Hardware & Technical Scrapping 3 monitor idea... Which VR do you prefer?

Happy Daze

Happy Daze
Due to comments in my previous post looking for a 3 monitor setup, I am scrapping that idea, and going with one decent monitor for the desktop and a VR Headset.
I've never worn one. I don't get sea-carsick, so that shouldn't be a problem, but it might be nice to test these out. I don't know where I can do this... I'm in Hillsboro, OR. (just outside Portland, OR USA).

Assuming there are no side effects, which VR do you prefer?

Thanks!
Fly Safe!
Jibs
 

Faded Glory

Faded Glory
I use an Oculus Rift... Because that what I got. :)

If you get a chance to try one out, then great. Personally I had never used (or wanted to use) a VR headset, but when my wife gave me one and I first fired up ED with it, well I was sold. Not played out of VR since. There's generally a bit of getting used to it, and driving the SRV can be a bit nauseating to begin with. It's also worth noting that the resolution is not on a par with what you get on a monitor. But as I've said before, the 'immersion' of being inside your spaceship, and the scale of the game in VR are very compelling.

VR in ED is quite a resource hog, so your PC will need to be pretty powerful, especially the graphics card.

There's a friendly VR sub-forum here, so if you have specific questions just pop in and ask.

Edited to add, you can download and run the Oculus Compatability Tool to see where your system stands with regards to running ED.
 
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Bill Clement

Bill Clement
Jibberish said:
Due to comments in my previous post looking for a 3 monitor setup, I am scrapping that idea, and going with one decent monitor for the desktop and a VR Headset.
I've never worn one. I don't get sea-carsick, so that shouldn't be a problem, but it might be nice to test these out. I don't know where I can do this... I'm in Hillsboro, OR. (just outside Portland, OR USA).

Assuming there are no side effects, which VR do you prefer?

Thanks!
Fly Safe!
Jibs
Click to expand...

:D I was a sailor once. I've lost count of the number of people who swore blind they never get seasick, who then spent the most miserable month of their life realising that's because they've never been to sea before...

Might be worth trying out a VR set before laying down too much cash, just in case. ;)
 

Asp Explorer

Asp Explorer
Bill Clement said:
Might be worth trying out a VR set before laying down too much cash, just in case. ;)
Click to expand...

Absolutely definitely!

Some people have issues accommodating glasses, or the framerate is too low, or it gets too hot, or the screen door effect is unappealing, or the resolution is poor, or the cables mess up everywhere, or the load on their PC is just too much, or that it's such an isolating experience, or that when they finally take the headset off - they have a 3 day beard and a note from their significant other that "dinner is in the dog and I'm done with you"

It's not a universally "good" experience for everyone - but it's absolutely something I think everyone should try at least once. See if there's some retailers offering demos nearby.
 

Zelos1983

Z
Please try it out before you buy. In my opinion, E:D is not a very good VR game. The low resolution of the headset makes the menus hard to read and you'll loose the casual access to forums, discord etc. on your other screens.

Also, using VR is more demanding on yourself. A play session of 1 to 2 hours could be quite long, I wouldn't want to do a 4 hour hyperspace transit session in VR.

That said, I have a HTC Vive, which I can recommend because of the inputs. You'll love them for proper VR games. But, for E:D alone it doesn't matter much if you buy a Rift or a Vive.
 

Para Handy

Para Handy
I don't want to be a wet blanket but I have to echo the calls for caution. Do try it out if at all possible before buying.

For sure the sense of "presence" is great, E D in VR certainly shows the true scale of things. Unfortunately I found there were too many drawbacks and was very pleased to be able to sell-on my Rift for the price I paid for it.

1. Resolution - being used to pin-sharp 1440 monitor images the low resolution in the Rift is a real disappointment.

2. Screen Door - not as bad as it used to be but it is still really annoying (there are other issues like god-rays etc but not too bad any more).

3. Tight area of focus - you can't focus on things off-centre by just moving your eyes, you need to move your head to bring the area of interest into the centre of your vision (an issue of the lenses in the headset). (This moving your head not your eyes doesn't suit me, doesn't seem to bother others.)

4. STUFF - want to use the galaxy map? Want to type in the comms panel? Well get used to finding work-rounds as E D doesn't do these well in VR.

5. Other Stuff - want to drink a coffee, have a beer, say bye to the wife as she leaves with the kids, use a 3rd party tool? Have fun with that.

6. Glasses - if you need specs then be prepared for issues.

Finally - and the decider that made me sell-on my Rift - you have a box strapped to your face. I found this just the worst experience and could not get used to it.

