Galaxy map is fine once you rebind the controls to a joystick or xbox controller. I use a combination of mouse and hotas, and works fine.
A sober opinion of the current state of VR for Elite Dangerous
- Thread starter cptwhite
- Start date
Galaxy map is fine once you rebind the controls to a joystick or xbox controller. I use a combination of mouse and hotas, and works fine.
rootsrat
Volunteer Moderator
The trick is to turn on the grid (options tab on the map). It then makes each system to have a marker on the grid. It also makes a special cursor to appear. Move the cursor onto the marker - that will select the system and the context menu will be displayed. Rebind all the controls to your stick and suddenly it's piece a'cake.
They really should make that information clear somewhere, as not being able to use Galaxy Map has put me off VR for weeks! Then I found out how to do it properly and now 90% of my gaming time is in VR
I have to say, this is the most annoying thing about the VR in Elite. This, and the system map. They've implemented the station services in a more VR-Friendly manner, but they really need to overhaul the maps for VR. The lack of an OSK for it is just the tip of the iceberg.
Having said that, I am fairly new to the game. I initially played it with Trinus and a PSVR and I thought it was amazing, but I've just picked up a Pimax BE (the 2k model with the faster refresh) and its even more impressive.
People say you need a "Fast PC" to run in VR. I would argue this point somewhat. I have an older system with a core I5 and found that all I really needed was an Nvidia 1060 to run in VR @ 2k (which is what the Pimax BE is) at pretty much everything ultra or high settings and I can happily play the game without any form of motion sickness for hours at a time.
Roughly translates as, "I have never driven one but I think the Lamborghini Avantador is a pretty rubbish car because I don't enjoy driving my 1.6 litre Ford Focus".
I don't even particularly like the game Elite Dangerous, but there is no denying that as a VR experience it is phenomenal, and I bought it for that alone. The resolution is of course a downgrade from a 2k or 4k monitor, which is pretty much the gamer's standard nowadays, but as other say, the level of immersion is so deep that you simply overlook it as soon as that headset is fired up.
![[VR] Mad Mike](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/27/27910.jpg?1553527108){kind=avatar}
pretty much this!
is vr perfect? no! there resolution is a little low and the FOV could be a little better and there are the odd god rays (I am talking from a CV1 perspective)
but imo its far better than any other way to play the game. I cant comment on the vive, but the rift CV1 has virtually no SDE, its tracking is superb in ED.
I have a 70 inch gaming setup in my cinema room largely gathering dust now.
I had a DK2 as well... that was great too but CV1 is better on almost every area. (except FOV)
I find the OPs post odd TBH. how can one give a critique when they have not tried the thing they are critiquing.. for instance... they would know had they tried CV1 that chromatic aberration is a DK2 issue (as is SDE for the most part). I would go so far as to say there is NO chromatic aberration in CV1, and maybe only 20% of the SDE. - tho we do get godrays, but the thing about those is careful game design can mitigate this somewhat
also £400 is an absolute steal imo
not only do you get the rift and 2 tracking sensors, with motion controls.
you get
luckys tale
echo arena
robo recall
farlands
medium
dead and buried
quill
and a while load more bits and bobs
if you order now & get lucky you get an xbox pad, wireless adapter AND oculus remote (a week ago this was a certainty, its less so now)
of course its OPs money and its their choice what to buy but I just find the op a little baffling TBH
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Sorry OP - without having tried any proper HMD, you are speculating rather than offering an opinion.
VR is as much of a paradigm shift in Elite Dangerous coming from 2D monitors, as the 84/85 Elite was coming from 2D Space Invaders and side scrollers.
Personally I gave up on flight sims in about 2007/8 due to the short comings of monitor based combat and transitioned into race sims where lack of vision was not so much an impediment, even though it still was. VR for cockpit based games/sim is a revelation regardless of the short comings. The ability to gain situational awareness, look into turns, accurately judge distance and size from just using your head and eyes cannot be over estimated, regardless of the resolution and FoV. An analogy for that is probably the difference between a console player playing an FPS on a gamepad vs. a player using mouse and WASD keys.
