VR in sim car racing...

[5-Card-Major]

To improve the sim car racing experience, would a VR headset be an alternative to getting a large, wide screen monitor? Andrew already told me *yes*. I barely know anything about this technology.

And is this a good starting point article?

Best VR Headset For Sim Racing (2021) | Smart Glasses Hub

Seeing you here reading this article, chances are you are a racing enthusiast. You most probably already own a PC gaming rig and a racing…

smartglasseshub.com

 

[Deleted member 197115]

We had a thread on that not long back.

What is the best VR headset for AC, AMS2, PC2 or Iracing

I looking at making the step to Vr for my sim rig. I got an i7-9700k CPU and a gtx 1660 GPU so I know I can handle most headsets. What is best for long sessions and the best viewing? I have been looking at the valve index, Rifts S, and the Quest. can any one help?

www.racedepartment.com

My recommendation is to probably wait for Reverb G2 and whatever other if any headsets pop up at the time of its release (which is this fall).
There are also people that are just not VR material, no matter how hard they try, most likely you will hear from those too.

 

[Mikey C]

I picked up an 'Oculus Rift S' 6 months ago and I've never looked back (previously I was running X3 LG ultra wide monitors @ 60hz).
Cons = There is a big drop in visual quality compared to monitors, distant objects are a little blurry.
Pros = In my opinion, the depth perception in 3D and massively increased immersion far out weigh the cons.

The HP Reverb G2 is due out in the fall, it looks like it could be a great headset at a reasonable price, if u live in the US, get you pre order in now!!!

 

[OurManInTangier]

The technical side of VR, the power of your PC and the tinkering with settings to find a good compromise between fps and visuals, can be two of the bigger negatives of VR for me - I’ve never suffered from any nausea so don’t include that personally but it should be taken into account.

With that said, I rarely play any games that aren’t VR supported now. Whether it’s flight sims, space sims or race sims the sheer level of immersion and depth perception is astonishing and easily outweighs any drop on graphic quality. Also once you’ve got your settings sorted you don’t really need to revisit them so it’s just the initial set up.

Before I bought my Odyssey, and having never tried VR beforehand*, I was wondering if the drop would be excessive and an issue. Frankly I was surprised at how good it was even with the 1070 I had running on my i7 6700. After upgrading earlier this year to a 2080Ti with the i9 9900KS I’ve been thinking it may be time to upgrade the HMD to the Reverb 2, although the IPD may be an issue as I’m in the 69/70 range, to give the visuals a boost.

*With the expense involved in VR I’d always recommend trying before you buy if you can. It can be a large outlay if upgrades are needed if you then find you suffer from really bad nausea - I got lucky.

 

[mechsicko]

Pancake gaming, especially simming has been dead to me since I first got my CV1. I have an Index now, and eagerly look forward to checking out G2 as it looks pretty rad so far. If it weren't so close to coming out I'd recommend Index but it might be outclassed for less money so it's a wait-and-see moment.

If you're just trying to figure out if it's worth your while or not in the meantime maybe pick up a Rift S as it's the best bang-for the buck and you'll be able to answer the question yourself without spending large sums. If it doesn't make you nauseous VR > monitor(s) is a no brainer imo

 

[Deleted member 197115]

I’ve been thinking it may be time to upgrade the HMD to the Reverb 2, although the IPD may be an issue as I’m in the 69/70 range, to give the visuals a boost.

Reverb G2 features physical IPD adjustment.

 

[Cote Dazur]

VR brings immersion to a complete different level, you are not watching some video feed on a screen in 2 dimensions anymore, you are sitting in a car, you are at the track, everything is the right proportion, you are looking at everything in 3 dimensions, you can even step out of the car, admire the environment, watch the other car drive by or even walk around your car, all of it in 1/1 scale.
No it is not perfect, but the giant step in immersion is worth any efforts and then some.
You don’t need to go all in, start with a used CV1, that will get you started and give you access to virtual reality. sIM racing is the perfect application for VR. Later when you feel like it you can upgrade to a better headset, that is if you feel like it. I have a CV1 and drive often a few hours everyday without feeling I am missing anything and enjoying every minute.
The only thing you are risking regretting is not to have done the move sooner.

 

[OurManInTangier]

Reverb G2 features physical IPD adjustment.

That’s great news, well maybe not for my wallet. I‘m not sure what I’ve read to make me think otherwise but very happy to be wrong.

 

[Elaphe]

For me VR is the present and future of simulation. I understand that some people may no like it because the headset is a bit bulky and hot, or maybe because the image quaility is not as crisp as on a monitor, or maybe because the lack of FOV. However, I'm sure many try to convince themselves that they prefer 3 monitors simply because that's the setup they have, in which they have invested a lot of money, time and work. Actually, many users are not prepared for the idea of not being able to see their expensive and beutiful steering wheels, button boxes, digital screens, gauges, etc. all so full of buttons, labels, carbon fiber, etc. VR makes this conception of a cockpit somewhat useless and obsolete. You are no longer limited because the virtual cockpit around you puts you in any car you want, so the simulation is not only in the way the car behaves or sounds, but also in how it looks. With 3 monitors you must setup your game without a visible steering wheel and your view of the cockpit is basically limited to the windshield. Many cars will simply look almost identical. With VR you see the whole interior of the car, even your body and your gloves. That's a very important advantage if you appreciate inmersion and driving a wide variety of cars.

 

[alfye20]

All that wonderful immersion is a double-edged sword. It goes to hell when you goes, with your face of amazement, to touch the starter button and you only touch the air at best.
Why do I want to see my feet if what im interested is 1000m ahead and only in the horizontal plane?

