Vive to Rift

[Superjoe]

Just, like, my opinions man.

I really enjoyed my Vive but moving to the Rift w/ Touch has been a profound improvement in every way.

The touch controllers are dramatically better than the Vive. The thumbsticks are the reason I moved in the first place for the game I primarily play and I hate touchpads. The extra buttons and touch sensitive buttons are flat out more natural.

The lenses are far clearer and feel like a huge upgrade. There is more glaring but I'll take that over the rings of the Vive any day.

Much lighter HMD. More comfortable (and I had the deluxe audio strap). I like that there is an elastic element to the headstrap so you can pull the front of the HMD off your face and up onto your forehead with one hand easily. I am able to wear this for longer periods of time easily without noticing it as much as the Vive.

Access to the Oculus store on top of Steam is a bonus and I can hang out in my Oculus home instead of Steam Home if I want. I bought a second house.

There are cons. Valve's tracking system is superior but was jammed by having my remote controlled space heater in the room (the IR plate on the heater interfered with the Vive signals). But otherwise it is more capable overall I think. And more suited to a permanent room setup.

The con to the Rift is the tracking systems USB connections. If you get the full Touch kit you need three USB 3.0 ports (one for HMD, 2 for camera towers), 4 if you want a third camera. The problem is that they really saturate the bus and overload the controllers, adds latency to the tracking. I have a three month old computer with a top tier motherboard so I haven't had an issue but if you need to get a USB card there are specific ones to get and they are pricey.

The other con is the cost of extending cable length. The cables are all pretty short, surprisingly so in the case of the HMD. I think that is because it was originally designed to be a seated desk operation, and it does that very well. So you have to factor the cost of using active USB cables for the cameras and a usb and HDMI exension for the HMD, which will only go another 6ft. But in contrast, the Vive needs stands/poles/mounts for the lighthouses which add up too. It only supports drilling out of the box and that is unacceptable to me.

Overall I love it, and totally glad I made the switch. Nothing against the Vive, it is very good. But if you're considering buying at full retail it is no contest. You cannot even consider the Vive without the deluxe audio strap, so it is $700 vs $400. Easy win for the Oculus.

 

[Rysen]

That's a great choice but at this point you should probably wait for news on the knuckle controllers.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

Just, like, my opinions man.

I really enjoyed my Vive but moving to the Rift w/ Touch has been a profound improvement in every way.

The touch controllers are dramatically better than the Vive. The thumbsticks are the reason I moved in the first place for the game I primarily play and I hate touchpads. The extra buttons and touch sensitive buttons are flat out more natural.

The lenses are far clearer and feel like a huge upgrade. There is more glaring but I'll take that over the rings of the Vive any day.

Much lighter HMD. More comfortable (and I had the deluxe audio strap). I like that there is an elastic element to the headstrap so you can pull the front of the HMD off your face and up onto your forehead with one hand easily. I am able to wear this for longer periods of time easily without noticing it as much as the Vive.

Access to the Oculus store on top of Steam is a bonus and I can hang out in my Oculus home instead of Steam Home if I want. I bought a second house.

There are cons. Valve's tracking system is superior but was jammed by having my remote controlled space heater in the room (the IR plate on the heater interfered with the Vive signals). But otherwise it is more capable overall I think. And more suited to a permanent room setup.

The con to the Rift is the tracking systems USB connections. If you get the full Touch kit you need three USB 3.0 ports (one for HMD, 2 for camera towers), 4 if you want a third camera. The problem is that they really saturate the bus and overload the controllers, adds latency to the tracking. I have a three month old computer with a top tier motherboard so I haven't had an issue but if you need to get a USB card there are specific ones to get and they are pricey.

The other con is the cost of extending cable length. The cables are all pretty short, surprisingly so in the case of the HMD. I think that is because it was originally designed to be a seated desk operation, and it does that very well. So you have to factor the cost of using active USB cables for the cameras and a usb and HDMI exension for the HMD, which will only go another 6ft. But in contrast, the Vive needs stands/poles/mounts for the lighthouses which add up too. It only supports drilling out of the box and that is unacceptable to me.

Overall I love it, and totally glad I made the switch. Nothing against the Vive, it is very good. But if you're considering buying at full retail it is no contest. You cannot even consider the Vive without the deluxe audio strap, so it is $700 vs $400. Easy win for the Oculus.

Nice write-up. Pretty much spot on as to my findings and feelings towards both as well. As to the USB ports issues with the Rift, I’ve found that just 3 USB 3.0 ports also work just fine for a 3 camera config, with the HMD and 2 cameras using the USB 3.0 ports and the 3rd camera just using a regular USB 2.0 port. The Oculus device messages may give you a performance warning for that one camera on USB 2, but I’ve never seen or experienced any real degradation as to tracking performance. Getting all the USB ports dialed in and working can be a bit of a pain, but not insurmountable, especially if you have a newer m/b or supplement with a solid USB expansion card/controller like the Star Tech or Inateck... definitely easier with the Vive in that particular setup area though.

