Oculus Rift S

In return for a favour repairing some damaged furniture at a friends house, he's given me his Oculus Rift S (he'd upgraded a month or two back to whatever the latest version is).

Now, I have never even seriously considered getting VR partly due to all the mentions of motion sickness plus all the effort I have expended on my sim rig, so this is a bolt out of the blue. I understand that I have to download the Oculus app, but I'd like some advice on getting started from anyone who has used this with AMS / AMS2 / AC / ACC

Anything I need to watch out for?

Les
 
Well, certainly an interesting day with this.

Let me just satrt by saying that Oculus really realy really are ***holes for mandating the use of facebook; I had to set up a complete new shell profile just for this, and even then it was not an easy task. I would say that it took an hour and a half to finally get an 'account' that would allow the VR set to work. I can see many reviews with similar issues, and I agree with a lot of them.

However it is a revelation once working; I get it now, there is so much more immersion and it is a completely new driving experience. I tried it to start with without having selected the NLR V3 settings for AMS2 so it was not activated, and within half a lap I had to bail due to almost immediate nausea.

Once I had finally got back to the desktop (more later) I activated the NLR V3 profile and went back in. This time the difference was incredibe, the motoion of he NLR V3 completely counteracts the nauseous feelings, plus of course adds even more to the immersion of the game.

Picking a line, braking point, spotting the apex, all is so so much easier. Even the catching of slides and oversteer moments is easier.

I'll admit it, I'm hooked. But..... it is one of those bittersweet moments. Firstly, the resolution. I can see the individual pixels, and stuff a way off is poorly defined, compared to a good monitor. I know that I can play around with settings to improve that, but the fact that especially in the sky or where there are constant areas of colour you can clearly see the pixels detracts quite a lot. There are VR devices out there with better resolutions which clearly go some way to addressing this, hopefully with time they will keep getting better. If I am going to invest in this going forwards, I will spend the most I possible can afford in order to do so.

I also am struggling with the fact that my old eyes have different strengths, and so far no matter how I set them I always have one eye giving a blurry image (I suppose that helps with the pixels...!). They are also a bit hot and sweaty while wearing the headset, although the current heat and humdity here in Budapest doesn't help that.

But let's not lose sight of the fact that I was given this set, so my 'complaints' would really only be valid for those spending the money themselves.

However there are some issues that are more problematic. In game, if you click 'exit' it takes a minute or so to go back to the previous menu, and the only way that I could exit AMS2 completely was to open task manager and click on end task. Starting the game doesn't seem to be affected but stopping and going back definitely is. Is that normal?

So to conclude, VR will definitely be the top of my list going forward, and I will be on the lookout for a hi-res set (wired or wireless, no preference) but what I won't do is buy a set that obliges me to use facebook. Oculus, you are out of the running with that, my money will probably go to one of your competitors.

Oh, and for those of you that suffer motion sickness, do try to check out VR with some kind of motion platorm; it resolved the sickness in an instant.

Les
 
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AMS 2 should just drop out on exiting the game normally, the only hang is when populating the multiplayer listing. Perhaps something to do with your motion platform, but make sure you are running on the Oculus runtime and not SteamVR.

Resolution wise the Rift S is at the lower end of what's available, a step above the first gen, but very much a 1.5 device compared to what's available now. In order of scale in resolution alone of what's current you'd be looking at Index, Quest2, HP Reverb G2, Vive Pro 2. There are several caveats to each of those beyond the native res, some personal, some physical in terms of field of view and how they display or stretch the image on the lens.

Personally i use a G2 a HMD that shines at having a monitor like resolution, and is comfortable to my narrow facial structure which negates the narrower field of view and distortion on the edges of the lenses. A problem a lot of people have with it on the stock face gasket which can be solved by looking at a 3rd party interface from the likes of VRCover.

A couple of warnings though, if you decide on a G2 or Vive Pro 2, they both require heavy horse power to reach the native res and performance in already demanding simulation games. There's plenty of guides here how to get the most out of what you've got, but in reality you want a top end I7 or Rizen with fast ram for all those physics, and a graphics card with as much video ram as possible to handle resolution upscale. Also sadly the VR community tends to be rather tribal, something to be aware of when looking at making decisions on a HMD beyond the borders of a gated sim community with a specific use case like those at RD.

Welcome to VR though, it reignites the fire if you ever lost it.
 
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It certainly has added another dimension to sim racing, although one aspect of that is messing up loads of things!

