Rift S or Index?

If Index just had inside/out tracking like Oculus Insight has, I would probably have already ordered one. It would be cheaper and less hassle to set up that it currently is.

Once you try Vive base stations, it's hard to go back to any other tracking. Perfect tracking with no occlusions even when you crouch and look straight down. From just 2 sensors you put up once and doesn't even connect to your computer. Doesn't even need to be calibrated. I never considered Vive sensors a hassle.

People who are fed up with Oculus CV1 sensors think Vive sensors are same thing. Oculus apparently ruined the reputation for Vive sensors.

I've gone from the CV1 to the Rift S, and there are a couple immediate drawbacks to the inside out design. The most significant is it requires the room to be remain lit. If you're playing in a shared bedroom for example at night, the tracking tends to fail. In the case of the Rift S it can pull you out the game and ask you to recalibrate, and will do it every time you take the headset off and put it back on. Though you can bypass the face sensor to keep the headset on even while removed. Beyond that I find myself having to recenter it in DCS more frequently. The overall experience is better with external sensors, but I don't know if the Index is quite worth the cost to me personally. The only improvement in the S over the CV1 is the resolution, but everything thing else feels like a downgrade. Also occasionally the mic turns to garbage.

Despite the requirement for good lighting, I much prefer the camera tracking as opposed to having to find good locations for the base stations and trying not to bump them. I have an upstairs bonus room with an otherwise 1-story home, so I can keep the light at bright as I want. Whereas, bright light coming in the windows from the sun would mess up my TrackIR and even possibly interfere with the CV1 tracking. So, I am very happy with inside out tracking.

As for the mic, mine works after you unplug and re-plug in the USB cable, but stops working shortly after using any application that uses the mic. Every now and then it will work for a long time until the next firmware update resets it back to the "normal" behavior. The CV1 never gave me any trouble with the mic. Overall, I much preferred the audio on the CV1. With the Rift S, I have to wear a headset to get both the good stereo sound and a stable mic.

Oculus' fixation on the Galaxy and ignoring the needs of PC gamers, particularly flight simmers like us has me looking elsewhere for my next headset. But it won't do me any good to buy a better headset until cpus and gpus make some kind of performance jump. I am trying to be patient and get a good return on my money.

Despite the requirement for good lighting, I much prefer the camera tracking as opposed to having to find good locations for the base stations and trying not to bump them. I have an upstairs bonus room with an otherwise 1-story home, so I can keep the light at bright as I want. Whereas, bright light coming in the windows from the sun would mess up my TrackIR and even possibly interfere with the CV1 tracking. So, I am very happy with inside out tracking.

Base stations? This is what I mean. People judge the Vive base stations based on their experience with CV1. Bumping or sunlight doesn't effect Vive base stations.

Base stations? This is what I mean. People judge the Vive base stations based on their experience with CV1. Bumping or sunlight doesn't effect Vive base stations.

Still doesn't solve the problem of where to put them. They do need a line of sight. I have a large TV for a monitor and the positions to either side get obstructed by the TV. Positions to the rear get obstructed by my mock-up of an F-4 ejection seat. The inside out cameras cause me zero problems... unless I put the headset somewhere where it can't see and it decides it need to reset the floor level.

Base stations also chew up communication bandwidth. With the Rift S: one USB connection and one display port connection.

If the Galaxy matched the performance and quality of the Rift S, I would use it since Oculus is maxing out there development efforts on improving the Galaxy, including the recent adoption of hand tracking... which base stations won't do.

If the Rift S had the mic and earphones of the CV1 and get the hand tracking of the galaxy, it would keep my happy for awhile. As it stands, I have a headset that fits over the Rift S with good audio and a nice mic and Leap Motion hand tracking that is working remarkably well for being shoe-horned in with modded SteamVR drivers.

Give me a VR headset that has better resolution, wider field of view, runs a steady 80-90 fps in DCS World with existing hardware, and a price under $1,000, and I will buy it. But it doesn't exist.

They do need a line of sight.

No they don't. Sensors need to see each other. But they don't need to see the HMD. That's why Vive sensors have no occlusions. Sensors fills up the area with IR pulses basically creating cloud of IR pulses. And HMD and controllers basically swim in it. Doesn't need LOS.

And if you use the included cable between the two sensors instead of wireless, sensors don't even need to see each other so they can be setup on desktop.

Only weakness of Vive sensors? Wide open spaces where IR pulses escape.

Base stations also chew up communication bandwidth.

No it doesn't. Vive base stations are passive. All it does is emit IR pulses. And because it is passive, it is possible for multiple HMD's to use just 2 base stations. Obviously not for DCS but its multiplayer capability is why it's being adapted by many. Valve, Pimax, and even the $10K Varjo Technologies use Vive sensors for reason. Vive also takes up one USB and one display port (or HDMI)

I'm not trying to convince you to get Vive products. I'm just sad to see that even tho the Vive base stations are one hell of brilliant technology in VR, it gets bad rep thanks to Oculus.

