Three Monitors vs VR Compared

[gmkump]

Seven months ago I showed off my Traction Plus and Motion Platforms, using Oculus Rift VR exclusively. Then I bought Valve Index and wanted a better PC with it. Had two graphics cards burn out with new PC, so PC went back for technical support. Six months later, waiting for better hardware, etc. it finally returned last week and in anticipation I put up three monitors.

Now I have two drivers, one for VR, one for 3 monitors. Pros and Cons for both, but the VR beats out the 3 monitors for sure with Index giving me 120 fps, but it heats up the graphics card more than the three monitors!

Why three monitors when VR is the way to go for me? Sometimes I like to look at my dashboard, see my beer, and scan the room, though having the cockpit move around while the monitors are stationary is not very realistic. I still drive better with the motion, but it can be disturbing at times. At the edge of my sight I can see my table move closer with the beer when the cockpit slides that way and I have to pause and take care of the temptation. Still, it is a different experience and a lot of fun.

With VR, the driving is just more natural with head movement (tilting, looking up, etc.) with good head compensation due to cockpit movement. The motion is perfect for VR. It is just so much more immersive and the cockpit motion feels natural. The only Con I have for it is I have to grab my beer blindly, though I know where it is at. Note how beer is in a mug that is two-sided taped to the table. I went through some spilling experiences, this solution worked for me.

 

[Wmacky]

So the key deciding factor between VR and flat panel is as always adult beverages?

Anyway, that is a impressive commitment to go with VR AND a full triple setup! I just couldn't do it and went for a 50" 4K gaming TV for the secondary screen, but there is always tomorrow.

 

[gmkump]

So the key deciding factor between VR and flat panel is as always adult beverages?

Anyway, that is a impressive commitment to go with VR AND a full triple setup! I just couldn't do it and went for a 50" 4K gaming TV for the secondary screen, but there is always tomorrow.

Before retirement I made sure I had plenty put aside for hobbies, which I have way too many of. Been retired now for seven years and it never gets old. I mean, the enjoyment of hobbies and not having a job to stress about.

Three monitors are not just for beverages, though the ease to drink them while racing is definitely a plus. There are Pros for monitors, better graphics, no weight on your head, can see your cockpit dashboard, and really impresses observers. It just feels better and more realistic in VR, despite the drop in graphics quality, though it is still pretty good. Valve Index had a great resolution and speed, so had to go with that, even though pretty expensive when you have to get the bay stations. Geez, Oculus Rift using cameras and not requiring any kind of station is the only way to do it these days.

 

[gmkump]

PS: The monitors are 55" 4K. I wanted 65", but the monitor stand as seen in the pic is at it's closest distance from seat, can't get it any closer (due to Traction Plus and monitor stand legs which are longer in front). Since the distance was fixed, I had to get larger monitors, no choice. 65" was what I desired, but after measuring, I found it would go wall to wall and my cabinet would have to move, and no place for it. I decided on 55" due to space requirement only. It turned out pretty good, I have no complaints while racing, because it seems big enough for the distance it has to be placed. It actually feels about perfect.

 

[Wmacky]

55" Sounds great. Thats the size I would choose for triples.

 

[TheNatural]

This is a nice little writeup of your personal experience.

I feel similarly, i think when people are weighing the options here they really undervalue being able to just relax in a room and in the seat between sessions. I had the index as well but now that i am building a rig again it's the last thing on my list.

 

[gmkump]

This is a nice little writeup of your personal experience.

I feel similarly, i think when people are weighing the options here they really undervalue being able to just relax in a room and in the seat between sessions. I had the index as well but now that i am building a rig again it's the last thing on my list.

Now that I spent another ten hours on triple monitor setup, I absolutely agree with you. I love my VR Index, but also love the experience of three monitor setup. It is uniquely different and both are really enjoyable. I will probably spend equal time on both in my racing sessions. Not having to put on a headset and being able to see the room I'm in has a positive impact. Might not be as immersive, but it certainly is enjoyable. I'm definitely not disappointed and consider the investment worth it.

 

[TheNatural]

It is uniquely different and both are really enjoyable. I will probably spend equal time on both in my racing sessions.

This part is important, they are both really awesome. Sometimes I wonder if I come off as dumping too hard on VR, but it really is a ridiculously cool experience and an investment I do not regret in the slightest.

 

[BrightCandle]

A big part of the reason VR is seen so little with streamers and such is its hard to deal with streaming in VR, it is just awkward to read the chat and its awkward to interact with the streaming tools like OBS. I think generally pulling stuff into VR ends up being a giant pain and we really need much more performant and easier mechanisms to bring the desktop applications into it and interface with them, then we would see a better representation with streamers using it. Emptybox used VR for ages but even he was smoothing the output and only doing so for prerecorded videos.

By the polls a lot of simracers use VR now but it seriously needs some improvements to desktop interaction to be more usable.

 

[Mr Latte]

Nice but darn I would have waited for a while longer.

A problem with big screens and sitting so close is its very unrealistic scaling.
If anything even those 55" look a tad big.

I've played with triple projectors in the past so know what it's like to have side-mirrors that are the size of a 19" monitor.

Quite a few superb HDMI 2.1 Freesync Premium Pro TVs coming this year from 43" upwards
Triple 48" OLED anyone?

 

[gmkump]

Nice but darn I would have waited for a while longer.

