I used to feel like that. Loved the sim and played many hours on the various versions, platforms but then after going on one of those fairly cheap trial/joy rides with a local training company and having a go at taking off and landing I couldn’t believe how depthless just a single or even 3 monitors were while in the sim.
The only thing that came even close was using trackiR as you are able to look over in different directions or up above the panel quickly while landing but now that’s overpriced and you could perhaps use an open-source alternative.
Something I feel that is pretty much like the real thing (minus the big vibrations and the feeling of your stomach turning when you do a really steep turn) is putting on a VR Headset and getting in the zone with no external distractions. I have the Reverb G2 and it feels like I’ve actually been somewhere when I go on a flight rather than just sitting in front of a monitor
Sure it has a small sweet spot, for some reason only has the IPD starting at 60 + (mine is 59 and just ok) and your face gets hot ( Just get a desk fan blowing in your face) but if you setup your joystick / flight yoke / pedals and are comfortable where everything is it’s great.
I used to have the Oculus Rift but wanted to break away from Facebook and the Reverb G2 was a good price and had good reviews.
Hope you get something sorted as VR is really good fun.
This is totally how I feel about cars. And with flight, I do like bush planes and ultralights from time to time and VR is amazing in them. Perfect for the right, simple plane. I just feel for the tubeliner crowd. The tech has improved a LOT this last couple of years and peripherals have improved too. Flying blind is still a challenge though, at times.
I find VR gimmicky yeah it’s nice to look around but I like desktop simulation more for all the apps you can run and the flight planning aspect. Once proper weather comes in where you actually need to watch where you fly it’ll be immersive.
You’re supposed to wear your contacts or whatever corrective lens to see far, which I thought it would’ve been the other way around since the vr lens are so close to your eyes. I’ve since purchased the corrective lens inserts and the view is so much better! Before vr, I was using track IR with three monitors. It was awesome, but since going vr, I don’t see myself going back. Yes it’s hard to read those taxi signs, but for me the immersion is so much closer to the real thing. I have my ppl with 142 hrs. Having a yoke and pedals is important to. I’d get these first, then track IR (if not vr). Pilot2ATC (if not Pilot Edge) for ACT with chatter is awesome too. I’m considering a Butt Kicker which has gotten a lot of recommendations, but I would think that would be last on the immersion list. I use AirNAV for airport info and charts. Have fun!!
Can’t speak on the buttkicker, but i built a couple diy bass shakers from some speakers i had laying around (5" cones…maybe even 4’s, didn’t measure them)
What i can say is these things A) can put out more rumble than I’d run them at. B) Add a touch of immersion that really has to be experienced to fully appreciate. C) I can’t go back.
If you’re into tinkering and have some spare speaker(s) around and an amplifier and time give it a shot. If money isn’t a factor, go for the butkickers asap.
***Note: if you go the shaker/kicker route, you’ll want SimShaker for Aviators software (free) and the SimShaker Sound Module ($30). With the hardware and those two pieces of software you’ll feel a whole new sensory experience (That btw, makes all sense to be there) turbulence, touchdown, drag etc.
Depends what you mean by immersion. There is the classic gaming immersion as @geloxo wrote in post #3 where the engagement with the game is strong enough for you to “get in character” and fill in the blanks. Same as reading a book, over on the Elite Dangerous forums they call this lore. You can make your own stuff up and go do this today.
If it’s realism then for what? GA or tube liners, if it’s GA there is no better immersion for realising than VR. It’s a notch or two below actually flying, Xplane has the better VR integration and with Orbx terrain or if you do your own then it’s pretty darn good looking. MS of course has the very best scenery and lighting but suffers with controller integration, that said choose a plane that roughly has stick and rudder plus a push/pull throttle and most of this function is supported by off the shelf gaming hardware.
Maybe your just burned out? Go do something else for a few months and come back to what is a really good sim, plus you’ll have all the 40th anniversary stuff to play with - hopefully mostly bug free by then
I strongly recommend TrackIR as a major first step in immersion at a relatively low cost. Try it and you won’t go back! (Though it may lead you on to VR. Also, I still use both).
Tobii eye tracker for me. I find it very good indeed and far preferable to TrackIR which I had for several years (in a drawer, after the first three months)
I don’t think it’s burn out, if anything I feel that I don’t get enough time simming.
I think it’s my monitor, I’m using a decent 34” Ultrawide it’s the Huawei Mateview GT. Not sure if it’s because its VA as the colours don’t pop as much as they don on an IPS monitor.
I was thinking about adding 2 extra monitors to make a 3 monitor setup to have the side views. I’m looking into whether it would look ok to have 2 standard widescreen monitors but wonder if the different aspect ratio would look weird against the main Ultrawide.
I went to three monitors when they finally gave us the option. To me that really helped with the immersion being able to see out the side windows. Yeah, my fps dropped, but I’m still able to get 30 fps on the ground and 40s in the air with the pmdg 737. I’m running three 27 in monitors. I have the main set at 1440p, and 1080p for the side monitors to help with the fps.
I use a 49” 32:9 in 1440p which is nice. VR is still too early in my opinion, unless money is no object and even then, I think there are limitations (like everything, VR will one day be more than accessible)
Track IR is good but I fee the Tobii is more flexible and no need to wear a hat. More expensive though of course.
The obvious stuff like AI aircraft, boats, even the new emergency lights are on I saw posted on YouTube recently, for night time flying though I guess