I still jump between the two HMD’s, and marrying up both the lighthouses and 2 of my Rift cameras on the same wall mounts has worked out well for me. All things said though, I find that I also prefer the Rift more.

 

[Superjoe]

That's a great choice but at this point you should probably wait for news on the knuckle controllers.

Okay they only add what Oculus touch already does in a wand twice the size of the touch controller, still with a track pad right? It's a nice addition for Vive owners but isn't competition to the Rift. And only adds to cost.

 

[Rysen]

Okay they only add what Oculus touch already does in a wand twice the size of the touch controller, still with a track pad right? It's a nice addition for Vive owners but isn't competition to the Rift. And only adds to cost.

It has tracking for all fingers, so it's way more than what the rift does. The rift can only show the pointing finger.

 

[eclypse]

I use the vive link box to extend the Oculus headset. Using an HDMI extension over 6' the signal is too weak and you'll see a black screen.

Using the vive link I put a 15' (might be 20' been awhile now )male/male hdmi cable so i could have my setup in the next room from the computer.

The sensors use a 15' active usb 3.0 cable from cable matters.. no problems. 3 sensors total.

 

[bobzdar]

I use the vive link box to extend the Oculus headset. Using an HDMI extension over 6' the signal is too weak and you'll see a black screen.

Using the vive link I put a 15' (might be 20' been awhile now )male/male hdmi cable so i could have my setup in the next room from the computer.

The sensors use a 15' active usb 3.0 cable from cable matters.. no problems. 3 sensors total.

I have a 10' hdmi extension with no issue, and 6' usb extensions for the headset and one of the cameras. Nothing fancy, I just found some on Amazon that people reported worked with the Oculus. The hdmi extension was $4 and the usb extension cables were 2 for $10. I might grab some longer usb extensions (10') so I can get my cameras more in the corners of my play space and so the usb extension matches the hdmi extension, but the headset can reach the whole play area and the tracking is pretty good as-is so I'm not in any rush.

Here are links to what I got:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D5H91KE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014RWATK2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[bobzdar]

It has tracking for all fingers, so it's way more than what the rift does. The rift can only show the pointing finger.

Rift does fore-finger, thumb and the other 3 fingers as a group. So yeah, not individual fingers but how often do you stick up only one of those 3 digits (other than to flip people off, which I can see being fun in a game but certainly not necessary)?

 

[Superjoe]

The middle-finger is independent as well for Oculus touch. Should be noted that all of the buttons are capacitive as well, so you can see just when the thumb/index/middle are touching any of the buttons. I'm not hating on the knuckles, good for Vive owners but just playing a crude looking game of catch up to the Rift.

Great idea with the Vive link box for the Rift. If I have issues with my 6ft extensions I'll go that route.

 

[BecauseScience]

The touch controllers are dramatically better than the Vive.

Much lighter HMD. More comfortable (and I had the deluxe audio strap)

You cannot even consider the Vive without the deluxe audio strap, so it is $700 vs $400.

Those were my reasons for going Rift over Vive too.

Although the comfort thing turned out to not apply to me. The Rift puts pressure on my upper cheekbones. It's not enough to hurt right away but it builds up over time and becomes unbearable after a while.

I'm still happy with my choice of Rift over Vive at the time but I'm looking forward to having more than two options.

 

[Youn]

knuckles also allows letting go completely, which would be great for some game-play mechanics

by the time it comes out camera/glove/ring/whatever-based hand tracking may start to become a more compelling solution

Touch is good enough to cover most things though, for the time being...

 

[Superjoe]

Although the comfort thing turned out to not apply to me. The Rift puts pressure on my upper cheekbones. It's not enough to hurt right away but it builds up over time and becomes unbearable after a while.

Bummer! At least it is pretty lightweight overall. My Vive sat on the end of my nose no matter what. Not torture but definitely annoying.

knuckles also allows letting go completely, which would be great for some game-play mechanics

Excellent point. Side benefit of added safety for people that are too cool to put on the wrist straps... ahem... lol.

 

[BecauseScience]

The knuckles do look awesome!

 

[Youn]

The thumbsticks are the reason I moved in the first place for the game I primarily play and I hate touchpads.

FYI the new Oculus controllers ("Santa Cruz Controllers") replace the thumbsticks with touchpads... this may be a trend moving forward :|

 

[eclypse]

FYI the new Oculus controllers ("Santa Cruz Controllers") replace the thumbsticks with touchpads... this may be a trend moving forward :|

The new go and Santa Cruz are lower tier vr setups from Oculus with the rift the top end.

