First VR Pictures From rFactor 2 Break Cover

[Paul Jeffrey]

Studio 397 have teased some images from the upcoming DX11 and VR update for rFactor 2, showing the game using a Virtual Reality headset for the very first time.

Revealed in a post on the official rFactor 2 Facebook page, Studio 397 have released the very first in game images from rFactor 2 making use of VR, further teasing fans keen to lay their hands on the update in the next few weeks.

Initially due to be released towards the end of the first quarter of 2017, Studio 397 recently announced a delay to the initial schedule as they work towards putting together a final push before a full public release, now scheduled May 2017. Understandably gamers are eager to see what the first major enhancement from the new developers of rFactor 2 have in store, and judging by the recent DX11 screenshots revealed so far it does look like fans are in line for a respectable improvement in the graphics delivered by the game.

DX11 is just the first step in a planned approached aimed at bringing rFactor 2 up to the level of it's sim racing rivals, with both virtual reality and a totally reimagined web based UI forming the most obvious changes to the title once it launches next month. With VR coming on stream rFactor 2 will finally join it's sim racing rivals Assetto Corsa, Project CARS and RaceRoom Racing Experience in making use of one of the latest technological advancements in modern PC gaming.

It remains to be seen how performance and quality will be affected but the DX11 and VR update, however with May fast approaching it will hopefully not be long until players can judge this for themselves...

rFactor 2 is a racing simulation exclusive to Windows PC.

Additional third party content can be downloaded from a variety of sources, one of which is the RaceDepartment rFactor 2 modding archive. Head over and check out the latest releases for the sim, or alternatively join in the discussion and keep up to date with the latest news at our rFactor 2 sub forum right here at RD. If downloading mods or keeping up to date with the latest news items aren't your thing, you can always sign up to one of our epic Club and League events using the software. We hold regular club racing events in our schedule, however the jewel in our crown is no doubt the RaceDepartment Le Mans Series. This is our premium endurance league using rFactor 2. Head over to the RDLMS forum to find out more!

Looking forward to trying rFactor 2 in DX11 and VR? Which cars do you think will offer the best VR experience in the game? Do you think DX11 will provide a significant improvement in the graphics of the title? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[RustyDriver00]

Two days ago I decided to give VR a try at my local kart track. It was running Assetto Corsa at the old Silverstone with the McLaren GT3 (weird combo, but ok haha). It was very very blurry and tough to pick up the correct lines for a few laps.
My question is: was this device poorly setup or is VR blurry like that? As someone who went to film school, it felt a bit odd. Is this something you just get used to? Or is the image better when you set up properly?

There's definitely some settings you can play with to improve the experience and to date for me iRacing seems to be the best visually for minimal blurriness (not sure why that is). Setting the correct eye width (IDP) seems to have a big impact too. AC this morning was still a bit blurry to me but it's seems getting the headset to sit right helps that. Text is my main difficulty, but it's funny in doom 3 it's perfect.

Paul has a great couple of articles on VR, if you haven't read them I'd highly recommend it.

 

[Cote Dazur]

That's what I was wondering. As a non-VR user, is there any "normal" screenshot that can communicate what the VR experience will actually look like? I couldn't see anything in the VR shots above to get excited or disappointed about. They just look like stereo versions of normal rF2 screen shots. And a yellow-green sunlight that is a bit odd compared to what we have now. Am I missing something about the pointlessness of VR screen shots?

Marc, you are right, a static 2D image on a flat screen cannot show what it is like when wearing VR goggles.
Wearing the goggles place you in the game, it is a you are there experience, everything is in 3D, like in reality, so much so that you cannot prevent yourself from trying to reach for stuff with your hands. When you move your head the all environment changes. No picture or video on a flat screen can ever give an idea of what it feels like.
It is so immersive than once you accept and forget about the lower resolution, not playing or driving in VR loose almost all interest.

 

[Terry Rock]

Hopefully the studio has done something for the sky palette.
Overall, the sim runs great now on my new graphics card.
Previously, internal views were great but I'd experience some stutter during exterior ones.
That's all gone now.
I still have a God-awful time figuring out the direction change of upcoming corners on most default tracks, if I.m not familiar with the layout.
The close-up track surface and surrounding image lighting (as seen from the cockpit) is great, but as you look off in the distance it gets very difficult to discern.
AMS, using an older engine is much better in this regard.
I'm not sure why, but I think it may be down to lighting above.

 

[2stains]

Yeah definitely, that should solve your crashing issue, it runs in windowed bordless, it has no impact on view or performance. I run pretty much all seems in windowed bordless as I find I always need to alt tab to something else

Does windowed mode allow v-sync ? because no matter what i do i cant get rF2 to run as smooth without v-sync .

 

[Will Mazeo]

<snip>

@Jach

mod edit - This forum is English only, please no other languages. I have google translated the text and pasted below.

