DiRT Rally 2.0 DiRT 2.0: Oculus VR Update Arrives at Last

[Paul Jeffrey]

DiRT 2.0 has been updated - and now finally comes complete with the new Oculus VR Mode - vastly improving the VR experience using the Steam version of the game.

Yes, in something of a rather bizarre move by Codemasters, DiRT 2.0 failed to include a VR mode with the game at initial launch... with the studio later adding the functionality as a post release update, but splitting play in VR headsets to either a Oculus Store edition of the title, or a performance bugged version on the more traditional Steam platform.

The release strategy generated much criticism from the sim racing community, and recent weeks have seen Codemasters working hard to address these issues as part of the latest V1.9 update that has just dropped for the game.

Now including a significantly improved VR experience when playing via Steam, thanks to the inclusion of an Oculus VR mode, DiRT 2.0 just got quite a bit better for many of the virtual reality fans who own the game..

V1.9 Update Notes

Content:

• Added files for Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi in preparation of DLC release on October 8th.
• Added files for Peugeot 206 Rally in preparation of DLC release on October 22nd.
• Added files for Volkswagen Golf Kitcar in preparation of DLC release on October 22nd.

Features:

• New feature: Broadcast Mode (Beta). Players can now spectate others in Multiplayer Lobbies.
• New camera angle: "Dashboard"

VR:

• Added "Launch DiRT Rally 2.0 in Oculus VR Mode" command to Steam version.*
• Adjusted default Chaperone setup by forcing Seated Mode.
• Improved readability of various UI elements.
• Made various improvements to reduce stutter during head movement.

Audio:

• Resolved multiple triggers relating to audio cutting out mid-Stage.
• Resolved issue where turbo blow-off sounds were not playing when players released the throttle.

Hardware:

• Added "Handbrake Deadzone" and "Handbrake Saturation" options to Advanced Input Settings.

My Team:

• Added ability to "restart" My Team career by resetting player inventories.
• Resolved issue where selling an upgraded car would not show the correct amount of Credits refunded.
• AI Challenges: Resolved issue where AI drivers would score double points after player recovers from Terminal Damage.

Freeplay:

• Custom: Added ability to autofill an Event with all available routes for a chosen Location.
• Historic: Resolved issue where retiring from an event would mark current Championship as "Completed".

AI:

• Modified AI behaviour when taking the final corner at Estering, Germany.

Miscellaneous:

• General stability improvements and minor bug fixes throughout title.

Version 1.10 is in development and is expected to release around October 29.



DiRT 2.0 is available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC now.

Check the DiRT 2.0 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for news, mods and community discussion about this excellent rally game.

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[deceda]

Is there a shortcut to start with wmr available? Nonetheless i like the game very much!

 

[Ruy Horta]

...started download - 8.6GB

 

[ShredatorFIN]

The update fixed VR performance for me. Total gamechanger. From choppy Low settings, to smooth High/Ultra. (Rift S, 1080ti)

 

[MarcG]

Next (decent) Sale and I'll buy it!

 

[UMC 22]

About bloody time. What they were thinking when they created this debacle is anyone's guess. Of course, it's back to full price so there's no way I'm buying it now. Perhaps in a 90%-off sale or something.

 

[Neils on Wheels]

I'm still not convince they fixed the micro stutter issue as it was related to USB inputs.

 

[Ruy Horta]

Oh yes baby, runs great.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Is there a shortcut to start with wmr available? Nonetheless i like the game very much!

for steamVR: steam://launch/690790/vr

for Oculus: steam://launch/690790/othervr

 

[MarkR]

It's a great VR experience on Oculus VR via Steam now.

A couple of effects that really stand out:

+++ The cars feel like they pivot around the driver's hips, both the front and rear of the car feel agile especially on loose gravel surfaces. There is a great feeling of being in and connected to the car.

+++ The steering feel (I know divisive DR2.0 subject!) on the TX458 wheel for push on understeer on gravel is just superb, turn in too fast and beyond the grip available and the weight in the wheel is progressively lost, the wheel feel becomes rubbery and in the cockpit the nose of the car pushes wide. Feels superbly real to me. It's such a marked difference when I hook up the car correctly through the corner and the weight and balance of the car remain consistent.

++ Slides can be caught and corrected intuitively, there is a real feeling of weight balance and transfer.

Just one warning, I play and can stomach all the current track and rallycross type racing games in VR. Hours in DCS or ACC leave me with no ill effects but Dirt 2.0...

+ Wales Rally GB is what I'd describe as about as intense a VR experience that remains enjoyable.
-- Argentina, especially at night and/or in bad weather, with all that bouncing around and tight corners is the first game that has caused me the feelings of the start of motion sickness for a long time. 2 stages back to back were enough for me!

 

[FeltHat]

About bloody time. What they were thinking when they created this debacle is anyone's guess. Of course, it's back to full price so there's no way I'm buying it now. Perhaps in a 90%-off sale or something.

i wanted to suggest uber cheap m$ game pass version but it doesnt support vr

 

[Patrik Marek]

guess I will have to give this a try again soon

 

[Elaphe]

Can anyone confirm that analog handbrakes are usable after the fix?

 

[ShredatorFIN]

I'm still not convince they fixed the micro stutter issue as it was related to USB inputs.

There's an unofficial fix by some modder, that reportedly fixed the USB polling/stutter issue for many: https://github.com/simonowen/dirtfix/blob/master/ReadMe.md
https://github.com/simonowen/dirtfix

I installed that, haven't experienced stutter since (at least based on few hours of testing)

Mfw Mememasters can't fix their code in 7 months, but some modder can

 

[Sporadik]

I had great performance before, but this was so smooth I was able to turn shadows up now without a dip in performance. One thing I noticed is it doesn't quite look as good graphically as before which makes me wonder if there was some PP filter they had running before which lowered performance.

Very happy and I'm sure people with lower specs are ecstatic now. All they need to do is just give me FFB like DR 1 and I'll have no more complaints. The FFB still doesn't feel right no matter what I do.

 

[KittX]

+ Wales Rally GB is what I'd describe as about as intense a VR experience that remains enjoyable.
-- Argentina, especially at night and/or in bad weather, with all that bouncing around and tight corners is the first game that has caused me the feelings of the start of motion sickness for a long time. 2 stages back to back were enough for me!

So that means the overly shaking is still there? Shame, i hoped they fixed it to a degree.
I've been watching some Rally Trophy onboards for a brief period of nostalgia, and i've been very impressed at how they handled cockpit/car movements from a cockpit view. No shaking (also the poly density was like 10x lower back then of course), but very nice movements of each corner of the car separately. Not completely independent of course, but you feel like something is going on within each wheel, unlike the whole thing shaking in DR2, like it's a solid object.

 

[newbert]

Please excuse my ignorance, but does this update also address VR performance on non-Oculus devices in any way? (I have an Odyssey Plus.)

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 197115]

It was pretty smooth on Odyssey Plus for me, it didn't get worse, that's for sure.

 

[HoiHman]

Massive kudo's to Codies

From a game that was unplayable in VR at the first release to one the best VR titles after this patch.
Initially i was getting small stutters every 3 seconds. I could massively reduce the stutter by applying the fixed mentioned above and disabling all non used USB HID devices in the control panel.

Still i was getting a stutter exactly every 13 seconds, which was also noticed in FPSVR with big spike in both CPU and GPU frame times.

After the patch it's super smooth all the way. The performance has also increased, place like in the villages in France where the frame rate dropped just below 90fps are now 90fps constant.

Settings:
Steam SS : 115%, 4x MSA, 16x AF, all settings at medium or high.
Trees at ultra
Crowds and mirrors off

Never drops below 90fps in any circumstance

Sadly, for me though, at the same settings rallycross is unplayable due to huge frame times of my 9700K @5.1 Gz

 

[Mike Kadlcak]

It's a great VR experience on Oculus VR via Steam now.

A couple of effects that really stand out:

Just one warning, I play and can stomach all the current track and rallycross type racing games in VR. Hours in DCS or ACC leave me with no ill effects but Dirt 2.0...

+ Wales Rally GB is what I'd describe as about as intense a VR experience that remains enjoyable.
-- Argentina, especially at night and/or in bad weather, with all that bouncing around and tight corners is the first game that has caused me the feelings of the start of motion sickness for a long time. 2 stages back to back were enough for me!

in DR1 they had set 'locked view to horizon' view for VR user as default. Do you have that option on in DR2 if there is one? If you're in a bumpy environment in a car in RL your eyes can absorb a lot and are steady to the horizon.