I am on the most current version of Win 11 as far as I know. 24H2.
So, OG Crystal processes head tracking in the headset and the newer headsets process on the CPU. And the newer headsets are the ones with the tracking issues?
I just wanted to clarify that.
Ok, not windows version then. Maybe the fact that youāre running an Intel CPU as the CPU scheduling issues I was talking about were mostly affecting AMD CPUs.
As far as I understand it the issue is only limited to the Pimax Crystal Light using the stock camera tracking. Any headset from the Pimax Crystal series that can function as a stand-alone headset (so the older OG Crystal) or has a dedicated chip onboard to handle the tracking (the newer Crystal Super and the lighthouse faceplate for the Crystal Light) should not be affected.
Only going on what Iāve read so might not be 100% correct, the only one Iāve had personal experience with is a PCL using camera tracking.
I have the Lighthouse faceplate for my OG but I have better results using inside out. Probably something with my room setup for the lighthouse.
Compared the Reverb G2 the OG crystal tracks way smoother.
The Pimax Super uses the CPU for head tracking calculations, same as the Crystal Light.
Thatās a surprise, they advertise it with āIntegrated SLAM Trackingā plus, given that it has eye tracking, I would have thought that it handled both on the same processer.
The Crystal OG had a Snapdragon processor onboard, which is why it needed a battery (dictated to Pimax by Qualcomm apparently) as it was designed and marketed as both a PCVR display port headset, as well as the option to use it as a stand alone headset.
So far as I know, the Crystal Light and the Super both lack full onboard processing of headtracking, relegating it to an app on the PCās CPU called piserver.exe (which can blow out to use a worrying amount of resources, along with the other Pimax client apps).
Whatever, on my Pimax Super the tracking works almost as well as the Crystal OG, apart from a really annoying constant unsteadiness of the image on my example, even without any CPU heavy programs running. Discussions on that are ongoing as I speak with Pimaxā¦I may have either an aged wobbly noodle that the Super canāt handle with current software (which my Crystal OG has no problems with, I might add) or I have a faulty unit that is too sensitive to cope (bad accelerometers or gyros, who knows).
What I do know is that it is very annoying and is getting in the way of an otherwise exceptional experience with the Super, which even with that hassle just blows me me away with its sharpness and stereo overlap, as it did tonight flying a glider over the magical terrain of the Alps.
I have flown for hours using both inside out and lighhouse tracking and have had no issues. PCL
Jitters and stutters because my gpu/gpu vram is getting crushed, yes. (3080Ti) Once the settings are tuned to work with my hardware, no issues.
For reference, since inside out uses the cpu, I have a 14700k running all cores @ 5.5 all the time, paired with a nice gaming MB and quality DDR5 @ 7200 48gb.
Out of curiosity, what do you have the Super resolution set to? I have my PCL set to 70. I have seen some people running the Super as low as 50.
Also, in regards to wobbly noodle, I can keep my head very still, but my PCL will actually pick up the movement of my head from my heartbeat. You would think there would be a very slight buffer, but the PCL picks up even the tiniest of movements.
On the subject of Pimax play I am still using 1.37 version with my PCL headset. every time thereās a new Pimax update I try it and then have to revert back to 1.37 due to jitters and tearing. If you have a Pimax donāt give up on it until you have tried 1.37 version of Pimax play.
Just to clarify here, are we talking about jitters/stutters, or the problem the OP showed in the link to the video? Two completely different things.
With eye tracking foveated rendering I can run my Pimax Super at full 1.0 render (6280 x 6240) with DLAA or TAA, using VR Render Scale set to 0.25 or 0.20 in the latest SU4 beta and get high high 40s to low 50ās, with a 4090 and a 5800x3D, at least in a glider in rural areas. Certainly enough to run Smart Smoothing set to half frame rate of 45fps, which I did tonight flying a glider over the Dolomites in northern Italy. Using Smart Smoothing has proven to lower the sensitivity to head movement and mitigates the shakiness in the cockpit and scenery, though does not entirely eliminate it (on more CPU and GPU intensive aircraft of course, in say around London that would not be possible). Given the sensitivity of my Super to any headshake, that gives me the smoothest flights.