ACC seems pretty good, other than the drop in image quality compared to a good monitor, now that I have gone through all the different settings for arms, wheel etc etc

AC is virtually unplayable though; the image is massively over exposed, no matter what Sol or other mod setting I choose, plus it took about ten attempts to get the game to recognise the Fanatec controllers that were already set up for it. Strange, that one. Lastly, the HUD now doesn't display gear data, speed data, but the shift lights work fine.

AMS2 is now responding better to things, maybe it configured itself differently but I had to reconfigure the controller as well to start with.

Not sure if there are any aftermarket plugins for the Oculus for these games

Les
 
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With AC you'll want some post processing to reduce the brightness in general, i use the natural mod myself https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/natural-mod-filter.4551/, but there's probably more tailored solutions to Oculus i don't know about.

I do use Sol, but i've no answer to the god ray blinding sun bursts. ACC can be more problematic, there are guides here at RD to get the most out of it. Personally i lock it at 45 frames and ram it up to VR epic settings with a higher pixel density and sharping rate, on a G2 it looks as good as regular AC in VR but you'll need a 3090 (probably less on a rift S) to hold 45 frames.

AMS2 tends to be the best looker and performer on scale, almost photo realistic in the right circumstance maxed out on a G2.

There's probably somebody else that can help you with Oculus in general, i've never owned a device.
 
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Yeah u should prob lock fps and use asw when graphics r lacking.
for ac I had to turn down the brightness to 100 in content manager to make it playable. Then set the pp u like the most.
For acc u should head over the kunos forum and have a read. Either way u will want to download reshade and also look into this new fsr if only for ams2. I have both the rift and q2 and I prefer the rift s.
u should probably state your graphics card unless I missed it?

reshade link (steam vr required)

fsr

settings I copied in ac

as stated use csp and sol.
 
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Thanks for this

GPU is just a 1070ti, but the processor is an i9, with 32gb ddr4 ram. Framerate isn't an issue, presumably because of the relatively low resolution - it certainly is good enough to not be noticeable during any of the three games mentioned.

AMS2 is definitely the best though; both in terms of image quality and lack of issues now it has settled down. The only reason I'm not pounding round Monaco right now is that the GP is on!

Les
 
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I have an original Rift CV1, and I can concur that anything off in the distance looks poor at best. I still love the experience though. VR brings driving to a whole new level. :D

I own AC and ACC. I find AC looks a bit better in VR than ACC on my Rift when looking at anything far off in the distance. It's hard to describe, but I find ACC looks swimmy (bad anti-aliasing maybe).

As long as the framerates are a consistent and hitting 90fps, my VR legs are pretty good. I'll only feel a bit dizzy if I turn my head to look behind me.

If you have OpenVR as an option in the game settings, give that a try and see if it feels smoother for you. I found several cases where OpenVR worked better that OculusVR. Your results may vary.

I'm looking forward to the future gen of VR headsets. I wasn't planning to hold out this long, but with the cost of GPUs right now, it makes no financial sense to jump into new tech at the moment. So I'm going to hold out for something sporting a wide field of view, higher refresh rates, no screen door affect and zero god rays. Hopefully Valve will come out with a perfect Index 2 some day so that I don't have to give Facebook my money or my personal data. :p
 
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Another Oculus Rift S owner here. It's a nice headset, with some faults on the software side, such as the dependency on the Oculus Home and the controllers. It find the image good enough, although better resolution will always be welcome, as well as higher framerates and, over all, more FOV. However, all these together means higher hardware requirements, so I will not upgrade to a new headset until the 3080 or the 3080Ti have reasonable prices. I'm currently running AC with a 1080Ti and a modern i7 and the performance is fine. As regard motion sickness, I have never experienced it with AC. I happens with games where you move up and down, such as rally games or roller coasters. I must also say that a motion platform almost eliminates this problem.
 
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Last word for tonight - I have knocked chunks out of my laptimes today, crashed a lot less, and have blisters on my fingers from the amount of time I spent enjoing myself. AMS2 is definitely the best at the moment, and I can confirm that I am a convert.

It's going to be a painful wait for the good GPU prices to come down....

Les
 
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A curious thing I've noticed is that tracks seem smaller in VR; even though lap times are comparable (improved times aside), I found Brands Hatch, Spa, Montreal all seem to have shrunk somehow!

No complaints though, especially as I am now finding tracks I previously found uninspiring are a lot more engaging. I have come to the conclusion that I had convinced myself that VR was nowhere near ready, happily I was wrong.