 

[Ragenrok]

Nice write up OP but I have to add because it is actually a big thing, you only need 2 usb3 ports for a 3 camera setup. The HMD and 3rd sensor can be on usb2, I use a $20 4 port pcie to usb3 card for 2 sensors then my 3rd sensor and HMD to my motherboards usb2 and it's flawless.

They reduced the HMD USB port requirement a while ago, this is important because it makes it a lot more compatable with more systems. It was a big deal for me because my mobo usb3 ports seem very low powered (my external hdd has issues with randomly losing power on them) so I don't think they would of handled the sensors well.

 

[Decibel]

The Rift puts pressure on my upper cheekbones.

You know it's hinged right? Adjust the angle. It also helps to keep your side straps comfortably loose, the feel you want is more like a ball cap than a ski mask. The weight should be supported more by the top strap than by pressure on your face.

I have high cheekbones too, there is a better fit than you've found.

*

I added ten feet to my HMD cable with a 3m passive USB 3.0 extension ($6.50), a 3m RedMere HDMI cable ($13) and a 4k HDMI repeater ($9). Oh yeah, and some cable sleeving, heat shrink and zip ties, all of which I had on hand...

For the sensors, a $25 Inatech PCIE card and another 3m USB extension is enough to cover my space.

 

[harsaphes]

Superjoe Just an FYI, I use my Rift sensors with USB 2.0 and have no problems at all.

 

[eclypse]

Superjoe Just an FYI, I use my Rift sensors with USB 2.0 and have no problems at all.

Yes and if you buy a 3rs sensor it comes with a usb 2.0 extension cable.. don't remember the length.. might be 15'.

 

[BecauseScience]

You know it's hinged right? Adjust the angle.

I do that every time I put it on.

It also helps to keep your side straps comfortably loose, the feel you want is more like a ball cap than a ski mask. The weight should be supported more by the top strap than by pressure on your face.

My side straps are fully extended. I leave the velcro hanging loose. No way to loosen the straps any further.

Weight of the hmd is fully supported by the top strap.

The side strap tension is what causes the troublesome pressure.

I have high cheekbones too, there is a better fit than you've found.

No, there isn't. I spent an entire day scouring the internet for fitting advice and trying the various suggestions. Rift is more comfortable after that exercise. I wear it much longer now but the cheekbone pressure still gets to me eventually. I couldn't stand it for ten minutes before I optimized the fit.

I've come to the conclusion that any headset that actively pushes the the display to my face with straps or springs isn't for me.

I'm hoping the PSVR / Windows VR headband style setup will be friendlier to my face.

 

[Youn]

The new go and Santa Cruz are lower tier vr setups from Oculus with the rift the top end.

yea but from what I heard they used touchpads because they felt they are superior... or are you saying they are much cheaper to manufacture? Just a guess on my part, but I imagine to be consistent they'll update Touch, or whatever they'll call their next top-tier controller, to also be touchpads...

 

[eclypse]

yea but from what I heard they used touchpads because they felt they are superior... or are you saying they are much cheaper to manufacture? Just a guess on my part, but I imagine to be consistent they'll update Touch, or whatever they'll call their next top-tier controller, to also be touchpads...

No idea.. guess worry about that prob in 2019-2020 prob when the rift 2 hits.

 

[Sonicks]

yea but from what I heard they used touchpads because they felt they are superior... or are you saying they are much cheaper to manufacture? Just a guess on my part, but I imagine to be consistent they'll update Touch, or whatever they'll call their next top-tier controller, to also be touchpads...

Just a hunch but the decision to use a touch pad may be entirely cost related. Less pieces and less moving parts to manufacture thus keeping the cost low.

I would hate if their second gen controllers removed the thumb stick.

 

[eclypse]

Just a hunch but the decision to use a touch pad may be entirely cost related. Less pieces, less moving parts to manufacture thus keeping the cost low.

I would hate if their second gen controllers removed the thumb stick.

I don't see why they would.. they use the same thumb controllers still in consoles. That's what people are used to.

 

[Youn]

but are more people used to thumbing around on smartphones, therefore making thumbpads more intuitive for them?

 

[Superjoe]

Yeah, but you're staring at your phone and get immediate feedback from your inputs. In VR there is always an element of inaccuracy because of the touchpads. The original motivator for me to make the jump to Oculus was because of the thumbsticks. The Vive controllers are so tall that i had to move them up and down a bit in my hand to adjust for hitting the top or bottom buttons. So my thumb is always moving in relation to the trackpad and I don't know where I'm going to put it down until I do, and it hits the wrong button in the game.

It only dramatically affects one game I play, but it was a game-changer for it. The thumbsticks are killer. Love Oculus Touch.

 

[NamelessPFG]

I haven't tried the Vive yet, but I went Rift a year ago precisely because I liked the design of the Touch controllers better just from looking at them, even knowing that I'd have to wait until December 2016 just to get my hands on 'em. Analog sticks vs. trackpads were one reason, usable grip trigger on the middle finger was another, and having one extra face button for actions really helped.

