VIVE generation 1 setup advice required

Hi guys

Can someone with decent DCS setup knowledge please write a guide to optimising frames in DCS VR?

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Really only after about a year did I stop messing around with settings, and began to accept the limitations of VR/DCS performance. Thats not something a guide can teach and, no matter what I tell you, I doubt very much, you will be able to stop yourself tinkering!

First thing to accept is that alot of the SP experience will be off limits to you as a VR user, as many missions are just too intensive, or badly designed/optimized for VR.

A massive FPS drop in VR will not go unnoticed! DCS has all sorts of performance problems in VR, certain bombs, crashes, pilot ejects, assets loading in from triggers, and aspects of the damage model, and weather/clouds, often cause these undesirable FPS drops. With all that said, DCS is still my favorite flight simulator in VR, even for WW2.

One thing to remember is that the mission editor is your friend. All of the problems above can largely be mitigated, by editing or creating your own missions, by for example removing clouds or using dynamic weather settings. If you try to play missions designed for 2D users, not built with VR in mind you'll probably find it a frustrating experience.

Main things to focus on are MSSA, and pixel density, both will make the game look better, and both will more than any other settings (although leave things like V sync off) affect performance.

MSSA makes things in the distance look smoother and less jaggie/terrible. Pixel density will make things look clearer and easier to see up close, but won't really help much with disant jaggies.

Personally I prefer MSSA over pixel density but YMMV, and it's probably module dependent too.

MSSA and PD together is not really a good idea, best to choose one over the other IMO. I personally think MSSA 2 is about as far as one should go unless...

...using motion smoothing and flying things like jets. MS is not really a realistic option in certain modules such as the WW2 birds, and to a lesser (IMO) extent helicopters because they create too many visual artifacts. But in Jets depending upon your system, thanks to MS, you can really get away with cranking the PD or MSSA up higher.

This will not help with occasional large FPS drops (described above) however though, so if like me you might find yourself still tending to design your own missions.

High or low graphics textures/terrain doesnt really make much of a difference.

Water- be sure to set to at least medium otherwise the water will flash strange colors (low is a no go)

Vsync-off

Everything else set to off

It will be difficult but try to focus on the flying and fighting more than the graphics.

I recommend MSSA x2 and PD of 1.0 (see my specs), there isn't really much to it other than that. All other options either dont do much, or should be left off.

Those settings are actually rather on the low side for my PC I think, but within the limitations of the missions I make/edit performance is smooth (even without MS) and for me that is the most important thing.

Overclocking might help, but to be honest I stopped doing it after a while as it won't get you out of reprojection, so it might just be of more benefit to run a cooler PC.

Again though you can drive yourself insane with the tinkering and some people have perfectionist rather OCD personalties that will not be suited to VR in its present incarnation.

I find myself much happier now having accepted and understood the limitations of VR/DCS. Just enjoy the flying/fighting, and whether limited in graphics or mission content, be grateful for how lucky you are rather than fixating on what you wish you had.

As above with the following summary; (some may be repeated)

1. Use User missions to set location, weather and less number of opponents.

2. Use Nevada or any map away from buildings and towns.

3. Cities are a no go and IMO pointless for aerial combat.

4. Avoid Normandy.

5. Don't use heavy clouds, overcast or precipitation.

6. Use Super sampling in Steam VR instead of in-game MSAA, SSAA and PD at 1 (I run at 2 - 2.5 x SS)

7. Use motion smoothing in Steam VR if you can for jets.

8. Avoid some planes with higher system overhead like the Hawk, FA-18; Best I use is the F15 and AV-8B

9) Use low to medium shadows. (I have mine on medium)

With the above in mind, I'm now enjoying smooth, immersive game play with my modest setup :thumbup: