To VR, or not to VR. That is the question.

  • I find myself having to build a new PC and am planning on components that should be good for games coming down the road (but affordable for an old retiree). I really like FS2, especially for the low, slow VFR experience. So this morning I get this wild thought: Would it be possible to go VR now? Can it be affordable (as in "selling it to wife.") Is it worth it? What brands seem to be well thought of? A lot of VR commenters here seem to really like it, while others seem to have tech issues.

    I’d appreciate any VR recommendations/lesson learned/etc. you experienced VR folks would like to pass along. Especially like to know approx cost range to get a VR set up that works well enough.

    If it helps, my new system specs include: MSI B450 mobo, AMD RYZEN 5 3600 CPU (3.6 to 4.2 GHz), Radeon RX-580 GPU (8gb VRAM), 16gb G.Skill DDR4 3200, 512gb SSD.

    Thanks for any thoughts!

  • Well for me I think I feel too old at 68 to worry about VR, so age for you might be a factor too? I have tried most new things over the years (including getting one of those new fangled 8 bit Sony MSX computers back in 1984 :) ) but VR .... not for me. Maybe a Buttkicker might be more interesting for you. I find it certainly adds realism especially with one of those rattly older planes.

  • I find myself having to build a new PC and am planning on components that should be good for games coming down the road (but affordable for an old retiree). I really like FS2, especially for the low, slow VFR experience. So this morning I get this wild thought: Would it be possible to go VR now? Can it be affordable (as in "selling it to wife.") Is it worth it? What brands seem to be well thought of? A lot of VR commenters here seem to really like it, while others seem to have tech issues.

    I’d appreciate any VR recommendations/lesson learned/etc. you experienced VR folks would like to pass along. Especially like to know approx cost range to get a VR set up that works well enough.

    If it helps, my new system specs include: MSI B450 mobo, AMD RYZEN 5 3600 CPU (3.6 to 4.2 GHz), Radeon RX-580 GPU (8gb VRAM), 16gb G.Skill DDR4 3200, 512gb SSD.

    Thanks for any thoughts!

    I have three VR HMD , Vive pro, Samsung Odyssey and a HP Reverb V2 . For Flight sims the Reverb is magnificent , easy to use easy to setup and 1/3 price of the Vive Pro. The Pro is good for FPS typ games as you need to move around the room . Go for VR its about 500 Pounds for you guys and well worth it.

  • VR is amazing. It really is a huge leap forward in terms of immersion. Your brain is fooled that you're right there, sitting in the cockpit. Certainly for me, once I tried VR there was no going back to 2D gaming.

    For an all round great headset I'd recommend the Rift S. It's easy to set up, no trackers to mount on walls, cost is pretty good at £399 (if you can find stock). The resolution is also good for the price. I use mine for non-simulation games that need good controller tracking.

    The HP Reverb is the current king of resolution (and hence image clarity), but it's currently about to be replaced by a G2 version. If you can find any stores off-loading stock it could be worth consideration. I wouldn't pay full retail right now. I got mine for £460 on Black Friday

    Lastly, budget options. You sometimes see the Samsung Odyssey+ in sales or available used. There's also the original Oculus Rift, but check that the cable is in good condition as you can't get replacements.

    Unfortunately though, with worldwide lockdowns prices of new and used tech have shot up, making the Oculus retail pricing look pretty attractive.

    AeroScenery - Easily create photoreal scenery for Aerofly

  • Well for me I think I feel too old at 68 to worry about VR, so age for you might be a factor too? I have tried most new things over the years (including getting one of those new fangled 8 bit Sony MSX computers back in 1984 :) ) but VR .... not for me. Maybe a Buttkicker might be more interesting for you. I find it certainly adds realism especially with one of those rattly older planes.

    This makes me sad to read that a 68 year old man says he might be too old to try something new. I hope your buttkicker wakes you up. I am 63 btw.

