Never again without VR glasses

[J.J.McClure]

Hello friends of virtual motorsport.
I have to get rid of something.
My girlfriend would get me into serious physical trouble if I woke her up now.
Just finished my first session in Assetto Corsa. Remaining holiday.
Nothing new you say?
In VR. The glasses came yesterday around 4pm. I'm totally blown away.
I wasn't expecting such an immersive experience.
I've had a PSVR for Gran Tourismo before. That was a big blunder I tell you.
No real races, only one opponent. What a ****.
But VR on the PC is a completely different number. A starting field with 40 participants in the 1967 LeMans is madness. You really think you're sitting in the Porsche 917 with Steve McQueen. I know that was a little later.
I can still feel the adrenaline. At night this is the absolute overrider.
Simply extraordinary and when a driver spins in front of you and the tire smoke is really dense, you hold your breath. I hope it's not where I'm going now.
It doesn't get any more radical than that.
Driving a Formula 1 cigar on the Nordschleife from 1967 is like riding on the cannonball.
I will never use my TrackIR5 again. The part goes in the bay.
I bought the Pico 4. It is completely sufficient and also has no cable fuss and sensors to set up. Put it on, start the game and off you go.
It is set up in less than a minute. More expensive glasses may have a little more, I've never had glasses that cost 1700 euros. but the Piko costs only half a thousand. I was a little hesitant at first because of the resolution, 4Kx2 and my preference to crank up the graphics and effects. I took over my settings in the CSP that I otherwise had on the TV. Only had to set in AC the one VR glasses is available. Then the glasses did the rest.
I was always too cumbersome with all the cables. Plug it into the back of the PC, then the power cable, HDMI cable, and the cables for the sensors.
I already hated that on my PS4. One constantly traipsed or got tangled up in the tangled cables. I only sit when I have to sit in the game.
I also had the problem of the lenses fogging up because there was no air circulation. I don't have this problem with the Piko.
Moreover, it only weighs 300 grams.
In addition, my very simple Simrig, with a Sabelt 6-point harness, always had to be on the computer. The cables, the TV. Now a single long USB cable is enough for the USB HUB for my steering wheel and gearshift. Absolutely screen independent. I need that theoretically no more. I'm excited about the glasses. You get really good VR glasses for the price. Of course you can also buy used VR glasses, but there is no manufacturer guarantee. And then the upholstery. I don't want a pad on my skin where someone else has sweated.
Hopefully the battery will be charged soon.
Preferably before my sleeping girlfriend has to get up.
If she still sees me driving around, she'll put me in a madhouse.
This is not an advertisement for the Piko. Just my enthusiasm.

 

[Deleted member 1066209]

Thanks for sharing your experience! It brings me back to when I first started simracing in VR

Do you have bass shakers? If not, I encourage you to get some. They pair wonderfully with VR.

 

[Cote Dazur]

Thank you for sharing. I have been using VR with sim and AC in particular for many years. first DK2 and then CV1, still working great.
I agree with @justwannadl , VR and bass shakers is really nice.
I also drive the other SIM, but AC is my favorite (by far) , I just reached 6000 hours this week.

The thing I have noticed is that VR is particularly convincing in AC, not because the graphics are much better, they are not, but because what is seen in the goggles and what is felt at the wheel is the most natural, the most connected of them all.
In short, closer to really be in a car than anything else.

 

[Lizard Of Bodom]

Thanks for the feedback! What was your previous setup (screen wise, you say TV but what size/res etc) that you are comparing VR to? I did have brief experience with VR myself when upgrading my rig and had to decide if to go 3xmonitor or VR. Tried both and decided on physical screens. Years later and dont really feel like im missing much but admittedly VR thatg I tested was not as good as available now (some occulus circa 2019). Loved the experience, VR games etc but playing AC was nowhere as immersive to me as on my triples. Years on and further rig upgrades (4 various button boxes, immersive LED lighting, dedicated tablets with telemetry and other date etc) and still loving it, think I would miss the physical touch of all that if using only VR and virtual buttons etc. Will try to get&test something much more modern VR just to compare the technological gap vs the one i tested but still I think it will be more "wow thats cool feeling and all but lets go back to static head"
I wonder if I come back here to eat my own words , will see

