A little off topic but I prefer using TrackIR over VR, it has helped me loads in flight sims.
I use two monitors, most of the time its just the VFR map and ATC that I have on the 2nd - works well for me.
Iāve had an VR headset for about 4 years now. Iāve played a variety of sims and flying games. And I have to admit, there is no VR experience quite as immersive as flight. Itās followed only by driving.
However, I find my best VR flight experiences were ones where I could interact with the virtual cockpit via use of the VR controllers. VTOL VR is my #1 example here, and the most well done of any to date. Realism aside, itās just the best implentation of virtual cockpit in VR that Iāve seen so far. Thatās followed closely by whatās more of a cartoonish game, but the still awesome UltraWings. Never have I ever gotten such a physical feeling of immersive atmospheric flight than with those 2 titles.
Iāve tried MSFS in VR twice now - once at VR launch in December (was an unplayable, stuttery mess), and once since SU5. Itās much better now, but Iām far too sensitive to low frame rates in VR and I feel like puking my guts out after a few minutes. I have no issues with any other flight sim or flying game in VR. Only MSFS.
Now add to that we have to use the mouse to interact with everything, and it just kills the immersion factor added on by VR in the first place. And I canāt use my external tools like LNM, Navigraph (yeah, thereās that new in-game plugin for it, but I dislike it), etc.
Iāll stick with my cockpit and TrackIR.
My laptop is essentially docked (no real dock, just a lot of cables) to a 24" monitor set as primary. I keep the laptop open as a second screen that I the Task Manager on. I also use it on occasion for undocking the ATC or VFR windows, but not too often.
I have a Lenovo Andriod tablet that is on an arm mount off to the left. I mostly use it for Navigraph and to load PDF checklists and VFR charts (until Navigraph releases their VFR product).
I also use some software called Wired XDisplay to run the tablet as a second touchscreen monitor.
This is pretty much me, except that I will make an exception if the primary purpose of my flight is to take screenshots, or to record a video. 2D does much better for both of those roles. But I read someone, probably here somewhere, who said the following, which I completely agree with without reservation:
Flying in 2D mode is like flying a simulator, whereas flying in VR is like flying an airplane.
And I couldnāt agree more. The very first time I tried it, it put me back in a real cockpit for the first time since I was actually in a real cockpit. I think I bruised the bottom of my jaw from it hitting the ground so hard. Itās still not as clear as what it looks like when looking at a decent display, but I figure one or two more generations of either GPUs, the HMDs themselves, or possibly both, and it will be. But, there is at least some speculation in that statement.
Kev
Iād like to try a VR rig, but I have read that if one is prone to motion sickness, VR probably wonāt work.
While Iām fine sailing in the Caribbean and doing roller coasters, put me on a boat in Lake Michigan or playing Doom on a PC and Iām toast.
Has anyone expierienced VR motion sickness?
Yes I suffer from motion sickness too. Iāve used VR but didnāt get on with it. After about 10 minutes I start feeling dizzy and sick. I think a lot of it has to do with the refresh rate as this seems to affect me even with certain low refresh rate monitors. Thatās why I switched from 60hz to 144hz even though I donāt really play other games. A lot of people argue that you donāt need a high refresh rate monitor as the sim isnt capable of frame rate that high. You certainly notice the higher refresh rate when moving the camera around with the mouse which used to affect me on a 60hz monitor.
Iāve actually tried VR myself (though not in a flight sim) and got motion sickness too. I was told that it eventually goes away and taking ginger helps with this.
there are many new tools that you can incorporate in your VR experience, you have EFB where you can put whatever you need, Navigraph now works in VR and more to come. I dont know ForeFlight but today I feel I have most of the tools in VR and is improving a lot. For VFR is just amazing.
I didnt get much motion sickness to be honest, you need to get use to moving your heads instead of your eyes if you want to go further. Also is importante to have 24+ FPS otherwise is very unconfortable and good resolution (I use Reverb G2). With the latest SU5 framerates have massively improved, I run most of my VR experience with 35-40 FPS with most in HIGH and 26FPS in a very busy airport. I use a 2080TI and now the 30s version is even better. No going back for me so far.
Navigraph doesnāt even have VFR charts yet.
ForeFlight includes the FAA VFR sectionals as well as satellite weather views, wind predictions, cloud predictions, traffic, etc. There are taxiway maps for many small airports that Navigraph doesnāt have, and I can get the METARs directly in the EFB. Itās a tool used by pilots in the real world, and is much, MUCH more capable for VFR flight planning than Navigraph.
As an example, hereās a very simple usage of ForeFlight while in-flight in the CTSL (which has very basic avionics, but like any plane can have an iPad in it!). In addition to the VFR sectional chart (which shows useful information about whatās on the ground as well as airspaces) I have a 3d terrain view showing hazard markings for altitudes I canāt get over safely, with an EFIS-style ovelay (with the GPS-based ground speed and altitude, which may differ from the air pressure-based indicated airspeed and altitude but are also useful). In comparison, Navigraphās low enroute chart shows the airspaces but nothing on the ground, and the world map chart shows roads and lakes but not airspaces or airports.
I can also display traffic on the map (which shows live traffic from the sim mirrored in as real traffic) which is fun for collision avoidance, and can pop in wind and cloud data. The VFR sectional can be swapped out for IFR charts, satellite view, or a road map, without loss of aeronautical data like airports, waypoints, and airspaces.
Itās really useful, and so far itās not available inside VR.
Its fine, if you need all that just to fly VFR then wait until foreflight is available for VR.
As a real life pilot and long term sim user I personally dont need all that for VFR, just a map with my lines and I can do that with EFB.
For IFR I do all my pre planning and get it on my Ipad with notes IRL, I can do much of that with an EFB today in VR, if I add that to the charts I get most of what I need to safely fly to my destination.
I have never ever consulted metars whilst I am flying, thats just not how I operate in the cockpit and as far as I know how most of my pilot colleague check weather. i usually have my weather charts )winds and fronts to be honest) and then talk to controllers to get the latest airport conditions.
If you use any Garmin instrument in your MSFS you can get Traffic and a weather radar for free, in real life is a bit more expensive
So, my point is that if you need a lot of tools to fly then you will need to wait until your tools are available for VR, but from my experience I just recommend it
Happy flying
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