VR made me play ED again and now it is the game i play most. It is a totally different experience, as you feel like you are actually there. Hard to describe, if you never used VR. I would not want to go back, even though i had to lower my grafic settings considerably due to my old GTX 960.
VR vs Monitor?
- Thread starter Viscera
- Start date
Bought a Rift some months ago and really had to get accustomed to the low resolution at first (fortunately had no problems with VR sickness), but hardly ever play on monitor anymore. For me, the immersion VR provides puts the ED experience on a whole new level, you have to experience it for yourself. I can live with the restrictions that come with it (low resolution, poor legibility of small text, having to peek through the nosehole if you want to type anything, no access to third-party tools and the like, having to use the HOTAS for galmap navigation); except for typing, I don't need neither keyboard nor mouse as I put all functions on HOTAS buttons and the rest on VoiceAttack commands. The integrated 3D audio headset is nice, too. Wished I hadn't to wear glasses, as putting the Rift on and off can be a little cumbersome (the headphones like to get in the way), but once I put it on, I got no problems even during long sessions. In my experience, fighting in VR has pros and cons. Pro definitely is the headtracking, con for me is the lack of details in particular if the target is directly ahead. I can live with all that and would instantly buy another Rift if mine breaks, it's worth it for ED alone because it puts you right in the middle of things. YMMV.
I heavily would recommend testing a VR rig if possible before buying, because not everbody feels comfortable in VR and there is the nasty issue of VR sickness. Two of my colleagues (and my wife) instantly get headaches and really bad nausea to the point they just cannot use VR, where I can play for hours happily on the same rig. It's like sea sickness, I guess, some get it, some not.
HTH,
[noob]
I heavily would recommend testing a VR rig if possible before buying, because not everbody feels comfortable in VR and there is the nasty issue of VR sickness. Two of my colleagues (and my wife) instantly get headaches and really bad nausea to the point they just cannot use VR, where I can play for hours happily on the same rig. It's like sea sickness, I guess, some get it, some not.
HTH,
[noob]
For me:
Pro's
Immersion
Cons
Reduced visual fidelity
Reduced ability to use 3rd party apps when in game
Reduced usability of keyboard/mouse
Setup/tweaking
I'm on the CV1 and find it comfortable for long sessions. I also wear glasses in it.
There's a lot you lose when playing ED, but the immersion is so good I have not played on a monitor since I went VR 2 years ago.
VR is still in early days. Screen resolution needs to be increased a lot to cater for the masses but I'm OK with it.
ED definitely plays to the main weakness of the current VR displays. On a lot of software I've seen the image is actually really good, it's thin lines on dark backgrounds and small objects that suffer the most, which is 90% of what ED is.
If you do go VR then it opens up a new world of other stuff as well though. Driving/flying sims are amazing, video/entertainment is also excellent.
I'm sold.
Pro's
Immersion
Cons
Reduced visual fidelity
Reduced ability to use 3rd party apps when in game
Reduced usability of keyboard/mouse
Setup/tweaking
I'm on the CV1 and find it comfortable for long sessions. I also wear glasses in it.
There's a lot you lose when playing ED, but the immersion is so good I have not played on a monitor since I went VR 2 years ago.
VR is still in early days. Screen resolution needs to be increased a lot to cater for the masses but I'm OK with it.
ED definitely plays to the main weakness of the current VR displays. On a lot of software I've seen the image is actually really good, it's thin lines on dark backgrounds and small objects that suffer the most, which is 90% of what ED is.
If you do go VR then it opens up a new world of other stuff as well though. Driving/flying sims are amazing, video/entertainment is also excellent.
I'm sold.
For me its easy to describe - its like sitting in real spaceship. With a ski googles on. Which have really crappy lenses and everything around is blurry
Yeah, and you see individual pixels too - its like having your nose stuck right to old TV screen - but at least you will stop noticing it after you get used to it.In a nutshell, the tech is awesome and will go long way. But it still in its infancy.
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Yes, it is *very* different. You're immersed in the ship and it totally changes the way you fly. If, like me, you use a dual monitor setup to watch things or browse for online resources whilst playing the game, then you'll miss out.