I'm finding myself drawn to reviews of the HP G2, then looking disconsolately at my wallet. What have I unleashed?!

Les
 
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Haha yes I noticed the same, tracks smaller but car bigger. in acc it’s less noticeable but ac and rf2 it’s more obvious! Hold tight for newer technology, the rift s is fine for now. Plus u will need to upgrade pc so it won’t b cheap at all! Best to enjoy the new headset and follow the reviewers on YouTube. Even apple are entering vr but steam index 2 and Samsung will b worth looking at when they eventually release something.
 
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The G2 is a really big step up from the rift S. I couple points I note from your original post where it may help as well. You can get both eyes properly in focus. It may be because your IPD is not a good match for the fixed width of the rift S lenses. Only one eye can be in the sweetspot of thge lens at a time if your eyes are not in its design window. For most of us that means both eyes are both out a bit. For myself my eyes are too far out to be comfortable for too long. The G2 can adjust the width of the lenses to accomodate each person.

The second is that you have motiion. The rift S in my experience has the worst performance on a motion rig out of the ones I have used (cv1, rift s, index and G2)

This came down to it's halo design which essentially dangles the headset in front of you but does not secure it against your head like the other designs do. What it meant was that it vibrates a lot and the view through the lenses looks a lot more jumpy with motion than the other headsets. So it was a lot more distracting than other headsets using motion.

I have found AC works best in VR out of the titles you mentioned but I do have a number of mods for it. AMS2 I found hard to run 90fps all the time and I just never got ACC looking as good as the other games with higher resolution headsets.

I do love the things that the higher resolution headsets bring to the game like really being able to use all the information on the in car displays etc. HAving dash page rotary on my wheel mapped to that in game and getting all the information I need without lots of overlays and being able to read it all.
 
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Well, reality (and not of the virtual kind) has returned; Some update to the oculus software now means that every time I plug the unit in, I have to go through ten to fifteen minutes of setup, obliging me to set the play area etc, and going to the home 'screen', even if I disable the thing that gives protection. I have to watch those stupid videos every time, and I know what you are thinking - don't unplug the unit from the PC.

Well, I would like to do that, but after a couple of hours plugged in it refuses to recognise the unit anymore, citing a 'USB error', forcing me to disconnect and go through all the setup again. If it works, which many times it doesn't. Last night it came to a head when I couldn't get the setup completed no matter how hard I tried, so I simply gave up and walked away.

I'm convinced that VR is the way forward for me for sim racing, but I am equally conviced that Oculus will never receive a penny of my money. It's abundantly clear that they are more focused on getting data and manipulating the experience to their own ends that to actually provide a service to the customer. I am very glad I didn't pay for this unit, as despite the apparently low price, I would not pay it, preferring instead to go for a better definition headset from their competitors who don't lower their prices just to hook people into their ecosystem.

Looks like I will just have to be patient

Les
 
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Well, reality (and not of the virtual kind) has returned; Some update to the oculus software now means that every time I plug the unit in, I have to go through ten to fifteen minutes of setup, obliging me to set the play area etc, and going to the home 'screen', even if I disable the thing that gives protection. I have to watch those stupid videos every time, and I know what you are thinking - don't unplug the unit from the PC.

Well, I would like to do that, but after a couple of hours plugged in it refuses to recognise the unit anymore, citing a 'USB error', forcing me to disconnect and go through all the setup again. If it works, which many times it doesn't. Last night it came to a head when I couldn't get the setup completed no matter how hard I tried, so I simply gave up and walked away.

I'm convinced that VR is the way forward for me for sim racing, but I am equally conviced that Oculus will never receive a penny of my money. It's abundantly clear that they are more focused on getting data and manipulating the experience to their own ends that to actually provide a service to the customer. I am very glad I didn't pay for this unit, as despite the apparently low price, I would not pay it, preferring instead to go for a better definition headset from their competitors who don't lower their prices just to hook people into their ecosystem.

Looks like I will just have to be patient

Les
From what my teammates say, oculus software is a walk in the park compare to SteamVR or WIndowsMixed Reality. So brace for impact lol.
Whenever I´m asked to set my play area again, I just grab the controller, push the floor down and skip the next step, the one where you point to the gaming area to set limits; it has been ages since last time I did that.
Rift S user here.
For usb error, maybe the computer set the port to energy saving mode ¿¿??
 
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Thanks, I will have to check the USB settings - is that in BIOS or Windows?

