Controls with Oculus Rift S

[zippydoda]

I'm a newbie to ED and haved played the Demo training module a number of times and have my TM Warthog HOTAS configured. My mouse works in that environment for responding to various windows that appear as ED is launched through the Steam ED Launcher. Now I've hooked up my Oculus Rift S and am attempting to make it usable. My first problem is that it doesn't appear to let you run the Demo training modules in VR. So any ideas on that would be appreciated.

A bigger problem is that the HOTAS and the mouse (which I would use for selecting options etc in the game - not knowing what else to use), and the arrow and enter keys on the keyboard (which is the other option) don't work. An occasional keyboard key will do some seemingly random thing, but I don't have any way of doing anything. I've read a LOT of posts on this and it seems that the support for VR is somewhat primitive, with people having to delete binding files, restart, rename binding files, recreate binding files, use TARGET, don't use TARGET, get focus on a Window (which doesn't work for me), and whatever. VR has simply worked great in all other apps without much effort. Hoping for not much effort here too, although I have spent hours perusing various forums....

Thanks in advance for any ideas for both questions!

 

[VR StarLightPL]

That's a weird problem you're having. Training modules work on VR, you use the same controls as on pancake. If you're expecting touch controller to work it probably won't. Never tried though as I have HOTAS configured. If the game didn't start in VR, just go to graphics settings and pick HMD or something similar under 3d option. It's Oculus though, so maybe @Old Duck can help? Or Mad Mike?

What you described seems more like control scheme change. Maybe you selected different preset from drop-down, or didn't have all devices plugged in when game was starting. It can mess up the control scheme. Or maybe you pressed a shortcut to switch to alternate flight controls, IDK.

I can only say that all training missions work in VR and game is perfectly serviceable from HOTAS itself without the need to use mouse or a external gamepad.

 

[VR StarLightPL]

PS: the hassle with binding files has nothing to do with VR. It is used for having a separate preset on the drop-down, keeps your binds safe between updates. I'd still backup them though.

 

[zippydoda]

Thanks VR SLPL. Yeah - it's weird. I'm going to go back through the HOTAS control bindings and see what I'm missing. There's got to be some buttons that act like a mouse in terms of selecting items from a drop down menu etc. Or moving the focus on a screen. Right now the HOTAS works fine in 2D while using the mouse for making menu selections that allow you to set controls, options, exit etc. As far as training - yes with VR it brings me to the training modules, but a different set than the Demo Training modules that I've been using. Basic stuff like Target Practice. I can't find a way to get to any of those while in VR. I think it has to do with how I start up ED. If I start up through Frontier, I get the option for PLAY DEMO - Single Player Combat Training, but it doesn't have an option for VR. When I start up through Steam, I get the VR option, but not the option for the PLAY DEMO etc.....

 

[zippydoda]

And then there's the idea that I should be starting ED from the Oculus Rift S library launcher. But no it won't launch at all as now it's getting an error 'An Error Occurred while updating Elite Dangerous (app running). See Steam support' So I'm giving up and heading off to flight sims that actually work without a huge amount of effort and that don't involve three different launching schemes with different effect for each one. Thanks for you help.

 

[Terekhov]

A couple of quick notes....

The touch controllers do not work in game.

VR Starlight PL has touched on a lot of th possible causes for bindings changing, above. I'd emphasise ensuring that you always have, and ONLY have the controllers that you wish to use in game connected when you start it.

Yes, Training modules do work in VR - But......... You have to enter the main menu of the full game, and select them from there.

Once you've got that working, buy Voice attack and use that for many of ter games ancillary functions such as landing gear, lights, etc..... (I'd recommend buying it form the author directly not through Steam) More advanced use of VA is a massive part of my ED VR experience.

Maybe get a couple of hours in game to convince yourself that the advice above works and that ED is for you, then look into the voice attack thing and also research how to make a copy of your bindings file, change a couple of lines at the top, and have it appear as your own custom settings at the top of the controls page.

 

[Terekhov]

If you bought ED through Steam, you can ONLY run it from the Steam Launcher (phooey!)

 

[Old Duck]

If you bought ED through Steam, you can ONLY run it from the Steam Launcher (phooey!)

Technically that's not true. You can launch ED via Oculus Library. You still need Steam running in the background, but this allows ED to run without loading SteamVR, which removes an extra layer of API, thus giving better performance.

 

[Terekhov]

Technically that's not true. You can launch ED via Oculus Library. You still need Steam running in the background, but this allows ED to run without loading SteamVR, which removes an extra layer of API, thus giving better performance.

Interesting.... Is that route open to those who only have accounts purchased directly through Steam?.

i.e how does a "steam account only user" get the game into their Oculus library?

 

[Old Duck]

Interesting.... Is that route open to those who only have accounts purchased directly through Steam?.

i.e how does a "steam account only user" get the game into their Oculus library?

Yes. You have to first start ED in VR through Steam, and when you do this it registers automatically in the Oculus library. After this first "initiation", you can then run ED directly from the Oculus Launcher.

 

[Terekhov]

Thanks for pointing that out, I don't know how I missed ED appearing in the Oculus client (not that I have reason to poke around in there too much).

It was indeed there, and apparently worked.

 

[zippydoda]

Thanks everyone. I think there might be some confusion (in my own mind anyway) regarding training. As far as I can tell there are two different kinds; one is accessed through the Steam launch and is DEMO Play - target practice etc. That one I can't access when using ORS Launcher. With ORS the full module comes up - you're in a launch area sitting in the cockpit and the trainer starts talking to you about what a great Commander you're going to be - shortly, maybe. So I was using the first one in 2-D and then switched to ORS and can't find a way to get to that. Also with ORS none of my HOTAS bindings work and I can't figure out how to even operate the game menu like START, Resume etc. (I think head movement has something to do with it - discovered that randomly) Anyway I appreciate your comments. I'm not trying to use the ORS controllers - I know those don't work. If I could get to the OPTIONS menu from within the game with ORS I could check the bindings I've setup in 2-D.

Thanks for the info. I can use VoiceAttack with my DCS modules and with X-Plane 11 and possibly with MS FS 2020. So that's in my future. I think it would be especially useful with voice communications like ATC, wingman coms, teamspeak etc., and with sim/game environment controls (pause, exit, configuration, zoom, view the loo etc) With flight sims I like using hardware as much as possible to operate the aircraft providing me a slightly more realistic experience. With a game like Elite Dangerous (I get the definite sense that some might be offended by calling it a game ) it doesn't matter so much if I use voice commands.

ED is really my first PC game since the early 80s - mostly flight sims since then. So a bit of a learning curve. I would read the manual but I believe there's some clause in the Geneva Convention that prevents male humans from using those.