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Framerate: 60fps
- Bitrate: 13mps
- Render Scale: 100%
- VidEnc: Media Foundation

Elite Settings:
- Resolution 1920 x 1080
- Graphics set to "VR High"
- Supersampling x1.5

With this I can get smooth playback with the occasional graphical glitch but wow....does it give me a good flavour for what this game could look like in crystal clear VR. The text is a bit blurry (read: almost unreadable) and there are quite a few graphical artifacts that appear, probably due to wifi/router bandwidth limitations, but how awesome does this game look in VR....stations, cockpits, planetary canyon runs, even the system map in 3D looks amazing.

tl;dr.....if you have a Gear VR and want to sample VR in E, try this out.

Anybody else got any settings they care to share?

CMDR Alien Ghost

Coming in on 2019 to reply to this, and God damn, this is awesome! Yeah I get blurry text, but your supersampling tip might help sharpen that up a bit, and it's a brilliant alternative to spending around 500 quid on a pc headset

I'm running roughly the same as you but with a gvr2, got issues in the experimental preset but in hvec it looks great, really adds scale to the cockpit, and when people complain about combat in vr I can now say, hand on heart, don't be soft. I absolutely annihilated a dangerous gunship, as in made it my with fixed guns.

I'm loving this, and I think vr is gonna be my preferred flavour for elite from now on

CylonSurfer · Oct 3, 2019

Mr_Zomby00 said:
when people complain about combat in vr I can now say, hand on heart, don't be soft. I absolutely annihilated a dangerous gunship, as in made it my with fixed guns.

People complain about combat in VR? VR makes combat so much better I couldn't believe for a second that people would have any complaints about it.

Zapgun · Oct 3, 2019

If you've not tried the rift s, it's matured nicely from the original rift. Much better picture quality. I havent used riftcat in awhile but nice to see its getting better! Wouldn't mind doing a comparison between them.