Samsung Odyssey review by someone who’s never played VR

My Odyssey HMD was delivered to me this past week and it has been an awesome experience! I use the A-10C in DCS World. My computer specs: 7700k CPU, ASUS 1080ti OC, Samsung 960 Pro M.2 NVME drive, 32 GB RAM, and I use the TM Warthog HOTAS with Saitek Combat Pro rudder pedals.

I used to have a TrackIR but I found it gimmicky and would have to look out of the corner of my eyes at the monitor if I wanted to look behind the aircraft.

Before I tried the HMD on, my expectations were for 2-D panels but with the ability to look around… kind of like the Track IR. Wow, was I wrong! All the MFDs and buttons have depth. Even the gear lever sticks out that I think I can just reach out and grab it (so to speak). All the panels are incredible.

Situational awareness is ten-fold! The ability to look where targets are, but still have the spatial cognizance of how my aircraft is oriented without staring through the HUD is incredible.

I’m still tuning my settings since at times it stutters/glitches. But tuning down some stuff makes it very smooth.

I can see the HUD text easily. The MFDs it helps to be familiar with the function of each button. The CDU buttons are hard to read, but if you turn up the backlighting on the buttons from the lighting panel, it helps.

Having the proper stick/throttle and knowing the laying helps a lot. Obviously, you can’t see the keyboard so sometimes I’m feeling around to find where certain keys are. I’ll have to map some useful functions to the HOTAS. I wonder if there is a way to make the “Incr” and “Decr” slider on the throttle linearly zoom in and out for those times I need to punch in grids to the CDU. Tips on this?

Never experienced SDE before, but it isn’t noticeable unless I’m paying attention to it.

Multiplayer is choppy. I guess I have to tune down the settings even more for it.

I’d like to record some clips off of it, but it records in portrait mode (taller than it is wide). There is also some distortion around the edges and it seems to record a little off axis (not horizontal with the horizon) as you can see in this video. Here is a short video hitting initial to the inside overhead… had some trouble fumbling around for the ‘G’ key to drop the gear on downwind, haha. I hit initial around 1:46 so skip to then. I just used the Windows 10 recorder. Any recording tips?

Bottom line: Definitely not regretting this purchase. I also play X Plane 11 and VR will be natively supported in that this winter.

Welcome to the VR side of the house!! Now go draw a SAM launch and watch it as it streaks towards you while maneuvering! It's an awesome experience. No wonder pilots/aviators say "if you can see it, you can defeat it"

Welcome to the VR side of the house!! Now go draw a SAM launch and watch it as it streaks towards you while maneuvering! It's an awesome experience. No wonder pilots/aviators say "if you can see it, you can defeat it"

Wilco! Nice rig, hansangb! :thumbup:

I also have just found a glaring flaw to these HMDs.... I can't drink wine while wearing them!

I also have just found a glaring flaw to these HMDs.... I can't drink wine while wearing them!

You'll get used to them an be drinking in no time. I've learned to grab my bourbon, sip, and put it back directly on the coaster with pretty good accuracy.

Welcome to VR, my friend. You'll never go back

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Any recording tips?"

Thank you for the review for the Samsung odyssey.If your serious about recording in cockpit type videos, try not to pan around the cockpit to quickly. I know that is easy said, much more difficult to do because it seems natural an unnoticeable to you when your using the headset. Mind you that's just my personal opinion, others might not even notice it.Perhaps some closer views of the instruments would be helpful also. Good flying, nice approach and landing.

To me if the quality on the video is the same as the actual headset view, the Samsung is giving a better image than my Rift.

"Any recording tips?"

 

Thank you for the review for the Samsung odyssey.If your serious about recording in cockpit type videos, try not to pan around the cockpit to quickly. I know that is easy said, much more difficult to do because it seems natural an unnoticeable to you when your using the headset. Mind you that's just my personal opinion, others might not even notice it.Perhaps some closer views of the instruments would be helpful also. Good flying, nice approach and landing.

