Considering VR or maybe trackir

[Night0wl]

Currently using my logitech extreme 3d pro thumbstick to look around and it works alright but im really consider buying a oculus rift just think its a lot of money so maybe trackir is a better option?

[dburne]

Currently using my logitech extreme 3d pro thumbstick to look around and it works alright but im really consider buying a oculus rift just think its a lot of money so maybe trackir is a better option?

 

Big difference between the two - but if you have never used one, I am sure you would find the Track IR revolutionary as well. I used one, and loved it for many years before making the change to a Rift earlier this year.

[Kyco]

I'd never fly again without using VR! And with the current summer Oculus sale it's a bargain.

[dburne]

I'd never fly again without using VR! And with the current summer Oculus sale it's a bargain.

 

Agree I feel the same,  a lot may depend on the OP's system specs and hardware he has when considering VR. 

[Kyco]

FacetrackNior is a free option to face track using a webcam you could try out?

[SAG]

FacetrackNior is a free option to face track using a webcam you could try out?

 

 

Id say FacetrackNoir is unreliable and not very good. IMHO

 

If you want to try headtracking get OpenTrack (its free). youll need a webcam, a resistor and 3 Infra red LEDs. youll get something comparable with TrackIR for 5 dollars if youve already have the webcam.

 

I used OpenTrack (and Freetrack before that) for about 5 years before moving on to VR.

 

VR is awesome BTW and im not going back to a monitor. Ive become a much  better pilot just by having it, despite its drawbacks.

 

It is true what was stated above VR also raises the question: can your PC handle it?? if it does i'd go for VR (specially on this sale :D )

 

 

Hope this helped! 

[Night0wl]

Ill post specs soon, currently no access to my desktop fairly sure it can handle it but wouldnt mind upgrading it either

 

Leaning towards VR i think its probably really immersive

Edited August 17, 2017 by jann3man

[SAG]

Ill post specs soon, currently no access to my desktop fairly sure it can handle it but wouldnt mind upgrading it either

 

Leaning towards VR i think its probably really immersive

 

 

it is immersive indeed. my best sortie in 900+ hours on this sim have been was a couple of days ago in vr i smoked 3 planes and left another venting then landed, stood up too look around and see the holes on my wings :D

[SharpeXB]

It's an almost obvious tendency to consider TrackIR and Oculus in the same league of devices. Having tried both of them my impression is that they are just nothing alike. TrackIR allows you to interactively get a 6dof view point on a 2D screen. VR puts you IN the environment completely. That's a totally different experience.

Both are completely fine and offer different advantages and such. But to me they're not the same at all. My experience with VR is actually in my occupation and not gaming. I currently use TIR in sims.

[usrrku]

Let me be clear.  I love VR but I want you to have as much info as possible before investing.

 

As already mentioned before make sure your rig can handle it or you will get motion sickness.  There is a definite drop in graphics fidelity.  This has improved lately and having a computer with enough power to utilize super sampling will help a ton.  However, this generation of VR wont ever be very clear at a distance.  Try and get your hands on a VR Demo just to make sure graphics are not an issue for you.

 

 

I loved track IR when I first used it.  It REALLY improved my flight sim experience.  You will not be disappointed.  That being said. The immersion in VR has made me laugh out loud with how cool it is. Sometimes I will just sit in my cockpit for a while with the engine off just listening to the wind and explosions off in the distance.   The devs have done a good job with this games VR implementation. You just need to be willing to sacrifice the visuals a bit.

 

Outside of  IL-2, Elite and DCS the VR software selection can get pretty thin.  It appears that most development is coming out of indy studios and is just now starting to get its legs under it. Most of the best experiences for me are coming from games that were designed for regular gaming and then had VR added to them.

 

 

This is only my opinion and I hope I wasn't rambling.  Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will do my best to answer.

 

 

If $$$$ is not a big issue nowadays you could pick up a rift for pretty cheap and sell it for minimal loss or return it outright if it is not for you.

