upgrade 55" tv vs VR

I went from 55" inch to Rift and would never consider flying on a monitor again.

 

And the Rift is a lot cheaper than a fast 4K monitor of any size.

 

No brainer.

What about the image quality, 55 inches ( 4k, i presume) vs Rift?

What about the image quality, 55 inches ( 4k, i presume) vs Rift?

You can't compare it unfortunately.. qualitywise, 4k monitor wins hands down (I have a 40" 4k).

However VR wins in every other aspect, and by a margin...

The next half step in VR is almost here with the Vive pro.

It's should have significant better visibility compared to the current gen. (And slightly better the the oddessy).

However, graphics cards are now the bottle neck. A 1080Ti will not be able to hit 90fps on that HMD without giving up on everything graphic. But should do 45, which is good enough for most of the time. But only time will tell...

i got a 50" 4k tv for xmass.

never used it with DCS because i fly in the rift.

to be honest i don't like the 4k as a TV, seems to ruin movies not done in 4k..

so just about everything.

What about the image quality, 55 inches ( 4k, i presume) vs Rift?

The rift IQ will be rubbish in comparison. Try running your 4K TV at something like 800x600 resolution and playing DCS. This is what the rift will look like, but with the added benefit of 3D. For me the trade wasnt worth it but YMMV.

I wont choose VR untill the resolution becomes better and more importantly the system become powerful enough to support the next version of VRs. No doubt situational awarness is good in VR but graphic quality is also something to be considered.

The rift IQ will be rubbish in comparison. Try running your 4K TV at something like 800x600 resolution and playing DCS. This is what the rift will look like, but with the added benefit of 3D. For me the trade wasnt worth it but YMMV.

800x600 resolution ?

Wow. If the VR ( Rift, VIVE or whatever ) would look like this, compared with the 4k TV, i'll stick with the image quality

Well. I run a 4K TV and if I drop the resolution to 1080p thats still significantly better IQ than I was getting with the Odyssey. Again, TVs vary and DCS settings as well so YMMV. DCS 2.5 is gorgeous. Running it in VR felt like rolling back to 1.2 or so. But of course thats with 3D cockpit immersion. Its a tradeoff thats difficult to explain in a forum post. You might need to try it yourself to judge.

800x600 resolution ?

Wow. If the VR ( Rift, VIVE or whatever ) would look like this, compared with the 4k TV, i'll stick with the image quality

This is exactly how I felt for a long time and I held off committing on VR for months. 800x600 on 4k is an exaggerated analogy, but it's true that the resolution is no where near as clear and crisp as on a 4k screen.

But I'm really glad I transitioned. The difference is that you actually feel like you're sitting in the cockpit. The thing I also didn't fully realize until i got VR, ist that everything is in full 3D. It looks like you can reach out and touch the cockpit.

Also, your head movement is tracked 1:1 and is perfectly natural. No more scaled head movement a la TrackIR.

man - i wish VR was infinitely easier to "Try before you buy" with DCS. Ive read many similar threads where folks just can't wrap their head around maxing out on 2D or compromising for 3D. I'm one of them.

If only OCULUS could create some sort of loaner program for me to see how the DCS experience really was then it would help me make a decision. Sure, I have tried the Vive in shopping malls and at comic cons but the games were always lame shooters or weird positional warping things that turned me off and never cam eclose to helping me understand what the compromise really looks like for a flight sim.

My biggest struggle (and one i think is shared with many) is what the compromise:benifit ratio really looks like.

I think the only way to answer is to actually experience it in the game you are interested in.

If you have Amazon Prime you could buy it through them and return it if you dint like it.

I wont choose VR untill the resolution becomes better and more importantly the system become powerful enough to support the next version of VRs. No doubt situational awarness is good in VR but graphic quality is also something to be considered.

OK

This is SUCH a subjective topic, and SUCH an overdone topic. We all have opinions on what is and is not acceptable image quality. Until you try it, you won't know, and no amount of online opinions will or should mean anything to you.

I'm a professional photographer, and image quality is PRIMARY to me, both in my pro life, and my hobbies. I loved my four screen flight sim setup in X-Plane 11 (was only able to run the front 50" 4K screen at 1080p due to driving 4 x 1080p displays), and the images were crisp. When I ran the front screen solo at its native 4K, it was spectacular.

Then...I borrowed a friend's Rift, and thought "Uh oh, this is something entirely new", and found myself having an argument with myself about how much image quality I'd be willing to give up in return for the immersion of VR.

Then...I gave back his Rift, and when the price came down to $399 a few weeks back, I bought my own Samsung Odyssey, and I have not looked back.

I've disassembled my 4 screen set-up, put two of the screens in guest bedrooms in our house, and kept the smaller screen for use in my room-scale VR location which is back-to-back with my cockpit-based simpit.

No, the image quality is nowhere near 4K, but in my (professional) opinion, it's far better than the 800x600 mentioned above. It's VERY dependent on getting your HMD properly adjusted, for IPD and sweet spot, and getting the in-game settings nailed down. It's also very dependent on source quality. Some of the GoPro 360 videos are laughably low quality, as are things like NextVR, but other things, like X-Plane and even DCS, are amazingly high res. I can easily read most of the writing on the instrument panel, and what I can't read, I can zoom in on.