Sure enough, any game with conventional movement (Onward, The Art of Fight, Bullets And More, Pavlov VR, Serious Sam TFE/TSE VR, PULSAR: Lost Colony, From Other Suns, Minecraft, Subnautica, etc.) handles much better with an analog stick than I would ever expect of a trackpad. On the flip side, virtual button actions are kludgy because you have to click the stick down while the stick's deflected in a certain direction, rather than just nudging it in that direction, but I'd consider the improved movement to make up for that.

Also, the deluxe audio strap wasn't a thing yet, so the Rift's built-in supra-aural headphones were a major convenience. Yes, I could use better headphones, but in VR, that extra kludge just proves to be an inconvenience more than a benefit.

However, I have found that the Rift's tracking system can't quite keep up with really fast tracking speeds. Try drawing a line really fast in Quill, and you'll quickly understand what I mean: the line appears to be multiple straight lines rather than smooth, and if you're moving really fast, like "throwing a punch" fast, the line may actually end up zig-zagging midway when you definitely didn't do that. This may prove to be an issue in games like Climbey or The Thrill of the Fight, where very quick, forceful movements are critical, but other games won't suffer too much.

Also note that I have a Z87 mobo with an add-on FL1100 host controller card that's being supplied additional power from the PSU; each USB 3.0 controller handles two sensors, and I recall moving the HMD to the FL1100 card as well. I still get occasional "Wireless sync timed out" errors, or sometimes even dropped frame errors for no obvious reason. Swapping my extension cables (I have them wall-mounted high up in the corners, Vive-style) doesn't seem to help at all; neither does putting one or two of the sensors on USB 2.0 instead. It's finicky like that.

Sometimes I even consider one of those quad-controller add-on cards, but they're expensive ($80 to $110!) and require a PCIe x4 slot, which wouldn't be a problem if not for the fact that my sound card and video capture card need PCIe lanes too. Couple that with the intention to upgrade the video capture to something that requires PCIe x4 as well, and I sense my next build being HEDT with plenty of PCIe lanes to spare.

 

[ReezyJeezy]

Much lighter HMD. More comfortable (and I had the deluxe audio strap). I like that there is an elastic element to the headstrap so you can pull the front of the HMD off your face and up onto your forehead with one hand easily. I am able to wear this for longer periods of time easily without noticing it as much as the Vive.

I originally had the rift without the touch controls before getting the vive. After getting the vive, having touch controls is an absolute MUST! i still haven't purchased touch controls for the oculus but I miss the hmd from the rift. I agree that the rift hmd is much better than the vive, much lighter, has integrated headphones, and you can move it up to your forehead effortlessly. Once I get the touch controls I plan on comparing the visuals between the two

 

[Decibel]

the cheekbone pressure still gets to me eventually

That sucks.

What's your IPD? I have to set it as wide as it will go and think I might like another few mm. You could probably say that I have a fat head.

Try keeping your chin down and looking up a few degrees into the HMD. I'm able to get a pretty comfortable fit if I make sure to keep the headset high on my face, the Y low on the back of my head, and tilt it up a lot. The top of the facial interface goes on the high side of the middle of my forehead and I tilt it up to nearly completely remove pressure from my rather prominent cheekbones. Makes for a big nose gap, but I just keep the lights off.

I also swap between a couple of facial interfaces from VRcover.com. If you're close to Central Virginia I'll let you try 'em out and see if there is one you like.

On the other hand, ordering from VRCover is a pain in the butt. If you can, try before you buy. They're based out of Thailand and take FOREVER to get stuff to the US.

The stock interface is pretty comfy, but I do definitely get a less distinct case of VR Face with one of their interfaces installed.

(Obviously not me...)

I might have gotten nearly as good results, and spent less money, with a set of their cloth covers from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-VR-Cover-Stretchable-Nosefree/dp/B06Y6DC1R2/ and the stock interface. I like almost everything about it except the square edge and sharing it with sweaty people.

Anyway, it took me a lot of tweaking, and learning to look up a few degrees while in the HMD, to get it comfy. Good luck and happy exploring.

 

[reaper12]

However, I have found that the Rift's tracking system can't quite keep up with really fast tracking speeds. Try drawing a line really fast in Quill, and you'll quickly understand what I mean: the line appears to be multiple straight lines rather than smooth, and if you're moving really fast, like "throwing a punch" fast, the line may actually end up zig-zagging midway when you definitely didn't do that. This may prove to be an issue in games like Climbey or The Thrill of the Fight, where very quick, forceful movements are critical, but other games won't suffer too much.

You have said this on a few different threads on this forum and despite several people telling you that this isn't true you keep stating it as fact.