It'd be interesting to see what Oculus Dashboard is like when it comes out, because that seems like they're trying to address this "multi-app" issue. In fact, one of the demos they showed during the Oculus Dashboard presentation was Elite Dangerous, so they're aware that players would like to be able to play music or surf the web while also playing.
It'd be interesting to see what Oculus Dashboard is like when it comes out, because that seems like they're trying to address this "multi-app" issue. In fact, one of the demos they showed during the Oculus Dashboard presentation was Elite Dangerous, so they're aware that players would like to be able to play music or surf the web while also playing.
I'm one of the few who had VR (Vive) and went back to monitor (and head tracking). It's just still too 1. generation for me. Will revisit when resolution, FOV and ease of use gets to where it needs to be.
Monitor and head tracking is just a better overall experience in my opinion. For now.
The actual spaceflight part is amazing in VR, and I love it. The sense of scale is completely different than on the monitor… Unfortunately, most of the time I end up playing on the monitor anyway, because everything else is much less usable (and more tiring) in VR, in particular the galaxy map is really annoying, and the station menus are hard to read (especially the commodity market). And I get spacesick trying to drive the SRV in VR.
I'll concede that the SRV part is probably unfixable, but I really hope FDEV would spend a bit more time on optimizing the UI itself (galaxy map in particular) for VR. There aren't that many "big" VR games out currently, and Elite has a good lead on being "the" VR game for a lot of people…
I'll concede that the SRV part is probably unfixable, but I really hope FDEV would spend a bit more time on optimizing the UI itself (galaxy map in particular) for VR. There aren't that many "big" VR games out currently, and Elite has a good lead on being "the" VR game for a lot of people…
I hugely recommend VR over monitor, that being said if I am going exploring and just making lots of jumps or waiting to fly between planets then I tend to go monitor. Until I find somewhere to land, then its back in VR again. Not sure why some are saying 'Its a huge pain to set up everytime...' I mean it's literally just click VR in Steam, Headset switches on, put headset on your head, start the game, done.
lol. If you have triple monitor or VR then I'm sure you can afford a HOTAS or gamepad to use the Galmap with. The Galmap works fine in VR with either.
Oculus Dash should resolve that issue when it releases in December (in beta).
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For me there is little to no difference in terms of gameplay, experience, or perspective. Saying that any given accessory changes the a game to being something very different is largely complete and utter rubbish. The ONLY thing any given accessory (including VR) changes is how you interact with the game and that can have both positive and negative side effects depending on the individual. The nature of the game does not change as a result but some people may find that due to their specific playstyle a particular accessory is indispensable for them.
The only thing that a VR headset really adds to the party (for now) is head tracking and there are other accessories that can provide that to at least some extent. Plus there are more traditional and viable alternatives to head tracking such as mouse look.
3D Monitors can achieve a comparable sense of immersion (I have one) but even then the 3D aspect is of debatable value and can even detract from the experience due to various issues. In fact, it could be argued that from a graphics rendering quality perspective a monitor (3D or ortherwise) is superior at any given resolution due to the monitor covering a smaller field of view. While VR technology may advance with evolutions in compact display devices, monitors in general can also expect to benefit from such evolutions in technology.
When walking around/space legs is added there may be more value introduced with VR but that is far from the case at this point in time.
For me personally, now I have adapted my ED controls and gaming environment for VR I can not realistically go back to a normal monitor for ED. That is not due to any tangible benefits of VR (perceived or otherwise) but rather due to the simple fact I do not wish to go through the hassle of re-organising my controls for a different set up. There are times where the VR accessory can be detrimental to the game play experience due to quirks in the way certain game control systems work plus there are complications when needing to deal with more complex devices such as keyboards (unless there is some form of AR camera as part of the headset - c/f the HTC VIVE - or you are a particularly good touch typist, which I am not).
TL;DR - does VR change the Elite experience substantially? IMO No.
Which is better?
Well probably it's no help, but I switch between modes depending on how I feel.
Both have benefits.
Well probably it's no help, but I switch between modes depending on how I feel.
Both have benefits.
For anyone setting up a new system and considering a triple monitor setup I would urge them to seriously consider VR with a single monitor as an alternative.
i've had a Vive for almost a year and only use it on rare occasions these days.
i prefer my 55" 4k TV with TrackIR. its a much better experience for my ED playstyle. i have 2 other monitors that i also use while playing for 3rd party sites and movies.
