Headset for Sit down gaming and sims

S

Stryker7314

Gawd
Joined
Apr 22, 2011
Messages
867
Best headset for sit down sims racing/flying/space?

Would like 6dof to be able to look around things in an aircraft cockpit.

Which does it better, the Oculus or HTC or other? Which has better sensors for this? Don't plan to move out of my seat.
 
I haven't tried a Vive, but my Oculus works great with Project Cars (1 and 2) and X-Plane 11. Speaking of Flight Sims, X-Plane is going to be releasing an update this year to add native VR support. Today you need to use FlyInside4XP. It will support both Vive and Oculus, including the controllers. You'll be able to throw switches, and even control the flight yoke using them.
 
Great info griffinhart!

Does the Oculus require the sensors to be setup for 6dof?

Anyone know if the HTC does?
 
Stryker7314 said:
Great info griffinhart!

Does the Oculus require the sensors to be setup for 6dof?

Anyone know if the HTC does?
Click to expand...
Yes to both. Games that you don't need the touch controllers you can get away with a single camera with oculus, but vive needs both lighthouses. Even so, there's no reason not to use both cameras for oculus.

Iracing is the best vr experience for me so far, but I'm a car nut and sometime amateur racer irl, so biased towards racing games.
 
Stryker7314 said:
Great info griffinhart!

Does the Oculus require the sensors to be setup for 6dof?

Anyone know if the HTC does?
Click to expand...
I have a "L" shaped corner desk. I have two sensors on each end. I purchased a 3rd (though I haven't noticed much difference) that I placed behind me. I get the full 5dof with just the two on the desk.

I have to say, X-Plane 11 w/ VR is simply awesome. If you are into flight sims, it's a must. XP11 with FlyInside4xp and Ortho4XP (changes general terrain with satellite imagery)

I learned to fly in real life on a Cessna 172, one of the default planes in XP11, and in VR with Ortho, It was scary how real it felt. I even had to stop myself from actually reaching to adjust some controls through muscle memory.
 
Ecosystem: Vive will put you squarely in SteamVR land and Oculus is building it's own ecosystem. And although today they are mostly compatible that's not always guaranteed to be the case. Also if you have anything against Facebook having your data.

Wires: Oculus requires each camera to be hardwired back to your PC. Vive lighthouses communicate wirelessly but do each have to be plugged in to the wall wherever they are.
 
Ludic said:
Ecosystem: Vive will put you squarely in SteamVR land and Oculus is building it's own ecosystem. And although today they are mostly compatible that's not always guaranteed to be the case. Also if you have anything against Facebook having your data.

Wires: Oculus requires each camera to be hardwired back to your PC. Vive lighthouses communicate wirelessly but do each have to be plugged in to the wall wherever they are.
Click to expand...

Valid reasons. I read SteamVR games all mostly support oculus at this point. Wish I could try them both in a b&m store to feel them out, and determine which feels best for me. Seems like it just comes down to preference.
 
I've got both. If it were me, I'd pick the Rift.

Game wise, you'll get access to buy/use all of the SteamVR catalog on Steam with the Rift, but then you also have access to the entire Oculus catalog, which has quite a few games that aren't available via Steam... so the best of both worlds so to speak. (You can also use the Vive using Revive in the Oculus world, but it isn't a perfect match as the controllers are mapped and a bit of a hack there as to providing intuitive/seamless functionality.)

The Rift:
Is cheaper in cost overall (even with the purchase of a 3rd sensor - and if you are doing primarily seated use, a 3rd sensor isn't needed/overkill).
Has much better/built-in audio which will cost you another $100 to get on the Vive (via their Deluxe Audio Strap)
Has better overall hand controllers with Touch.
Has a slightly lighter HMD with better ergonomics then the Vive - although getting the Deluxe strap on the Vive evens this out.

The Vive:
Has a slightly better/easier to setup tracking system with it's lighthouses and works better in larger rooms... but tracking wise, I feel the Rift with three sensors is just as good.

And one other bonus in favor of choosing the Rift is that it will freak Boonie out in that you will be sharing your wanking telemetry with the Facebook overlords who will then use it to not only completely corrupt your soul, but also start the downfall of civilization as we know it...
 
Supercharged_Z06 said:
I've got both. If it were me, I'd pick the Rift.

Game wise, you'll get access to buy/use all of the SteamVR catalog on Steam with the Rift, but then you also have access to the entire Oculus catalog, which has quite a few games that aren't available via Steam... so the best of both worlds so to speak. (You can also use the Vive using Revive in the Oculus world, but it isn't a perfect match as the controllers are mapped and a bit of a hack there as to providing intuitive/seamless functionality.)

The Rift:
Is cheaper in cost overall (even with the purchase of a 3rd sensor - and if you are doing primarily seated use, a 3rd sensor isn't needed/overkill).
Has much better/built-in audio which will cost you another $100 to get on the Vive (via their Deluxe Audio Strap)
Has better overall hand controllers with Touch.
Has a slightly lighter HMD with better ergonomics then the Vive - although getting the Deluxe strap on the Vive evens this out.

