VR for Elite Dangerous is great, but not practical

[VR SenseiMatty]

I love VR. I think everyone has to try ED in VR once. But after playing for a few sessions you start to realize that Track-IR may offer a more practical experience. Sometimes, there isn’t much to do when you have the scuba gear on between systems. And when you need to look something up online, you have to rip all of that off. Track-IR, I just need to glance down at my tablet.

Again, I think VR is great but unless there is something that provides a compelling advantage I think Track-IR is a more practical experience.

Am I missing something in the VR experience that I haven’t considered? Would love to hear your thoughts.

I had Track-IR and I absolutely hate it.
Head movement is scaled, the view shakes all the time because even if we don't realize it we move the head constantly. Personally I don't find it practical at all.
VR is not only great for the ability to look around. You dive into a complete new dimension and you feel your ship like you are flying it for real.
As I already said multiple times, I accept not to have legs at launch, but I absolutely want atmospheric planets in VR.

 

[Wrecked]

I am Flimley

Don't ever let anyone tell you you're not!

 

[gorankar]

I looked at trying VR a while back, but I was really disappointed with the resolution. When VR can match the 3440x1440 on my wide screen I may revisit it. Until then I'll continue to enjoy my trackir.

You really don't notice it with the newer HMDs. Screen door effect is nowhere near as bad as it was on earlier units. The PiMax 8K actually has 2 x 4K screens, (7680 x 2140), which is pretty brutal performance wise. The PiMax 5K is still good and a bit more reasonble on the wallet and your video card.

 

[FROSTBITE_777]

I don't have much to say, but VR is the feeling of sheer terror when you get interdicted on your way to blow off a sweet full load at your favourite mailslot, and the complete panic whilst you battle with it and push on, I forget I'm playing a game sometimes, only to be tapped on the shoulder at 3am to have my partner tell me Ive been screaming at my wall for 5 minutes telling it to charge up faster...

 

[Lightspeed]

I'm sure it's immersive and fun, but I couldn't stand (or sit) with a headset completely cutting me off from the outside world. I know that's the point, and all, but not for me.

Enhancement glasses , on the other hand, might be a good idea but difficult to incorporate into the game with a flat screen. However, if the screen is big enough ....

 

[FROSTBITE_777]

I'm sure it's immersive and fun, but I couldn't stand (or sit) with a headset completely cutting me off from the outside world. I know that's the point, and all, but not for me.

Enhancement glasses , on the other hand, might be a good idea but difficult to incorporate into the game with a flat screen. However, if the screen is big enough ....

That's why I got a quest, I can tap the side and I see through the headset, since it has cameras on it, they only work in black and white and aren't the sharpest but I can drink, pet the cats, walk around and basically do anything but read a screen or see the letters on my keyboard. I waited specifically for VR to get to this point, and it helps that with the quest I can play cord-free

 

[FROSTBITE_777]

That's why I got a quest, I can tap the side and I see through the headset, since it has cameras on it, they only work in black and white and aren't the sharpest but I can drink, pet the cats, walk around and basically do anything but read a screen or see the letters on my keyboard. I waited specifically for VR to get to this point, and it helps that with the quest I can play cord-free

Aside from that I use VR desktop to drop windows in game so I can use my PC still, and since I'm no good at touch typing I use a virtual keyboard for text

 

[Lightspeed]

That's why I got a quest, I can tap the side and I see through the headset, since it has cameras on it, they only work in black and white and aren't the sharpest but I can drink, pet the cats, walk around and basically do anything but read a screen or see the letters on my keyboard. I waited specifically for VR to get to this point, and it helps that with the quest I can play cord-free

Not wishing to derail this thread (well, does it matter, we have so many ? lol) .... the prices for that seem to vary by a huge margin ! ....

 

[FROSTBITE_777]

Not wishing to derail this thread (well, does it matter, we have so many ? lol) .... the prices for that seem to vary by a huge margin ! ....
View attachment 175901

That last one is definitely a fake. I recommend going to the official oculus website and it should take you to Amazon from there

 

[CMDR Harada]

I will admit to playing less often in VR because it can be inconvenient to break it all out sometimes when I just want to play for a few minutes.
I have not noticed any HMD's that weigh anywhere near my motorcycle helmet. I wear that for hours at a time sometimes. Sweaty face is my biggest complaint with VR. But I only have that issue when I play Beat Sabre, or other more active games the ED.

Pretty much this. I don't usually break out my headset for a 30 minute session, I reserve it for when I can play for an hour or two. ED is still a great game, regardless if it supports VR or not. But VR makes it even better. It's one of the BEST ( if not THE best ) VR games out there, period. IMO, it's one of the huge draws to this game. Sure, flat-space players outnumber VR players by many times, but it's not where ED really shines. My local MS store demo's ED with the headsets ( at least they used to.. haven't been by much in the past year or so ). It made a lot of noise, and drew lots of attention to the game.

