Is Frontier likely to update the VR experience?
- Thread starter Wild Dog
- Start date
Seeing as the (presumably) vast majority of ED players are of the flatscreen persuasion I can only imagine that the VR experience will remain as it is currently going forward into the “New Era”.
Although I’d dearly love to be able to use my Touch controllers in a clickable/pressable cockpit, or use a virtual HOTAS like in VTOL VR or NMS, or have Lone Echo style locomotion should spacelegs become a thing, etc, I think it’ll remain like other games which have an optional VR implementation (such as Subnautica). At best I’d expect VR controller support to act as a gamepad (without motion tracking) but that’d mean a few less buttons available to the control scheme.
My hopes for FDev’s future VR support are more code focused - make sure all the new stuff works in VR (preferably just like the flatscreen version cough*FSS*cough), make sure it works in both eyes, and if they could see their way into providing the depth buffer info for ASW 2.0 I’d give them double thumbguns
I'm okay with the VR support Elite currently has. I don't think motion controllers would add much to what we already have
My big concern is for when we get space legs. Motion controllers will become more important when our hands are doing stuff like wielding guns and using grab rails to propel us through a weightless environment
My big concern is for when we get space legs. Motion controllers will become more important when our hands are doing stuff like wielding guns and using grab rails to propel us through a weightless environment
I get the feeling the ship might be a better place to start with those mechanics.
They've probably already experimented with motion controllers in the same way they played around with the DK1 when it came out. The problem is the user base. There are only so many VR users and then only a portion of those will want to change their setup to take advantage of being able to press a few buttons. The potentiometers on a motion controller aren't as good as those found in a proper HOTAS. If you go with using the motion control position for your joystick then you've got the whole the-stick-isn't-really-there-and-can't-return-to-zero problem
I'd probably end up barking out my commands to Voice Attack as usual anyway seeing as that takes less effort than moving my arm
I'd probably end up barking out my commands to Voice Attack as usual anyway seeing as that takes less effort than moving my arm
Well I built a prototype to figure out whether that is an actual problem. In my opinion it's not, even with a FAOff type flight model where each motion needs to be very carefully countered with an opposite equal motion.
In my prototype, pressing the grip button on a Touch controller would instantiate the virtual joystick at the controller's position and set that position as the virtual joystick's new origo. While holding the grip button down, any motion of the controller would apply to the 6DOF virtual joystick. I added adjustable deadzones and curves and set up a simplistic 'flight model' to try it out.
This is just a raw capture from the game engine editor, never intended for wider distribution, so apologies if it's not very informative. I was just sharing a video of the prototype with my colleagues. The blue cube is the right controller, the orange cube is the left controller. The red sphere is centered around the zero of the virtual joystick that's being grabbed. I tried different configurations, e.g. one vs two virtual joysticks and splitting the 6DOF in different ways, but in the end I figured one 6DOF joystick is just fine and it would nicely free the other hand to manipulate virtual GUIs for other ship functions.
I actually think the VR support is surprisingly good. It seems clear that our avatar (holome) is using the controls on his cockpit HOTAS, since he doesn't move his arms around like Minority Report. Having my hands on a real flight stick positioned where the virtual flight stick is would feel way more real than some air-guitar make-believe flight stick.
I guess you were never very good at Air-guitar then.
Have you tried VR games that incorporate that? I personally find it very immersive and easy to use.
Here's a free example, I've never had a funner time flying digital planes than these in VR. https://store.steampowered.com/app/651090/Aces_High_III/
Agreed.
I can't say I've played any game where a motion controlled 'virtual' HOTAS has been much cop, or anywhere close to the real thing. Damn NMS was pure junk mostly down to the virtual stick, I have seen better implementations don't get me wrong but I always just wish I could be using my own kit than phaffing with virtual one. When it comes to flight, space or racing sims I just don't understand the fascination with motion controls.
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A virtual flight stick or wheel? No, I admit I haven't. The only flying games I have are IL-2 and Elite, and I use a stick / controller for both. I use "air weapons" in Skyrim, and I have mixed feelings about it. A sword with no weight or inertia feels all wrong, but the bow and arrow are immensely fun. I've been tempted to velcro my Oculus to a wooden Aikido sword I own, but I know that would end up resulted in a destroyed house, LOL.
For me personally, I much prefer a physical stick over an air stick for flight, and it makes sense for Frontier to support this since it covers both VR and regular 2D gamers.