The Vive:
Has a slightly better/easier to setup tracking system with it's lighthouses and works better in larger rooms... but tracking wise, I feel the Rift with three sensors is just as good.

And one other bonus in favor of choosing the Rift is that it will freak Boonie out in that you will be sharing your wanking telemetry with the Facebook overlords who will then use it to not only completely corrupt your soul, but also start the downfall of civilization as we know it...
Click to expand...

So far I'm liking the Rift. What about screen door effect? Any difference? I've read the Rift has lenses that help in that department at the expense of narrower fov.
 
They're pretty much a wash with maybe a few things being better on Oculus headset wise, but no real differentiators. The one argument for the Vive is lighthouse tracking instead of camera tracking, so if you have a large play area and/or limited USB subsystem on your computer (ie something wrong), it might work better. However, Oculus is currently $200 cheaper, so it's a no-brainer imo. Even if you add an extra pci-e usb controller to be safe and a 3rd camera, it's still $100 cheaper. Neither of those is required, and the 3rd camera isn't really necessary unless you're trying to do a larger roomscale setup. I'm running a 9'x9'ish roomscale with 2 cameras without issue, and for seated games there's zero need for a 3rd camera (and if you don't use touch, which you won't for most flying/driving games, you don't even need the 2nd camera for seated 6dof).
 
Stryker7314 said:
Best headset for sit down sims racing/flying/space?

Would like 6dof to be able to look around things in an aircraft cockpit.

Which does it better, the Oculus or HTC or other? Which has better sensors for this? Don't plan to move out of my seat.
Click to expand...
Get the windows mixed reality headsets once they get steamVR support. They are higher resolution and require no external trackers the biggest problem is the tracking but since your are playing sit down simulators the tracking will be perfect for your needs.
 
Rysen said:
Get the windows mixed reality headsets once they get steamVR support. They are higher resolution and require no external trackers the biggest problem is the tracking but since your are playing sit down simulators the tracking will be perfect for your needs.
Click to expand...

Also good advice, but only the Samsung Odyssey really looks to be worth pursuing/considering as a contender due to it having much better resolution and FOV then the other Windows partner HMD's... but then again it's also unproven and a bit pricier at $500. There's also the early indication that all of the Windows "Mixed Reality" headsets do not have tracking that is quite as good and precise as the Rift's and Vive's since they all rely on inside-out tracking without the benefit that external sensors can provide.

The big concern in the short term is good driver support and working Steam integration. The latter isn't due until December sometime and then only in beta form. I'm thinking it'll take them at least that long (possibly longer) to get all the kinks sorted and it running smoothly on Steam... this is Microsoft after all with their brand new, no one has ever done this before "Mixed Reality" technology and their phenomenal, universally acclaimed, fun to use Windows App store...

The safe bet now is the Rift. It works well and has all of the software kinks worked out. Otherwise I'd wait till at least Jan/Feb to make a selection.
 
Last edited:
That Samsung headset has some really good specs compared to other windows headsets. OLED vs LCD, Better res, headphones included.

Also the screen door effect will be reduced. Oculus has 461 ppi, regular windows mr headsets has 706 ppi, can only mean Samsungs is slightly higher than 706.

Software support is a big deal as well. Hmmm... might still end up with Oculus for now. But the Samsung is right around the corner...

Good link with basic comparison of the windows mr headsets- https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/17...ed-reality-vr-headsets-guide-pricing-features
 
Could pick up a Rift now for cheap, enjoy it for 3 months, then off load it and upgrade to the Odyssey. Demand for VR will pick up now that even MS is entering the fray (Apple is next).

Should be easy to off load for 60-70% of what you paid for it in 3 months.
 
Supercharged_Z06 said:
Could pick up a Rift now for cheap, enjoy it for 3 months, then off load it and upgrade to the Odyssey. Demand for VR will pick up now that even MS is entering the fray (Apple is next).

Should be easy to off load for 60-70% of what you paid for it in 3 months.
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea. If Oculus could just take all the Odyssey hardware and sell it, I would buy one now.

On another note, I was looking at the Oculus Santa Cruz prototype and I actually don't want wireless either because of the latency it will introduce.
 
Stryker7314 said:
Not a bad idea. If Oculus could just take all the Odyssey hardware and sell it, I would buy one now.

On another note, I was looking at the Oculus Santa Cruz prototype and I actually don't want wireless either because of the latency it will introduce.
Click to expand...

Well done wireless will not have latency but personally I really don't think it's worth getting wireless when the wire is really not that big of a deal. Also steamVR preview in beta is already pretty solid so I will agree with you that he can buy the Oculus now and return it once the Odyessy reviews come out.
 
Stryker7314 said:
Not a bad idea. If Oculus could just take all the Odyssey hardware and sell it, I would buy one now.

On another note, I was looking at the Oculus Santa Cruz prototype and I actually don't want wireless either because of the latency it will introduce.
Click to expand...

with santa cruze, there is no latency factor as it wont connect to a PC, wirelessly or wired. its an all in one, like the oculus go, with with controllers. mobile type device fixed into the headset permanently.
 