To fly I do not deny it, it is essential (if you do not fly competitively)

 

[TedBrosby-]

I main in VR with my Oculus Rift S, but a few things:
I don't get motion sick. I have world movement at 100 in AMS2 and don't feel sick at all.
I don't have space for triples. I live in Japan so I barely have room for one monitor.
I got into sim racing to substitute for physical world driving so VR is necessary for me because of immersion.
My IPD is almost perfect for current headsets (around 63 I think) so I was able to use the Rift S, if your IPD is much smaller or bigger, the Rift S doesn't have physical IPD adjustment so you might not enjoy it.
There's a drop in visual quality, especially in Assetto Corsa (Yes, I tried custom settings, I tried everything, it doesn't look as good as other sims. Regular AC looked the least bad though compared to ACC).
I wanted to play Half Life Alyx. This was pretty much the primary reason I bought my Rift S.

 

[5-Card-Major]

I use my reading glasses when I'm on the PC, whether I'm reading, web-surfing, or playing games. Two probs w/ glasses and VR... Discomfort and possible scratching of the lenses, right?

A few optical sites make prescription pop-in lenses for the headsets...
https://widmovr.com/ and https://vroptician.com/

Some VR sites say the key is how you see at a distance of about 6.5 feet. If you need your glasses for that distance, then you'll most likely need them for VR sim racing.

Anyone have experience with this?

 

[Deleted member 197115]

If you are farsighted, most likely you don't need glasses in VR.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

And a link explaining why and focal distances for some HMDs.

Do you even need to wear glasses with VR

We take a look at if users of virtual reality even need to use glasses with their headsets and what they can do to mitigate eye strain

www.vrbound.com

 

[5-Card-Major]

I need 2/2.5 diopter for close up, up to @ 3 feet. Watching TV in the BR, TV distance @ 7-8 feet I need 1.25 diopter. It's a PITA...

Oh, and what percentage of people can't use VR due to being nauseous? Some of my buddies can't play FPS games for that reason. Is the nausea from VR movement the same as the nausea some get from the FPS games? (That never bothered me.)

 

[TedBrosby-]

If you are farsighted, most likely you don't need glasses in VR.

This depends on your prescription. I'm a -2.75 which isn't considered to be "very" bad (some people have -9.0 or worse) and I need to wear glasses.
But it's a non-issue. The Oculus Rift S has enough space for me to slide it on with glasses and it doesn't scratch the lenses.
There's also a button you can hold under the Rift S to extend or shorten the focal distance. You can use aftermarket foam inserts to increase padding as well.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

This depends on your prescription. I'm a -2.75 which isn't considered to be "very" bad (some people have -9.0 or worse) and I need to wear glasses.
But it's a non-issue. The Oculus Rift S has enough space for me to slide it on with glasses and it doesn't scratch the lenses.
There's also a button you can hold under the Rift S to extend or shorten the focal distance. You can use aftermarket foam inserts to increase padding as well.

You have nearsightedness, different issue.

 

[ScreaminBejesus]

...
Anyone have experience with this?

Yes. I don’t wear glasses to read, at the computer, or around the house, but I do to drive and really notice correction beyond about 3 meters. It’s not terrible, but also needs astigmatism correction.

SPH-R: -0.75
CYL-R: -1.25
AXS-R: 93°
SPH-L: -1.00
CYL-L: -0.75
AXS-L: 73°

I’d been wearing contacts with my Valve Index since January and that helped, but was still not ideal. I ordered lenses from vroptician and they’ve made a world of difference in terms of enhanced acuity and reduced eye strain.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Yes. I don’t wear glasses to read, at the computer, or around the house, but I do to drive and really notice correction beyond about 3 meters. It’s not terrible, but also needs astigmatism correction.

SPH-R: -0.75
CYL-R: -1.25
AXS-R: 93°
SPH-L: -1.00
CYL-L: -0.75
AXS-L: 73°

I’d been wearing contacts with my Valve Index since January and that helped, but was still not ideal. I ordered lenses from vroptician and they’ve made a world of difference in terms of enhanced acuity and reduced eye strain.

Astigmatism is a very different category so even though you are just mildly near sighted, your astigmatism looks noticeable and vertical.

I've got slight horizontal astigmatism and my toric contacts take care of it very well and until recently I had better than 20:20 corrected. Now I need reading glasses.

With the Valve Index using contacts has an advantage over glasses because you can adjust the lenses closer to your eyes for better FOV. However my son has prescription lenses for his Index so he doesn't need to wear glasses.

 

[metalnwood]

Anytime I want an upgrade to the index I hop in with some contacts, I cant believe how much clearer it is but I only put contacts in for sport and I dont wear my glasses in the index.

I still love it though, astigmatism is my main issue so it's not like I am blind, just things not as crisp.

I was trying out AMS2 the other day in VR and had a moment in VR that I had not had for quite some time, I have been racing in VR since early dk2 days.. I noticed right away in ams2 that the driver had the same red sparco gloves I had.

After a few laps around bathurst I go around T1 and down the straight. Finally give my fingers a rest and a little stretch. Right at that moment the hand in AMS does the same thing and I got a holy **** WTF just happened moment lol. It was just the timing coincidence/ completely random and not being used to any other sim I use having the same hand gesture in game. For that moment it was so real and then a little freaky until I realised it was just a big fluke it happened at the same time.

You will never get a feeling like that on a flat screen.