UPDATE 11/19/16: I have changed the following settings in order to achieve better performance at stations, res sites and planets:
Chaperone Tool Render Target Multiplier: 1.2
HMD Quality: 1.25
Remember, make sure to opt into the SteamVR Beta so that you can utilize Asynchronous Reprojection which will ensure your experience is as smooth as possible.
---UPDATE ENDS---
UPDATE 11/15/16: I have applied the following settings that work best in 2.2 with the Vive and my PC.
These settings with 2.2 actually look superior to anything I ran in 2.1
Chaperone Tool Render Target Multiplier: 1.0
HMD Quality: 1.75 - 2.0 (depending on how OC'd your 1080 happens to be.)
Everything else:
If you haven't already, be sure to opt into the SteamVR Beta so that you can utilize Asynchronous Reprojection which will ensure your experience is as smooth as possible.
---UPDATE ENDS---
UPDATE 8/12/16: I have found the BEST software for recording VR gameplay to be Mirillis Action! I'm now able to record 1080p 60FPS footage, stream to Twitch and play in VR at the same time without any issues.
For anyone interested in how the footage looks, feel free to check out my latest 1080p 60FPS video!
---UPDATE ENDS---
ORIGINAL THREAD
VIVE
For those of you who don't already know, there are some things you can do to make Elite in the Vive crystal clear!
First, make sure you have turned off Desktop Game Theater by navigating to Steam>Settings>In-Game. Having this disabled should provide more FPS.
Also, if you haven't done so already, get your IPD (Interpupillary distance) measured by a professional. Ensuring your IPD is set correctly using the dial on the side of the HMD, will make a difference in comfort and clarity.
Next, get the Chaperone Tool made by Bilago below: (Be sure to run as Administrator)
https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/4qguq9/updated_yet_again_chaperone_manager_supersampling/
Depending on your system specifications, you'll want to set the Render Target Multiplier within the tool anywhere at or between 1.5 - 2.0. You can go lower if you have anything weaker than a 970 or even experiment with a higher setting. However, you might need something like the new Titan X or future 1080 Ti and AMD Vega GPU's. Essentially, try taking it as high as you can until you experience performance issues, then back it down by 0.1. Also, make sure you lower your in-game Super Sampling to 0.65. Some people have reported an in-game setting of 1.0 being optimal, whether your in-game setting is 0.65, 0.75, 0.85, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0, this is something you'll have to experiment with. From what I've observed, there is minimal image quality loss in the Vive by lowering the in-game setting but the framerate increase is MASSIVE and what quality is lost is made up for with a higher Render Target Multiplier.
For reference, I'm able to play, stream and record the game all at the same time, with a 0.65 in-game SS setting while running a 2.0 Render Target Multiplier, powered by an i7 6700k @ 4.7 GHz and GTX 1080 @ 2057 MHz. (You don't necessarily need to OC as high or even have the same gen i7 as I do to see similar results) Everywhere I go is super clear and smooth as butter. You should be able to do the same with similar hardware. If not, just lower the Render Target Multiplier by 0.1 until things are smooth.
My full system specs are as follows:
- Elite: Dangerous installed on a 512GB Samsung 850 Pro SSD
- G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR4 RAM @ 3200 MHz
- ASUS ROG Strix GTX 1080 @ 2057 MHz
- i7 6700k @ 4.7 GHz (I've noticed that when I try to play at 0.65/2.0 with my 6700k at its stock 4.0 GHz, jitter becomes apparent in places like stations. However, when I OC it to 4.7 GHz, the jitter vanishes. Reprojection at places like stations still kicks in, but because I'm able to maintain at least a minimum of 45 FPS, it can work as intended, keeping everything smooth and jitter free. CMDR Imski has reported that things are still smooth at a 4.4 GHz CPU clock.)
Keep in mind that the Render Target Multiplier within the Chaperone Tool is a global setting that will make everything you look at within the Vive much sharper. You may need to change this setting depending on the game. (If you're a lazy 1080 user and don't want to mess with a different multiplier each time you play a different game, a setting of 1.5 seems to be the sweet spot across the vast library of Vive games.)