Yup, it's basically mobile VR that doesn't require a $600+ cell phone purchase. And the apps it runs will also be mobile VR based. (I.E. Nothing like VR gaming with the full power of a PC and a dedicated GPU behind it... more like the Gear VR experience.)
 
Stryker7314 said:
Best headset for sit down sims racing/flying/space?

Would like 6dof to be able to look around things in an aircraft cockpit.

Which does it better, the Oculus or HTC or other? Which has better sensors for this? Don't plan to move out of my seat.
Click to expand...
I say go with the Rift. The Vive would work fine too, but it costs more, and you don't get access to Oculus' selection of games.

I have a Rift, and it works great; I use it almost exclusively for playing Elite Dangerous. Room scale is a little trickier, as the tracking technology doesn't work quite as well in a larger space as the Vive's does. For sit-down games, the two cameras that the bundle comes with are plenty; you can even get away with one, if you're just using the headset.

Edit: Also, subjectively, the Rift's headphones are better than the Vive, and it's head strap is more comfortable. I wish it had the option to use some of my various really skookum headphones, like the Vive does, but the ones it comes with are fine.
 
Stryker7314 said:
Any news of an Oculus v2 for pc? Not into the Santa Cruz aio system, wanna use my pc.
Click to expand...

Nothing at the Oculus Connect 4 event held this past week. Still too early. Most likely will be announced by next Spring/Summer with a Fall 2018 arrival at the earliest.... more likely 1st quarter 2019.

I'm actually quite happy with how well both my Rift and Vive perform right now. While I would love a full 4k of resolution for each eye right now, I realize that GPU tech still needs a good year or two to evolve further to deliver this kind of power. Even if you dedicate a pair of 1080ti cards with each feeding the graphics for one eye, they would be hard pressed to push and maintaining a 90hz refresh @4K for each unless the graphics were dialed down... but I don't want simple graphics, I want full bore everything to the max with full antialiasing. :D

I don't see V2 VR making this big a jump by next year. By 2019, maybe.
 
Last edited:
So what sit down, or controller only games are you guys playing?

Since I've had my Rift I've been playing mostly 360/room scale games.

I've probably been using it less than I would if I had more straight forward games I could play sitting on my ass.
 
Stryker7314 said:
Best headset for sit down sims racing/flying/space?

Would like 6dof to be able to look around things in an aircraft cockpit.

Which does it better, the Oculus or HTC or other? Which has better sensors for this? Don't plan to move out of my seat.
Click to expand...

I would wait until the Windows VR headsets get Steam VR support (supposedly soon) then buy the one with the highest resolution. Reviewers have stated that the higher resolution of the Samsung unit is a very noticeable upgrade over Rift & Vive.

I'm not happy with the Rift for driving games. I feel like driving requires more resolution than other kinds of games. When driving, you're constantly looking at things in the distance...the upcoming road, traffic, etc. RIft & Vive are too low resolution to see those things in the detail you want when driving. That said, other people think the Rift/Vive are good for driving.
 
Decibel said:
So what sit down, or controller only games are you guys playing?

Since I've had my Rift I've been playing mostly 360/room scale games.

I've probably been using it less than I would if I had more straight forward games I could play sitting on my ass.
Click to expand...
Elite Dangerous is the only one I've spent any significant time with.

There's also Eve Valkyrie, which initially got pretty tepid reviews, but I hear it got an update in the last few weeks that added non-VR support as well as some new features that made the game better.
 
Decibel said:
So what sit down, or controller only games are you guys playing?

Since I've had my Rift I've been playing mostly 360/room scale games.

I've probably been using it less than I would if I had more straight forward games I could play sitting on my ass.
Click to expand...

iRacing and Assetto Corsa, but I'm a car nut so it's pretty much ideal for me. iRacing is better but Assetto Corsa has some cars that I really like (lots of supercar content and some historical race cars) where iRacing has just racing cars. iRacing is much better as a simulation and for racing against real people, though, but it's not easy and is more expensive long term as you have to buy the content and it's subscription based. Worth the money as a sometime amateur racer irl, though. You can usually find a 3 month free trial for it, so cheap to try it out.

I really want to try FSX with flyinside, but haven't gotten around to it yet. It looks amazing with some of the graphics upgrade packs. I have a LeapMotion which apparently has support in flyinside so you can actually reach out and flip all the switches etc. Maybe when I have a rainy weekend at home.
 
griffinhart said:
I have a "L" shaped corner desk. I have two sensors on each end. I purchased a 3rd (though I haven't noticed much difference) that I placed behind me.
Click to expand...

The only situation I have noticed the benefit of the 3rd camera for me is when I turn around, my hands can still be tracked flawlessly. Without the 3rd camera, my hands would sometimes glitch for a second. I mean it was still pretty remarkable without the 3rd camera, but I have had no problems since adding the 3rd camera. With the kids though, I noticed the 3rd camera helped when they lay down on the ground and flop around (i'm too old to do that stuff).

Be aware that when you add the 3rd camera, the camera setup gets MUCH more fussy about camera placement. DO NOT hard mount the 3rd camera ahead of time. And also don't be surprised if it's not happy with the placement of the 2 existing cameras. I had to tweak my 2 existing ones a little.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top