    Regards,

    Thomas

    i7-14700KF @ 5.6 GHz, Geforce RTX 4090, 32MB RAM, 1TB SSD M.2, 1TB SSD M.2, 2TB SSD M.2, 32" Monitor 4K, Pimax Crystal

  • This makes me sad to read that a 68 year old man says he might be too old to try something new. I hope your buttkicker wakes you up. I am 63 btw.

    With you. I'm going on 72 and just investigating VR, and I've been dawdling with flight sims since 1984 and the old ATP sim. Looking for better ways of seeing what I've missed, then catching up!

  • Goes like this

    Buy VR headset....download a 360 vid (scuba ones are great).... show wife and she thinks "this is fantastic".. wife converted...problem solved...

    I'm also 63 and VR is the only way to go, as has been said previously.. 3 minutes and your hooked..VFR flight great, space sims mind blowing, carrier landings are scary and in-flight re-fueling impossible. A lot of good sims out there to show off VR and FS2 joint top so no worries there.

    Take the leap you will not regret it...may feel sick to begin with but it gets easier the more you use it

  • Hi all

    100% VR if its not VR its not worth playing.

    Im runing own built Pc- i7 9700, Nvidia 1070, 16GB Ram, PS4 VR on Trinus VR on Steam VR platform.

    Love it.

    Aerofly2 on ultra settings

    I know I should have oculus rift s and a Nvidia 2080 but I will as Santa Claus for them this year😉

    Im a big fan of VR I think 2D is boring even xxx vids lol. Only games that are not needed in VR are games like GTA and simular. All first person shooter and Simulations should all be VR by now.

    Made this video in VR😁

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  • G8tr, if you like flight sims, you need to find a way to transition to VR. Budget roughly $2,000 - VR systems work better with great graphics cards.

    If you have to build a new PC now but $2,000 is too steep, either a) get the VR headset now with an average graphics card, then upgrade it during the holidays, or b) build a strong PC now and get the VR headset during the holidays.

    Either way, I think you'll need more SSD space for your flight sims but a second SSD can be added later.

  • I'm 57 and new to VR.

    My recommendation? Go for it.

    First thing I tried in VR when it arrived was AF2 and I've never looked back. My mouth literally dropped open in amazement when I first tried it and I still get a massive buzz from it. 2D on monitors seems so old fashioned to me now lol. Totally immersive in a way you have to experience to appreciate.

    And as a bonus, I can now fly a helo, which I could never ever manage in non-VR :)


    As another bonus, you get to play with other cool stuff like Half Life: Alyx, Google Earth in VR and a ton of other stuff.

    Using a Rift-S. With AF2 the performance is amazing. Other sims have more features, but you just can't beat the fluidity of AF2 and that really pays off in VR. If you get a chance, try VR in an area with lots of skyscrapers (like the Meigs add-on) in the R22. It's an absolute blast!

  • No SSD here, loading times are acceptable, and with my second hand PC and Lenovo Explorer VR is possible with a small budget for 600 euro....(350 PC, 250 VR)

    Regards,

    Peter Splinter

    i5-7400@3,4 GHz, 16GB RAM, GTX 1660 Super, Pico 4, Quest 2 , 'Vintage' Pro Flight Trainer, X52 Pro, VKB pedals

  • Great responses so far! Thanks. Most systems aren't available to buy just now, so I have time to finish my new pc build, tweak it, then see if I can persuade Mrs. Santa for something like the Rift S, or whatever is coming out around Black Friday with similar capabilities and reasonable price point.

  • HP Reverb with 2160x2160 resolution for each eye is great for simulation, but higher resolution needs more computing power.

    A friend of mine has one and the difference to the 1440x1440 resolution of my headset is enormous.

    Oculus has the most user friendly software but the resolution of their headsets is not that good....

    A graphics card with at least 6GB or more video RAM is needed for dense scenery like Paris or the Netherlands.

    Regards,

    Peter Splinter

    i5-7400@3,4 GHz, 16GB RAM, GTX 1660 Super, Pico 4, Quest 2 , 'Vintage' Pro Flight Trainer, X52 Pro, VKB pedals