Actually, on the contrary: (1) widescreen resolutions DO make difference to the camera view, and (2) there isn’t a downgrade in visual quality.
Let me explain, because this really is a great way for forum goers to sample widescreen before - or instead of - splashing out on a new monitor.
The wider the resolution, the more the default camera view shows scenery out of the left and right windows. At 16:9 you get a tight view inside the cockpit, looking just out the front window and seeing mostly only the left-hand side of the cockpit controls. As you go to wider resolutions the default camera perspective takes in more and more of the left and right view. At 32:9 (and to a lesser extent 21:9) you can see the entire front window, all cockpit controls, and out the left-hand window. This makes flying VFR a lot more enjoyable - you can see out the left without having to flick the camera there repeatedly.
There is no downgrade in quality because you create a custom resolution (in e.g. Nvidia Control Panel) that aligns with your native resolution. i.e. on a 3840x2160 (4k) monitor you create a custom resolution of 3840x1620 to simulate a ultrawide (21:9) aspect ratio. Because it’s using the native width of the monitor the image quality is not degraded - the pixels align.
Likewise you can sample super ultrawide (32:9) by using a custom ratio of 3840x1080.
There are a couple of cons: black bars (although you are mimicking a widescreen monitor, so this doesn’t really matter) and slight fish-bowling because the screen isn’t curved (however it’s in the peripheral vision, I don’t personally notice it).
I have one 27" monitor, and will try adding 2x 24" monitors (old Dell monitors from work, too small for people these days) on the side, all 1920x1080, so will emulate a 5760 * 1080 screen - That should be considered ultra-wide. 48:9.
That should remove the need for head-tracking. Otherwise that is another possible solution. Use webcam / phone cam for head-tracking.
I am actually really looking forward to test VR with my Oculus Rift. I suspect resolution won’t be the best but when I play Project Cars the immersion is absolutely awesome. I ordered the other Airbus-stuff (Flaps and Brakes), hopefully they will arrive on schedule.
I have been using a custom resolution of 4096x1600 on a 55" Samsung for years with X-plane, P3d and now with MSFS 2020. I see no drawbacks and would highly suggest you try it as it wouldn’t cost you a penny:) By using a TV which has motion interpolation, the panning is super smooth at 30 hz. For some reason, I have always had better smoothness with 4096 vs 3840. Not sure why that is.
Using a resolution with a different aspect ratio would give me black bars on the screen just like in your photos. I don’t like that. Either I get an ultrawide monitor, or utilise all the screen space I have available. But I do understand why you wouldn’t mind getting the black bars. Since you have a full on panel setup there that could sit on the bottom black bars. But the top black bars is still a waste of screen space that you’re not using.
Okay, now I can understand the “panoramic” feel in your screenshot where you have a wide view to the side thanks to the custom resolution. But when you’re running at 3840x1440 on a 3840x2160 screen, You’re not really getting a wider panoramic view horizontally. You’re actually getting a narrower vertical view. You’re not extending the horizontal pixel count, but you’re cutting your vertical pixel count instead.
Imagine it this way, you have the exact same position of that cockpit on the screen in your photo. The sides are exactly where it’s at right now. And you’re happy with how it looks. It’s wide panoramic feel to it thanks to the black bars. That’s fine. Now imagine that same position, but the black bars are gone. Now you can see more things in the place where the black bar was. You can see the top of the windscreen, and you can see more stuff below. You’re actually getting more things on the screen and losing nothing.
Now you have some serious hardware there too, which is impressive and I don’t think I’ll ever going to do that myself. But if you’re worried that your equipment is in the way, Raise the TV screen above it, then play around with the camera settings in the sim. Now your cockpit position is still the same in relative to the previous position. But now you have even more screen space at the top, allowing you to look at more things.
So my point is, it’s better to utilise the entire screen space on the native resolution and play with the camera settings to give you the best view. Rather than cutting the resolution away from the native, creating black bars on the screen which actually limits your field of view.
I guess I should have added a wink emoji. I’m under no illusion that this is anything but “play”. BTW, I’ve been “working” flight sims since SubLogic on the C64.
I agree with you somewhat:) Another reason, if you will notice, the trackir is lowered substantially giving a much better angle for proper tracking. Trackir doesn’t work well if it’s too far above the user. I use hockey pucks glued together for raising or lowering the screen to whatever height I desire. I can easily raise the screen above the hardware at any level.
Ahh.. I see.. I’m not familiar with trackIR.. so I didn’t notice it at first. I don’t like having any hardware that can track my movement. So I’m never interested in getting it. I only used webcam from my work laptop when I absolutely have to on online meetings. Otherwise, I keep them physically closed. And I don’t have any camera or any movement tracking hardware on my other screens.
What if you put your track IR at the bottom instead? You know, just on top of the FCU panel? It could be passable as a “compass” like the one your have in your virtual cockpit view. Hahaha.
Trackir has the ability to invert and mirror but I’ve tried on the bottom and for me it works best above.
I’ve included 2 screenshots, one at 4096x2160 and one at 4096x1600… so you could see the difference in the cockpit space between the two. Notice the top to bottom covered the same
Then you just need to adjust the camera settings on the 2160 to fit the same width of the 1600 which will open up a lot of the vertical space for you. while keeping the same width as the 1600.
I’m using a new PC with the following:
i9-10980XE, conservatively OC to 4.68 GHz
EVGA RTX3090
64GB ram
2T Samsung M.2 NVMe SSD
Peripherals: 3 x 27" 4K monitors (of course, at this time only the center for FS, sides for maps and related stuff)
Yoko+ yoke, Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog stick, TQ6+ throttle and Warthog Throttle, Ruddo+ pedals, Xbox controller for showcase cam. I have a Honeycomb Bravo throttle ordered for airliners. I might try VR someday.
I’m using Ultra settings at 4K, getting 30-40FPS around cities with no tweaking to the Ultra settings. Can get more if I modify a few things.
But you ARE getting a wider panoramic view, the wider the aspect ratio gets. You’ll have to take my word for it (I could take multiple screenshots if I get the time) or try it yourself - the sim DOES show more FOV on the left and right the wider the aspect ratio is. In fact, Squirrel demonstrates it in his review of an ultrawide monitor (FFWD to the 8min marker): https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/8BNftyf9HL0
I was about to try out your ultrawide ratio.. But I don’t have that resolution choice from my windows, Geforce, nor the sim’s settings. So I can’t really test it even if I wanted to.
I do understand that it has a wider FOV.. it’s just to me it’s a “faux” wide FOV as you’re not getting a wider FOV by adding more horizontal space. You’re getting a faux “wider” FOV by eliminating your vertical space instead.
I drop mine to 70% scale slider because I honestly couldn’t tell the difference but my FPS does tank on 100%.. And I’m using 2080 Ti.
It’s just that I find it to be superficial thing to do. Sure, if you want to test ultrawide on a 16:9 monitor or TV, that’s a valid thing to do. But that’s usually only to decide whether you want to get an ultrawide monitor or not based on how it looks when you test it. I assume once you made a decision, you would just either get an ultrawide when you like how it looks, or you revert back to 16:9 if you don’t like the result. It’s just seem to be a waste that you would sacrifice top and bottom part of the screen and leave it unused, for the sake of getting a FOV that can easily be achieved by adjusting the camera angle and FOV settings without sacrificing pixels… Fish bowly effect can be fixed by using the Lens correction settings.
I guess it’s just chocolate vs vanilla. Everyone has their preferences I guess, it’s not for me to judge how you want to use your monitor displays. Let’s leave it at that.