VIVE UPDATE: Some GTX 1080 users report similar visual fidelity with an in-game 1.0 and Render Target Multiplier 1.4 when compared to an in-game 0.65 and Render Target Multiplier 2.0. (As a GTX 1080 user, I'm in the process of trying to determine which setting provides the best performance) In my case, I currently prefer the latter due to the added benefit of better looking visuals globally. This means not just Elite but everything from the Steam Menu to the camera looks far superior. Also, I find it especially useful in my situation because I have a Twitch chat window in my cockpit which takes advantage of the global 2.0 setting. Due to the vast differences in preference and hardware, everyone should test variations of in-game SS and Render Target Multiplier settings and come to a conclusion based on what works best for them.
For anyone interested in my other graphical settings, they can be found below:
For those wondering, this is EDProfiler and it can be found here.
NOTE: This tools Super Sampling setting previously needed to be manually set within the graphics options when you launched the game. The latest version has fixed this issue. Manual setting of Super Sampling is now no longer needed. Thanks drkaii!
Finally, for those wondering about HUD color, you have the capability to change it from the default Amber color. Doing so, has a huge impact on the legibility of text, and the HUD intensity has a huge effect on the amount of Fresnel Glare. I'll post my settings and some others shortly so that you can experiment. My latest video shows off the HUD color I've decided to go with. In the meantime, you can check out this HUD editor if you want to get started right away.
BOTTOM LINE: Elite still needs more Vive optimizations, there's no doubt about that but my findings seem to indicate that the in-game SS is extremely inefficient when compared to Bilago's Chaperone Tool. I still get some reprojection at times while docked at stations and fighting in RES sites (I'll give landing on planets in VR a shot at some point and report my findings) but because I spend the majority of my time in regular space PvP combat with all the benefits true 90 FPS provides, I can put up with reprojection in places where I only spend 1% of my game time. The reality is that I've been able to maintain at least the minimum 45 FPS needed (everywhere I've been so far) so that reprojection works as intended, ensuring a smooth experience. The simple fact that my newly built system (thanks to my strict Ramen diet) has enabled a Jitter free experience while pushing the graphical envelope, is an amazing feeling.
RIFT
I don't have a Rift, but the article below explains how to boost Rift image quality with the Oculus Debug Tool.
http://www.roadtovr.com/improve-oculus-rift-game-image-quality-using-this-tool-oculus-debug-tool/
I would try applying the same principle of a 0.65 in-game Super Sample setting and whatever the highest setting you can achieve through the Oculus Debug Tool. Some people have reported an in-game setting of 1.0 being optimal, whether your in-game setting is 0.65, 0.75, 0.85, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0, this is something you'll have to experiment with. According to my experience with the Vive, there is minimal image quality loss by lowering the in-game SS setting, (which is made up for with a higher Render Target Multiplier) but the frame rate increase is MASSIVE. I could be wrong, but I would think that this also holds true for Rift users. Essentially, try taking the Debug Tool Value as high as you can until you experience performance issues then back it down by 0.1.
For those wondering about HUD color, you have the capability to change it from the default Amber color. Doing so, has a huge impact on the legibility of text, and the HUD intensity has a huge effect on the amount of Fresnel Glare. I'll post my settings and some others shortly so that you can experiment. My latest video shows off the HUD color I've decided to go with. In the meantime, you can check out this HUD editor if you want to get started right away. I know that when I owned a DK2, I changed my HUD to green which translated to better text readability. The reason for this was because the DK2 display had more green sub pixels than any other.
Perhaps the CV1 screen shares the same trait? I'm very much interested in what your findings will be.
Please, report back when you can.
NOTE: Remember to keep the Oculus Debug Tool open while you play.
RIFT UPDATE: It seems that negative reports from Rift users are common with a 0.65/2.0 setting. However, as a Vive user, Image Quality and Frame Rate are drastically increased with a 0.65/2.0 setting. Maybe this has something to do with differences between SteamVR SS and Oculus Debug Tool SS? Due to the vast differences in preference and hardware, everyone should test variations of in-game and Chaperone/Debug tool SS settings and come to a conclusion based on what works best for them.