There is no ERS, then still significantly behind the AC. Not to mention the official version is not DX11 and VR, all-round backward AC

Now please make a list of stuff rF2 is simulating that AC is not even dreaming + speed of tire calculations. I'll wait.

 

[JPL083]

I don't disagree with your graphics criticism. Anyway when you state rF/rF2 doesn't have the best physics, I'd like to hear what has better physics. Every F1 team minus a few uses rF Pro as their simulator, even Ferrari moved to it a few years ago because their custom made simulator sucked. If rF physics were so bad, then why the heck are all F1 teams using them? Yes, rF Pro is much more customizable than rF/rF2, so they can run different modules in it, but it doesn't change the fact that at its core it's based on the ISI pMotor code. Nobody can say how much better or worse it is than rF2, but rF2 is the closest to rF Pro that we have got...

I know some people that have driven RF2 and they say its not right, all those are under 18-years old. Every one who says its the best are over 18, and driven real cars, on road and track. This is the problem, People who have learned driving thru GT,AC,PC, and Fortzanator, are blamind that RF2 isnt good, and they go with the jump in and be a pro games like mentioned before. When driving a sim, all you hear is whining from youngsters... Because you just cannot always jump in and be the best without setting the car etc. Then when this said to them and pushed against the wall, they are defending themselfs by blaming the looks of it. Biggest sad thing about this is that companyes usually always go after the sales only, and sales are where the kids are. Therefore actual sim-players doesnt have much these days, who knows something about driving cars. RF2 is doing that fortunately on race track. And i hope that the upcoming GRally does the job on the rally-side! One thing also! I think there should be a pricetag big enough to cut out most of the kids from actual sims, and let the true audience enjoy them. Like when you go to buy a special Ferrari, not just anyone can get it...

 

[FernandoAFM]

One thing also! I think there should be a pricetag big enough to cut out most of the kids from actual sims, and let the true audience enjoy them. Like when you go to buy a special Ferrari, not just anyone can get it...

I disagree completely. It's already tough enough to get people into sim racing. Imagine if you raise the price.
If one thing, real sims should be easier to access. As in: bought a racing wheel? Here's a free copy of either rFactor 2, AC or 6-month iRacing pass for you. Like the old days.
We need more players learning to enjoy sims, not less.

 

[Fanapryde]

... As in: bought a racing wheel? Here's a free copy of either rFactor 2, AC or 6-month iRacing pass for you. Like the old days.

Jus recently FANATEC did just that, offering a free copy of AC.

 

[RustyDriver00]

Does windowed mode allow v-sync ? because no matter what i do i cant get rF2 to run as smooth without v-sync .

Yep, you can still run vsync.

Also as for the little screen freezes alot of people have been experiencing studio 397 is currently working with VEC to get them resolved, that and the driver swap issues.

Marcel really seems to be doing a great job at being involved with the community, it's great to see.

 

[2stains]

I know some people that have driven RF2 and they say its not right, all those are under 18-years old. Every one who says its the best are over 18, and driven real cars, on road and track. This is the problem, People who have learned driving thru GT,AC,PC, and Fortzanator, are blamind that RF2 isnt good, and they go with the jump in and be a pro games like mentioned before. When driving a sim, all you hear is whining from youngsters... Because you just cannot always jump in and be the best without setting the car etc. Then when this said to them and pushed against the wall, they are defending themselfs by blaming the looks of it. Biggest sad thing about this is that companyes usually always go after the sales only, and sales are where the kids are. Therefore actual sim-players doesnt have much these days, who knows something about driving cars. RF2 is doing that fortunately on race track. And i hope that the upcoming GRally does the job on the rally-side! One thing also! I think there should be a pricetag big enough to cut out most of the kids from actual sims, and let the true audience enjoy them. Like when you go to buy a special Ferrari, not just anyone can get it...

I'm going on 42 and i find graphics to be really important , next to physics . I have hundreds of hours in rF2 and love it but constantly get reminded that i'm playing a game by the lack of realistic graphics
I have a Fanatec CSW v2 with CSR Elite pedals , so i've got decent equipment and just recently got the URD JT5 mod and honestly they drive great but the cockpit graphics are pretty bad and that really kills the immersion .
I hope that the move to directx 11 can allow better graphics for cockpit cam .
And personally hope pCars 2 can actually deliver on physics this time round .lol
I don't really understand why people want pcars to do bad , come on , cant it be a good thing for another so called Sim to be coming out ? Imaging if somehow SMS managed to make a Sim that could actually rival rF2 for physics and tyre model and evolving track but with pCars 2 graphics .
Come all you Racing Sim Fanboy's , we are living in the best time for Sim racing with great things on the horizon (no forza) ,lets atleast hope for all upcoming games/Sims to actually play like we need .

