VR versus triple-screen for Assetto Corsa

Billy Pilgrim · Feb 11, 2018

I have a triple-screen setup. It's great.

I've never tried VR. I'd like to read opinions from those who have experienced both to understand how the two options compare.

The downside of VR, I understand, is the screendoor effect. That's about the extent of my knowledge. I'm thinking fps may be better in VR.

Mascot · Mar 15, 2018

Brandon Wright said:
This is something I've not figured out yet. I seem to recall my AA was at 2X last night though so I'll try cranking it up a bit to see if that helps. Your paradise is my nightmare, I hate having to tinker with crap just to get it to work the way I want. Luckily I haven't had to do a whole lot of tinkering with VR, at least nothing I'd consider to be a pain.

Don't get me wrong, I hate this stuff as much as you do and I'm a VERY reluctant tweaker. This is 2018 and computers are supposed to be clever. I should just be able to press a button and know that I'm getting the best possible visual experience based on whatever car/track combo I'm using, number of cars on track, weather, time of day, and any other variables that you'd care to mention. And everything should scale to maintain 45fps/ASW or 90fps native, depending what I've already stipulated as my preference. We put a man on the moon almost fifty years ago using an abacus and a sundial yet we still have to put up with this nonsense? Bill gates has got a LOT to answer for, let me tell you.
/rant

Cote Dazur · Mar 15, 2018

^^^ , Valve is listening to you, they have a beta VR mode on steam that allows just that, it optimize the game for the GPU and VR goggles your are using. I posted the details on AC Forum yesterday.

Brandon Wright · Mar 15, 2018

Mascot said:
Don't get me wrong, I hate this stuff as much as you do and I'm a VERY reluctant tweaker. This is 2018 and computers are supposed to be clever. I should just be able to press a button and know that I'm getting the best possible visual experience based on whatever car/track combo I'm using, number of cars on track, weather, time of day, and any other variables that you'd care to mention. And everything should scale to maintain 45fps/ASW or 90fps native, depending what I've already stipulated as my preference. We put a man on the moon almost fifty years ago using an abacus and a sundial yet we still have to put up with this nonsense? Bill gates has got a LOT to answer for, let me tell you.
/rant

Well, I'm not quite that bothered by it and I'm a lot more comfortable with tinkering than I was a few years ago, but I'd still prefer to not have to. I guess that's a result of racing on consoles for a decade. I'm not really an AI user either so that helps me to be able to crank things up a little higher but also kinda gives me false results since my settings likely won't work well under all conditions (i.e. with 20 AI cars on the grid).

Steam has just released a new beta feature though that checks out your GPU and then automatically sets VR games to the best resolution and SS you can achieve with your hardware so that sounds like it will kind of do what you described. Not sure if it adjust other things like AA, world quality, craptacular rays, etc. though.

Mascot · Mar 15, 2018

Sorry Pimax, but I've had a brainwave and I think I've solved this whole screen door issue in VR headsets.

Know what's a bit like VR but doesn't suffer from SDE? Those stereoscopic photo-viewers from the 1970s. They used film format, so were like 4096k, which makes 4k sound a little inadequate, no?

Anyway, my invention: two super 8 film cameras mounted on a visor above each eye film your VR mirror (ideally a 4k monitor for best results). The reels then pass through a chemical bath before the developed film is fed through the sides of the visor and passes in front of your eyes for you to view. All you have to do is blink rapidly to strobe the moving images and Voila! No more screen door effect.

There might be a hint of lag but film-based VR has the be the future, right guys?

Guys..?

Dan Costa · Mar 15, 2018

Mascot said:
Do you need much AA in VR if you are running decent SS? I thought it's better to crank up the SS at the expense of AA? Might be wrong, VR is a tweaker's paradise.

In R3E setting the AA to 4x makes a huge quality improvement despite the SS you are setting.

(just remember to set the in-game 2D screen resolution to 720P or lower or your performance will tank)

bigbawmcgraw · Mar 15, 2018

Has anyone noticed an improvement in Oculus's ASW recently?
I've always kept graphics low to keep a steady 90fps but I was fiddling about and turned up some graphics settings and ASW kicked in and it was barely a noticeable difference. I used to know right away when it kicked in and couldn't play at all, but it seems to be much better now.
Has there been an update or am I just not as fussy anymore?

bondyboy · Mar 16, 2018

bigbawmcgraw said:
Has anyone noticed an improvement in Oculus's ASW recently?
I've always kept graphics low to keep a steady 90fps but I was fiddling about and turned up some graphics settings and ASW kicked in and it was barely a noticeable difference. I used to know right away when it kicked in and couldn't play at all, but it seems to be much better now.
Has there been an update or am I just not as fussy anymore?

With all the talk of poor image quality and SDE in the rift I've been reading here I was shocked when I fired it up after a long absence and couldn't see an issue, looked sweet to me. Not sure if actually had improved, or my impression of it had been lessened by all the hate I've been reading, or that I had forgotten how awesome VR is.

Tberg · Mar 16, 2018

bigbawmcgraw said:
Has anyone noticed an improvement in Oculus's ASW recently?
I've always kept graphics low to keep a steady 90fps but I was fiddling about and turned up some graphics settings and ASW kicked in and it was barely a noticeable difference. I used to know right away when it kicked in and couldn't play at all, but it seems to be much better now.
Has there been an update or am I just not as fussy anymore?