I've gone from the CV1 to the Rift S, and there are a couple immediate drawbacks to the inside out design. The most significant is it requires the room to be remain lit.

A small infrared lamp solves this problem completely. Its illumination of objects is very easy to track while the room remains dark to the human eye.

Edit: I was shocked to discover this coming from CV1 and took me a while to figure out what was happening if it got dark while I was in the rift!

I went to the Rift S from Rift cv-1 but due to an IPD conflict had to return it. For me it was a noticeable marginal improvement. I am very happy with my Rift cv-1 performance and quality.

I don't think there will be a sudden quality and performance mega leap in VR technology for those waiting. Could it be done, probably, would it be good business, probably not.

Interesting I had both and there is no way I would go back to a CV1.

Interesting I had both and there is no way I would go back to a CV1.

I have an IPD of 62-63, so I don't have to worry about the problem of mechanical versus virtual IPD adjustment. The Rift S was an incredible improvement in visual quality/performance over the CV1.

But there were drawbacks:

1) Inferior built-in audio. The open ear headset wastes power spreading it out in all directions, so you need higher volume settings with lower fidelity to hear well. If you just cup your hands over your ears, you can see how much better it could sound. My mic won't stay active. So, I end up wearing a full headset to get a good mic and audio at a cost of comfort and weight.

2) Lower fps with 40/80 instead of CV1's 45/90. If I could fly DCS at 80 fps, this wouldn't matter as much, but the difference between 40 and 45 is noticeable to me. But if I have to pay 5 fps to get both smoother and higher quality visuals, so be it. I can actually see clearly enough in most cockpits with the Rift S, not so with the CV1.

3) While I seldom have problems with the inside-out tracking while wearing the headset, I frequently have problems when I take it off to get a drink or go to the desktop for a moment. It loses track in such a way that it requires recalibration of the floor level. I normally leave the batteries out of the touch controllers. But I have to stop whatever I am doing, put a battery in a controller, then work through the recalibration pop-ups to go back to flying. If I forget to take the battery out, I end up with another dead battery.

Interesting I had both and there is no way I would go back to a CV1.

Just as not everyone gets sea sick, priorities are different for everyone. Surprising number of people prefer better tracking over sharpness based on my experience.

There's no debate that sensor tracking is better tracking but you're sacrificing that for convenience with inside out tracking. Altho what you sacrifice for better tracking on CV1 is questionable to me. It uses too many USB controller resources and sensor placement is so picky.

And I do believe inside out tracking is the future. As the camera gets better or use infrared cameras and also have cameras on the back of the HMD to eliminate blind spots it will get better. But not today.

For Rift S, Quality Ear Buds solves the Audio issue.

Never had an issue with the Mic.

Also, I have had no tracking issues.

I find it much better than the CV1.

For Rift S, Quality Ear Buds solves the Audio issue.

Never had an issue with the Mic.

Also, I have had no tracking issues.

I find it much better than the CV1.

My experience as well, except I do have mic dropout issues with the Rift S but I just added an inexpensive desktop USB mic. Quality earbuds are awesome for sound in the Rift S.

No way could I go back to CV1.

For Rift S, Quality Ear Buds solves the Audio issue.

Never had an issue with the Mic.

Also, I have had no tracking issues.

I find it much better than the CV1.

I had:

DK1 - DK2 - CV1 - S

No one is better than the successor in any aspect. Obviously!

I have also the shitty Pimax 5k :doh::doh::doh::doh::doh:

If DCS is your primary product, go with the Reverb (unless your ipd is our of range)

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

My experience as well, except I do have mic dropout issues with the Rift S but I just added an inexpensive desktop USB mic. Quality earbuds are awesome for sound in the Rift S.

No way could I go back to CV1.

The headphone setup on the Rift S is something they probably saved money on. For me it's not an issue with DCS because I have a simshaker setup on my seat and pedals. I used that setup in Iracing, it's called Simcommander . I wish it worked with DCS. It makes the simulator come alive. I tried the Simshaker addon for DCS but found the effects fake. So what I do is turn off the Rift headphones and send the stock sound from DCS to my shaker setup in my seat and pedals. I works almost as good as Simcommander.

I can feel the burner light, the boards come out and retract, the engines start and shut down ETC. Comms with someone would probably not work because the " shakers" are not designed for speech. I really miss the shaker effect if it's not on. For me its required DCS equipment. I can't get it to work with Rift headphones enabled. But I could use Rift headphones and a "shaker" setup with Iracing through Simcommander.

I'm looking forward to my Reverb G2 and will probably disable the improved speakers on the Reverb

Regards,

Burner