I only fly GA aircraft, away from graphically demanding areas. Iām not willing to lower the resolution if I can avoid it.
Also, in regards to headshake, my Super also picks up heartbeats, in fact itās only completely still if I rest it on the desk and even then, just brushing the cable will set off a stutter. Itās far too sensitive, either from the Pimax Play software or hopefully not, the hardware.
I have attempted to mitigate the unsteadiness by dropping resolution down in both Pimax Play and in the Toolkit, but it makes no difference. Itās not down to stressing my GPU or CPU (in fact it happens in Pimax home looking at the stars) but the sensitivity of the headset; the accelerometers immediately pick the slightest input. This does NOT happen with my Crystal OG.
You are right about some form of way to reduce this sensitivity, perhaps by a dampening slider in Pimax Play. I have raised this issue with Calvin@Pimax and he has raised the idea with the engineers.
No, I at least am not talking about normal stutters, or poor headtracking in general, such as rubber banding, delay or judder in the scenery, rather a persistent unsteadiness caused by too high sensitivity in the headset even at rest or with the sim paused.
The tracking actually works smoothly for me. But the headset is picking up accelerations when my head settles that show up as unacceptable movements in both the cockpit and scenery; two weeks of attempting to get rid of it with every possible combination of methods has failed to fix it. The best I can do is use Smart Smoothing locked to half frame rate. My OG Crystal does NOT have this problem at all (and I hate Smart Smoothing on the Crystals btw, even though it works somewhat better now).
Wow! 45-50 fps with a Super set to 1??? Thatās crazy good! That gives me great hope for upgrading my 3080Ti, my only weak point. I have my PCL set to 70 to maximize my performance/visual quality balance. I can still see very clearly at 70, but gain a huge performance increase vs 1. I am forcing the latest nvidia preset and dlss balanced.
Not to derail the thread, but could you please elaborate on the ārender scaleā? I donāt think I have ever messed with that or remember seeing it. Is it only in SU4? Does turning it down like that help a lot with performance?
I also only fly GA. Not into airliners. You said you fly gliders in the sim. My son just got his glider license last year. We have a blast flying together.
In regards to the headshake, I am not bothered by that at all. Peoplpe probably have different tolerances to that kind of stuff. I only notice if I actually focus on it, and even then it doesnāt bother me.
Agreed, a buffer setting would be great. Like a dead zone for controls in msfs.
All things considered I am getting close to be being dialed in and I am very happy. VR is just so incredible. I just cannot go back to flat screen and I have a nice WOLED screen with a beautiful picture. Doesnāt matter, lol. the immersion is incredible. Single 55ā, triple 55ās, doesnāt matter. VR is it. Period. lol. I have been using VR for a little over 10 years now. I started with the Samsung Gear VR.
Thatās very interesting. Either I donāt have the problem, or if I do, it is not effecting me.
In SU3 the setting for foveated render scale can only be changed by editing the config file. The default is a modest 0.500000, by lowering it to say 0.3 or lower the foveated box area gets smaller and the outer areaās resolution gets lower. So the demand on your GPU is greatly reduced, hence a big increase in fps and/or sim settings, at least until you become CPU bound.
In SU4 beta the devs added a slider in the VR Graphics menu to allow you to change Foveated Render Scale in the sim, which is great.
Although without eye tracking that render box would be quite noticeable. I doubt one could go under 50 without it.
From what you described, it doesnāt sound like CPU load would be the issue. Itās either the software or sensor issues.
Yeah, which is why they set it at 0.5 when it was introduced. You could probably get away with 0.4 without eye tracking; people differ in what they can tolerate with foveated rendering.
Itās early days though in the sim. Done properly, dynamic foveated rendering ideally should have three or even four adjustable areas, either circles or ovals, not squares.
Schematic diagram of the macula lutea of the retina, showing perifovea, parafovea, fovea, and clinical macula
I really donāt see much difference .50 and .20 other than the frame rate is really high. I had to use that as a gauge to tell if it was working.
I also have not the greatest of eyes, so my brainās visual processing may have already leaned to fool me.