I just got my Pimax 5K+ yesterday and fired it up last night. Given the multitude of places graphics settings can be altered (SteamVR, PiTool, Elite) I think there will be some very obvious benefits if anyone/everyone using the 5K+ can share their settings in a common thread.
I've just begun the tweaking process, but here is what I've found out so far.
- I basically started by setting all my ED Graphics settings back to default so I am not inheriting anything from settings established for my other HMD's (Rift and Odyssey)
- It appears to me that the biggest effect on optimizing the amazing resolution of the 5K+ is the supersampling/quality settings. However, there are three very distinct places this can be adjusted. There are independent adjustments in SteamVR (slider), PiTool (slider), and Elite (SuperSampling/HMD Quality). Right now I am running 1.5x HMD Quality and 1.0X SS in Elite and this appears to offer a pretty significant graphics improvement (particularly noticeable in smaller on-screen HUD text). 1.5SS killed my performance (even on a 2080ti). 1.5q was quite noticeably better than even 1.25q. I am not sure this is the best place to establish this setting so I'm expecting some more experimentation here. This is where I think most of my attention needs to be right now. (1.5 HMD Quality, 1.0x SuperSampling)
- I have Anti-Aliasing set to SMAA
- Even with a 2080TI, and the modest settings above, the 5K+ is simply not as buttery smooth as the Rift (My favorite ED VR HMD).
- I'm going to continue tweaking while focusing primarily on supersampling/quality and trying to find the most efficient place to make the best settings.
A few notes along the way:
Installing the 5k+ and PiTool was pretty straight forward with few surprises:
1. Install PiTool BEFORE you attach the 5K+
2. Setup/Configure your 5K+ using PiTool
- TURN ON "Enable Parallel Projections". Elite needs it and if you don't do it you'll know it right away!
- TURN OFF "Enable Screen Mask" checkbox. It dims the overlapping pixels "between you eyes" and I found it distracting and unhelpful
- Set up your play area. You can leave Lighthouse support Enabled even if you don't have any. Just make sure you select a "standing" area for calibration.
- If you find your horizontal alignment gets permanently out of whack (because you are playing with the settings and hit the wrong button at the wrong time), instead of shutting down and restarting stuff over and over for 45 min (like me), be aware there is a horizontal calibration button under HMD settings (BUT IT ONLY SHOWS UP if you have lighthouses disabled). You've been warned!
3. PiTool will find all your VR games (Oculus or Steam). I have a copy of ED running in both ecosystems (Steam for Odyssey and Oculus for Rift). It will present both games if you have two copies. It will tell you you need to start "Oculus" before you launch the associated copy of ED and it will also tell you you have to launch "SteamVR" before you start the Steam copy. HOWEVER, I was never able to get the Oculus copy running on the 5K+ HMD at all. Only the SteamVR copy worked. If you want to run ED, It appears that you will need a copy on Steam. (I believe you can still get a free Steam Key from FDEV if you already have an Oculus license for the game).
4. To prevent Oculus from starting up when running Steam VR (if you have both), set the properties on the Oculus Icon to "Run as Administrator". This will prevent BOTH SteamVR and Oculus running at the same time (again - if you have BOTH installed)
5. You'll quickly learn that you can hook your strap on the back of your head and then slide the HMD down over your forehead. (You will smear your lenses). With the 5K+ you need to set the face first and then pull the strap back.
6. Find a cheap pair of earbuds BEFORE you sit down and start playing with your new HMD. They plug right into the HMD and its nice there is an onboard amplifier in the HMD. (I always had to run the ED Volume, the Oculus Volume, and the O/S Volume at Max to get decent sound level with my rift).
7. It appears that the Mic in the 5k+ might be considerable more sensitive in the Rift. VoiceAttack is constantly turning crap on/off (lights, cargo scoop, launching,...). Another friend (who is also waiting for his 5K+) said he thinks it might be due to the latest ED patch as he was also seeing this with his Rift. So who knows. Something needs to get sorted in any case...
If you are just getting your 5K+ (or 8K) set up, I hope this thread can be of some value.
If you already have a 5K+ (or 8K), please share any settings you have found optimal here. For completeness, please share as much as possible about exactly what ALL you have changed and WHERE you have made those changes.
[UPDATED:] As Requested - Here are a Summary of My Current Settings (see post #7)
PiTool
SteamVR
Elite Dangerous
I've just begun the tweaking process, but here is what I've found out so far.
- I basically started by setting all my ED Graphics settings back to default so I am not inheriting anything from settings established for my other HMD's (Rift and Odyssey)
- It appears to me that the biggest effect on optimizing the amazing resolution of the 5K+ is the supersampling/quality settings. However, there are three very distinct places this can be adjusted. There are independent adjustments in SteamVR (slider), PiTool (slider), and Elite (SuperSampling/HMD Quality). Right now I am running 1.5x HMD Quality and 1.0X SS in Elite and this appears to offer a pretty significant graphics improvement (particularly noticeable in smaller on-screen HUD text). 1.5SS killed my performance (even on a 2080ti). 1.5q was quite noticeably better than even 1.25q. I am not sure this is the best place to establish this setting so I'm expecting some more experimentation here. This is where I think most of my attention needs to be right now. (1.5 HMD Quality, 1.0x SuperSampling)
- I have Anti-Aliasing set to SMAA
- Even with a 2080TI, and the modest settings above, the 5K+ is simply not as buttery smooth as the Rift (My favorite ED VR HMD).