There is something wrong with your setup. I can draw a line really fast with no issues in Quill, I have no problems with the Thrill of the Fight.

What you are describing was exactly the case before the 1.12 update arrived in March. If you are still having the same problem then there is something wrong with your system.

The Rift's tracking has no trouble keeping up with fast hand movements.

Also note that I have a Z87 mobo with an add-on FL1100 host controller card that's being supplied additional power from the PSU; each USB 3.0 controller handles two sensors, and I recall moving the HMD to the FL1100 card as well. I still get occasional "Wireless sync timed out" errors, or sometimes even dropped frame errors for no obvious reason. Swapping my extension cables (I have them wall-mounted high up in the corners, Vive-style) doesn't seem to help at all; neither does putting one or two of the sensors on USB 2.0 instead. It's finicky like that.

And this would suggest I am right. You shouldn't be getting "wireless sync timed out" errors. The sensors work perfectly in USB 2.0 ports. If you have the Inateck 4 port card, you can only use two of those ports with USB 3.0 devices, So you can either plug in two sensors or the headset and one sensor. If you use the USB 2 extension cables that comes with any extra sensor you buy, you can use the other two ports on the Inateck card with those. The only thing finicky about the 4 port card is that for some people windows driver work best, for others, the fresno logic drivers work better.

If you have the Inateck 5 port card, then return it and get the 4 port card, it has issues with bandwidth.

 

[reaper12]

My side straps are fully extended. I leave the velcro hanging loose. No way to loosen the straps any further.

Weight of the hmd is fully supported by the top strap.

The side strap tension is what causes the troublesome pressure..

You need to get one of these

https://vrcover.com/product/oculus-rift-facial-interface-foam-replacement-basic-set/

It's much thinner than the stock foam and this relieves so much pressure on the face.

You might be putting the headset on wrong too. People don't realise that the back of the headset should be really low down on your head, nearly touching your neck. Most people have it half way up their head or even higher. This means the top strap can't do it's job properly. Also when you tighten the top strap you should pull it just tight enough to hold the headset in place, but not so tight that it lifts the back of the headset up.

Here are more detailed instructions

• Unstrap the top and side straps and loosen them most of the way or (better) leave them un-velcroed.

• Put the back of the strap really low on your head, so the base of the triangle is just above the top of your neck.

• Pull forward on the HMD so the top and side straps slip out, then position it low on your forehead -- just above the eyebrows. You'll have a huge nose gap - that's OK.

• While holding the HMD in place with one hand, tighten the velcro top strap so it's firm (but not tight) against your forehead.

• Grab the sides of the HMD and tilt the base of the HMD towards your face, so it pivots on the point it's attached to your forehead.

• Tighten the side straps a little so the headset isn't moving on your face.

The Replacement Facial interface really helps with the fit.

 

[NamelessPFG]

You have said this on a few different threads on this forum and despite several people telling you that this isn't true you keep stating it as fact.

There is something wrong with your setup. I can draw a line really fast with no issues in Quill, I have no problems with the Thrill of the Fight.

What you are describing was exactly the case before the 1.12 update arrived in March. If you are still having the same problem then there is something wrong with your system.

The Rift's tracking has no trouble keeping up with fast hand movements.

And this would suggest I am right. You shouldn't be getting "wireless sync timed out" errors. The sensors work perfectly in USB 2.0 ports. If you have the Inateck 4 port card, you can only use two of those ports with USB 3.0 devices, So you can either plug in two sensors or the headset and one sensor. If you use the USB 2 extension cables that comes with any extra sensor you buy, you can use the other two ports on the Inateck card with those. The only thing finicky about the 4 port card is that for some people windows driver work best, for others, the fresno logic drivers work better.

If you have the Inateck 5 port card, then return it and get the 4 port card, it has issues with bandwidth.

I speak from experience. I've tried changing ports on the sensors, I've tried using USB 2.0 for one or two sensors, I've even tried unplugging one sensor entirely and gimping it into a 3-sensor setup (which has obvious occlusion problems in the sensorless corner), nothing seems to fix it.

Believe me, I want the setup to work flawlessly, but I'm not going to BS people about not having issues that I've run into just to justify my purchase. If I see flaws in something, I'm going to call it out, and rest assured that I'd probably find room for improvement in the Vive's Lighthouse tracking system, too. I'm just that kind of person, hoping that the feedback results in better products all around.

Also, I don't use an Inateck-branded USB 3.0 card at all. Those tend to sell out and be overpriced when in stock precisely because of Oculus' recommendations. It's one of these. Same FL1100 chipset that Oculus themselves recommend, fraction of the price, no internal hub chipset between the controller and any of the ports - it should work just fine, especially when I have the power cable connected to make sure those sensors are getting the juice they need.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M7Z623P/

I'd rather have the StarTech or Sonnet quad-channel cards, but those are very expensive and require a PCIe x4 slot, so that's not happening.