FYI: Those who have a Vive or Rift with GPU's weaker than a 970 (or AMD equivalent) are able to utilize Bilago's Chaperone Tool to down sample which will provide a smooth experience at the cost of visual fidelity. If I had a weak GPU, I'd want to sacrifice a bit of clarity in order to experience smooth VR. After all, the feeling of presence is not dependent on visual quality. However, it's always nice to have the option to increase visual quality which will inherently increase the feeling of presence. In regard to the Vive, (not sure about the Rift because I don't own one) if you have at least the minimum spec GPU for first gen consumer VR, you should be able to achieve at least a 1.5 Render Target Multiplier which will result in a better visuals. You DO NOT need a beefy GPU to experience the benefits this has to offer. Also, due to the vast differences in preference and hardware, everyone should test variations of in-game and Chaperone/Debug tool SS settings and come to a conclusion based on what works best for them.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If you ever start to experience any kind of headaches or ill feelings due to things not running smoothly enough during the testing process, it's imperative that you take a break until these feelings subside. Not doing so can cause a subconscious correlation between VR and sickness.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Many people have been wanting to know what I use to stream and record VR gameplay and how I get Twitch Chat to show up in my cockpit. Well, when I played Elite on a monitor, I used Dxtory to record in 1080P at 60FPS. Unfortunately, Dxtory causes some issues in VR so for the time being, I have decided to use OBS to record and stream to Twitch at the same time. Due to the fact that non partnered broadcasters do not get transcoding, my stream is set to 30FPS, 2,200 bitrate at 1280x720. (The reason for this setting is to maximize my viewing audience because not everyone has fast internet.) This means that my local recording from OBS is also set to 30FPS at 1280x720. I was contemplating using Shadowplay but ever since a friend of mine reported issues with it not recording, I've steered clear. Anyway, after a recording session is done, I import the file into Adobe Premiere Pro and do the necessary cutting, editing and encoding for the best possible quality.
Feel free to check out my latest video. For a 1280x720 30FPS recording, I think it came out beautiful.
In regard to getting your Twitch Chat to show up within the cockpit, I use this awesome tool found on github.
At some point, I'd like to compile a list of different hardware and optimal settings based on that hardware. I think it would be awesome to cut out the majority of the testing process for people with all kinds of hardware configurations. At the very least, it would give people a great starting point to build on.
Chaperone Tool Render Target Multiplier: 1.2
HMD Quality: 1.25
Remember, make sure to opt into the SteamVR Beta so that you can utilize Asynchronous Reprojection which will ensure your experience is as smooth as possible.
---UPDATE ENDS---
UPDATE 11/15/16: I have applied the following settings that work best in 2.2 with the Vive and my PC.
These settings with 2.2 actually look superior to anything I ran in 2.1
Chaperone Tool Render Target Multiplier: 1.0
HMD Quality: 1.75 - 2.0 (depending on how OC'd your 1080 happens to be.)
Everything else:
If you haven't already, be sure to opt into the SteamVR Beta so that you can utilize Asynchronous Reprojection which will ensure your experience is as smooth as possible.
---UPDATE ENDS---
UPDATE 8/12/16: I have found the BEST software for recording VR gameplay to be Mirillis Action! I'm now able to record 1080p 60FPS footage, stream to Twitch and play in VR at the same time without any issues.
For anyone interested in how the footage looks, feel free to check out my latest 1080p 60FPS video!
---UPDATE ENDS---
ORIGINAL THREAD
VIVE
For those of you who don't already know, there are some things you can do to make Elite in the Vive crystal clear!
First, make sure you have turned off Desktop Game Theater by navigating to Steam>Settings>In-Game. Having this disabled should provide more FPS.
Also, if you haven't done so already, get your IPD (Interpupillary distance) measured by a professional. Ensuring your IPD is set correctly using the dial on the side of the HMD, will make a difference in comfort and clarity.
Next, get the Chaperone Tool made by Bilago below: (Be sure to run as Administrator)
https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/4qguq9/updated_yet_again_chaperone_manager_supersampling/
Depending on your system specifications, you'll want to set the Render Target Multiplier within the tool anywhere at or between 1.5 - 2.0. You can go lower if you have anything weaker than a 970 or even experiment with a higher setting. However, you might need something like the new Titan X or future 1080 Ti and AMD Vega GPU's. Essentially, try taking it as high as you can until you experience performance issues, then back it down by 0.1. Also, make sure you lower your in-game Super Sampling to 0.65. Some people have reported an in-game setting of 1.0 being optimal, whether your in-game setting is 0.65, 0.75, 0.85, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0, this is something you'll have to experiment with. From what I've observed, there is minimal image quality loss in the Vive by lowering the in-game setting but the framerate increase is MASSIVE and what quality is lost is made up for with a higher Render Target Multiplier.
