I've been following the Valve Index reddit with all the first impressions there and the biggest concern that I see is the FOV doesn't appear to be as game changing as most hoped for, and to achieve the FOV you have to pull the lenses as close to your eyeballs as possible. This could be a problem for some people, but who knows its still very early. I was going to jump all over the Index as soon as I could find one available in Canada, but now I may just fall back on the 5k+ for that FOV.
Looks like the verdict is in and Index is THE headset to own. There are posts in another thread from people using the Index in racing sims as high as 120 fps. So far exceeds expectations appears to be the common theme and the headphones/speakers work great!
You mean these impressions? Guess like with everything there will be happy and critical users, depending on expectations and VR background.
I guess I'm still waiting for this tech to level out. For me it's still too expensive and sounds like each setup has it's pros and cons. Then again, would I just be blown away by the immersion and not notice these professional views? (Only saying this as currently playing on an old HDTV from early 2000s meaning I have no real opinion on the clarity as its probably better than I'm used to...)
We all know that this stuff has a short half life, it has very little value very quickly. Unless this is disposal fun money that doesn't impact higher priorities in life it makes no sense at all. My last gaming computer is pretty well worthless. My 18 month old Rift with the left headphone wire mod to keep audio going will fail in a more permanent way at some point soon. I feel bad giving it to my daughter knowing that. Getting the latest greatest is a never-ending treadmill. I consider money flushed down the toilet whenever I get something like this.
You could say anything other than Bill's, roof over your head, clothes and food is a waste of money really... I like to think that if you work hard to provide that stuff first and foremost, you should be allowed to have a little fun with some things that are totally necessary. Also, I find that putting money aside and selling old tech to help fund new tech can keep your PC relatively recent and decent enough spec for sim racing
Don't get me wrong. I have a Valve Index ordered and I expect to enjoy it quite a bit. If the question is whether you have to spent $1000 for a headset to enjoy VR in Sim Racing, the answer is no. First of all, you could get an Index Headset and single base station and have enough to Sim Race. That's about $650, however you would not be able to play room scale games. The Rift S is probably the easiest to setup and easiest on your computer hardware and is priced at $400 for the whole system, but it doesn't have IPD adjustment if your IPD ( distance between your pupils ) is not near 64mm and the sound quality is OK, but not great. It would let you play room scale games. It also has better support for sim games. The Samsung Odyssey + can be found on sale for $300 for the whole system, but it appears WMR is being abandoned. Still it should be supported for sometime and if you only want a headset for playing sims it's an option that many are happy with. However be warned that your computer will need to be pretty decent for any of these. A very recent generation i5 or better and a 1080 or better. My recent computer upgrade cost me more than my Valve Index.
I'm just on a break from 45 minutes of hot lapping in Assetto Corsa on Zandvoort with the RSR2019 @120fps. It's amazing, there's no doubt it's the best HMD available right now.
I haven't tried the index yet but my 5k+ has totally drawn me back into sim racing. I have the DAS from my original vive, and a thick foam face gasket on it and comfort is no problem for me. I can run it at 72hz at pretty good/high settings with 120% SS on large FOV on my 1080ti without any extra smoothing. The clarity is good enough for me and I've gotten the colors and distortion (not much at all) in check. I'm very happy with it. I don't doubt the index is a bit clearer, and probably doesnt require as much tinkering, but I don't think I could give up the FOV or immersion. I don't find it lacking in clarity or SDE issues, so maybe it's a bit of don't look at the competiton and just enjoy it!
Has anyone made the jump from a Rift to either the Index or 5K+? I barely use my Rift anymore since I've got this 49" Ultrawide as the SDE/resolution just isn't getting it done anymore.
I've owned a CV1, Odyssey + and now the Valve Index which came in a few days ago. I'm only three days in, but I'll summarize my feedback below. Resolution: A great step up from anything else i've worn. On paper, the HP Reverb has it beat but this is a noticeable step up from the CV1 and a clarity improvement over the Odyssey which had a bit of a smeared effect due to how they tried to remove screen door effect. I'm all about crisp, clear picture and the Index delivers here. If you look, you can still see a bit of screen door but all the words on the dash are clear and I can read everything (well, except for ACC dashes but that's the UE4 engine). Colors are very good and seem more vibrant than the CV1 but not as overexposed as the OD+. FOV is improved over the rift, but it's not a massive jump. I noticed it mostly in the vertical space. Sound: This is a game changer for me. Sound is a big part and although the CV1 had passable audio, it never was great and the microphone was terrible. The speakers on the Index sit just off your ear and have great range but also allow a little sound to come through at low levels so your wife/kids don't scare the hell out of you. Comfort: Puts a little pressure on the upper bridge of my nose, but i'm still playing with the fit. I like the lens adjustability knob which lets you bring it closer/farther away from your eyes for maximum FOV. Sits well on the head and I can lean it against my race seat without any issues. It is warm, but so was the CV1 so it's hard for me to tell if its worse. Concerns: I think there are two concerns that I have at the moment. 1) You need some good hardware to run this thing. I have an i7-7700k and 1080 and I need a better GPU at the moment. It definitely requires top end hardware unless you want to run at minimal settings. 2) The software in WMR for motion smoothing (ASW equivalent) is good but not as good as Oculus. If you put the light houses on my rig under big jolts/bumps it throws off the headset tracking and causing a temporary gray screne and the smoothing just isn't as good when you drop frames. Will it get better? Maybe...but it's not as good as Oculus. EDIT: I'll add a couple more gripes. I have triple screens as well and switch back and forth depending upon the sim. It's a pain to switch now because this headset used a DP connection. Second, I wish there was an easier way to reduce audio volume. Oculus had a handy remote...no such easy option here.
Supposed to receive mine today will report back! Switching from a 35" ultrawide so a big step up (first vr headset)
Just paid for mine a bit late and can't wait for it! FYI, you are NOT supposed to mount Index base stations on a moving rig. I have my 2.0 base stations mounted diagonally left front corner, right rear corner. Absolutely can't wait to try out ALL of my games with it.
dont want to derail the thread but thanks for the heads up! ive been making my way through the sfx 100 thread but i need to give my wallet time to recover. Poor guy got knocked out pretty bad
The clarity, fov and decreased SDE from the rift to the 5k+ is massive. However there is still progress to be had on the SDE side. Its not your ultrawide.
I forget about SDE with the Pimax. I just don't see it like I used to with the Rift. Even then I got used to the Rift but I every now and then remember that SDE is a thing, try to look for it with the 5K+ and just don't really notice it at all. I don't think it's SDE that's stopping the HMD from being the Ultrawide, it's just that the picture will never be as sharp as a monitor, screen door or not.
I miss the immersion of the Rift but not the SDE and FoV. I'm in the middle of building a SFX-100 so I think I will hold off on getting another VR headset and see where they are late in the year. Can't say it hasn't been tempting though to buy a 5K+ and I do have an Index headset on reserve, lol.