Then there is the immersion factor, which if you suspend your disbelief by telling yourself you are wearing a helmet with a glare reducing mesh and then whilst wearing the HMD, it looks for all purposes like you are actually in the spaceship. For me certainly the experience gained is always going to trump somebody sat in an office chair looking at a TV, which no matter what the resolution and how wide the monitor array, is what current non-VR gaming is.
Will it be for everyone? No it will not - some are psychologically and others are physically unable to enjoy the experience.
Also is it perfect? No it is not, nor will it ever be - no solution can be.
Do the pro's outweigh the cons? IMHO yes they do in spades for the reasons above.
I think the cons are well known, but to overstate them and completely shut off from the experience based on paper based specifications alone, smacks of quixotic crusading and there are far bigger windmills out there to tilt at e.g. why is SLI not supported in VR?
VR is as much of a paradigm shift in Elite Dangerous coming from 2D monitors, as the 84/85 Elite was coming from 2D Space Invaders and side scrollers.
Personally I gave up on flight sims in about 2007/8 due to the short comings of monitor based combat and transitioned into race sims where lack of vision was not so much an impediment, even though it still was. VR for cockpit based games/sim is a revelation regardless of the short comings. The ability to gain situational awareness, look into turns, accurately judge distance and size from just using your head and eyes cannot be over estimated, regardless of the resolution and FoV. An analogy for that is probably the difference between a console player playing an FPS on a gamepad vs. a player using mouse and WASD keys.
Then there is the immersion factor, which if you suspend your disbelief by telling yourself you are wearing a helmet with a glare reducing mesh and then whilst wearing the HMD, it looks for all purposes like you are actually in the spaceship. For me certainly the experience gained is always going to trump somebody sat in an office chair looking at a TV, which no matter what the resolution and how wide the monitor array, is what current non-VR gaming is.
Will it be for everyone? No it will not - some are psychologically and others are physically unable to enjoy the experience.
Also is it perfect? No it is not, nor will it ever be - no solution can be.
Do the pro's outweigh the cons? IMHO yes they do in spades for the reasons above.
I think the cons are well known, but to overstate them and completely shut off from the experience based on paper based specifications alone, smacks of quixotic crusading and there are far bigger windmills out there to tilt at e.g. why is SLI not supported in VR?
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rep just for the fact you post made me learn a new word for the day "quixotic".....
(tho imo your post is bang on the money..... I keep thinking back to TV.
I was not around back then but in the 1940s and 50s when people 1st got TVs in their home....
I wonder how many thought.... well that is a load of old monkey balls, compared to the cinema the screen is small, the sound is awful and its not even in colour?
or how many were just amazed that they could get a - albeit limited - cinema experience in their home.
I agree tho, 5 years from now CV1 will be the equivalent of a 28 inch CRT compared to a modern 43 inch 4k screen (I hope)
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rootsrat
Volunteer Moderator
I wish
It's fair enough mate. But really, without trying the high-end gear I honestly think that you shouldn't be saying "current state of VR for ED", because ED in Vive or Rift CV1 is a completely different experience to DK2 or phone.
I tried DK2 and CV1 at Lavecon, the difference is quite significant.
I have both Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR at home for my Galaxy S6 and believe me, that's not VR. It's just a taste of real VR. And I also have Vive at home. It is entirely true that you need a very expensive and powerful rig to run it PROPERLY (with 2x SS etc.), but once you have a right setup, it does indeed look amazing in a proper headset (CV1 or Vive).
So while your post is partially correct (bearing in mind you've not tried CV1 or Vive), the title is very misleading.
For the avoidance of further sarky comments I strongly suggest you change the title of this thread to something like ..
A sober opinion of the current state of phone based VR for Elite Dangerous
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I wish
The downfalls of E D in VR are not downplayed, they are either dismissed, ignored or drowned under a tidal wave of "Wow! Monitors are dead, VR is the most amazing thing in the word, like ever man!"
VR is great but I honestly don't see how people can accept the trade-off in visual acuity for 3D perspective for their total (or even majority) game time. I'm only a few days into VR so my opinion might change.
Unfortunately, by basing your opinions on non-mainstream, current equipment you leave yourself open to the sort of "jobbie" that has been thrown your way.
Well, that is a matter of opinion. I much prefer to play in VR then on my 2D monitor. But at least we can make informed opinions based on actual experience of the high end products. Not like the OP who is not.
For me VR has turned ED in to a new game, and can't wait to get back into the cockpit of my Diamondback X.
^^^ this
The points the OP are trying to make are valid (I adore VR, I think it's a total game changer, but you know what ... I only play ED in VR about 10% of the time - cue cries of shock from the crowd!). There are all sorts of good reasons for this. However ... I think you might struggle to get the sensible and perfectly reasonable discussion you deserve with, as Munial so eloquently puts it ...
Yea, I too have now played ED with Vive, and granted its scale and immersion is great, it does not carry into the holistic ED experience I had on my three 2D monitors. Outside the naturally clearer visuals in 2D, the biggest hit for me in VR is lack of usability of my side panels which host browser based tool and apps such as Inara, EDDB, EDEngineer, and TCE. I use all these tools to complement a holistic ED experience, and in VR I lack that. Its a feeling of "what should I do now" in VR; where as, with all the tools, I can find meaning/purpose.
Last night, I flew a few hours in VR and switched among a few of my ships to see differences. Indeed, that is the best part, to see the differences VR offers over 2D relative to the experience in the chair (with room scale on, u can get up and walk around bridge too!). However, for meaningful gameplay, I find its not really fulfilling in VR as compared to all else available in the 2D space. I guess for players who do not use external apps and tools, you may not know what I am referring to... but those that do, likely do.
All in all, perhaps in the future as VR tools evolve and in VR apps/tools are available, it may bring it up to par. Though now for me, VR in ED is a fun 10 min "Wow!" factor, but for doing stuff in game, I find I need 2D.
Note though, I play RecRoom in VR and LOVE the paintball game and other offerings there strictly for VR! There i can spend hrs having fun in that type of VR experience, but in ED, i need more...
Last night, I flew a few hours in VR and switched among a few of my ships to see differences. Indeed, that is the best part, to see the differences VR offers over 2D relative to the experience in the chair (with room scale on, u can get up and walk around bridge too!). However, for meaningful gameplay, I find its not really fulfilling in VR as compared to all else available in the 2D space. I guess for players who do not use external apps and tools, you may not know what I am referring to... but those that do, likely do.
All in all, perhaps in the future as VR tools evolve and in VR apps/tools are available, it may bring it up to par. Though now for me, VR in ED is a fun 10 min "Wow!" factor, but for doing stuff in game, I find I need 2D.
Note though, I play RecRoom in VR and LOVE the paintball game and other offerings there strictly for VR! There i can spend hrs having fun in that type of VR experience, but in ED, i need more...
I get where the OP is coming from although it does seem a little odd to make those comments without having tried the Rift or Vive. It is tempting to ridicule the issues mentioned but they haven't gone away entirely and I suppose it good that someone is highlighting the imperfections with the technology.
I'm a complete and utter fanboy of Elite and VR. I played Elite in the 80's and 90's. I played a VR arcade game where you flew a Harrier when I was about 12 in the 90's and have been waiting frustrated ever since for the technology to happen. The amount of money that I've lobbed at my PC for ED and VR has to be pushing £2500. Was it worth it?.. hell yes, it is better than I ever imagined. If my Rift died tomorrow I'd order a new one immediately, without any hesitation.