A problem with big screens and sitting so close is its very unrealistic scaling.
If anything even those 55" look a tad big.

Sitting too close??? I'm about six feet away from all of them. You need the larger size to ensure that where you sit the displays cover your peripheral vision looking forward. I found the 55" is just right at my distance and I don't see any issue with scaling. I thought it might be too small because of distance I was forced to place them, however I'm happy at 55".

Oh, I also figured another reason to have three monitors with VR, more titles to pick from. I was stunned when I purchased Formula F1 and found it had no VR support. Looking forward to it now.

 

[Mr Latte]

Surprised as it does look like you are sitting closer than 6ft (to me at least from the image).
Yes of course a smaller screen you would be closer, but my point and query is.

What screen size with triples sitting at the correct distance gives you objects like (wheels/hands) that looks 1:1 with reality? Do you want to compare your hand size to the image shown.

 

[Wmacky]

Isn't it all about FOV scaling? I have my 50" right behind my DD, but it looks ok after properly setting the FOV?

 

[RacingMat]

Interesting comparison review! and nice pictures

I've 24" triple screens since 2013 and I waited for VR headset until Screen Door Effect disappears. So I jumped on ReverbG2 in december but:

Too much a hassle to configure it (mixed reality windows, mixed reality VR for stream, without controlers it's complicated...), USB 3 issues sometimes??
No GPU card on earth capable of fully driving it (the game developpers are spoiled kids wasting PC ressources like hell)??
Small FOV but really acceptable because of the quality of image (not a monitor though but really nice) but sweet Spot was too small for me.
And I couldn't help but feel blind not seeing but button box, stram deck, keyboard... maybe with real mixed reality.

I've given up VR without regrets for the moment, let's see in 10 years...

About your monitor setup, you could improve the immersion with a nice black monitor hood and skirt

 

[Deleted member 197115]

@gmkump, absolutely gorgeous setup.
How easy can you adapt when switching between VR/flat screen? I have tried go back to screen (42") a few times but it was quite lackluster experience, so find it interesting how people can use them interchangeably.
Wondering if anyone has similar setup but with ultrawide and VR and how they fare against each other.

 

[gmkump]

About your monitor setup, you could improve the immersion with a nice black monitor hood and skirt

Stop putting ideas in my head!

While racing, the displays are so large, I really don't see anything but the screens themselves, I don't even notice anything else unless I intentionally look. It is amazing how you focus on the simulated view and ignore all else.

I'm having a real blast these last few days using this three monitor setup. More enjoyable than I thought it would be. I'm not going to give up VR for it, but it will definitely be used as often. Probably more since I have titles not supporting VR.

 

[gmkump]

@gmkump, absolutely gorgeous setup.
How easy can you adapt when switching between VR/flat screen? I have tried go back to screen (42") a few times but it was quite lackluster experience, so find it interesting how people can use them interchangeably.
Wondering if anyone has similar setup but with ultrawide and VR and how they fare against each other.

For me with this setup, it has been pretty awesome. I love VR, but the three monitor setup is just as much fun and I love the challenge to race it. At first, my VR times beat 3M times, but once I got acclimated to the three monitor setup, they are now very much the same.

One thing I found interesting was the depth perception is very different. Things appear further away with 3M then they do in VR. It makes you feel your almost going twice as fast with the 3M setup. Maybe because VR puts you in the game. In VR, everything is a bit larger and closer feeling then on monitors. But each experience is different and I'm having no issue switching from one to the other. I'll keep both.

I'm really excited that some of my titles that refused to support VR are now going to be accessible to me. The motion cockpit supports them, but I shelved them because no VR support. That restriction has been lifted.

PS: It might be due to the fact the displays are large and fill my view, including peripheral vision. That makes is less jarring when leaving VR and going to 3M. The transition from VR to 3M does not bother me. I like VR because my head movements have a reaction to what I see, the 3m could care less about my head movements. That makes a big difference for immersion, but 3m has Pros as well, and it is all about having fun. So I'll keep having fun with both.

 

[RacingMat]

I like VR because my head movements have a reaction to what I see, the 3m could care less about my head movements.

don't want to put ideas in your head but a little bit of head tracking could add the same sort of feeling?!
(if too much tracking movement, I didn't feel it "normal").

 

[torsteinvh]

@gmkump, absolutely gorgeous setup.
How easy can you adapt when switching between VR/flat screen? I have tried go back to screen (42") a few times but it was quite lackluster experience, so find it interesting how people can use them interchangeably.
Wondering if anyone has similar setup but with ultrawide and VR and how they fare against each other.

I have both VR and an ultrawide (with TrackIR). I like and use both. The monitor is nice when I doesn't have much time, and it is also nice to be able to see my steering wheel and button box. I also use the monitor when I concentrate on adjusting setups, FFB and so on.

VR is for when I have an hour or more to really sit down and enjoy the racing And it is only now with the G2 that I find the resolution is high enough to not be distracted by the screen door effect.

 

[Elaphe]

Just an idea for sim-racing hardware developers: make a mechanism that pumps drink through a tube (just like in real racing cars), but which can be attached to out VR headset and that can be controlled with a PCB, so that the button labelled "DRINK" in our steering wheels finally makes sense. Now the content of the bottle where you insert the tube is up to you: water, juice, beer, whisky...