 

Cheers!

Edited August 17, 2017 by usrrku

[Rolling_Thunder]

The immersion of VR is incomparable. With Trackir i always found myself trying to look beyond the edges of my monitor. With VR there are no edges. There are no boundaries in the game. You are inside your monitor not looking from the outside at your monitor if that makes sense. However the resolution for spotting is an issue. Im working hard on that and i'm improving slowly. For the "experience" VR for "eye candy" Trackir. If you can afford it i highly recommend VR.

[LLv24_Zami]

The immersion of VR is incomparable. With Trackir i always found myself trying to look beyond the edges of my monitor. With VR there are no edges. There are no boundaries in the game. You are inside your monitor not looking from the outside at your monitor if that makes sense. However the resolution for spotting is an issue. Im working hard on that and i'm improving slowly. For the "experience" VR for "eye candy" Trackir. If you can afford it i highly recommend VR.

Well said.

 

Resolution was too big issue for me, so I dropped VR for the time being. I appreciate eye candy and clear picture too much obviously. When resolution improves, I'm back in VR immediately. I have been considering getting Pimax 4k but bit unsure if it improves the situation enough.

[chiliwili69]

I used TIR in ROF and also with BoS at the very beginning. Then I tried VR with DK1/DK2 and I put my track IR in a box (it is still there).

With all my respect to the TIR users, I think TIR is a fake and not natural thing.

 

If you have been playing in a FullHD monitor, move to VR will be an easy step.

If you have been playing at 2K/4K you will miss some resolution in VR. So you need to balance what you prefer INMERSION or 4K resolution.

 

From the 130 people who tried VR in BOS, I only know two (Zami, SharpeXB) that back to the monitor.

 

My advice, if you can afford a Rift and the required PC & HOTAS, don´t doubt.

[dingdingchavez]

Trackir is truly a huge leap forward from where you're at now.

 

If you think the Rift is still a lot of money after the price cut then you're probably better off holding back.

[Field-Ops]

TrackIR has a lot more games that support it at this moment (except VR Exclusives). Id say TrackIR first then VR later. I bought the Rift but find myself going back to IR because of being able to use max settings in IR, but having to dumb down graphics for VR, which leads to spotting issues. 

[Danziger]

I myself was never able to get facetracknoir to even work properly. However after all of the rave reviews virtual reality gets I am saving my rubles for a next generation virtual reality machine and some big PC upgrades.

[-TBC-AeroAce]

For me it is not a question of one or the other, they both have advantages and disadvantages. VR is very immersive but the resolution is a problem meaning that you will have problems with spotting small details. I think personally that VR is only competitive with icons ATM but if you just want to fly around and feel like you are really there it is better than TIR.

 

TIR is less immersive but provides a seem less tracking solution that is the most competitive as you are using your monitor at full resolution.

 

Also there is the high cost of VR compared to TIR (maybe 4 to 5 times more).

 

Personally I would have both, TIR for being competitive and VR for the experience.

 

PS u can build your own TIR if you can solder a couple of LEDs together for about 20 dollars or less if you can be bothered

[Bilbosmeggins]

I have owned both, and have nothing but fond memories of my TrackIR.  But, after using VR, I could never go back to it.  The difference between being IN the plane, and having the full sense of height, speed and scale, and absolute immersion, compared to being an outsider looking in with a flat screen, is huge.  When you are under fire, you almost feel the tracers going over and around you, it is awesome.  Even raising the canopy removes that slight sense of claustrophobia that you hadn't really noticed before, but suddenly it's as if you can breathe properly in the cold, fresh air.  Landings are better judged when you have a true sense of height too, and you can actually sense the ground coming up to meet you.  