 

[Ragenrok]

I speak from experience. I've tried changing ports on the sensors, I've tried using USB 2.0 for one or two sensors, I've even tried unplugging one sensor entirely and gimping it into a 3-sensor setup (which has obvious occlusion problems in the sensorless corner), nothing seems to fix it.

Believe me, I want the setup to work flawlessly, but I'm not going to BS people about not having issues that I've run into just to justify my purchase. If I see flaws in something, I'm going to call it out, and rest assured that I'd probably find room for improvement in the Vive's Lighthouse tracking system, too. I'm just that kind of person, hoping that the feedback results in better products all around.

Also, I don't use an Inateck-branded USB 3.0 card at all. Those tend to sell out and be overpriced when in stock precisely because of Oculus' recommendations. It's one of these. Same FL1100 chipset that Oculus themselves recommend, fraction of the price, no internal hub chipset between the controller and any of the ports - it should work just fine, especially when I have the power cable connected to make sure those sensors are getting the juice they need.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M7Z623P/

I'd rather have the StarTech or Sonnet quad-channel cards, but those are very expensive and require a PCIe x4 slot, so that's not happening.

I was talking with someone else that had your same issue of tracking problems and it was caused by all his windows flooding his room with sunlight. Even though it wasn't directly on him his room had so much IR noise from the sun that it was causing tracking issues on fast movement, does it only happen during the day? Have you tried playing in the dark just to see?

I also have 0 issues with tracking speed, 2 sesnors on a inateck 4 port card and 1 sensor+hmd on my mobo usb2 ports

 

[reaper12]

I speak from experience. I've tried changing ports on the sensors, I've tried using USB 2.0 for one or two sensors, I've even tried unplugging one sensor entirely and gimping it into a 3-sensor setup (which has obvious occlusion problems in the sensorless corner), nothing seems to fix it.

Believe me, I want the setup to work flawlessly, but I'm not going to BS people about not having issues that I've run into just to justify my purchase. If I see flaws in something, I'm going to call it out, and rest assured that I'd probably find room for improvement in the Vive's Lighthouse tracking system, too. I'm just that kind of person, hoping that the feedback results in better products all around.

Also, I don't use an Inateck-branded USB 3.0 card at all. Those tend to sell out and be overpriced when in stock precisely because of Oculus' recommendations. It's one of these. Same FL1100 chipset that Oculus themselves recommend, fraction of the price, no internal hub chipset between the controller and any of the ports - it should work just fine, especially when I have the power cable connected to make sure those sensors are getting the juice they need.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M7Z623P/

I'd rather have the StarTech or Sonnet quad-channel cards, but those are very expensive and require a PCIe x4 slot, so that's not happening.

I am speaking from Experience. Have built and tested both Rift and Vive systems for people. There is no problem with the Rift and fast movements. NONE. You are getting, by your own admission, "wireless sync timed out errors" That's a fault, a problem. It doesn't happen in a setup that's working correctly.

Maybe instead of blaming the Rift, you should look at replacing that adapter card. You say it should work, but something is wrong, it seems like a pretty good place to start.

 

[bobzdar]

I was talking with someone else that had your same issue of tracking problems and it was caused by all his windows flooding his room with sunlight. Even though it wasn't directly on him his room had so much IR noise from the sun that it was causing tracking issues on fast movement, does it only happen during the day? Have you tried playing in the dark just to see?

I also have 0 issues with tracking speed, 2 sesnors on a inateck 4 port card and 1 sensor+hmd on my mobo usb2 ports

My experience mirrors these 2. I have the Inateck 4 port card, I think it was 30 or 40 bucks and I got it so I could run the rift on my old Phenom II system as it didn't support usb 3.0, and then put it in the new Ryzen system because I already had it. I have zero tracking issues with a 2 camera setup. I get occlusion only in the far corners of my setup if I'm facing away from the cameras, otherwise it's fine. I have the headset and one of the cameras plugged into the inateck and the other camera in my motherboard, but I've plugged all 3 into my motherboard usb3 ports without issue. I also spent a lot of time with my camera setup and calibration to where I can hold both controllers together and walk around my complete play space and they don't move tracking with respect to each other by more than a couple of mm at most.

One time (and only one) I did get a tracking quality error from one of the cameras. I rebooted and it went away and didn't come back, no idea what caused it. I am not running the Inateck drivers for my card, the windows drivers worked fine and I don't feel like tempting fate by installing the Inateck ones.

 

[BecauseScience]

Thanks for the tips Decible and reaper12 but I'm not sinking any more money or setup effort into Rift. I have a 3rd tracker sitting new in the box that I'm not even bothering with.

I'm switching away from Rift. Either Windows VR or Vive in the short term then something else in the Vive ecosystem longer term, probably Pimax or LG.