Yeah, I've noticed that a week or 2 ago, before the update that broke Oculus for a day.
ASW runs a lot smoother, much less artifacts on moving objects. The only place I really see articfacts is in the pits, reading the UI while moving the HMD, if the fps hasn't jumped up to 90 here.
I think these improvements came with update 1.23

Now you can turn back on ultra shadows again

Mascot · Mar 16, 2018

I was always a framerate whore in 2D and the slightest blip would drive me crazy, but (luckily!) I've never had an issue with ASW in VR. I keep it locked at 45fps and crank up the eye candy and never feel anything but fully immersed.

Insert Coin · Mar 16, 2018

Image quality in AC is best for me with SS at 1.5, AA 4x. All in game apps off for performance reasons. See this post for more info.

Brandon Wright · Mar 16, 2018

I honestly can't say I've ever noticed ASW kick in. I know that it has but I can't notice any difference when it does. Probably one of those ignorance is bliss things, I'm seeing it but just not aware of it so I don't notice it. I'm ok with that.

I'm usually rocking a pretty steady 90fps though.

bigbawmcgraw · Mar 17, 2018

Mascot said:
I was always a framerate whore in 2D and the slightest blip would drive me crazy, but (luckily!) I've never had an issue with ASW in VR. I keep it locked at 45fps and crank up the eye candy and never feel anything but fully immersed.

I tried this today and now I'm converted. Every graphics slider is at max and ASW locked to 45fps. What a difference!

Insert Coin · Mar 18, 2018

In Euro Truck Simulator I keep ASW on for performance resasons, but since it is a low paced game it is not a problem. In AC I can't stand ASW being on, it makes me a bit sick in the long run.

bigbawmcgraw · Mar 18, 2018

Insert Coin said:
In Euro Truck Simulator I keep ASW on for performance resasons, but since it is a low paced game it is not a problem. In AC I can't stand ASW being on, it makes me a bit sick in the long run.

I'm not trying to start an argument, but when did you last try with ASW on?
I used to hate it too but tried again a couple of days ago and it's much better than it was before, which made me wonder if there had been an update to it or I can just see past it now.

bondyboy · Mar 19, 2018

bigbawmcgraw said:
I'm not trying to start an argument, but when did you last try with ASW on?
I used to hate it too but tried again a couple of days ago and it's much better than it was before, which made me wonder if there had been an update to it or I can just see past it now.

Looks like I'll have to try it again, previous experience was just after the Porsche Packs were released - the 917K on Monza banking was so much of a handful I wanted to record it, this meant ASW kicked in but I wasn't able to get it around the banking after 3 attempts at 45fps, switched off the recording and with 90fps I was able to drive again

It was never a comfort issue for me, just how badly it affected my driving

bigbawmcgraw · Mar 19, 2018

bondyboy said:
Looks like I'll have to try it again, previous experience was just after the Porsche Packs were released - the 917K on Monza banking was so much of a handful I wanted to record it, this meant ASW kicked in but I wasn't able to get it around the banking after 3 attempts at 45fps, switched off the recording and with 90fps I was able to drive again

It was never a comfort issue for me, just how badly it affected my driving

Try it with ASW locked on 45fps. There's usually some stuttering when it transitions from 90fps to 45fps and back again. Locking it to 45 there's no stuttering.

fortress · Mar 29, 2018

hi guys!! Any of you tried the VR with a motion cockpit??? I currently use a simxperience stage 2 with 3 monitors settings. I was wondering, the feeling of the VR + a motion cockpit?? Do you feel the G ??

i remember the first time i tried my motion cockpit, i could feel the G while accelerating!! i dont feel it anymore but i assume, with the rift, that feeling could be back.!!

Cote Dazur · Mar 29, 2018

fortress said:
hi guys!! Any of you tried the VR with a motion cockpit??? I currently use a simxperience stage 2 with 3 monitors settings. I was wondering, the feeling of the VR + a motion cockpit?? Do you feel the G ?? i remember the first time i tried my motion cockpit, i could feel the G while accelerating!! i dont feel it anymore but i assume, with the rift, that feeling could be back.!!

Why are you not feeling the G’s anymore?

fortress · Mar 29, 2018

Cote Dazur said:
Why are you not feeling the G’s anymore?

(Sorry for my english, its not my native language)

What i mean is after a couple of hours of playing with a motion cockpit, your body adjust and know this isnt real

if you understand what i mean. I suppose its the same as going in the same roller coaster again and again, after a while, you dont have the same sensation??! i'm sure that feeling will come back with a VR headset and i'm curious about it. ONe thing is sure, i can't play a racing game anymore without a motion cockpit!!

Cote Dazur · Mar 29, 2018

fortress said:
(Sorry for my english, its not my native language)

What i mean is after a couple of hours of playing with a motion cockpit, your body adjust and know this isnt real if you understand what i mean. I suppose its the same as going in the same roller coaster again and again, after a while, you dont have the same sensation??! i'm sure that feeling will come back with a VR headset and i'm curious about it. ONe thing is sure, i can't play a racing game anymore without a motion cockpit!!

English is not my first language either, no worries.

Interesting comment on the perception of g's getting less as you are getting accustomed to the movements of your cockpit motion rig. All I have is a butkicker with SRW software attached to my driving seat simulating suspension movements. All I can say is that the effect is much more convincing when in VR than when looking at the screen.
I am the same as you, I cannot drive in a SIM without VR and feel immersed anymore.
I am planning Motion as my next step.