 

[BungleGT3]

Two days ago I decided to give VR a try at my local kart track. It was running Assetto Corsa at the old Silverstone with the McLaren GT3 (weird combo, but ok haha). It was very very blurry and tough to pick up the correct lines for a few laps.
My question is: was this device poorly setup or is VR blurry like that? As someone who went to film school, it felt a bit odd. Is this something you just get used to? Or is the image better when you set up properly?

Did you wipe the lens? It can get really steamy if multiple people use it, honestly i dont find vr in the rift blurry at all, you just need to have it on your head properly. You move it up and down and move the lens slider until the image is clear then tighten it up. Honestly im quite a reserved bloke but i thibk its the most incredible technology i have experienced in gaming. I use it every day and it still blows my mind.

 

[dBronco]

I disagree completely. It's already tough enough to get people into sim racing. Imagine if you raise the price.
If one thing, real sims should be easier to access. As in: bought a racing wheel? Here's a free copy of either rFactor 2, AC or 6-month iRacing pass for you. Like the old days.
We need more players learning to enjoy sims, not less.

Partly correct ...BUT.. we need more Sim Racer and not 'players' who ruin your race with her little sticky fingers and disappear in anonymity

 

[Boby Kim]

I wonder how many peeps will buy VR for rF2

 

[John-Eric Saxén]

I hope that the move to directx 11 can allow better graphics for cockpit cam .
And personally hope pCars 2 can actually deliver on physics this time round .lol

If by cockpit graphics you mean the cockpit panel itself and the car interior, then no, DX 11 won't make it better. People have a misconception that DX11 somehow improves graphics quality globally, while all it does is allow some new effects to be implemented and better performance to be squeezed out. The cockpit will still look the same until they update the cockpit 3D model (polygons, materials, shaders) itself. Reason why cockpits looks bad is because most of the cars in rF2 are outdated when considering that the majority were built between years 2012 and 2014 or even before that for the historics. The recently released Nissan GT500 for example was previewed already in 2013, so its car model dates back to those times. Same problem with AMS btw, lots of old car models and old cockpits, nothing which a graphics API update can solve.

 

[DaVeX↯]

Same problem with AMS btw, lots of old car models and old cockpits, nothing which a graphics API update can solve.

As far as I know they update them, specially shaders...

 

[2stains]

The recently released Nissan GT500 for example was previewed already in 2013, so its car model dates back to those times.

So i guess that applies to the URD JT5 mod also ? It was released this year ? I hope that Studio 397 will update what is needed to bring those things like car interiors up to date with interiors of something like AC .

 

[Bwana]

I agree with you, the studio is doing a good job so far, at least it doesn't look like the current version of rFactor 2, have to give them credit for that, I would also like to see videos or screen shots of rfactor 2 running with the sun in different positions and different times of the day as of right now, you can't tell if the sun is in front of you, behind you, or at the sides of you, left or right of you, this is also noticeable in Race Room, which also uses some elements of the Gmotor Engine, has stated in their game credits.
And yes I am looking forwards to the improvements Studio 397 will bring to rFactor2, but please kill the dark cockpits and dark areas of the game, where it doesn't make sense it being dark maybe a lighting limitation of their graphics engine, that even dx won't be able to fix.

Got a tip for you. go drive the game and set the time at anytime you want . then you will see . Instead of drawing all your conclusions from screen shots ,have a drive and see what your eye tells you.

 

[Bwana]

"roll on next month, when I can finally shut the hell up" Amen to that ..

 

[hitm4k3r]

And personally hope pCars 2 can actually deliver on physics this time round .lol
I don't really understand why people want pcars to do bad , come on , cant it be a good thing for another so called Sim to be coming out ? Imaging if somehow SMS managed to make a Sim that could actually rival rF2 for physics and tyre model and evolving track but with pCars 2 graphics .
Come all you Racing Sim Fanboy's , we are living in the best time for Sim racing with great things on the horizon (no forza) ,lets atleast hope for all upcoming games/Sims to actually play like we need .

I don't think, that people want PCars 2 to do bad. I guess - and that's more my personal POV about that topic - that some people are sceptical when it comes to physics developed by SMS and I will stay sceptical until I get my hands on it. I will certainly not buy it at full price and when it actually delivers on all aspects I will be positively surprised and enjoy the sim. What worries me a bit though is the amount of cars that they plan to release. When I see how long it takes to develop a single car like the BT44 for a very experienced physics dev for rF2 (granted the engine update slows stuff down a bit), I get very sceptical that PCars will deliver 170 cars with that physcics quality. Now some people might argue, that you can develop faster with more manpower and money. The problem is that experience and knowhow isn't something that you substitute with more people working physics. Anyway, let's wait and see how stuff turns out. There are some really interesting updates to come for all sims and there are a couple of new softwares coming.

 

[melanieuk]

There are some really interesting updates to come for all sims and there are a couple of new softwares coming.

Please do tell