Advice on Attempting VR with Current Rig

[Cognac]

S! all. I'm not knowledgeable enough on the way GPUs are ranked and rated and named to determine if I should even attempt running this game in VR. Currently, it runs smooth as silk on my external monitor at all altitudes, but of course VR is a whole different beast. Can someone who understands GPU performance tell me if I should even bother trying this? I'm contemplating buying a Quest 2. My system stats are as follow:

 

Acer Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz - 16.0 Gb RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 8Gb

[=420=Syphen]

You'll be turning settings down to low and reducing VR resolution to run on that rig. 

 

The Q2 is a little demanding due to running video compression ontop of the VR rendering. 

[Odovacer]

Darn, my specs are a little higher, but not much. I guess that leaves me out too. Almost pulled the trigger on an HTC Vive Pro 2.

 

Intel Core i7-9700 CPU @ 3.60GHz - 32.0 Gb RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super EVGA SC Ultra Gaming 8GB GDDR6

 

VR is expensive to jump into, so this is disappointing. I dunno, maybe low/medium VR is better than no VR? I don't even have head tracking gear at the moment.

 

Been flying mostly RoF, FC-1 but I just bought some IL-2 modules for the CNY sale and just bought a VKB NXT stick after flying with the TM16000. Looking at also flying in DCS.

 

PS. Nice to see some fellow Canucks.

Edited February 5, 2022 by Odovacer
fixed font size

[Drum]

There's a new mod out (FSR/NIS) that increases your FPS performance by up scaling your resolution to boost your FPS with minimal graphic degradation.  It's doable for you guys if you're willing to look at the game with low graphical settings until an available RTX30xx card rears it's beautiful head.

 

IMO, the smartest move would be to wait another six months until the new VR headsets start rolling out.  Plus, the new game engine update recently mentioned will no doubt factor into your decisions in a large way as well.

Edited February 4, 2022 by Drum

[paul_leonard]

I started VR on a G7-15 laptop (i7-8750H with laptop grade 2060) with a Samsung Odyssey+.  You will have to turn down graphics, but you won't regret it.  Then it gets expensive.  Now I also have a Alienware R10 5950X/3090 rig.  Still can't run everything maxed out.  But I wouldn't fly flat screen ever again.  I have a friend that runs on some old clunker with a 1050 card and my first hand me down Asus VR.  He is very pleased with the results.  He started flight simming with Battlehawks 1942 then Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe.  I started before that.  We've come a long way baby.  Set your expectations and go for it.

[Odovacer]

Ha! LucasArts right? That was my first flight sim. With a CH Flightstick I believe. Loved that game. 

 

Been toying lately with maybe getting just the new Oculus headset (cheaper) just to experience the VR until I get a better card or, as Drum mentioned, the new VR headsets come out. But the Vibe Pro 2 only came out last fall, correct?

 

I don't mind turning some graphics down, I usually tweak them down for MP games anyway. Kinda used to that as until recently, I've never had a leading edge tower unit, but "leading edge" doesn't last long in the computer game. Hard to believe it's so difficult to get a graphics card nowadays. We used to be able to change them almost at will.

 

I keep seeing threads here where people are running with less than a 2060 (Jason Williams'  recent poll showed that there was 1000+). And so many saying they'd not go back to a flat screen. So, I guess it's a matter of taste and as I surmised above, low/medium VR seems better than no VR! ?

[messsucher]

VR is another level, if you want immersion. Flat screen is for cute graphics. The difference is so big it is crazy. In the flat screen there is a tiny picture of the wing of your engine, when you look to either side. But in VR that same wing looks like 3 meter long big real wing. That immersion is further enchanted with surgically accurate head tracking (at least with Steam base stations) and no distractions, just the game environment all around you. It is like a leap into another reality.

[GANsmither]

Don't be discouraged by the naysaying comments, your specifications are more than enough. The only problem that you can even face is in terms of overheating, but laptops have come such a long way that even that isn't an issue anymore.