The setup process could use some work but it is PC.. people tinker. FOV doesn't bother me, latency is a compete non issue, in fact I often wonder how on earth they made it so perfect. The only thing that bothers me is the resolution and that can largely be overcome with adjusting SS or HMD pixel density. Realistically the resolution can't be properly resolved until at least 2 more generations of GPUs have cycled to give the processing power (so 4x a 1080ti).
Ultimately it is horses for courses right now. Given the choice of playing ED on 60 inch OLED HDR 4K display or my Rift, I'd chose my rift. They are incomparable experiences in my view. In one you are playing a game and in the other you are in a waking dream.
I'm a complete and utter fanboy of Elite and VR. I played Elite in the 80's and 90's. I played a VR arcade game where you flew a Harrier when I was about 12 in the 90's and have been waiting frustrated ever since for the technology to happen. The amount of money that I've lobbed at my PC for ED and VR has to be pushing £2500. Was it worth it?.. hell yes, it is better than I ever imagined. If my Rift died tomorrow I'd order a new one immediately, without any hesitation.
The setup process could use some work but it is PC.. people tinker. FOV doesn't bother me, latency is a compete non issue, in fact I often wonder how on earth they made it so perfect. The only thing that bothers me is the resolution and that can largely be overcome with adjusting SS or HMD pixel density. Realistically the resolution can't be properly resolved until at least 2 more generations of GPUs have cycled to give the processing power (so 4x a 1080ti).
Ultimately it is horses for courses right now. Given the choice of playing ED on 60 inch OLED HDR 4K display or my Rift, I'd chose my rift. They are incomparable experiences in my view. In one you are playing a game and in the other you are in a waking dream.
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Buy a Rift, plug it in, play the game..thats how easy it actually is..I own a Rift and a DK2..the Rift makes a dk2 look like some kind of crappy phone solution to VR..
It really is person preference. I am a new VR user, only about two weeks in and I really don't think I will ever want to go back to playing ED in 2D. I completely agree that it isn't as clear as my monitors however for me, the feeling of being in my ship and seeing the true scale more that makes up for the clarity issue. Obviously for you it doesn't which is fine too. All I can say is that for me, I was legitimately blown away when I started playing ED in VR, but I don't dismiss it's short coming either. I think once they can improve the resolution to get rid of the screen door effect a lot more people will come over to VR, but for me it's not a deal breaker. Another thing I have noticed is you can't get a true perspective of the current state of VR just based off of ED. I have been playing Robo Recall and just last night I started the Lone Echo campaign. Those games show what's possible with VR a lot better than ED in my opinion. You can tell those games are completely VR focused and the lower resolution of the Oculus is much less noticeable on those game compared to ED. Lone Echo is just a fantastic VR experience from the visuals, to the movement and controls it is just a superb use of VR. When VR first started getting released I though it was a waste of time and that it would never catch on. The only reason I bought the Oculus is because of a lot of the reviews I read on this forum as well as the $400 price. My mind has now been changed and I hope VR sticks around and continues to improve.
VR is not for everyone.
One of my Wingmates owns a Vive but hates it. He much prefers to play in 2D, with head tracking, for the hi def visuals that monitors offer. And that is totally fair-dinkum. To each, their own. etc etc.
But my mate has at least tried proper VR before passing judgement...
One of my Wingmates owns a Vive but hates it. He much prefers to play in 2D, with head tracking, for the hi def visuals that monitors offer. And that is totally fair-dinkum. To each, their own. etc etc.
But my mate has at least tried proper VR before passing judgement...
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And this is the crux of the issue. Not everyone likes vr and the limitations ARE easy for all to find out about... But new vr is in its infancy and trying to sound informed and impartial whilst pooh poohing it without even trying it is unfair and potentially damaging for no reason imo
I am not trying to have a go at op, but imo it would be like me listing why you should not get s Nintendo switch, using limitations based on the wiiu and 3ds
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