New to VR

[Zurdin]

I am looking for some advice from people who are more in the know on VR. I have only tried VR once and that was at a Frontier event and on the Oculus Rift. Seemed OK but now I am thinking more serious about it.

Long story short time for some upgrades, Current Laptop is 4 years old, monitor is 10 but really only used for work. So looking to stick with them and use the monitor for work and get a more portable gaming setup.

So I was thinking more on getting a decent Laptop and Oculus rift instead of the whole other setup as what I currently have works OK for day to day use.

Has anyone tried a Laptop with Nvidia 1060 graphics and Oculus rift. Laptop specs are I7 and 16GB RAM, with a 1060 and 6GB RAM. I really would like to hear from players with a similar setup as to if it works OK or if the 1060 is entry level and struggles at all.

I have seen lots of discussion on Rift is better than Vive and equally the same saying Vive is better than Rift. So hopefully this will not go the same way.

I am not looking at VR for games you walk around in, really cockpit type games so from what I have seen Rift is better suited to those types than Vive is. All in all the reviews are very even against the 2 items but Rift is £200 cheaper than Vive so when they are pretty even and one is a lot less expensive that sort of helps decide.

Anyhow, any advice from Laptop with 1060 and rift would be greatly appreciated.

 

[HeavyGroovez]

I don't have a 1060 but I have played Elite in VR using a 970 extensively and it was pretty solid. You cant go wild with supersampling but its very playable.

The 1060 is just slightly superior to the 970 in performance (I believe it benches at roughly 980 performance) so you can expect a decent experience.

 

[aRottenKomquat]

My laptop is advertised as "VR-Ready" with a GTX 1060 though I have yet to try a VR headset on it. MSI GS43VR, 1060 6GB, i7 7700HQ, 16 GB DDR4. It runs Elite at 4K pretty well so I don't think it would have much trouble doing VR.

 

[dogbite]

Since your looking at seated play, I would build a desktop machine for VR, you'll get more for your money and could likely move up to a 1070-80 which for VR, gpu power is key. Since your in an ED forum and have stress seated play, I would say go Rift, as well.

 

[Asp Explorer]

Having face planted keyboards more than once and snapped off a bluray drive tray in VR, an out-of-the-way laptop really isn't a bad idea - if it has the required grunt of course

 

[Zurdin]

Since your looking at seated play, I would build a desktop machine for VR, you'll get more for your money and could likely move up to a 1070-80 which for VR, gpu power is key. Since your in an ED forum and have stress seated play, I would say go Rift, as well.

Now you will laugh.

I have a home office where my main Laptop is, well I say Laptop it is a desktop with a fold up (18") Screen. I play elite on there at the moment on my old faithful 10 yar old 24" monitor. As I said it doubles up for work when I put the work laptop through it but it is fine for docs etc.

Now I have considered making my own PC (I like the idea of a watercooled wall mounted one) then a nice 35" wide screen monitor. Then when I got to around £4k I stopped dreaming. Anyhow main issue is when I am in there I get the normal you love that game more than me and why don't you sit in the room with me and so on.

So I was considering VR and a decent new Laptop, so best of both worlds. I can sit in the room with the wife so she is happy but sit in my own Elite world in VR so I am happy. Hence the I7 1060 laptop and Rift.

As a secondary item I do travel a bit with work and a latop and Rift could end up traveling with me

On another note I may still build a new PC and the decent screen but they will just be next years project.

 

[Mxpower76]

I don't have a laptop but I have a desktop with the same specs I7, 16gb with a 1060 6gb card. My i7 is a 3770 so a bit older then what you would get in a new laptop. With most of my settings on med/high it plays fine. I get some frame shudder when drop out of super cruise at station. But that only last a second or so. No problems at RES areas either. It might be a bit of disclaimer but I've been only playing in solo mode. I think I've seen somewhere that makes a difference. I'm no expert but I think a 1060 is the minimum to have a comfortable vr experience in ED.

BTW i wouldn't mind having that laptop for the same reason. I have to remember to spend some time with the wife every now and again.


Oh and make sure you use that EDprofiler.

 

[HeavyGroovez]

Anyhow main issue is when I am in there I get the normal you love that game more than me and why don't you sit in the room with me and so on

lol repped. I share your pain man.