So that's just me, many MANY other people just love VR - maybe you are one of them - only one way to find out. ;)


(... just sayin')
 
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d8veh

d8veh
Para Handy said:
I don't want to be a wet blanket but I have to echo the calls for caution. Do try it out if at all possible before buying.

For sure the sense of "presence" is great, E D in VR certainly shows the true scale of things. Unfortunately I found there were too many drawbacks and was very pleased to be able to sell-on my Rift for the price I paid for it.

1. Resolution - being used to pin-sharp 1440 monitor images the low resolution in the Rift is a real disappointment.

2. Screen Door - not as bad as it used to be but it is still really annoying (there are other issues like god-rays etc but not too bad any more).

3. Tight area of focus - you can't focus on things off-centre by just moving your eyes, you need to move your head to bring the area of interest into the centre of your vision (an issue of the lenses in the headset). (This moving your head not your eyes doesn't suit me, doesn't seem to bother others.)

4. STUFF - want to use the galaxy map? Want to type in the comms panel? Well get used to finding work-rounds as E D doesn't do these well in VR.

5. Other Stuff - want to drink a coffee, have a beer, say bye to the wife as she leaves with the kids, use a 3rd party tool? Have fun with that.

6. Glasses - if you need specs then be prepared for issues.

Finally - and the decider that made me sell-on my Rift - you have a box strapped to your face. I found this just the worst experience and could not get used to it.

So that's just me, many MANY other people just love VR - maybe you are one of them - only one way to find out. ;)


(... just sayin')
Click to expand...
I found exactly the same. I bought an Occulus Rift, used it for about three days, then came to the conclusion that there were just too many drawbacks. i haven't used it since. For me, the worst one was that it just doesn't work with my glasses. I thought about getting the special lenses, but I don't think it's worth spending any more money on it because of all the other problems. I use a 4K monitor, so the resolution with the rift is terrible by comparison.
 

Happy Daze

Happy Daze
Thanks for the cautions! One of my friends here at work says the Samsung Oddesy is 1440 x 1600 per eye (2.3 megapixels), so that looks pretty decent.
If I can I'll get it through Best Buy, have it shipped to the store and try it out there if I can. Otherwise BB usually doesn't complain too much on returns.

Thanks again for all the feedback!

Fly Safe!
Jibs
CMDR Happy Daze, Ship: Sidewinder named DORABLE
 

GJ51

GJ51
I gave up triple monitors for a 24" broser monitor and a 34" curved Dell.

Great setup

Hoping to get the 38" curved Dell in Q4 after I build a new system.
 

Faded Glory

Faded Glory
d8veh said:
I found exactly the same. I bought an Occulus Rift, used it for about three days, then came to the conclusion that there were just too many drawbacks. i haven't used it since. For me, the worst one was that it just doesn't work with my glasses. I thought about getting the special lenses, but I don't think it's worth spending any more money on it because of all the other problems. I use a 4K monitor, so the resolution with the rift is terrible by comparison.
Click to expand...

Just to say, the prescription lenses by WidmoVR are excellent...

Obviously they don't counter the lower resolution or some of the other issues that people quite reasonably notice, but they do a great job when it comes to countering our own blurred vision.

I started with glasses inside the HMD which frankly was a horrible experience, pretty much always fogging up at the start of a session, uncomfortable, and added to which they were varifocals, which you don't need in a rift, only a distance prescription.

As I said, none of this counters the resolution issue, but well worth the $65 if one does like the VR experience but need optical help. :)
 

=71st=RuSh

=71st=RuSh
Oculus, since I have it, I have never played again any game without VR. By the way, I use glasses inside the headset, no problem!.
 
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Canthor

Canthor
I have an Oculus Rift (CV1) - I started with a three monitor setup, but once the VR became cheaper, added the VR set. Now since the monitors take a lot of space, I think, I will move towards one 4k monitor and one regular.
I am really happy with the Oculus Rift, though I needed to get new glasses - so I took my Rift to the nearest shop and tested a bunch of glas-frames. The friendly person was very interested in this, so it worked out very well.
Funny note: my wife indicated I look like Harry Potter before I disappear in VR ;-)
Hope that helps.
 

Viking84

Viking84
I went for the oculus as it is the lightest of the current gen headsets. As others have said, there are drawbacks for sure, especially given how Elite relies on external tools to be able to do pretty much anything. But the immersion is absolutely mindblowing - so much so that I prefer VR despite all the shortcomings, and once the next gen arrives with better resolution I reckon I will stop gaming in 2D all together.
 
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