It's the IDEA that I can't play in VR that is a bit annoying, or stand on another planet and look around, or walk around MY ship. Or maybe, I fly out to a new spot in VR, and then have to drop out so I can land on an atmospheric planet for a quick R+R. That would be a real issue for VR players.

I'm still undecided on the new update. I might buy it without VR support. I didn't buy Horizons until I saw some value ( FSD drive mods were the ONLY reason initially ). I imagine I'll wait and see if the new one is worth my time as well.

I suppose if ED drops VR support I'll just have to switch over to Star Citizen ( HAHAHA ! As if !! ).

 

[Crank Larson]

Not wishing to derail this thread (well, does it matter, we have so many ? lol) .... the prices for that seem to vary by a huge margin ! ....
View attachment 175901

It should be $399 (or £399 in the UK). It is more expensive currently due to stock issues, hence sellers with them upping their prices. I wouldn't trust any listing below the RRP.

 

[FROSTBITE_777]

I got mine for about $750 AUD including shipping about 2 months ago, at the time it was really in demand so it took about 3 days of checking Amazon every few hours till they had stock again. Those things sell like hotcakes

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

I love VR. I think everyone has to try ED in VR once. But after playing for a few sessions you start to realize that Track-IR may offer a more practical experience. Sometimes, there isn’t much to do when you have the scuba gear on between systems. And when you need to look something up online, you have to rip all of that off. Track-IR, I just need to glance down at my tablet.

Again, I think VR is great but unless there is something that provides a compelling advantage I think Track-IR is a more practical experience.

Am I missing something in the VR experience that I haven’t considered? Would love to hear your thoughts.

2500 hrs in ED VR <50 hrs not in VR (I was between headsets for a few months).
Yes if you absolutely have to use an external screen maybe vr can be a pain, but even then I can pin webbrowsers and videoplayers ans spreadsheets onto the walls of my ship. I actually haven't don't that personally but I know you can. (On the rift at least)

 

[Lightspeed]

I like the zero-g feature offered by these !

 

[Bottom Hat]

You really don't notice it with the newer HMDs. Screen door effect is nowhere near as bad as it was on earlier units. The PiMax 8K actually has 2 x 4K screens, (7680 x 2140), which is pretty brutal performance wise. The PiMax 5K is still good and a bit more reasonble on the wallet and your video card.

Mmmmmmm......... Pie Max........

 

[Deleted member 251664]

2500 hrs in ED VR <50 hrs not in VR (I was between headsets for a few months).
Yes if you absolutely have to use an external screen maybe vr can be a pain, but even then I can pin webbrowsers and videoplayers ans spreadsheets onto the walls of my ship. I actually haven't don't that personally but I know you can. (On the rift at least)

Great way to enjoy ED indeed.

windows 10 update 1903 has made it possible to have one desktop or application panel in VR, whatever VR space you are in with their very good Windows Mixed Reality implementation.

Blends perfectly with Elite Dangerous. So many people in this forum never tried stuff and posts out of ignorance.

 

[FROSTBITE_777]

Also, VR over wifi is a little of a sacrifice, like I have to turn off HDR, lock the game at 60fps and it works fine, but I think if I get an actual wifi router to stream it over instead of my mobile phone hotspot it should play as good as with a cable. Although only ED is good for this since you use HOTAS, with regular titles with hand tracking it gets a bit jerky in wireless mode.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

I'm sure it's immersive and fun, but I couldn't stand (or sit) with a headset completely cutting me off from the outside world. I know that's the point, and all, but not for me.

Enhancement glasses , on the other hand, might be a good idea but difficult to incorporate into the game with a flat screen. However, if the screen is big enough ....

And that is great we are all different and at the other chap who sarcastically said he was playing it wrong... No you are not. Everyone is different

But just as I played elite initially on the speccy using just a keyboard (No mouse for the speccy and I didn't have a joystick for a while) and I enjoyed it.... I believe you CAN play ED the same way if you really want. And if someone enjoys it like that then power too them... But I would not expect a hotas player to be removed access to his hotas.just because it does not work with FPS, and neither would i tell him (or her) he is wrong to not want to play on keyboard the way I used to in 1984/5

 

[Deleted member 110222]

VR is mandatory. ED non VR is like pushed back to the stoneage.

*for you.

For me it's mandatory that I don't experience a sickening pain for the sake of a literal video game, that I can avoid simply by playing on a lowly monitor that apparently no longer exists.

 

[Kelster87]

Just realised I have an issue with VR.. Not with it being a part of Elite, just VR as a concept, currently. Too many years on the wrong side of the law left me with a permanent need to have good situational awareness and that just can't happen with a headset on. Too much time spent paranoid that the knock on the door was either the cops or some competitors aiming for a hostile takeover. That said, I'm still planning on making a purchase later this year.

That said, I still think it's interesting tech and it's come a long way in the last few years, but it still seems to suffer from too many API's. Reminds me of early 3D graphics accellerators.. Or hardware physics cards. There needs to be a unified API, or roll it in to DirectX, in order for it to gain widespread developer acceptance.