I recently purchased a used HP Reverb G2 headset. I’ve read many of the setup threads and watched several YouTube VR setup videos, however I’m completely new to VR, so I don’t know what expectations I should have. Here are my questions.
How do you find the readability of the MCDU buttons and display text? They are not very clear to me, but are they just too small to work properly in VR?
How do you interact with the cockpit? Does everyone use the mouse to activate the various buttons and switches, or do you interact with the airplane with different methods?
I get around 32-36 fps on the ground at KORD in the cockpit. I find interacting with the cockpit in general to be much more of a chore in VR compared to 2D using the mouse. Clicking small buttons in VR takes some patience and I found myself kind of exhausted at the end of setting up the plane.
In addition to the G2, I am using an i7-10700, RX 6800XT, 32GB 3GT/s DDR4, and an M.2 NVMe. Flight control is a Velocity One Flight Yoke+Quadrant.
Pertinent SW settings: In-game render scale 100, settings a mix of medium and high, TAA on
OpenXR Toolkit render scale 90%, sharpness 60%, MR off, using FSR.
(Although not the topic of this post, I’ve also experienced a couple CTD’s when switching in/out of VR mode or changing from cockpit to external view while in VR. Never have had those issues before, but more time is needed before I come to any conclusions.)
Sharpness seems high. Try 30 and then 15 to see if you can notice an improvement. Remember, the G2 has a very small “sweet spot” where things are in focus, so there will be a lot of head movement.
Yes, I’ve definitely noticed the sweet spot challenges. I’ll probably order a third party face plate to get the displays closer to my eyes, and I’ve already ordered custom prescription lenses. Using with glasses is literally painful.
I’ll try dropping sharpness. Are you using VR in the FBW? How’s clarity of the buttons for you?
I use 20-30% sharpness in the Open XR Toolkit. You will have to lean forward a bit to read smaller digits. Adjust the G2 physically on your head (shift it up or down by a few mm, and try a small upward or downward tilt ) to make sure your eyes are right in the sweet spot and adjust the IPD so everything looks as clear as you can get it. Also remember, turn your whole head too when looking at something in the cockpit. (rather than moving your eyes around). You have to literally point your head and your eyes at what you want to look at. It takes some getting used to but becomes 2nd nature after a while.
I don’t fly the airliners, but I have to lean in to read instruments sometimes. It’s not even close to the clarity of 2d, and I hardly ever wear the G2 these days. I have TrackIR, and I get the same satisfaction out of 2d as I do from VR. If it was as sharp as 2D I would use it more often, but it’s not there yet. I also start on the runway, so I have a lot less buttonology to deal with.
I’ve turned down sharpness and didn’t notice much of any difference.
I’m starting to think some of my issue is lining up all the optics involved.
My glasses are wide, and don’t fit within the gasket and HMD very comfortably, so I probably don’t always have them perfectly centered.
The IPD adjustment slider seems like it needs just a little bit more range on the high side for me. I have it maxed out, but I wish I could push it a little farther and see if it is better.
Centering all of those things and having it all line up with my eyes is tough. Adding in the physical discomfort of the glasses being pressed onto the bridge of my nose doesn’t help.
I tried with my contacts, but those do not correct my slight astigmatism, so I felt quality was actually a little worse overall.
Are any of you using the thinner facemask to get your eyepoint closer to the lenses?
I really want to see how much better I can get this with the prescription lenses that I ordered. Probably going to be two weeks before they get here. If that still seems lacking, then I might need to look into the third parts G2 version 1 facemasks that bring my eyepoint closer.
I wear reading glasses so don’t need to wear eyewear in my G2, I got some VR Optician blue light / anti reflective lens last month, their brilliant and I can stay in the head set without eye strain