- I'm going to continue tweaking while focusing primarily on supersampling/quality and trying to find the most efficient place to make the best settings.
A few notes along the way:
Installing the 5k+ and PiTool was pretty straight forward with few surprises:
1. Install PiTool BEFORE you attach the 5K+
2. Setup/Configure your 5K+ using PiTool
- TURN ON "Enable Parallel Projections". Elite needs it and if you don't do it you'll know it right away!
- TURN OFF "Enable Screen Mask" checkbox. It dims the overlapping pixels "between you eyes" and I found it distracting and unhelpful
- Set up your play area. You can leave Lighthouse support Enabled even if you don't have any. Just make sure you select a "standing" area for calibration.
- If you find your horizontal alignment gets permanently out of whack (because you are playing with the settings and hit the wrong button at the wrong time), instead of shutting down and restarting stuff over and over for 45 min (like me), be aware there is a horizontal calibration button under HMD settings (BUT IT ONLY SHOWS UP if you have lighthouses disabled). You've been warned!
3. PiTool will find all your VR games (Oculus or Steam). I have a copy of ED running in both ecosystems (Steam for Odyssey and Oculus for Rift). It will present both games if you have two copies. It will tell you you need to start "Oculus" before you launch the associated copy of ED and it will also tell you you have to launch "SteamVR" before you start the Steam copy. HOWEVER, I was never able to get the Oculus copy running on the 5K+ HMD at all. Only the SteamVR copy worked. If you want to run ED, It appears that you will need a copy on Steam. (I believe you can still get a free Steam Key from FDEV if you already have an Oculus license for the game).
4. To prevent Oculus from starting up when running Steam VR (if you have both), set the properties on the Oculus Icon to "Run as Administrator". This will prevent BOTH SteamVR and Oculus running at the same time (again - if you have BOTH installed)
5. You'll quickly learn that you can hook your strap on the back of your head and then slide the HMD down over your forehead. (You will smear your lenses). With the 5K+ you need to set the face first and then pull the strap back.
6. Find a cheap pair of earbuds BEFORE you sit down and start playing with your new HMD. They plug right into the HMD and its nice there is an onboard amplifier in the HMD. (I always had to run the ED Volume, the Oculus Volume, and the O/S Volume at Max to get decent sound level with my rift).
7. It appears that the Mic in the 5k+ might be considerable more sensitive in the Rift. VoiceAttack is constantly turning crap on/off (lights, cargo scoop, launching,...). Another friend (who is also waiting for his 5K+) said he thinks it might be due to the latest ED patch as he was also seeing this with his Rift. So who knows. Something needs to get sorted in any case...
If you are just getting your 5K+ (or 8K) set up, I hope this thread can be of some value.
If you already have a 5K+ (or 8K), please share any settings you have found optimal here. For completeness, please share as much as possible about exactly what ALL you have changed and WHERE you have made those changes.
[UPDATED:] As Requested - Here are a Summary of My Current Settings (see post #7)
PiTool
Hidden Area Mask = Off (Preference)
Compatible with Parallel Projections = On (Elite REQUIRES this)
FOV = Normal (Better get "Normal" done first before you even attempt "Wide"!)
Brightness = Normal (Preference)
Rendering Quality = 1.25
Compatible with Parallel Projections = On (Elite REQUIRES this)
FOV = Normal (Better get "Normal" done first before you even attempt "Wide"!)
Brightness = Normal (Preference)
Rendering Quality = 1.25
SteamVR
App Resolution = 38% (2968x2535) (Auto)
Elite Dangerous
Model Draw Distance = 80%
Texture Quality = High
Shadow Quality = Ultra
Bloom = High
Blur = Off
Anti-Aliasing = Off (SMAA)
SuperSampling = 1.0
Ambient Occlusion = Off
Environment Quality = High
FX Quality = High
Depth of Field = High
Material Quality = Ultra
HMD Image Quality = 1.5
Galaxy Map Quality = High
Terrain Quality = Ultra
Terrain LOD Blending = Ultra
Terrain Material Quality = Ultra
Terrain Sampler Quality = Ultra
Jet Cone Quality = Ultra
Volumetric Effects Quality = Ultra
Texture Quality = High
Shadow Quality = Ultra
Bloom = High
Blur = Off
Anti-Aliasing = Off (SMAA)
SuperSampling = 1.0
Ambient Occlusion = Off
Environment Quality = High
FX Quality = High
Depth of Field = High
Material Quality = Ultra
HMD Image Quality = 1.5
Galaxy Map Quality = High
Terrain Quality = Ultra
Terrain LOD Blending = Ultra
Terrain Material Quality = Ultra
Terrain Sampler Quality = Ultra
Jet Cone Quality = Ultra
Volumetric Effects Quality = Ultra
FOV = 50%
Gamma = 80%
Dashboard Brightness = 50%
Gamma = 80%
Dashboard Brightness = 50%
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