VR is nice, but productivity is king.
i prefer my 55" 4k TV with TrackIR. its a much better experience for my ED playstyle. i have 2 other monitors that i also use while playing for 3rd party sites and movies.
VR is nice, but productivity is king.
This was exactly how I felt the first time I tried Elite in VR: "Holy $(@*( I'm in a spaceship"
I have an Oculus (CV1), and to be honest I almost never use it.
My setup for Elite is pretty good for "immersion": R3volution cockpit, triple monitors, HOTAS, 5.1 surround, and a tactile transducer. I will agree with the earlier posts that VR has a distinct advantage when it comes to tracking a target in combat. The sheer size of everything, from your cockpit to stars, is also something you can only truly appreciate in VR. However, I find the drawbacks of VR too great to use it all the time. Objects at a distance turn fuzzy very quickly, which I find particularly bothersome when using a long-range weapon like rails. You lose a fair amount of detail in general, and also gain VR artifacts such as god rays. And I personally find it somewhat uncomfortable when doing something that involves more "waiting", for example trading or making a lot of jumps.
Outside the novelty of VR, the only real advantage to me is the aforementioned target tracking in combat. Otherwise, I find I prefer playing with triple monitors. VR is cool, but I don't think the technology is quite there yet.
My setup for Elite is pretty good for "immersion": R3volution cockpit, triple monitors, HOTAS, 5.1 surround, and a tactile transducer. I will agree with the earlier posts that VR has a distinct advantage when it comes to tracking a target in combat. The sheer size of everything, from your cockpit to stars, is also something you can only truly appreciate in VR. However, I find the drawbacks of VR too great to use it all the time. Objects at a distance turn fuzzy very quickly, which I find particularly bothersome when using a long-range weapon like rails. You lose a fair amount of detail in general, and also gain VR artifacts such as god rays. And I personally find it somewhat uncomfortable when doing something that involves more "waiting", for example trading or making a lot of jumps.
Outside the novelty of VR, the only real advantage to me is the aforementioned target tracking in combat. Otherwise, I find I prefer playing with triple monitors. VR is cool, but I don't think the technology is quite there yet.
Been pointed out many times that you need an extremely good rig to run VR. People complain about clarity or reading text, I wouldn't run VR on anything that couldn't handle Ultra with 2x SS, have absolutely no issues with clarity. The game looks stunning in VR if you have beast rig. Still it's more about immersion/depth and 1:1 scale, just no comparison between a monitor/headtracking and VR. This is coming from someone that still has a triple screen 4K setup with TRackIR gathering dust
It's a really interesting thread. Question is, is VR really just a novelty? Worries me to hear people have VR, and rarely use it.
I saw the new 4k / 8k ones Pimax? Whilst higher resolution, it sounds like lag causes motion sickness, and to eradicate lag, you'll need an NVIDIA 1080........ I'm scared of a couple of things... waste money on a Vive, and wish I had got a 2nd generation.. or get a 2nd GEN and have to spend a grand on hardware upgrades (my computer is Vive capable currently).
Forgetting ED, is VR really worth getting? And if so, is it worth waiting for next gen?
Questions questions and much confusion on the subject!
I saw the new 4k / 8k ones Pimax? Whilst higher resolution, it sounds like lag causes motion sickness, and to eradicate lag, you'll need an NVIDIA 1080........ I'm scared of a couple of things... waste money on a Vive, and wish I had got a 2nd generation.. or get a 2nd GEN and have to spend a grand on hardware upgrades (my computer is Vive capable currently).
Forgetting ED, is VR really worth getting? And if so, is it worth waiting for next gen?
Questions questions and much confusion on the subject!
Inherent worth is only that you can decide on.
What's the problem - just buy it, and if you are unhappy you can always return it. That's what I did.
You need to experience yourself to fully understand it.
Your post pipped mine, and i find myself being answered in some things ! thanks 777. All this blurred stuff and detail and graphics complaints through VR, is it really just down to the card, and levels of detail set on sliders? Some folk seem to suggest that you're taking a huge bite in graphics quality and unreadable text, and making VR sound like a step backwards.
It's good to hear someone saying nonsense. I right on the edge of splashing out on one... and always someone is making me stay my hand / wallet... aaargh the agony!