I agree the X-Plane implementation is well thought-out: once the VR controller nears the controlling spot of a switch, knob, lever etc… the controlled area turns green (visual cue) and the VR controller haptic feedback lets you know you’ve bumped into it. It is quite effective and I find it didn’t long for my brain to pick up the haptic cue as if I was actually really touching the switch for example.
However, even hand tracking without haptic feedback seems to work much better than what you might think. We’re currently working with an aircraft manufacturer on a VR project and the lack of haptic feedback isn’t really making much differences for pilots used to the real cockpit and therefore relying among other things on muscle memory.
I completely agree with CptLucky8, of course the glove would be the optimal solution for the future, but haptic gloves are still in an experimental stage of development and not so common to find, so in the meantime IMHO hand tracking (yet available out of the box for Quest) supported by visual cues could be an excellent solution. As hand tracking is not available for all the VR hardware, traditional controllers should of course be supported, so that one thing doesn’t exclude the other and the user could decide to use what he prefers.
I agree that haptic feedback is a plus, but as an X-plane user, even with visual cues and haptic feedback I find very frustrating to have to point precisely the controller “laser” to differentiate between pulling vs pushing a knob of the A320 FCU, I would absolutely prefere a hand gesture that mimics pull / rotate / push…
But you can actually control the knobs not just by laser beam, but in actually touching the knob with the tip of the VR controller, as if you’d grab it. Once you reach the knob, depress the trigger fully to hold and twist the VR controller to rotate the knob.
Oh, I agree. But in pancake simming you have no other options for the most part, unlike VR where there are controllers made for cockpit interaction (but not supported). Although the DIY VR Control Box project I’m doing is just as applicable for pancake simming - and it would take away a lot of mouse interaction.
Hello,
Any news about the topic? I’m following this with attention and I don’t want it to be closed or forgotten by the community or the Dev. This is the only feature really missing in the simulator to be perfect for me!
No news. Not that I know of. It’s the top voted VR wanted feature and one of the only 2 items marked as “started” in VR snapshot, with ETA this year. But that’s all I know and nothing has changed for months.
I really hope they can implement it like VTOL VR - snap to controls, move your hand to toggle a switch or rotate a knob, haptic feedback, toggle lock or temporary grab for stick+throttle…
I have been holding off on VR. I had the opportunity a while back to use a commercial VR mechanical training simulator that allowed me to interact with tools and nuts/bolts just using my hands.
When something like this becomes available for MSFS I will be all over it. To be able to just reach out and manipulate all the switches and knobs in the aircraft without ever needing a mouse or physical controller would be the sell for me.
I’m afraid you’re out of luck for a long while, and just depriving yourself from enjoying VR right now. As much as I want controllers and was dismayed by the lack of support, VR is still enjoyable. I have posted a URL for a DYI gloves that is already available. They will work in MSFS as soon as controller support is released. But those, and I suspect any commercial ones, including what you listed, would only work with SteamVR and not WMR OpenXR, so in the current state Reverb G2 - arguably the best VR solution for MSFS, would not work with the gloves. Maybe if MSFS/SteamVR/WMR are updated to the degree that we could use SteamVR OpenXR driver without horrible performance we have right now, this would be feasible. But so far, it’s a no-go. And I’m not optimistic for the foreseeable future. I’d pay $200 for gloves you listed, with pleasure, if they work with MSFS. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. There were many such projects that have failed. VR is a niche market, and the gloves are a niche within a niche. So this may not fly at all… They’d have to make a profit…
I’m so used to X-Plane VR Controls that I cannot use MSFS VR for now. I used it when no VR was available, but since VR came out, I just can’t. In VR, immersion and intuitive use are key, so I’ll stick with X-Plane until MSFS VR gets at least similar controls
Yeah, and even with the laser beam, you can flip switches/rotate knobs the way you want after depressing and holding the trigger. Just push/pull/rotate your hand in the direction you want the switch/knob to go.
My sentiment exactly. But my little project really helps with it. In combination with this and VoiceAttack profile I can control almost everything by operating 6 dual encoders and buttons or speaking a command to my “copilot” (such as “turn on fuel pump”). Also the “copilot” will read me checklists, waiting for my confirmation on important items, and will do some actions too.
I can even switch fuel tanks in PA28 by rotating an encoder, rotate starter and do things like that. So I virtually never need to do anything with the mouse. Even for the ATC, speaking “acknowledge” will press option 1 for me, and “select 5” will press option 5, and so on. So in PA28 or other GA aircraft I can go through the whole checklists and startup from a cold cockpit without using the mouse.
That is so cool that I will be still using much of that when controllers are implemented.
Having it in X-Plane worked great until I bought a base stand for my x-56 controller and throttle that sits directly in front of me. Now when I am in VR I cannot lean forward to flip a switch because the base stand and x56 is in the way. When in VR, I keep hitting my head off of it if I lean forward. That is why msfs2020 is better because I can just use the mouse and I do not have to lean forward to get at the switches. I wish xp would use a mouse implementation like msfs2020. I have not even been able to use X-Plane since I bought the base stand.
