Quest3: QuestLink versus VirtualDesktop (through lens pictures)

[chiliwili69]

Since there are three ways to use IL-2 with Quest3 (QuestLink-USB, AirLink-wifi, VirtualDesktop-wifi) I decided to compare the QuestLink versus Virtual Desktop since my eye (and my brain!) could be suffer from "placebo effect".

 

QuestLink settings: 72Hz, SteamVR at 180%SS, this is 2768x3004 per eye, so 16.6 Million pixels. This is the limit to mantain 72fps in a 3080.

VirtualDesktop settings: 72Hz, Ultra mode,  HEVC-10 bit codec, 200Mbps VR bitrate, SteamVR 180%SS, this is 3604x3732 per eye, so 26.9Million pixels. This is above what my 3080 GPU can mantain, but I just what to see the best picture (I can always go to a 4080)

 

 

Another shoot:

 

 

All original pics from the Lumix compact camera can be donwloaded from this link.

 

Don´t judge them by the colors, it depends on how the camera shoot. Look only at the resolutions.

 

The differences are just very little, so If I keep the Quest3 I will probably will use the QuestLink. Didn´t tried the AirLink.

[Alonzo]

That seems pretty conclusive -- QuestLink (cable) vs wireless HEVC 10-bit 200Mbps, the cable wins. It would be interesting to try the AV1 codec but I think you need a 4000-series card for that.

 

Do we know the bitrate used by QuestLink?

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

200 Mbps is quite low value for wifi PCVR most user which are very happy from the quilty use 500 or above.

[chiliwili69]

8 hours ago, Alonzo said:

That seems pretty conclusive -- QuestLink (cable) vs wireless HEVC 10-bit 200Mbps, the cable wins. It would be interesting to try the AV1 codec but I think you need a 4000-series card for that.

 

Do we know the bitrate used by QuestLink?

 

Well, I think they are very similar, differences are really subtle. 

 

Yes, for the AV1 codec I need a 40XX series card. According to VD developer the AV1 codec gives more stability and smoothness to the image, but it doesn´t increase image quality too much.

 

I don´t know what is the bit rate or codec used by the QuestLink, there is not in the menu settings.

 

The reason I made this comparison is because now I am going to compare them with the Index and wanted to take the best of the Quest3.

1 hour ago, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

200 Mbps is quite low value for wifi PCVR most user which are very happy from the quilty use 500 or above.

 

200Mbps is the limit of the bitrate for the XR2chip gen2 for the HEVC codec (H265).

 

The other codec (H264) allows a higher bitrate but it is worse than the HEVC according to VirtualDesktop developer.

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

Thx a lot for doing this, though IIRC you the Quest Link uses h.264 as opposed to h.265 10-bit that you used in VD. For a true apples to apples comparison, you'd need to compare h.264+ with maxed out Bitrate in VD to Quest Link default, and/or you go into the OculusDebugTool, which you can find in your Meta Software Location Oculus\Support\oculus-diagnostics\, where you can select the default codec, to match the one you are using in VD.

 

Also, you need to set Link Sharpening to either off or Advanced, and do the same for SGSR in the VD streaming tab

Edited October 20, 2023 by FTC_ChilliBalls

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

3 hours ago, chiliwili69 said:

The other codec (H264) allows a higher bitrate but it is worse than the HEVC according to VirtualDesktop developer

I think you should compare the h264+ as mentioned above which link cable is using. Read that older codec on higher bitratres gave sharper image on quest pro same thing ppl report for q3. But also settings in oculus debug tool were important. 

 

You can override the bitrate input in odt by copy and paste,  because there is a limit what can you input from keyboard.

Good wifi connection mandatory, best WiFi 6e.

 

OculusDebugTool

Encoder resolution width 4128

Encode bit rate 500

Link sharpening on ( I sugest trying off/on/advance)

Distortion curvature low

In oculus app render resolution max out for the test.

 

The encode resolution also can help in best image quality.

For quest 2 , similar to Q3 is true but higher.

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by 1PL-Husar-1Esk

[=MERCS=JenkemJunkie]

I followed this vid to try out 940 bitrate and stupid super sample levels. I don't think it's a good idea to try the copy/paste trick to go past 500 bitrate. It worked and looked good, but my headset had 2 giant light line artifacts that are hard to describe afterwards. They died down later on, but are still there faintly, so I'd wait to hear what the long-term results of stupid bitrates are before trying it again myself. Going from 200 to 500 was a big jump in quality, but going from 500-940 was less of an improvement, so I'd just stay at 500 max. I forced a ~3800x4000 resolution using OXR toolkit, and it unsurprisingly MASSIVELY hurt my spotting potential. I wasn't even trying to test for spotting, but I just naturally noticed planes were basically invisible at around 7km. I didn't think it was possible to get spotting that bad. It looks really good to super sample like that and really tones down the compression blur, but it doesn't look like an option for people playing w/o icons. 

 

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

Concerning the ODT Bitrate setting.
 

AFAIK the hardware decode limit for h.264 in the XR2 Gen 2 is 400 Mbit like with the Gen 1. Only the h.265 decoder received an increase in max Bitrate with the Gen 2.

 

So any perceived improvement in visual fidelity or sharpness due to Bitrate exceeding the 400 Mbit limit is most likely just a placebo.

Edited October 20, 2023 by FTC_ChilliBalls

[=MERCS=JenkemJunkie]

I had the codec on default, so I don't know if it chose 264 or 265, but you can change the bitrate live w/o restarting the game and I could see the image sharpen in real-time when I pushed the bitrate up to 940 from 500. I don't know the technical details on why it works, but it does, and its probably not safe.

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

Interesting.

I must admit, my knowledge is based on statements by the creator of the Virtual Desktop application, so perhaps the h.264 limit only applies to wireless connections?
 

 

[=MERCS=JenkemJunkie]

Maybe, I didn't try a wireless 940 bitrate.

[chiliwili69]

11 hours ago, FTC_ChilliBalls said:

Thx a lot for doing this, though IIRC you the Quest Link uses h.264 as opposed to h.265 10-bit that you used in VD. For a true apples to apples comparison, you'd need to compare h.264+ with maxed out Bitrate in VD to Quest Link default, and/or you go into the OculusDebugTool, which you can find in your Meta Software Location Oculus\Support\oculus-diagnostics\, where you can select the default codec, to match the one you are using in VD.

 

Thanks for this. I didn´t know that. I used H265 in the VirtualDesktop since it was supossed to be better than h264. 

I am doing all this just to judge Quest3 versus Index. So, If I keep the Index I will go deeper into OculusDebugTool to select the optimum settings.