This is coming from me, who has a desktop with a  GTX1060 3GB, a first gen i5-760 4x2.8GHz and 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a Quest 2.
I run the game at 2272x2304 per eye, at the lowest settings with simple mirrors.
VR utilizes frame reprojection technology which (if your PC cannot render at the full framerate) renders half of the required frames, and basically guesses the inbetweeners, which results in an almost equally smooth experience albeit with some minor artefacts (the lower the framerate, the more noticeable they become, but trust me they're not a big deal 99% of the time). I get a stable 36fps which get smoothed over to 72fps with minimal artefacts.

VR is indeed more resource intensive than flat screen since it requires two images to be rendered at the same time, so don't expect to be able to play with the same graphical settings as you are playing now (I suggest you look into the details of what each settings)- but like messsucher said, the immersion you get from VR is really something else entirely and words don't do it justice. It's a different medium and the difference between flat and VR is akin to radio vs TV. Once you experience it, you'll know what I meant. You get a real sense of scale and actually perceive depth, so gunnery and formation flying come a lot more naturally as a result.

All this aside, the Quest 2 is a great buy. It's quality made, yet cheap. Most importantly, imo, it's standalone and you can play things on it regardless of your PC (which is why I bought it) and doesn't even require a cable since you can connect it via Wi-Fi. Moreover, people are porting over classic games to it (like Return to castle Wolfenstein and Doom 3) and its store is ever-expanding.

11/10 recommend you buy it.

[KPnutskgwanchos]

You are definitely in with a chance especially if you can get the (FSR/NIS) mod working. I have a 2070s and run medium graphics pretty smoothly and the immersion more than makes up for the missing "shiny" bits.... it takes a lot of messing around tho so be warned ... its far from plug and play in my experience.       

[Irishratticus72]

5 minutes ago, KPnutskgwanchos said:

You are definitely in with a chance especially if you can get the (FSR/NIS) mod working. I have a 2070s and run medium graphics pretty smoothly and the immersion more than makes up for the missing "shiny" bits.... it takes a lot of messing around tho so be warned ... its far from plug and play in my experience.       

Took me three hours of trying to set it up, before I realised I hadn't downloaded Steam VR.... ? 

[KPnutskgwanchos]

5 hours ago, Irishratticus72 said:

Took me three hours of trying to set it up, before I realised I hadn't downloaded Steam VR.... ? 

So many steps you need to get right... Lucky there are folks on here happy to help ?

[Cognac]

Thanks for the responses everyone. Man oh man is it tempting to take the plunge!!!

[Skelthos]

VR is doable on the listed system, you may have to make compromises in graphics.   I fly exclusively in IL2 in VR on an I9-9900KF 32GB RAM GTX 1060 GB and Rift-S.  Most of my settings are at medium to high, I very rarely have any issues with it.  I could never go back to flying on a flat screen after using VR.

[Irishratticus72]

18 minutes ago, Algernop_Krieger said:

Thanks for the responses everyone. Man oh man is it tempting to take the plunge!!!

I did, got a Q2, so, wee bit bargain basement, but zero regret, it's just so very different to what I was used to for so many years. 

[354thFG_Drewm3i-VR]

I ran an i7-9750h, rtx 2070 for a while...it left me wanting for more with a Rift S. With a Quest 2, it was unplayable for me. Now I have a desktop and a Reverb G2.

Edited February 10, 2022 by drewm3i-VR

[KPnutskgwanchos]

4 hours ago, drewm3i-VR said:

I ran an i7-9750h, rtx 2070 for a while...it left me wanting for more with a Rift S. With a Quest 2, it was unplayable for me. Now I have a desktop and a Reverb G2.

And yet Ive just had an amazing time flying just an A20 around on an I7 2600 RTX2070s and a Q2 ... looking out the cockpit watching the wheels come down etc etc .... took alot of playing around and using FSR but getting smooth around 40 FPS and up ... I know it will get better with better gear but Im still blown away.