Regarding Decibel's suggestion to keep the Rift high on my face, I must keep it low for my eyes to be in the sweet spot. When I move the Rift higher on my face my eyes are out of the sweet spot. God rays go bananas. Focus goes to shit. Etc...

NamelessPFG, you definitely have something wrong with your setup. Either too much sunlight as Ragenrok suggested or a hardware deficiency. Rift tracking is perfect for me. Crazy good. I have one of the $100 USB cards with four separate USB controllers. My room has a lot of windows but doesn't get a ton of direct sun blaring in.

(BTW, I was super annoyed that I needed to add a USB card to my brand new Ryzen motherboard. It has loads of onboard USB but none of them worked with the Rift.)

 

[harsaphes]

No tracking problems here. Using onboard USB

 

[Decibel]

require a PCIe x4 slot, so that's not happening.

I hear ya, I'm not giving up my 10gb NIC for a couple more USB ports.

BUT... it still sounds like something is broken in your setup.

I'm using a cheap as crap Intel Z77 mobo with one of the "bad" Inateck 5+2 cards. I've tested my setup in Quill. I can draw smooth, swooping curves, from as high as I can reach down to the floor, even in the corner I don't have a sensor in.

My play area is a 7x9 rectangle - two 3.0 (one motherboard, one Inateck) sensors across the long side, and a single 2.0 (mobo) sensor on the short. All my sensors are wall mounted, about 7 1/2 feet up, facing down into my play space.

(The trick to the five port cards is avoiding the hub chip. Only use the rear three ports closest to the motherboard for your VR stuff. The other ports seem fine for storage, lighting hubs and game controllers.)

suggestion to keep the Rift high on my face, I must keep it low for my eyes to be in the sweet spot. When I move the Rift higher on my face my eyes are out of the sweet spot. God rays go bananas. Focus goes to shit. Etc..

You just tuck your chin in a bit. You're looking out through the HMD, and up just a hair. I don't wear glasses, but the best descriptor I can think of right now would be like looking through the top lens on a set of bifocals, or looking out to the horizon over a pair of reading glasses. Once I figured it out is was like "Oh... OH!!!" now it just clicks into place. It's only a couple of degrees, but it makes all the difference in the world for the cheekbone pressure. You obviously don't want the HMD too high though, that's when the focus and god rays go nuts... I spent a ton of time staring at the green cross getting it right.

But, you have to figure out what works for you. I've more than a hundred hours inside a Vive, and ended up keeping my Rift. I'd wait to make the jump till the Knuckles come out. Just make sure to come back and join us in some Echo Arena from time to time. The more people in VR... correction, the more people in *GOOD* VR, the better for all of us.

* * *

This thread has shown a light DIRECTLY on some of the main reasons that VR hasn't had a faster uptake. Not only was it expensive for the first year of modern consumer VR, it's also far from plug and play.

Throw in the fact that Palmer Luckey is a truly disgusting person, people's strong distaste for FaceBook and by extension Oculus, HTC's total shit show when it comes to support or fixing the wand's touchpad problem and Valve's general distractedness and disinterest and I'm amazed things have come along as far as they have.

(Before anyone thinks I'm picking on HTC and the wands for the touchpad issue, let's not forget Touch's trigger issues from that damned bumper falling off...)

But then it all fades away when you can jump into some Sairento, SuperHot, Robo Recall, Lone Echo or Arizona Sunshine, or just break all your stuff playing Gorn.

 

[NamelessPFG]

I was talking with someone else that had your same issue of tracking problems and it was caused by all his windows flooding his room with sunlight. Even though it wasn't directly on him his room had so much IR noise from the sun that it was causing tracking issues on fast movement, does it only happen during the day? Have you tried playing in the dark just to see?

I also have 0 issues with tracking speed, 2 sesnors on a inateck 4 port card and 1 sensor+hmd on my mobo usb2 ports

Good question, and I should clarify that while there is a big window in the computer room, the shades are down and my tracking hiccups happen even at night. It's squarely related to very fast movement speeds.

Thus, I don't think it's a sunlight IR flooding issue, nor is it coming from the one lamp in the room that I usually keep on to have some ambient light besides my monitors (which is shielded such that none of the sensors can look directly at the bulb anyway).

I am speaking from Experience. Have built and tested both Rift and Vive systems for people. There is no problem with the Rift and fast movements. NONE. You are getting, by your own admission, "wireless sync timed out errors" That's a fault, a problem. It doesn't happen in a setup that's working correctly.

Maybe instead of blaming the Rift, you should look at replacing that adapter card. You say it should work, but something is wrong, it seems like a pretty good place to start.

Care to give me the $80-130 I'd need for one of those StarTech or Sonnet quad-channel cards, then? That'd clarify for sure if it's a problem with the add-in card.