 

As others have stated, yes you do lose some graphical fidelity.  There's no escape from that.  But the sensation of existing IN the IL2 world via VR is phenomenal.  If your rig can handle it, then it's almost a no-brainer, especially with the current current price of the Rift.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Bilbosmeggins

[Gambit21]

Track IR now - VR when resolution improves.

Yeah yeah I know "experience"

I'm still waiting for the next generation.

[Field-Ops]

Track IR now - VR when resolution improves.

Yeah yeah I know "experience"

I'm still waiting for the next generation.

Yep, that "experience" will be far greater in the next gen VR headsets

[SharpeXB]

I only know two (Zami, SharpeXB) that back to the monitor.

 

Actually what I mentioned above was that I have used VR at my job (architect) but not for gaming (yet?)

I've also tried the Microsoft Hololens. The impression VR left me with was that it's just a completely different thing from head tracking. Oculus didn't strike me as a "better version of Track IR" it's an entirely different experience altogether.

So I haven't gone "back" to the monitor, I just haven't got into VR yet for gaming. There seem to be some improvements in performance and quality, resolution etc before I'm ready to try it for sims.

Edited August 19, 2017 by SharpeXB

[dburne]

Yep, that "experience" will be far greater in the next gen VR headsets

 

And even then, it will be yet far greater in version #3....

 

[BMW801]

I had a track IR for a few years and loved it. It added an entire new dimension to flight sims for me.

I was always interested in eye candy, so I had serious doubts about VR since I felt it was still in its infancy.

I got an Oculus Rift for my birthday in April, and the experience has blown me away.

The immersion is unbelievable and I will never be able to go back to the monitor.

The lower resolution has never bothered me because VR with this sim is that amazing.

My track IR 5 has been just sitting unused since then.

I am looking forward to the second generation VR headsets, but they probably won't be out until late next year, so I didn't want to wait that long.

I love VR with this sim and it generated a whole new life into my simming experience with it. My level of enjoyment has increased exponentially.

Edited August 20, 2017 by BMW801

[Stratman59]

I've been playing PC games for 35 years or more, especially sims. I can honestly say using the Oculus Rift with IL-2 has given me by far the most OMG moments. I bought mine in the recent sale for £399 and consider it a bargain.   

[chiliwili69]

 

 

I bought the Rift but find myself going back to IR because of being able to use max settings in IR, but having to dumb down graphics for VR

 

So you are the third person now which back to IR after trying VR.

 

Do you fly in a 4K monitor?

 

Also, people should be aware that they need a proper PC to run BOS in VR smoothly without decreasing graphics settings.

By a proper PC I would say a 7700K with good CPU cooler, RAM at 3200MHz and a GTX1070 or better.

[chiliwili69]

 

 

Oculus didn't strike me as a "better version of Track IR" it's an entirely different experience altogether.

 

Fully agree. In fact, the OP tittle is misleading. TIR has nothing to do with VR.

It is like asking, what should I buy, a mountain bike or a glider?  (the VR is the glider... )

 

 

I just haven't got into VR yet for gaming.

But I thought that you tried the Rfit with BOS, isn´t it? 

 

 

rack IR now - VR when resolution improves.

 

Just curious, did you try BOS in VR with a proper PC? 

[SharpeXB]

But I thought that you tried the Rfit with BOS, isn´t it?

Actually I've tried Oculus Rift as an architect. We use VR to visualize... (that's not even the right term for VR "experience" would be more correct)

building designs.

[chiliwili69]

 

 

Actually I've tried Oculus Rift as an architect. We use VR to visualize... (that's not even the right term for VR "experience" would be more correct) building designs

 

And having the Rift HMD and a proper rig (as I see in your signature), have not been tempted to try the Rift in BOS??? 

Are  you afraid of been addicted to BOS VR?  

[=EXPEND=Capt_Yorkshire]

i'd buy an EDtracker for now (35£ quid) for  and wait for the next gen of VR .

[dburne]

And having the Rift HMD and a proper rig (as I see in your signature), have not been tempted to try the Rift in BOS??? 