 

[Cote Dazur]

4 various button boxes, immersive LED lighting, dedicated tablets with telemetry and other date etc

Immersive LED lightning? sounds cool, wondering what it looks like?
From what you describe, you tried VR and preferred something else, nothing wrong with that.
I would not waste my time, as the technology in VR has not evolved in a way that it is that different, better resolution, less to no screen effect, but overall just still the same amazing immersion as before.
If it did not sway you then, it will probably not sway you now. Same as my chance to go back to pancake, not going to happen. We do not have to be all after the same thing.

 

[J.J.McClure]

Hello friends.
Before driving VR I sat 1 meter in front of a 50 inch 4K LED.
So I took my Track IR to look in the outside mirrors. Because of the FOV I had to use TRACKIR. That was cool, but it was still just sitting in front of it. I don't want to say that playing without VR is bad. After all, I've "ridden" the Amiga like this since Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix.
Also, I don't want to start a discussion on the pros and cons.
But I can see from the times that I'm faster right away. I drive more intuitively than before. Out of the belly. Wherever I look, especially when cornering, I also steer.
Like landing in an airplane.
A point is fixed on the runway where I will touch down. That may work with a 3 monitor solution. If these are large enough, but with the one monitor solution, this is not possible. Not even with Track IR. At a certain point, the sensor no longer sees the reflectors. Especially in hairpin bends.
@justwannadl:
Bassshaker sounds good, but then the whole thing starts all over again with the cables.
I could, however, use Bluetooth receivers and transmitters. I already have something in mind, but now the all-important question.
How do I sell this to my better half?
She tolerates my hobbies. AC and Elite Dangerous.
I have different rig systems for both games.
Furthermore, how loud are these bass shaker systems?
I see these are speakers. 5 of them.
I usually gamble when I get home from the late shift around 1130pm.
I don't want to be the one to keep my girlfriend from sleeping when she has to go to work the next morning.
My life expectancy could suddenly drop to zero.

 

[Lizard Of Bodom]

...
I usually gamble when I get home from the late shift around 1130pm.
I don't want to be the one to keep my girlfriend from sleeping when she has to go to work the next morning.
My life expectancy could suddenly drop to zero.

Got you, 1screen with FOV even with TiR is inferior to any other solutions, whether 3 screens or VP, no wonder you fell in love with headset. I wonder if you had chance to try multiscreen setup how it would compare but everyone to their liking anyway.
as for shakers - i literally finished that project last week on my DYI rig and let me tell you - yes defo worth it. Dont try to overdo it, 2 are plenty enough for good start IMHO, I used the most common (plenty of YT tutorials etc) setup of USB sound card and 2x BST-1 50W shakers. Works like a charm, very happy with results. If you are worried about cables etc, dont bother with shakers as going wireless/transmitter etc route is pointless, you need decent cabling and conenctions. but in general cabling is not a big deal as you just run decent speaker cable (2wire) to each shaker, and shakers are attached to your rig so not really that much distance to cover. Also be mindful, shakers are not "loud" per se, but carry on vibrations so your whole house/floor/wall etc will carry them to, basically when activated it will be felt by other house occupants and/or neighbors below. There is no way you will use them "silently" but its not the noise they generate, its the vibrations. Just read how they work so you understand more, its not really subwoofer in its traditional form.

 

[Mascot]

Thank you for sharing. I have been using VR with sim and AC in particular for many years. first DK2 and then CV1, still working great.
I agree with @justwannadl , VR and bass shakers is really nice.
I also drive the other SIM, but AC is my favorite (by far) , I just reached 6000 hours this week.

The thing I have noticed is that VR is particularly convincing in AC, not because the graphics are much better, they are not, but because what is seen in the goggles and what is felt at the wheel is the most natural, the most connected of them all.
In short, closer to really be in a car than anything else.

VR with a full motion platform is even better! Pants get dangerously close to being soiled at times, the immersion is so deep.
Or even with a seat mover, to a lesser degree. Just a bit of wee comes out then. No solids.