VR performance issues

[ErichZann]

Hi,

I got a Rift S quite recently, and tried ED in VR a couple of times now. I always read about people using HMD quality of 1.5 without a problem, and it really improves the visual quality.

But: Even with SS and HMD quality both set to 1.0, I get drops to 40 FPS quite often when for example mining with a friend, or fighting in a RES etc (and at stations it can happen). So are people who say they have 0 problems with mediocre hardware just not sensitive to occasional drops, or what is happening?

I am playing on a laptop with an RTX 2070, which has roughly the performance of a desktop 2060 or 1070 Ti (should be good enough?), and the CPU is an i7-9750H which should also be fine? The CPU has roughly the power of a desktop i5-8400 (but more threads available). First of all: No needless laptop bashing here, I am giving you an idea of the equivalent desktop hardware here, and there is no reason like 'because its on a laptop'. I don't have temperature problems, and I can play other VR and non-VR games with expected performance for hours without any issues.

In 2D, I can play play with 1.5x SS and evertything on max without ever dropping below 90 FPS.

I feel like most settings besides the one I mentioned above don´t make a noticeable impact on my performance, maybe shadows slightly, but otherwise it does not matter what I set, I never get 100% reliable 80 Hz in VR. Should that not be possible with a 2060? And again, sitting somewhere in space without much happening HMD quality of 1.25 or even 1.5 works fine, but that's not what I mostly do when I actually play the game...

Any ideas, or is this really normal and people who claim zero issues just dont notice it? (or they have an 2080ti).


Thanks

 

[Arioch]

Dropping into ASW with your specs and settings in the situations mentioned sounds about right - I have a desktop i7 8700 + GTX1080, run at SS 1.0 + HMD 1.25, most settings High/Ultra, and I often see ASW kicking in at Stations, occasionally at other busy places. Dropping the HMD to 1.0 keeps me at 80Hz virtually all the time.

It doesn’t bother me at all because it just means some of the HUD lines look a bit wobbly when my ship is rotating on the pad, and I’d rather have the slightly better sharpness of HMD 1.25 and all the eye-candy switched on.

The Rift S already gives a much clearer view than its predecessor at the same settings and I suspect I only keep the 1.25 setting to subconsciously encourage me to upgrade my graphics card later this year

 

[ErichZann]

Hm ok, that is a bit disappointing :/ I was really hoping my GPU would at least be able to reach stable 80 with quite low graphics setting, bit strange it's not possible...

 

[AlSki]

I run an i5-8400 with a GTX 1070, so not far from your expected similar setup.
On a Rift (non-S) on VR ultra as I am slipping on the Rift in the Menu screen station with ASW off I see about mid 60s-low 70s FPS so it sounds about right.

 

[Globusdiablo]

...Any ideas, or is this really normal and people who claim zero issues just dont notice it? (or they have an 2080ti)...

Sounds normal. And a 2080ti won't fix it either.

 

[aXeL]

A few of us have that by leaving HMD and SS in 1.0x and increasing the video %SS in SteamVR instead gives really good results without the performance hit of ED HMD and SS. What SteamVR settings you use are personal preference; I run mine at 300% and there probably is a performance hit - not that I've noticed but then I'm not running any numbers to check.

 

[ErichZann]

Hm, I am running it through the Oculus software, so I can't test that. I heard the SS setting in Oculus should be the same as the ingame HMD quality. But in any case, even with everything on 1.0 I am not really happy with the performane.

So the summary simply is that ED runs quite poorly in VR when it comes to stations, asteroid belts, etc? That would be a pity. Sure, a 2060 is not the fastest card, but since it performs like a 1070 ti, the third fastest card of the previous generation, I would have hoped for more...

 

[Slowfiddler]

I keep all in-game VR settings to standard (1.0 etc) and run Oculus debug tool to set Oculus SS to 2.0. I occasionally get low frame rates in asteroid belts with lots of npcs flying around but otherwise very smooth - and crisp visually!

I7 2600K at 4.3GHz, 24GB RAM, 1080Ti, Oculus CV1

 

[LutzBY]

i7 9700kf, 16gb 3200 mhz, 2070 super, rift s

Spoiler

It runs okay, drops to ASW in most large stations, especially when there is heavy traffic. Almost full time ASW on surfaces, and in a large scale combat. FXs is the most heavy hitters on GPU, i suppose. Peacekeepers shots, dust from srv and asteroid blasts, and other things which i suppose have many particles, tend to give noticeable stutters. And galaxy map is full time laggy ASW nightmare, ofc. Also done some tweaks at nvidia control panel, which made center image a little more clear

 

[CMDR M Kozak]

Hm, I am running it through the Oculus software, so I can't test that. I heard the SS setting in Oculus should be the same as the ingame HMD quality. But in any case, even with everything on 1.0 I am not really happy with the performane.

So the summary simply is that ED runs quite poorly in VR when it comes to stations, asteroid belts, etc? That would be a pity. Sure, a 2060 is not the fastest card, but since it performs like a 1070 ti, the third fastest card of the previous generation, I would have hoped for more...

ED does not run poorly. It just has to basically render twice - for each eye, with a slightly different angle to give you the 3D look each at a target of 80/90hz.
What you are experiencing are very normal.

VR's needs can (in a twisted way) be compared to running ED at your desired level of fidelity, on a monitor, at 180hz minimum.