 

[Crank Larson]

So I was considering VR and a decent new Laptop, so best of both worlds. I can sit in the room with the wife so she is happy but sit in my own Elite world in VR so I am happy. Hence the I7 1060 laptop and Rift.

I hate to say this, but even if you are in the same room as someone else while playing VR, you may as well be by yourself - so I wouldn't expect your wife to be appeased for too long. However, this is based on my past experiences of such complaints, so may not apply to your situation at all.

I'd also recommend desktop over laptop when it comes to gaming. Then you can upgrade parts as/when they become available and/or you have the funds. With a laptop, you are paying a premium and limiting your upgrade options in the future.

 

[shadragon]

My PC is in our living room and I no longer use VR mode when the wife is in the room. That is reserved for when she is working or otherwise out of the house.

It's just, easier.

 

[DaggerSnake]

My PC is in our living room and I no longer use VR mode when the wife is in the room. That is reserved for when she is working or otherwise out of the house.

It's just, easier.

Same here. My my Pc is in the same room. I go VR when alone. My wife has scared me a couple time without meaning too. I have to play with one ear piece lifted when not alone

 

[Zurdin]

Same here. My my Pc is in the same room. I go VR when alone. My wife has scared me a couple time without meaning too. I have to play with one ear piece lifted when not alone

Mine was in the room but the wife wanted it out and in my home office. All part of the decorating the house she is wanting at the moment.

I understand the comments of your not really in the room when in VR so will see how that goes. Even now when I do play a game on the laptop in the room, I have the noise (wife) cancelling headsets on so do not hear anything.

All that said the comments have been very helpful so thank you for all of them.

The Laptop I am going to get is an Alienware (I know some think they are a rip off but I have had a few and they have all been OK). It also can have a Graphics Amplifier attached which allows for a full size card and covers some upgradability. By all accounts a 1060 will be fine but if I want the top line VR experience then a desktop is the way to go with maybe dual cards or what the funds allow. That will be for next year [FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[zarrazee]

you love that game more than me

Ahhhh, the emotional blackmail "if you loved me" trick. My wife of 7 years has never played that card. Lucky me. But then, my PC is in the living room, so we are "together" in a sense.

 

[Zurdin]

Ahhhh, the emotional blackmail "if you loved me" trick. My wife of 7 years has never played that card. Lucky me. But then, my PC is in the living room, so we are "together" in a sense.

We hit 22 years last week, the emotional blackmail has not worked for years. This is all just for a quiet life

 

[BaronVonDoon]

Besides the obvious laptop cons, another thing to consider are the USB requirements of the Rift, you'll need 3 with 2 sensors connected, it's also quite fussy with it's USB 3.0 ports, I had to buy a separate card, plus you'll be putting a strain on the power supply. If you intend on using it on your actual lap, the cables are going to be a mess, if you are going to use it on a desk, just use a desktop in the first place along with all it's benefits.

 

[Crank Larson]

Besides the obvious laptop cons, another thing to consider are the USB requirements of the Rift, you'll need 3 with 2 sensors connected, it's also quite fussy with it's USB 3.0 ports,

E: D only needs one sensor set up. But the sensor and the headset do need to be plugged directly into a USB3 port of the computer - at least, I've never been able to get either to work through a USB 3 hub (powered). I have my HOTAS and other devices (wireless keyboard, Xbox controller) connected via a hub though, so as long as you have four USB ports available on the machine you should be ok (that will allow both sensors to be connected, and also to have a hub for everything else).

 

[Zurdin]

I am now an owner of an Oculs Rift. Tried it on my current laptop and all be it keeps telling me it does not meet the minimum specs it works.

Had a good hour or so on Elite and very impressed. I can tell the graphics are not top notch but it is perfectly playable. So unless your after what some would say is perfection you do not need a top of the line setup.

I put off getting VR for a long time as I was sure my PC was not good enough. In reality I could have got VR ages ago. So I would say if your system does not meet minimum spec and you are seriously thinking about it. Then get a VR headset and see how it goes. I will still upgrade the PC, just not right now as what I have works and I know with an upgrade it will only be better.

If this is any help my setup I am playing on is:

Alienware 18 Laptop
4 core I7 4800Mq @ 2.7GHZ (8 CPUs)
16GB RAM
2 x Nvidia 780M (4MB) in SLI

New Laptop order with a 1070 in it cancelled. Those funds are now going to the next project, a wall mounted liquid cooled PC for my home office (cave )