What you guys use of view? trackir , VR etc ?

[ACG_Wobbel]

Im thinking of gona get me trackir 5 what do you guys use or recomend for view in il2 ? 

 

- top hat on the stick

- trackir 5 or others 

- VR

Edited August 19, 2024 by GA332

[SR-F_Winger]

Varjo Aero VR together with XR Necksaver. Cant go back to flatscreenflying.

[BlitzPig_EL]

Been using Track IR in various iterations, now on V, for over 20 years.  I have no compulsion to go to the expense and performance limitations, not to mention poor graphics, of VR, not to mention all the setup troubles.  It just isn't "there" yet. 

[BMA_FlyingShark]

Track IR 5, not getting VR for the same reasons as BlitzPig just mentioned (see post above).

 

Have a nice day.

 

Edited August 19, 2024 by FlyingShark

[Trooper117]

Same here, been using Track IR, from it's first version and now 5 for years, see no reason to change.

[Voxman]

Starting with the original IL2 over 20 years, with a 8 year hiatus, I was using TrackIR up until a year and a half ago.   I went to VR and it was a revelation.  A few caveats though to consider.

 

If you want to play online, competitively, full real, I think you'll have to stick with TrackIR.  Mostly for plane spotting and ID'ing and not killing a friendly.  Then again, I've aged and my eyesight is not what it was back 20 years ago.  So that's a consideration.

 

I'm now just playing single player in VR, although that has it's issues (frustrating AI, spotting ID),  I find it very satisfying and engaging.  To see your landscape around you, to "feel" ..or at least trick your mind and vestibular system that you are in a plane flying over a landscape with speed and gravity not just some 2D visuals,  is mind blowing.  

 

Yes, the technology is still developing with teething pains in the software, hardware reliability and cost to play, but I don't think I could go back to 2d playing...in fact I'm certain.  My first headset, bought cheap, didn't last a few months.  I got the taste though, and I then tried TrackIR again, and it just wasn't the same.  I bought again with a better headset and had better results, but still not at the online level of play....well, I should say I haven't really tried as my time investment is limited.  Playing SP is just much easier to time manage.

 

This past weekend I was watching some Youtube videos about the evolution on Microsoft's Flight Sim, which is what I started on in 1980.  To go from what was then to what we have now...well, if you experienced it it's just really exciting at what has happened in the 40 year evolution, to what will be coming in the future. 

[Talisman]

VR (Pimax) for the past 5 years plus.  You know it makes sense.  

 

Happy landings,

 

 

Talisman

[DD_Crash]

VR for me. As I am not a "fighter pilot" when I fly with my squad I feel that I dont need the edge that flat screen/TrackIR would give me. It does cost a lot more to go VR as you need a top quality graphics card/cpu/memory to get anywhere near what a monitor would give but what you get is being IN the cockpit as opposed to watching a monitor.

[Deacon352nd]

Trakir. Easy set up and great results. Been using it for years. 

[=LD=Bulldog*]

TrackIR 5: 4K eyeball candy.

VR: VHS.

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Zooropa_Fly]

As long as you've money to spend, I'd discount using a hat switch on your stick.

 

For me it always was, and will be, TrackIR.

 

One question to ask yourself - are you comfortable cutting off all your senses to the outside world for long periods ?

If that doesn't bother you and money isn't a problem, maybe go with VR..

 

If you decide to go VR, just check you've got the processing / graphics power to deal with it.

 

S!

[RedeyeStorm]

VR for flightsim, I am never going back to pancake ever. A flightsim without VR is no buy don’t care how good it’s otherwise. If VR would be abandoned I will do the same with flightsim. I’ll start playing more strategie games then. 
 

VR has the drawbacks as stated but actually feeling a moment of fear when you realize you can’t pull out of a dive in time is simply awesome. The desire to duck when a plane flies close over your head or trying to put your hand on the canopy in order to look behind you in the heat of a dogfight (kinda painful to as I actually fell of my chair). That simply does not happen in pancake.
 

Obviously I am a fanboy here. 