As for Windows or Steam VR, I suppose I would be daft to think any of it would be easy! However as the likelihood of GPU availability and prices improving soon appear negligible, maybe that will buy time to get some improvements in

Cheers

Les
 
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Hi again all

Well, the friend that gifted me the Oculus Rift S has now got himself a new shiny 3080 card (didn't ask how much he paid for it) but his orphaned 3070 is up for grabs and I offered to buy it off him. As he came round to get me to help him install the 3080 plus a new 1000W PSU he left it with me and told me that he'd let me know what he wants for it later.

So of course I installed it in my rig straight away wondering what horrible price I'll have to pay for it - even second hand it must be pricey. However, I cranked up AMS2 and was utterly unimpressed. I turned up all the graphics settings, but I honestly cannot notice any difference from when I was using a 1070GTX. Now I appreciate that I did not do a direct back to back, and that there may be subtle improvements, but I really was expecting it to be more improved that it is.

So is it that the Oculus Rift S is unable to take advantage of the extra 3070 horsepower, knowing that the rest of the gaming rig is pretty good (i9, 32Gb, SSD etc.)? Or is there particular settings I have to dial in to make the changes more visible?

I realise that the 3070 will probably benefit me when I use hi-res monitors for my flight sim plus provide a degree of future proofing if I want to splash out for a G2 or Valve Index. But right now I am inderwhelmed by the difference it has made

Any thoughs welcome

Les
 
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The Rift S specs are roughly equivalent to a single 1440p monitor locked at 80fps. If your 1070ti could already achieve that, then you won't gain much by upgrading the GPU. Where the 3070 will shine is with additional eye candy or opting for a more demanding VR headset capable of a higher refresh rate and pixel count.

On that note the differences in-game between Medium and Ultra settings may not be that easy to spot, and you may have to look hard for it. The most noticeable but least obvious is probably the draw distance. An example is far away buildings that may not have been displayed so soon at the lower settings. Or maybe you could only see 20 cars simultaneously at lower settings, and at Ultra you might see 30 or more cars at once.

The best way to spot the differences is to take some screenshots or video, and do a back to back comparison. If it's just an eye candy test you're after, you can do that all on the 3070.
 
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Thanks

Interestingly the guy selling it came round last night for some drinks and we chatted about it. His reasoning for going for the 3070 originally was to improve his FS2020 experience, but he stated that in order to see the VR gauges he would have to physically move closer to them to read them. That triggered the replacement of the the Oulus Rift S with a Reverb G2, which eventually resulted him replacing the 3070 with the 3080 I installed for him yesterday.

His feedback on the 3080 is that with the G2 he went from around 27FPS to about 45, a pretty significant bump. That certainly justified the purchase of the 3080, but I also found his comments on the G2 very interesting.

He confimed the very small sweet spot and that getting the headset placed very accurately on his face is important. He also went for the aftermarket face gasket that places the lenses closer to his eyes citing the FOV issue quoted by many using the G2. However, he said that the difference in the experience from the Rift S was dramatic, calling it smoother, with seemingly better framerates, and that he no longer had to peer at the gauges, and detail at distance vastly better. He readily accepts that when you look sidewards with your eyes the image becomes blurry and that you have to learn to move your head.

So I accept that maybe I was over expecting on the 3070, but it also confirms my suspicions that a G2 (or whatever the forthcoming Valve index equivalent) will be gracing my rig sometime.

This is all certainly moving very fast!

Les
 
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My quick finding. I bought a g2 from a user here. Sold the quest 2 within the first week and the rift is also advertised. Amazing device. As stated earlier I’m on a 2070 super. The performance difference is quite amazing. More frames, more stability. The clarity is excellent. As for the sweet spot for me it isn’t that small and I use the standard fov gasket. I won’t change as I don’t link the pu leather against my face from my VRcover experience with the q2 masks. There is one for sale here at the min for 400 with no controllers. I’d say buy that just check about warranty length etc. I was always told about oculus stability etc but wmr and steam vr for me is excellent. I can run acc at higher res and lower pd for a stable 60fps and the blur is almost gone. I could not be happier with this headset. Also the sound solution is excellent and quite clear. Comfort is awesome. So much better than the q2 but equal to the rift s in comfort. Will I upgrade gpu, yes but I don’t need to in a hurry. Steam vr at 50% so I know I could have sooo much better but this is great!
Also reshade can increase any speed spot issues kinda. God rays I thought were an issue at the start but it’s all about angling the position of the headset for your face shape/eyes.
 
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