For reference, I'm able to play, stream and record the game all at the same time, with a 0.65 in-game SS setting while running a 2.0 Render Target Multiplier, powered by an i7 6700k @ 4.7 GHz and GTX 1080 @ 2057 MHz. (You don't necessarily need to OC as high or even have the same gen i7 as I do to see similar results) Everywhere I go is super clear and smooth as butter. You should be able to do the same with similar hardware. If not, just lower the Render Target Multiplier by 0.1 until things are smooth.
My full system specs are as follows:
- Elite: Dangerous installed on a 512GB Samsung 850 Pro SSD
- G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR4 RAM @ 3200 MHz
- ASUS ROG Strix GTX 1080 @ 2057 MHz
- i7 6700k @ 4.7 GHz (I've noticed that when I try to play at 0.65/2.0 with my 6700k at its stock 4.0 GHz, jitter becomes apparent in places like stations. However, when I OC it to 4.7 GHz, the jitter vanishes. Reprojection at places like stations still kicks in, but because I'm able to maintain at least a minimum of 45 FPS, it can work as intended, keeping everything smooth and jitter free. CMDR Imski has reported that things are still smooth at a 4.4 GHz CPU clock.)
Keep in mind that the Render Target Multiplier within the Chaperone Tool is a global setting that will make everything you look at within the Vive much sharper. You may need to change this setting depending on the game. (If you're a lazy 1080 user
and don't want to mess with a different multiplier each time you play a different game, a setting of 1.5 seems to be the sweet spot across the vast library of Vive games.)VIVE UPDATE: Some GTX 1080 users report similar visual fidelity with an in-game 1.0 and Render Target Multiplier 1.4 when compared to an in-game 0.65 and Render Target Multiplier 2.0. (As a GTX 1080 user, I'm in the process of trying to determine which setting provides the best performance) In my case, I currently prefer the latter due to the added benefit of better looking visuals globally. This means not just Elite but everything from the Steam Menu to the camera looks far superior. Also, I find it especially useful in my situation because I have a Twitch chat window in my cockpit which takes advantage of the global 2.0 setting. Due to the vast differences in preference and hardware, everyone should test variations of in-game SS and Render Target Multiplier settings and come to a conclusion based on what works best for them.
For anyone interested in my other graphical settings, they can be found below:
For those wondering, this is EDProfiler and it can be found here.
NOTE: This tools Super Sampling setting previously needed to be manually set within the graphics options when you launched the game. The latest version has fixed this issue. Manual setting of Super Sampling is now no longer needed. Thanks drkaii!
Finally, for those wondering about HUD color, you have the capability to change it from the default Amber color. Doing so, has a huge impact on the legibility of text, and the HUD intensity has a huge effect on the amount of Fresnel Glare. I'll post my settings and some others shortly so that you can experiment. My latest video shows off the HUD color I've decided to go with. In the meantime, you can check out this HUD editor if you want to get started right away.
BOTTOM LINE: Elite still needs more Vive optimizations, there's no doubt about that but my findings seem to indicate that the in-game SS is extremely inefficient when compared to Bilago's Chaperone Tool. I still get some reprojection at times while docked at stations and fighting in RES sites (I'll give landing on planets in VR a shot at some point and report my findings) but because I spend the majority of my time in regular space PvP combat with all the benefits true 90 FPS provides, I can put up with reprojection in places where I only spend 1% of my game time. The reality is that I've been able to maintain at least the minimum 45 FPS needed (everywhere I've been so far) so that reprojection works as intended, ensuring a smooth experience. The simple fact that my newly built system (thanks to my strict Ramen diet) has enabled a Jitter free experience while pushing the graphical envelope, is an amazing feeling.
