VR specific controls?

[Elaphe]

I have a button box and some controls next to my steering wheel. I'm redesigning the functions and labels of most of their buttons but I'm also considering using VR in the future and I wonder what specific controls I would need for that. Since I have never used VR, I have no idea what functions I could miss. I would use Dirt Rally and Assetto Corsa.

 

[Gaudin]

Maybe recentering the Headset, but otherwise, I have nothing mapped regarding VR in AC or DR - within the Content Manager there is a new function to map system commands, like restart race etc., so you don't have to reach for the mouse, in my case for the trackpad on the left of the wheel. Have not tried that yet, it's maybe useful if you struggle to reach the mouse.

 

[Elaphe]

What is centering the headset? I've heard it before but I don't know what it means. Apart from that, any other calibration or configuration tasks that are often needed when you are wearing the headset?

I know about the commands you mentioned. I already have them with a mod before Content Manager. I use a lot functions such as restart race, pause and retire.

 

[Gaudin]

simply putting you inside the car, in the seat - it can happen that you start up AC and you don't sit in your rig and the headset is lying around, so you end up outside the car. ctrl + space puts me in the right place (HTC vive)

 

[Ceolmor]

When you put the VR headset on and are in the car, often the view you have will not be straight. e.g. you look straight ahead but your view in VR is off to the left or right. Ctrl+space bar will centre the VR to the position of your VR view is 1:1 with your eyes.

So you will definitely want VR centering (Ctrl+space bar) mapped to a button on your wheel or button box.

There are not really any other VR adjustments or configurations that you would do in game.

But it can be helpful to map in-game functions or some keyboard functions to your wheel and button box which you can use while you have the VR headset on. Using your keyboard is almost impossible (unless you are a good touch typist) when you have the VR headset on.

In AC I have Exit mapped to a button on the wheel, so I can quickly pause when driving.

In DiRT Rally I do not use the mouse to navigate in-game. Instead, I have all the controls for navigating the game mapped to my wheel. This includes Enter, Esc, F1, F2, F3, F4, and the arrow buttons on the keyboard to move around the UI and menus. This enables me to control everything with the VR headset on.

In DiRT Rally I also have mapped to my button box the in-game controls for moving the seat so I can do this easily while sitting in the car with the VR headset on.

 

[Schnauzer Soeze]

I'm using VR and are going to build a button box, simply because trying to find the keyboard in VR in the first place is like fumbling around blind, not to mention finding the right key. It's nice to have some tactile buttons and toggles that you can recognize with your fingertips in VR. I would say map everything you need in game to the wheel and button box so you don't have to resort to using the keyboard.

 

[Elaphe]

Another question: do you have to put on the headset when you are alrady in the car, or can you put it on before, when the game loads and view and use the menus with it?

 

[Ceolmor]

Another question: do you have to put on the headset when you are alrady in the car, or can you put it on before, when the game loads and view and use the menus with it?

Depends on the game. In AC you set up everything on your monitor screen and only put on the headset when the car/track is loading. With DiRT Rally you can do everything with the headset on once the game starts.

 

[Schnauzer Soeze]

With the titles that fully support VR (both in menus and car) I usually put the headset on and then launch the game from my VR Home launcher. There's also a desktop available that is usable if I have to interact with non-VR applications or applications without full VR support.

Demo of the desktop:

 

[Elaphe]

And do you have to press any control or do anything like connect anything when you want to use the headset? Or how does the game know that you want to use the headset instead of the monitor?

 

[Schnauzer Soeze]

And do you have to press any control or do anything like connect anything when you want to use the headset? Or how does the game know that you want to use the headset instead of the monitor?

You start the game in VR mode or configure it inside the game (depending on title.)

 

[asteroulis]

Do yourself a favor and try using Voice Attack. I have mapped almost everything like a voice activated button box and it saved me.There are commands that you would prefer in your steering wheel of course (ABS+/- , TC , that ind of stuff). Butt really , it saves you from a lot of trouble.

 

[Elaphe]

I'm also studying the idea of a radial menu that works as an overlay that is supposed to be displayed even on fullscreen games. The idea is: press a button and hold it, move the steering wheel to select the desired option of the menu, release the button and the function is triggered.