Are  you afraid of been addicted to BOS VR?  

 

It is addicting, I have logged no telling how many hours in BoS now. 

[Boris_CRO]

I havent read any of the comments above. Silly and lazy me. But you may have the cheapest option. Make yourself a custom headtracking + old ps3 cam or just buy it cheep pack (example DelanClip, google it and look at the prices there). Opentrack software is free to download and use. Have to add that cheap option dont mean the bad quality option - you would be surprised. TrackIR was and has always been overpriced.

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

My peasant 4k 34" monitor is collecting dust since I have gotten the Rift. Yea, gen 2 in 18 months will be a bit better than 1, but cv1 is already much better than 2D monitors.

Go drive your moped instead of flying the glider. Whatever you want man.

[Night0wl]

Well currently im playing on a pretty small screen so i doubt the resolution is going to be a big issue, might have to upgrade my video card but thats not a really big deal for me will have to try it out before i buy one though

[Herne]

Well currently im playing on a pretty small screen so i doubt the resolution is going to be a big issue, might have to upgrade my video card but thats not a really big deal for me will have to try it out before i buy one though

 

I had maybe 50 hours in BoX pre VR patch.

 

almost all of that was single player. 

 

I was quite shocked to find that when I just looked on steam, it now reckons I've played for 653 hours, last played today, guess that must have been after midnight. And most of that will have been MP.

 

I can't get enough, can't wait to get home and don the VR headset tonight, I just love flying these birds in VR.

[Night0wl]

well here is my setup:

 

intel core i5-4670 @ 3.4 ghz

8 gb Ram

Geforce GTX 770

 

playing on 1920 x 1200 on an Dell Ultrasharp U2412M Zwart 24 inch screen

[dburne]

I had maybe 50 hours in BoX pre VR patch.

 

almost all of that was single player. 

 

I was quite shocked to find that when I just looked on steam, it now reckons I've played for 653 hours, last played today, guess that must have been after midnight. And most of that will have been MP.

 

I can't get enough, can't wait to get home and don the VR headset tonight, I just love flying these birds in VR.

 

Nice to be able to get those numbers from Steam.

I wish the game itself would keep a log of how many hours total flown, as far as I can tell it only keeps track on the official campaigns.

And sometimes even that resets to 0.

There is no telling how many hours I have in with it now since VR was implemented.

Edited August 24, 2017 by dburne

[SAG]

well here is my setup:

 

intel core i5-4670 @ 3.4 ghz

8 gb Ram

Geforce GTX 770

 

playing on 1920 x 1200 on an Dell Ultrasharp U2412M Zwart 24 inch screen

 

i have a RIFT and your same processor. did you mention you wouldnt mind upgrading you pc?

 

if you did then you should get 16 gigs of ram, so eight more than what you have (at the absolute highest clocks your motherboard can use) and at least a gtx 1070 for a nice experience.

 

If you can buy a new pc altogether then get an i5 with the highstes single clockspeed and fastest ddr4 ram you can afford together with a 1070 (but if cash is not an issue then a 1080ti) :D

[Guest deleted@50488]

I felt dizzy when I tried VR...

 

Will keep using my best controller ever - trackir...

[OrLoK]

I only use my Track IR for games where I cant use my VR.

 

TiR is not bad, its astounding, it's just that VR is mindblowing (to me).

 

If I could get VR in Arma, i'd sell my track IR.

 

That said, if I couldnt have VR, I'd never let my TiR go.

 

Im glad ive cleared up the issue for you

[SAG]

I felt dizzy when I tried VR...

 

Will keep using my best controller ever - trackir...

 

I guess that's just some people. i haven't felt dizzy once, not even the first time i tried it. its all subjective i guess. what i do hear a lot of though is that the first few hours of play, weather they're continuous or not tend to get people dizzy, then you get used to it a no longer get the feeling.