Best Motion system with VR compensation?

Hi, I am trying to research the best motion system that allows me to use VR with motion compensation and is relatively silent. I am using regular OpenVR for iRacing + AMS 2 , but starting to use OpenXR mods for ACC and AC to get better performance.

My general perspective so far on the pro and cons on each solution. My two priorities are:
  • Needs to work excellent with VR (OpenVR and OpenXR motion compensation)
  • Should be relative silent to not shake a house too much. Some haptics are okay, but should be okay for residential setup

D-BOX D-BOX 4250i G3
Pros:
  • Mature software, competitive advantage with its own SDK integration
  • Motion + haptics combination is mature
  • Most expensive option, but got much cheaper
  • Very reliable
Cons:
  • Can be loud with haptics
  • Not much travel if more motion is preferred for flight sim or rally - could be a limiting factor when using VR
  • No VR compensation
DK2+ Motion System
Pros:
  • More travel than D-BOX
  • Few titles support, but support generally is good
  • Good feeling for road texture
  • Low response times
  • Experienced US based company, reliable
  • Cheaper option

Cons:
  • No VR compensation

Qubic System QS-220-PL


Pros:
  • A lot of travel, strong specs for latency and motion
  • Experienced company (motion systems) with good support
  • OpenVR and OpenXR VR motion compensation (based on my NLR Motion Platform V3 experience)
  • Advertised as silent and home use friendly

Cons:
  • Not a lot of third party reviews

PT Actuators Scorpion Super
Pros:
  • A lot of travel
  • Works with OpenVR motion compensation via SRS
  • More affordable

Cons:
  • No OpenXR motion compensation
  • Travel might not be needed for regular road racing
  • Increases height of rig

RS MEGA+
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Open Protocol
  • SRS supported
  • Open VR motion compensation
Cons:
  • SFX rigs can have a 10 khz driver noise issue that is hard to address
  • I assume there are support issues and that repairs would rely on DIY
  • No OpenXR motion compensation

Based on my hard critera, the logical option seems to be Qubic System QS-220-PL, but curious what others experiences are.
 
A couple things, the RS mega now ships with the new servo drives thta do not have the 10k noise, it should be the same for the PT.

Both those options use the thanos boards and you have multiple choices for sofware, SRS with motion compensation is one of them. flypt, as an example is another that does it by calculating the movement of the rig and compensating.

I cant tell you all the options they have but thought I would point out that any new SFX stuff can be bought without noisy drivers.
 
A couple things, the RS mega now ships with the new servo drives thta do not have the 10k noise, it should be the same for the PT.

Both those options use the thanos boards and you have multiple choices for sofware, SRS with motion compensation is one of them. flypt, as an example is another that does it by calculating the movement of the rig and compensating.

I cant tell you all the options they have but thought I would point out that any new SFX stuff can be bought without noisy drivers.

That's great information, thanks! What is the noise level of RS MEGA+? It's hard to tell based on the customer examples.
 
That's great information, thanks! What is the noise level of RS MEGA+? It's hard to tell based on the customer examples.
I dont have them, I have the SFX I built myself - but will be more or less the same. I can't tell you the noise level as far as a measurement and I guess its subjective to the user.

I certainly saw people complain about the noise of the drivers as that is obviously a specific and annoying tone for those that can hear it. I use headphones and generally cannot hear the SFX. I can on occasion and that would be on a large movement, often caused by a mistake that might have you going to much over a sausage kerb etc. Some tracks there may have a fast dip on a long streaight that may have the heave have you come down and up fast.. There is the odd thing that might cause something where you could heard the bearings in the racers but I have never had a problem with it.
 
I dont have them, I have the SFX I built myself - but will be more or less the same. I can't tell you the noise level as far as a measurement and I guess its subjective to the user.

I certainly saw people complain about the noise of the drivers as that is obviously a specific and annoying tone for those that can hear it. I use headphones and generally cannot hear the SFX. I can on occasion and that would be on a large movement, often caused by a mistake that might have you going to much over a sausage kerb etc. Some tracks there may have a fast dip on a long streaight that may have the heave have you come down and up fast.. There is the odd thing that might cause something where you could heard the bearings in the racers but I have never had a problem with it.
I am not having motion, but quite loud servo motors close to my head on a diy belt tensioner. I am using a ANC headset and that cancels any noise coming from the motors.
 
RS MEGA+
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Open Protocol
  • SRS supported
  • Open VR motion compensation
Cons:
  • SFX rigs can have a 10 khz driver noise issue that is hard to address
  • I assume there are support issues and that repairs would rely on DIY
  • No OpenXR motion compensation
The RS MEGA+ comes with the new drivers that sound dead silent to me. When I did my research the general feedback on eRacing's support was excellent, and I agree totally after getting my RS MEGA+ with TL, surge and active belt from them. Everything worked out perfectly for me. I only wish I have more time to play with my rig :D

 
I am using a Next Level Racing Motion Platform V3, which is a relatively cheap 2-axis seat mover.