To be honest, that's exactly what I had to do when running my 4 screen x 1080p setup - could read most, and zoomed in to read the rest.

But, it doesn't matter what I, or anyone else types here. Go try it yourself, and if possible, try it on your computer, on your sim, in your house. Barring being able to do this, buy one on Amazon, try it, and if you don't like it, return it within 30 days.

Yes, I understand. That's the best way I could decide if I should go for VR, or not

I'll have wait for the HTC Vive Pro ( not sure about the release date, etc)

Perhaps not quiet 800x600, but it does feel that way comparatively.

On the other hand the first time you load up DCS, you see the menu, and after a few seconds you realise that you are standing underneath an Su-27 and you can see that it is HUGE with the wing above you and the engine intake right next to you.

Then you sit down in the cockpit, and all of the little switches are actually sticking out from the panels, you could almost run your hand across them. Even in the Su-25T you can see that the flaps panel is attached to the glass frame, and if you lean to the right, you can now see that there is a huge space between it and the front panels.

The cockpit is the right size, you feel like you are there.

That's something you can only get with a pair of VR goggles :-)

Unfortunately the resolution and PPI need to be almost doubled before it becomes as crisp and pretty as a 1080p monitor. Which is why I would wait for 2nd Gen VR.

For example, my phone has a 4k screen, and using a $30 Google cardboard headset, I can see that the screen door effect is gone, and text is far more readable than Oculus/WMR.

I don't think it will be long before this kind of screen is in headsets, and that will be the minimum entry for DCS to be fully playable without any drawbacks (short of having a PC that can run it!). Which is why I wouldn't recommend even a Vive Pro (if DCS is your main game).

(having said that for $200USD you can get a WMR headset which is great for just flying about, and it will give you more or less the same experience a the Vive Pro and fraction of the cost, and then when VR Gen2 comes along you'll know what to expect, but for $800 I just couldn't recommend VR for DCS (for other games, absolutely though))

I'll have wait for the HTC Vive Pro ( not sure about the release date, etc)

The Vive Pro, HMD only, is currently available for pre-order at $799 for the HMD only. You'll have to buy two hand controllers and two base stations. On HTC's web site, you can get a bundle of all this for around $1,250 (see my screen capture). I'm sorry...that's insane.

I mean, for $50 more, you can get an entire Vive set-up, including a spare HMD. I believe HTC may have lost their collective mind.

For a LOT less money ($399 when it's on sale; $499 when not), you can get the same exact display as the Vive Pro, similar HMD features, two controllers, and inside-out tracking (no need for base stations/lighthouses), in other words, a complete package, with a Samsung Odyssey.

Even if you believe all the nonsense about the WMD headsets having less accurate tracking than the Vive (something I've personally never experienced in a single room-scale or seated VR experience or game, after two months of extensive use), if you're looking at doing mostly flying and racing sims, hand controller tracking accuracy is a moot point.

The problem with Vive Pro for me, is that (to my aging eyes) Samsung's Odyssey HMDs that has the same spec as the Vive Pro made zero difference as compared to CV1. And yes, I wore my glasses. And I made sure I found the sweet spot. And I agree that HTC really didn't think through the pricing as compared to the competition. I'm waiting for my Pimax this summer. We'll see how much that helps.

EDIT: Note - others have stated that there (Odyssey) *is* a difference as compared to CV1.

I went from a 55” plasma for the last 5 years to a 65” 4K Samsung this year. Im old and can’t see squat but I’m happy with it, no issues. Could not go back to a small monitor ever. I do have everything attached to my flight chair and sit about 5 ft from the screen. Also doing Oculus VR. So in love with both. No regrets.

Okay, I'll pull the trigger, but the question is : Vive or Rift?

Okay, I'll pull the trigger, but the question is : Vive or Rift?

...or even the Odyssey...

Okay, I'll pull the trigger, but the question is : Vive or Rift?

Rift.

Currently they are having a two year anniversary sale, 50 dollar store credit with purchase of Rift.

For what we do, Rift works quite well.

...or even the Odyssey...

I'm from Germany, I can't order the Odyssey

I would suggest buying any gen 1 headset may be a mistake at this time. Pimax is just around the corner and others are right behind. I'd suggest saving your pennies for a better option in a very short amount of time.

I would suggest buying any gen 1 headset may be a mistake at this time. Pimax is just around the corner and others are right behind. I'd suggest saving your pennies for a better option in a very short amount of time.

There is no real evidence Pimax 8K is just around the corner. They have yet to fulfill their kick-starter promises, it may be some time before general retail units are available to anyone to even order.

Only other real option ( besides a WMR device ), would be the upcoming Vive Pro - and it will have quite a hefty price tag. I would not consider the Vive Pro as being a second generation Vive, more like a version 1.5.

IMHO currently the Rift offers the best bang for the buck, and it still has some good life left in it. And the price is hard to beat.

Going to be probably at least another year or longer before true second generation devices are available.

Of course money may be no object, if that were to be the case I would suggest considering the upcoming Vive Pro.

Vive or Rift? Rift... Spend the $200 savings on something else. DCS has native support for Rift only. All others I believe require using Steam which is another process running in the background that could be freed up.

I don't understand why so many people consider, there won't be a huge improvement between the Vive and Vive Pro, i mean the resolution

2160 x 1600

and

2880 x 1600