What kind of monitor to buy? Triple screens, ultrawide or VR

[manuiniesta_14]

I want to update my monitor and I don't know whether to take a triple monitor at 165hz and 1ms 2k, ultrawide at 244hz and 1ms 2k or VR glasses. What do you think is the best option? It would help me a lot to buy it, thank you! If you choose an option, tell me the reason!

 

[blekenbleu]

• I already had monitors suitable for other purposes.
  • Even with 65" displays, awareness of close-focus
  • minor head movements provoke excessive changes in distant objects
• Getting VR working properly can be a hassle, particularly with eyeglasses.
  • much more immersive
  • visually more realistic sight lines
  • refresh > 90Hz not compelling for sim racing
  • not using VR for other games.

 

[mrexcitement71]

I have had 3 x 27" screens and now have a 49" Ultra wide and a HP G2 VR headset.

VR for immersion , nothing can beat it , feels like you are actually in the car but I prefer my 49" Ultra wide because it looks really good and the freedom of not having something on your face , VR can be uncomfortable in warm weather.
Not having bezels breaking up the image makes a big difference to me , the 49" is more immersive than triple screens.

 

[stigs2cousin]

I´ll again vote for the triples.

1. comfort, I often even despise to have to wear an audio headset.
( Stupid neighbors want to sleep at 0300)

I can drive for hours on end.

2. hassle, I`m not a computer guy and just want to drive.
(except for variing monitors "not waking up" and having to reboot the whole system at startup the tripples have been absolutely trouble free)


4.No inclination to get a special pair of glasses just for VR.

5.Fidelity. when driving with a friend ( he was using the Oculus) he couldn´t read his tank gauge?!?

6. mediocre PC, no funds to upgrade


Why tripples and not ultrawide:

my complete field of vison is filled, car movement is seen/ anticipated from peripheral vision.
In almost all cars I can see all three mirrors, that helps with situational awareness and immersion.
Just like driving my real car, to look into the mirror I move my eyes, not the whole head.

Bezels? what bezels, i can´t see any bezels
(well, thats mostly true. The left bezel is mostly covered by the A pillar,
the right bezel just does´nt bother me.
Bezel free kits seem to work ok, i just can´t be bothered.

If you can get the chance to try VR do it, maybe it´s the best thing ever for you, maybe you need a bucket fast.
Only one way to find out.

MFG Carsten

 

[Wmacky]

If I were going do monitors only with no VR, it would be triple 50" screens with bezel hiders. Rather than doing that I went for ultimate immersion with a HP Reverb, and added a 50" 4K TV as a secondary screen. It's not triples but as a backup for flat racing, it provides a large beautiful super rez view. It's more than good enough as a backup / setup screen

 

[blekenbleu]

using the Oculus) he couldn´t read his tank gauge?!?

True that, not great even with Odyssey+; solved by HP Reverb:
small sweet spot aside, resolution is comparable to screens.

 

[mrexcitement71]

If you haven't tried an Ultra wide then you don't know what you are missing , I too thought the same about the bezels when I had my triple setup but when I first fired up the Ultra wide after the triples I was like "oh wow" didn't realize how much the bezels break up the image and immersion.
If you drive open wheelers (all I drove) then the bezels are very noticeable but less so in a tin top.
My field of vision is completely filled by my Ultra wide at 60cm distance from my face.

 

[CRMS]

Samsung 49" 1440 ultrawide at 55cm brilliant.

 

[TheNatural]

i figured i would come in and give my two cents.

i had a setup with a SC2 Pro and valve index and i used it for close to 6 months. i am remaking my rig and i will not be going back to VR, i will be going with ultra-wide.

VR was very immersive and i am glad i experienced it, but i feel something gets lost when discussing rigs and that is that some people just want something easy to hop in and use. i completely understand that for some, a huge part of the hobby *is* the hardware and building the most immersive sim setup possible, but who gets lost in these discussions are the people who want ease of use and convivence.

for me, UW provides a really nice FOV while also allowing me to only use 1 output from my GPU, allowing me to use my normal desktop PC with multiple monitors.

the footprint of a rig using ultrawides is also much more manageable and minimalistic than a triples setup, you can make it very clean, and with a relatively small and clean footprint. i am not someone with a dedicated room for sim racing, i have always enjoyed having my rig in my living area where i do other gaming, so not having something that completely dominates and clutters the space is important to me.

compared to VR it's also nice to be able to just chill in the seat and relax between qualifying/practice/races or when you're testing out new things. i know a lot of users here with VR don't have a display at the ready in front of their rig, so this is something that can be frustrating and tedious when dialing in setting for a new sim.

i think triples and VR are amazing, but i think UW is a really nice compromise and is a really great option for a lot of people that get lost in some ultra-enthusiast spaces.

 

[Wmacky]

I certainly agree on the last point. If you are going VR, I feel it's important to have a decent additional monitor, for setup, general use, and for when you, or your guests don't feel like doing VR.

I do think UW are a great development. My only issue is that of limited size. I just prefer a larger screen, but I don't know if that would ever be possible in that form factor.

 

[dwightyone]

No brainer for me - triples all day long.

Had all the VR sets at one point: Yep it's good but VR nausea is a big thing for many people. Summer is a facial soggy sweatfest and it really can be - heat can be uncomfortable, foggy lens... For some, if you wear it for to long eye strains starts kicking in as does the headaches - but not for all. Steam VR can be troublesome whereas Oculus is much better but it's a "Facebook spies on your life" sorta thing going on. But yep if you like it and can live with it you may love the immersion.

Normal single screen: If you can avoid - Ultrawides better but triples give you soooo much more and are cheaper and better.

Triples: Best of both worlds above. I have 27 inch triples so awesomely immersive. I would imagine 50 inch screens being amazing and at that size and above I'm guessing it's like entering a car (if screens close enough) when getting into the rig.