It provides good motion compensation with Oculus, Open VR and Open XR (and even has specific Varjo integration).

It is relatively quiet, and since it sits on your rig base rather then the floor, it is as good at containing vibrations as your rig is. Mine is on a super rigid SimLab P1-X, and I can't feel any floor vibrations at all around the rig.

One cool thing I wasn't expecting with this system is that its software supports multiple transducer devices, and the seat base even has a ButtKicker mounting point, which is perfect at redirecting vibrations up to the seat, rather than down to the rig or the floor. I am also using a separate 4-channel seat shaker from Sim Racing Studios, which is also controlled by the motion platform software. That keeps the transducer effects perfectly integrated with the seat motion, for extra immersion.

If you can live with a seat mover that only has pitch and roll effects, this is a great system, at a reasonable price.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20220405_171317486.jpg
    PXL_20220405_171317486.jpg
    465.9 KB · Views: 194
Last edited:
I've never used VR motion compensation with my NLRv3. I haven't found it necessary. Since the NLRv3 moves relative to a pivot and your neck is effectively a gimble, I have never seen the need to use it. In over 3 years time, first with the Oculus Rift, and for the last over 2.5 years with the Valve Index, I've never noticed any issues without using motion compensation.

However the NLRv3 is not on the list he is looking at, so this is a moot point.
 
I own a NLR v3 already, and I like it. I am looking to add more realistic 3 DOF movement to it, though it's probably redundant. I (back-) ordered a RS MEGA+, and will try to set it up with the NLR v3 using the SRS motion compensation with the hardware sensor. I've seen a few examples of combining a SFX 100 with NLR v3.
 
I own a NLR v3 already, and I like it. I am looking to add more realistic 3 DOF movement to it, though it's probably redundant. I (back-) ordered a RS MEGA+, and will try to set it up with the NLR v3 using the SRS motion compensation with the hardware sensor. I've seen a few examples of combining a SFX 100 with NLR v3.
Based on history from many people over the years, using the NLRv3 with a 4 post motion system is usually short lived. Most people will remove the NLRv3 when going to a 4 post system to reduce the "sprung" weight. Granted the NLRv3 will give you more roll than a 4 post system will and it has dive which can be used as a surge effect. However I've turned my fore/aft motion way down for track use since I got a G-Belt. I find feeling the harness tighten is a better brake feel than tilting forward.
 
Based on history from many people over the years, using the NLRv3 with a 4 post motion system is usually short lived. Most people will remove the NLRv3 when going to a 4 post system to reduce the "sprung" weight. Granted the NLRv3 will give you more roll than a 4 post system will and it has dive which can be used as a surge effect. However I've turned my fore/aft motion way down for track use since I got a G-Belt. I find feeling the harness tighten is a better brake feel than tilting for
Yes, I read this as well - I was thinking to mostly to use the NLRv3 for surge, and maybe a little bit of sway - very gentle, and have the actuators do the rest. Now if Platform Manager and SRS have different latencies, it might turn out to be a mess. I am already using SRS for wind, but that doesn't tell you much. We'll see ;-)
 
Last edited:
Hi.

I can recommend the Simrig SR2 motion system.
Silent and have very nice motion and good software.

It's a true 3-dof system with very good software and VR compensation.

Price is also low in comparison.
 
In these days I’m doing some research on actuators setups, and actually had a “light” popping up in my mind.

Why would you need Vr motion compensation in a regular 4 actuators setup? Everything moves together, so I don’t see any need for that.

That’s different if you had traction loss or surge, or if you have a seat mover, but on a regular 4 actuators setup I don’t understand why we would need Vr compensation.

Any thoughts?
 
I've been running an NLRv3 for 3 years now exclusively in VR and I've never run motion compensation. Since the seat pivots on a centered universal joint and your neck tends to behave like a gimbal, your head tends to stay centered naturally.

Heave, traction loss and surge tend to cause the most issues with VR compensation. VR either uses fixed light houses or needs a wall to see for inside out tracking. As a result you either extrapolate mathematically how this impacts VR or you put a motion tracker on the rig used as a reference.

Over the last few years I've seen a number of people put chassis movers on their rigs and if they started with an NLRv3 on it, they inevitably remove it and keep just the chassis motion system.
 
Last edited:
It really depends on how much you can put up with and how much motion you are using.

Different tracking systems may give different results, e.g. lighthouse may capture every movement you do in space and translate in to the sim. Inside out tracking may or may not depending on your environment and what it latches on to.

I find that I dont really need it but sometimes swaying motion may not be ideal as it looks like the car is moving left and right underneath me.
 
Back
Top