RIFT
I don't have a Rift, but the article below explains how to boost Rift image quality with the Oculus Debug Tool.
http://www.roadtovr.com/improve-oculus-rift-game-image-quality-using-this-tool-oculus-debug-tool/
I would try applying the same principle of a 0.65 in-game Super Sample setting and whatever the highest setting you can achieve through the Oculus Debug Tool. Some people have reported an in-game setting of 1.0 being optimal, whether your in-game setting is 0.65, 0.75, 0.85, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0, this is something you'll have to experiment with. According to my experience with the Vive, there is minimal image quality loss by lowering the in-game SS setting, (which is made up for with a higher Render Target Multiplier) but the frame rate increase is MASSIVE. I could be wrong, but I would think that this also holds true for Rift users. Essentially, try taking the Debug Tool Value as high as you can until you experience performance issues then back it down by 0.1.
For those wondering about HUD color, you have the capability to change it from the default Amber color. Doing so, has a huge impact on the legibility of text, and the HUD intensity has a huge effect on the amount of Fresnel Glare. I'll post my settings and some others shortly so that you can experiment. My latest video shows off the HUD color I've decided to go with. In the meantime, you can check out this HUD editor if you want to get started right away. I know that when I owned a DK2, I changed my HUD to green which translated to better text readability. The reason for this was because the DK2 display had more green sub pixels than any other.
Perhaps the CV1 screen shares the same trait? I'm very much interested in what your findings will be.
Please, report back when you can.
NOTE: Remember to keep the Oculus Debug Tool open while you play.
RIFT UPDATE: It seems that negative reports from Rift users are common with a 0.65/2.0 setting. However, as a Vive user, Image Quality and Frame Rate are drastically increased with a 0.65/2.0 setting. Maybe this has something to do with differences between SteamVR SS and Oculus Debug Tool SS? Due to the vast differences in preference and hardware, everyone should test variations of in-game and Chaperone/Debug tool SS settings and come to a conclusion based on what works best for them.
FYI: Those who have a Vive or Rift with GPU's weaker than a 970 (or AMD equivalent) are able to utilize Bilago's Chaperone Tool to down sample which will provide a smooth experience at the cost of visual fidelity. If I had a weak GPU, I'd want to sacrifice a bit of clarity in order to experience smooth VR. After all, the feeling of presence is not dependent on visual quality. However, it's always nice to have the option to increase visual quality which will inherently increase the feeling of presence. In regard to the Vive, (not sure about the Rift because I don't own one) if you have at least the minimum spec GPU for first gen consumer VR, you should be able to achieve at least a 1.5 Render Target Multiplier which will result in a better visuals. You DO NOT need a beefy GPU to experience the benefits this has to offer. Also, due to the vast differences in preference and hardware, everyone should test variations of in-game and Chaperone/Debug tool SS settings and come to a conclusion based on what works best for them.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If you ever start to experience any kind of headaches or ill feelings due to things not running smoothly enough during the testing process, it's imperative that you take a break until these feelings subside. Not doing so can cause a subconscious correlation between VR and sickness.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Many people have been wanting to know what I use to stream and record VR gameplay and how I get Twitch Chat to show up in my cockpit. Well, when I played Elite on a monitor, I used Dxtory to record in 1080P at 60FPS. Unfortunately, Dxtory causes some issues in VR so for the time being, I have decided to use OBS to record and stream to Twitch at the same time. Due to the fact that non partnered broadcasters do not get transcoding, my stream is set to 30FPS, 2,200 bitrate at 1280x720. (The reason for this setting is to maximize my viewing audience because not everyone has fast internet.) This means that my local recording from OBS is also set to 30FPS at 1280x720. I was contemplating using Shadowplay but ever since a friend of mine reported issues with it not recording, I've steered clear. Anyway, after a recording session is done, I import the file into Adobe Premiere Pro and do the necessary cutting, editing and encoding for the best possible quality.
Feel free to check out my latest video. For a 1280x720 30FPS recording, I think it came out beautiful.
In regard to getting your Twitch Chat to show up within the cockpit, I use this awesome tool found on github.
At some point, I'd like to compile a list of different hardware and optimal settings based on that hardware. I think it would be awesome to cut out the majority of the testing process for people with all kinds of hardware configurations. At the very least, it would give people a great starting point to build on.
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