 

To me if the quality on the video is the same as the actual headset view, the Samsung is giving a better image than my Rift.

I appreciate the feedback. Great point with the jerky cranium movements.

"I’d like to record some clips off of it, but it records in portrait mode (taller than it is wide). There is also some distortion around the edges and it seems to record a little off axis (not horizontal with the horizon) as you can see in this video. Here is a short video hitting initial to the inside overhead… had some trouble fumbling around for the ‘G’ key to drop the gear on downwind, haha. I hit initial around 1:46 so skip to then. I just used the Windows 10 recorder. Any recording tips?"

If you have not watched Jabbers video .Its well worth a look .Find it at the top in the sticky section under Virtual Reality, DCS World Guide for All things VR

Hey guys I just bought my Odyssey today and its the first time I'm using VR! Very excited but I'm also a little overwhelmed with the amount of apps and programs to get this thing going.

One thing that's been bothering me though, how to turn off screen mirroring to the monitor, it feels like its a waste of gpu power, I also feel like that when executing the wmr software for steam VR (trough steam) it overlaps with the steam VR also draining resources.

Another thing that I'm having a hard time with is that sometimes when using the mouse to click on something on the cockpit, it feel like it clicks outside of the game window and thus makes my keyboard not work, if I click back again it works again, very weird, like the game is running in window mode.

Struggling to get this right, mostly cuz I'm new I guess.

I also have just found a glaring flaw to these HMDs.... I can't drink wine while wearing them![/quote.

 

Man up! Drink it out the bottle. Less chance if spilling it when you put it back down too!

Virtual Camelbak system going into Kickstarter! LOL.

Virtual Camelbak system going into Kickstarter! LOL.

I'm in! :thumbup:

I also have just found a glaring flaw to these HMDs.... I can't drink wine while wearing them!

Use a straw!

I bought one of those thick plastic ones (well 2 actually - always have hot & cold drinks in my VC) and it works for everything - from Warsteiner to hot coffee laced with drambuie :thumbup:

btw - I don't know if it will work with other headsets but I have used D3DGear to record direct from the headset output - so you end up with a 3D SBS video, which can be watched in 3D using a VR headset, phone or 3D TV. It probably uses the OSVR runtime - so if the Samsung uses that it should work. Worth a try - there is a try before you buy option. Just set it to record from Oculus Rift and see if it works.

A straw with wine?! :lol:

Another thing I noticed is because the Windows MR HMDs use the inside out tracking by the cameras on the HMD itself, if I have my daughter sitting on my lap to watch the mirrored picture, I have to recenter it from time to time because her noggin is blocking the cameras view. Otherwise, with no small human in my lap it tracks wonderfully.

"Dada do a flip!"

"Uhh.. hang on, I'm trying to drop 'something' off the plane"

"What are you dropping?"

"Let's say... presents..."

A new video I just uploaded using the Odyssey HMD. Sped up the middle part so it wouldn't be too long (~4 min total).

I cropped the video to a normal 16x9 aspect.

Maverick launch, LSST, 2xGBU-12 release on split PRFs (self lase and buddy lase by JTAC) then an unlucky jet.

This was also multiplayer. Settings tuned down (shadows) to give a reasonable FPS.

LOL @ this thread.

With the oculus, I drink coffee through a straw.

A new video I just uploaded using the Odyssey HMD. Sped up the middle part so it wouldn't be too long (~4 min total).

 

I cropped the video to a normal 16x9 aspect.

 

Maverick launch, LSST, 2xGBU-12 release on split PRFs (self lase and buddy lase by JTAC) then an unlucky jet.

 

 

This was also multiplayer. Settings tuned down (shadows) to give a reasonable FPS.

Got my headset today, all good at desktop but does not initiate in DCS! Any thoughts?

You have to make sure you download the MS client for SteamVR. Follow these steps. Also, I had to use Chrome. Firefox would not let me launch it.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=5608-UPAH-6427

Post moved to own thread

just be careful u dont try to put the glass on top of the instrument panel. as i have done.