[RNAS10_Mitchell]

I've been using this for a while now.  A gentleman here in the states makes them.  Works great. Cordless. Single AA battery lasts quite long.  I bought a 4 pack of rechargeable batteries at a local shop.  Uses open track software (free download).

 

Very happy.  https://grassmonkeysimulations.com/

VR would be nice I think.  Got too many other expenses at the moment though.

[ACG_Wobbel]

Salute Gents ! Thx for your replays looks like its about 50 50 on trackir5 and VR and good info on why thx 🙂👍👍

[=MERCS=JenkemJunkie]

2 hours ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

One question to ask yourself - are you comfortable cutting off all your senses to the outside world for long periods ?

If that doesn't bother you and money isn't a problem, maybe go with VR..

Looking at the state of the outside world, that should be a huge selling point of VR, not a caution.

[[CPT]Crunch]

In my opinion VR has arrived 'there' and left this game smoking in the dust.  It's no longer VR that's the limiting factor, it's quite obvious to see the game is not graphically capable to deliver in today's top notch HMD. 

[Aapje]

The cheapest solution is the $10 Smoothtrack app and that is far superior to using a top hat, which just sucks. I personally have good experiences with it when not using VR, as long as you don't have people standing near you, because then it gets confused. 

[Varibraun]

1 hour ago, GA332 said:

Salute Gents ! Thx for your replays looks like its about 50 50 on trackir5 and VR and good info on why thx 🙂👍👍

 

If YOU are also 50/50 on this, then you owe it to yourself to at least try VR for a few days if you have the system to support it (just buy a headset you can return if it turns out not to "wow" you). 

 

Obviously, I am also one of the VR only crowd and have been that way since the first time I "sat" in a 109 cockpit in the Oculus CV1 over 8 years ago, and it has gotten SO much been since then.  You can always get your full 4K fix by watching replays on the flat screen - which when you fly in VR is like watching the gun camera footage in the after action debrief on a movie screen 😎

[Dagwoodyt]

10 hours ago, GA332 said:

Im thinking of gona get me trackir 5 what do you guys use or recomend for view in il2 ? 

 

- top hat on the stick

- trackir 5 or others 

- VR

If the decision maker can afford both TiR and VR, the best case scenario is to have a pc that can accomodate VR. In that setting there is no need to choose. If TiR or equivalent will serve your needs that's great because you can run TiR on a "potato". I started using TiR when it first came to market and used it until I got my first HMD, a CV-1. I still have a TiR5 that runs, but I use it only rarely if I fire up CloD for a few minutes. You could just as well ask for opinions on whether to buy a spring-based joystick vs an ffBeast or Rhino. No doubt ffb adds expense and complexity. Ideally though, I'd opt a setup that includes VR with base station tracking, ffb joystick and pedals. It all seems a matter of available budget, user curiosity and hardware availability.

[c19580]

It’s about preferences and tradeoffs. Just depends on what one values most.

 

Started with TrackIR and enjoyed the graphics but then got into VR and wow, realized the the immersion benefits far outweighed the graphics disadvantages by far. 
 

leaned into immersion and got a sim pit and buttkicker and the experience is awesome. I sometimes miss the eye candy but VR image quality is getting very good. Looking forward to the next 5-10 years in advancements.

[von_Tom]

VR for immersion in both single and multiplayer - in multiplayer you have to fly with a friend and fly like they used to.  It comes with a huge cost as a decent headset usually also means a pc upgrade, plus peripherals like a decent HOTAS setup.

 

TrackIR for costs purposes (pc upgrade not needed and a decent HOTAS is not a "must"), and it makes multiplayer a bit easier with the owl neck i.e., you can swivel your head/view 180 degrees so much easier. 

 

I've known brilliant virtual pilots who used a hat switch for views but that is a dying art so I would avoid it.

 

von Tom

Edited August 24, 2024 by von_Tom

[Dagwoodyt]

I read someone's detailed and vivid description of their first VR flight sim experience using an Oculus DK. That description fascinated me to the point that I knew I would buy a CV1 when it hit the market. It never occured to me to ask anyone's opinion as to whether I should buy a VR headset. To me it seemed that VR is the way that flight sims want to be done.

[cardboard_killer]

I believe Sheriff is now using VR, but here's his reasons for not using it from a couple of years back. Added to his negatives, I can say that I get motion sick very easily, so VR may never be the way for me to go.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2024 by cardboard_killer

[dgiatr]

I have abandoned il2 1946 for many years,  I started again two years ago due to Vr tech and added lately motion platform + bass shakers + pneumatic gseat. Its mind blowing that way!!.... no way to go back to 2d.

Special credits  to J2_Nobiwan for his necksafer!!!

Edited August 24, 2024 by dgiatr

[c19580]

3 hours ago, cardboard_killer said:

I believe Sheriff is now using VR, but here's his reasons for not using it from a couple of years back. Added to his negatives, I can say that I get motion sick very easily, so VR may never be the way for me to go.

 

 

Motion sickness happened to me when I first started using VR. It was bad… but I slowed down, played for no more than 10 minutes at a time, optimized the optics to my eyes and trained my brain to adapt to VR… took about 2 weeks and haven’t had any more motion sickness since then.

 

I suspect a lot of my initial motion sickness was my own fault by not understanding physical IPD, in-game IPD and VR optimization to avoid stuttering and other effects that can lead to motion sickness.

 

Learning all the ins and outs of VR was a little daunting but the helpful posts on this forum and various YouTube videos helped me figure it out.

[Dagwoodyt]

In my case the only time I had any issue in VR was when coming to a sudden stop and that only for a fleeting instant. I even tried to provoke it in those roller coaster experiences without "success". Some folks are very sensitive to motion sickness in VR while others apparently are relatively immune.

[ACG_Wobbel]

Salute Gents and thx for your feedback 👍

 

Since i probely also have to change my whole rig if buying VR i wil go for trackir 5 at the moment and test that out first 🤓😁

Edited August 25, 2024 by GA332

[c19580]

On 8/24/2024 at 6:59 AM, dgiatr said:

I have abandoned il2 1946 for many years,  I started again two years ago due to Vr tech and added lately motion platform + bass shakers + pneumatic gseat. Its mind blowing that way!!.... no way to go back to 2d.

Special credits  to J2_Nobiwan for his necksafer!!!

what pneumatic gseat do you use?

[dgiatr]

29 minutes ago, c19580 said:

what pneumatic gseat do you use?

It's a diy build with arduino, simtools,60 kgr servos and air bags ,see here :

 

 

[ACG_Wobbel]

Thx again for all reply .

I gott my New track ir 5 today and have just set it up and wil test it out tonight 😁🤓

Edited August 30, 2024 by GA332

[chiliwili69]

On 8/24/2024 at 12:50 AM, Dagwoodyt said:

I read someone's detailed and vivid description of their first VR flight sim experience using an Oculus DK.

 

was this one by chance?

 

 

[Panzerlang]

The second I found myself IN the cockpit (with the Rift a few years back now) I knew there'd be no going back. If VR suddenly became unavailable, I would quit flying.

[ACG_Wobbel]

9 hours ago, Panzerlang said:

The second I found myself IN the cockpit (with the Rift a few years back now) I knew there'd be no going back. If VR suddenly became unavailable, I would quit flying.

He he i see what you mean 😁. Have tested track ir just for som test flying now and i can agree, cant fly without this amazing tool 😁😎. Maybee in 2-3 year im on the VR 😎

[Panzerlang]

2 hours ago, GA332 said:

He he i see what you mean 😁. Have tested track ir just for som test flying now and i can agree, cant fly without this amazing tool 😁😎. Maybee in 2-3 year im on the VR 😎

I clearly remember the path from SWOTL and RB2-3D...snap-views, then the wonder of mouse-look. Then Track-IR and...VR! 😁

[DBCOOPER011]

On 8/30/2024 at 5:37 AM, chiliwili69 said:

 

was this one by chance?

 

 

 

Wow, technology has definitely improved. I still have the falcon 4.0 disks somewhere around here, and remember playing warbirds online sometime around 1996. Nothing like high phone bills from the modem days...

[Aapje]

Even Falcon has improved

 

https://www.falcon-bms.com/