Except I'm pretty sure that's also not the problem when it also happens with the motherboard's built-in Intel USB 3.0 controller. Something wrong's going on here, and I don't know how you're pulling off flawless setups, because mine isn't. And, no, downgrading to a triple-sensor setup is not a solution because of the obvious occlusion problems in the sensor-less corner that are far more game-breaking than occasional disruptions in very high-speed tracking.

Again, I must state that as it currently stands, tracking quality since the 1.12 update way back is 95% good, but that remaining 5% is the troublesome part. It's not something I can easily diagnose without money to blow on more controller cards or a whole new computer, either.

I hear ya, I'm not giving up my 10gb NIC for a couple more USB ports.

BUT... it still sounds like something is broken in your setup.

I'm using a cheap as crap Intel Z77 mobo with one of the "bad" Inateck 5+2 cards. I've tested my setup in Quill. I can draw smooth, swooping curves, from as high as I can reach down to the floor, even in the corner I don't have a sensor in.

My play area is a 7x9 rectangle - two 3.0 (one motherboard, one Inateck) sensors across the long side, and a single 2.0 (mobo) sensor on the short. All my sensors are wall mounted, about 7 1/2 feet up, facing down into my play space.

(The trick to the five port cards is avoiding the hub chip. Only use the rear three ports closest to the motherboard for your VR stuff. The other ports seem fine for storage, lighting hubs and game controllers.)

*snip*

This thread has shown a light DIRECTLY on some of the main reasons that VR hasn't had a faster uptake. Not only was it expensive for the first year of modern consumer VR, it's also far from plug and play.

But then it all fades away when you can jump into some Sairento, SuperHot, Robo Recall, Lone Echo or Arizona Sunshine, or just break all your stuff playing Gorn.

Drawing smooth, swooping curves with my setup is pretty easy. I just can't really do so cleanly by swinging my arms like I'm slicing and dicing some poor sap, gotta slow down a bit. If anything, it feels like the opposite problem people have with drawing tablets, where you often get better results by making fast strokes with the pen instead of slow ones, where jitter kills the line quality on N-trig digitizers especially (Surface Pro 3 and later).

I just can't figure out what's broken. I mean, my system isn't exactly budget hardware when it's built around a MAXIMUS VI HERO board, and it runs most things quite smoothly. Also, my card isn't a 5-port Inateck, but a 4-port QICENT with the same FL1100EX hub controller... wait a minute, Amazon, what the hell did you do to the product page linked in my order such that it no longer features my card? This isn't helping things one bit, but yeah, the card works normally, and the Fresco Logic tweaks come right up in Oculus Tray Tool.

Oh well, it's not like any of this ever stopped me from playing the hell out of Robo Recall, GORN or SUPERHOT VR in the 8'x8' space I have. (And that really isn't enough for my liking, seriously... can't even take one step away from center without putting a boundary in arm's reach.)

 

[reaper12]

Care to give me the $80-130 I'd need for one of those StarTech or Sonnet quad-channel cards, then? That'd clarify for sure if it's a problem with the add-in card.

Except I'm pretty sure that's also not the problem when it also happens with the motherboard's built-in Intel USB 3.0 controller. Something wrong's going on here, and I don't know how you're pulling off flawless setups, because mine isn't. And, no, downgrading to a triple-sensor setup is not a solution because of the obvious occlusion problems in the sensor-less corner that are far more game-breaking than occasional disruptions in very high-speed tracking.

Again, I must state that as it currently stands, tracking quality since the 1.12 update way back is 95% good, but that remaining 5% is the troublesome part. It's not something I can easily diagnose without money to blow on more controller cards or a whole new computer, either.

Where did I say anything about reducing the number of sensors?

If you have a four sensor setup and using them all in USB 3 then maybe you should try using the USB 2 extensions cables that came with the extra sensors. Plug 2 front sensors into the USB 3 card, plug the headset into the USB 3 on motherboard and then plug the two rears (using the USB 2 extension cables) into any spare USB ports on your motherboard.

And because motherboard USB ports are so variable, you might need to try a few different combinations. As an example in my last computer, all my USB 3 ports were compatible with the Rift, but, when I plugged the headset into one port it would not work, and if I plugged a sensor into another port I got tracking errors.

You say you can't troubleshoot, but there are lots of things you can do to try and source the problem.

USB 3.0 extension cables. If you are using these, one of them could be having issues. Is there anyway to plug the sensors directly into the computer without using the extension cables? Just for testing purposes.

You could plug in two sensors see how your tracking works, then try three sensors, then four. See when the tracking problems occur. Then try different combinations of sensors. See do you get the tracking errors when you plug in a specific sensor or does it only happen when you plug in the fourth sensor regardless of what order you plug them in.

You can either troubleshoot your problem and fix it, or live with it.