Your solution to the problem is very impressive, but I can't help think you're solving a problem which doesn't exist. Are you thinking of using your method to write some sort of controller software that can be used within Elite?
Even if you were to make such a thing available I doubt I would use it. I'm quite happy using a gamepad. I prefer it even to the rubber hand illusion. I'd been using my gamepad setup for quite a while before I got my headset and by that time i'd gotten too used to it to relearn the controls for a HOTAS
Is your motion control input more accurate than a HOTAS? A low sensitivity mouse is currently the most accurate controller. I learned that back when I played a bit of 1st person shooters, but nowadays I prefer the small push of a mushroom to the frantic swish of a mouse over a massive mousemat
![[PS4] Filthymick420](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/201/201444.jpg?1555738739){kind=avatar}
Can we get VR equality on console before you PC guys start asking for more and better? Its not all just about you rich folk 
I would actually donate to this as a live stream duck
Can we get VR equality on console before you PC guys start asking for more and better? Its not all just about you rich folk
The PS4 being the only console currently available that supports both Elite and VR I'd have to say that you're dreaming mate
VR isn't coming to Elite on PS4 /PS4-Pro for the simple fact that those devices are just not powerful enough. Elite even struggles to run well on even high end PC rigs in some areas of the game. It's not about money or 'equality', there simply is not a VR version on console for very real technical reasons, and I'm sorry but those reasons should not hold back any new developments on the PC VR side of things.
I never said PS4 I said console. there's a new generation of console right around the corner that claims to be equal to or greater than current generation PC capability. What I did say was PC shouldn't get any better VR until we get support for console. What I know is I paid the same price for my game as you probably did for yours but I don't get the same value of gameplay
I was responding to the claim that there is a return-to-zero problem with virtual joysticks:
Based on my experience, I cannot agree that there is a return-to-zero problem any more than there is one when using a mouse. It is worthy to note that my solution also provides the equivalent of relative mouse control in Elite. Releasing the virtual joystick returns it to zero, and pressing the grip button makes that position the new zero from which the virtual joystick displacement is measured.
No.
I do not dispute that.
I think the VR support is really good as it is. Basic flight is excellent, some of the more recent features like the FSS seems to not really be designed with VR in mind, but at least everything works fine. My worst nightmare is if they add content that is actually unplayable in VR, or even worse, drop VR altogether.
I am secretly hoping for the assumed "space legs" content to actually be ground vehicle combat that can be played in VR. Time will tell.
As for motion controllers, IMO there is no way these can beat a proper HOTAS setup, and the interface components are way too small for motion control.
It would take a complete UI overhaul to make it fully work. There is a third party solution that kind of works for flight control, I believe?
I am secretly hoping for the assumed "space legs" content to actually be ground vehicle combat that can be played in VR. Time will tell.
As for motion controllers, IMO there is no way these can beat a proper HOTAS setup, and the interface components are way too small for motion control.
It would take a complete UI overhaul to make it fully work. There is a third party solution that kind of works for flight control, I believe?
You need to get shadow equality first. I logged into PS4 ED yesterday for the first time in months (needed a screenshot of something), and man oh man are the shadows rubbish!Can we get VR equality on console before you PC guys start asking for more and better? Its not all just about you rich folk
Currently there is no console that can support Elite in VR and there is nothing to say that FDEV would even re-release this game for any next gen console. However, and let me get this straight; you feel that VR support in Elite shouldn't get any better in the event that maybe the PS5 releases and it may be strong enough to run the game in VR and FDEV bother to release it on that system.... Right.... Sorry I don't see your logic.
If you feel that you don't get the same value of gameplay on a games console that costs the fraction of the price of a VR capable PC then I'm sorry but I have no sympathy for you. You haven't invested anywhere near as much money as myself and others have to enjoy this title in VR. However, we do both have what we paid for and experiences which are indicative of our individual investments, mine been close to 2.5K and yours at around £450 including the game.
When you buy your next games console, you have to understand that in less than 12 months it'll be underpowered compared to mid to top end PC gaming rigs, hell possibly before it even releases if the next gen GPUs are any good. This is the nature of modular PC hardware vs a static gaming console. Things move forward, the games console doesn't until its next iteration 5 or more years down the road.
I have no idea about your personal financial position in life, nor do I want to know about it, but progress halts for no man - that's just a fact of life.
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