Low End VR settings that "work"

Ok, not professing to be an "Experten" as our German friends would say...

But, after having a Rift for 2 weeks or so this is what I have managed to come up with on my very "below spec" system.

System.

CPU: 4720HQ (3.6GHZ max turbo)

GPU: Nvida GTX980M (M means mobile), in the real world its close to 970 desktop or a 1060 (both of which are really better).

DCS: 2.5.3 steam stable (not on the "latest")

Not running the shader mod yet (waiting for 2.5.4)

The FIRST thing to understand is that the game will look vastly better on any monitor than in VR. Thats just the fact of life, but the immersion is worth it. Also getting PD up as high as you can will help with clarity, but it costs alot of GPU power.

The following settings give me very stable 45 fps with about 70-80% GPU usage under most conditions which are light. Couple of planes in the air 2v2, or ground attack with a few units (target practice), instant action type of stuff. Which is what I've been testing with the Harrier and F18 mainly. Other planes except the mig21 tend to perform well too.

First: NVIDA SETTINGS!

Anisotropic filterin (app ctrl) app control

Antialiasing FXAA off

anitaliasing gamma on

Antialiasing mode app control

Antialising setting app control

anialiasing trnasperancy off

Max pre-render frm 2

monitor tech fixed refresh

MFAA off

OpenGL auto

optimize for compute perf on

power management max performance

shader cache on

Texture filtering on (or off, if seeing shimmering)

negative lod bias allow

texture filtering quality high perf

texture filtering trilinear opt on

threaded optimization auto

triple buffering on

vertical sync use 3 app setting

vr pre rendered frames 4

The pre-rendered frames fixed a ton of juddering and low fps performance for me. The higher the better, I started at 0-1 which was ok, but got better at 2 and kept getting better. Also I think it does help to have it for the regular game as it still is getting drawn on screen. Also I "think" compute performance might be a good thing to have on. Same for refresh rate getting set to fixed vs G-sync.

DCS settings below... As you can see, I'm running some stuff pretty high compared to other folks, partly because I can turn it down, but it doesn't make a massive difference IMO. Also running PD at 1.2... 1.3 causes some juddering but I'm still at a solid 45 frames, 1.4 actually seems better for some bizzare reason than 1.3 PD and still at 45fps.

On thing that did help I think was setting the game res all the way down to 1280xwhatever. I definately had a smoother experience doing this, and then upping the pre-rendered frames also helped IMO.

Anyhow, hope this helps some new guy with a lower end card to optimize.

Thanks for this !

Ill try to keep this updated as well as the versions change or as my understanding of settings does.

I should add mirrors are off as well.

Does the game resolution have anything to do with VR? Thought that was just for the monitor...

Also curious about your experience with anisotropic filtering, not clear to me that it does much of anything

The res setting does not effect the VR res. But your card still has to draw the onscreen image, so the less pixels its pushing to draw that the better, since you can see it anyway. In fact someone reccomended changing the whole windows res to lowest possible, which migh net a bit more performance, same comment for running in full screen mode (alt enter).

Filtering sort of helps, and performance wise it doesnt seem to cost much.

wondering if you could find a way to not have the sim come up on the monitor at all just in the rift?hmmmmmm?

Yeah that would be great, but both DCS and IL2 do it, though differently (DCS=1 image, IL2 both images). I'm currently trying to figure out how to get OTT running, since it won't import anything from steam and the manual profile I started doesnt work. I'd love to not have the occulus room running in the background. I can disable the room by setting the occulus service to run-as-admin so it won't autostart, but then the rift doesn't start, and I can't get OTT to turn it on.

Yeah that would be great, but both DCS and IL2 do it, though differently (DCS=1 image, IL2 both images). I'm currently trying to figure out how to get OTT running, since it won't import anything from steam and the manual profile I started doesnt work. I'd love to not have the occulus room running in the background. I can disable the room by setting the occulus service to run-as-admin so it won't autostart, but then the rift doesn't start, and I can't get OTT to turn it on.

The admin trick no longer works with Oculus Home.

The admin trick no longer works with Oculus Home.

Yay for progress... I might try the debug tool to see if I can figure out anything there for a few extra frames, but I think the NVIDA pre-rendred frames helped my system "stability" at 45 pretty considerably.

Quick update on some aircraft and scenarios. I'm using ASW so 45 is pretty much as good as it gets, I don't usually see much in the way of judder until I'm below 30fps though. I've also noticed that turning ASW off (Ctrl 1) and then back on (Ctrl 4) sometimes fixes judder issues.

Av8, my benchmark plane, works well on 45fps pretty regularly with these settings, and "light scenarios" both AA and AG tested on PG, NTTR and caucus map. Usually the worst is landing on a ship, though the hermes and caveour are better than the tarawa in that regard.

Mirage 2000. Only a few quick free flight tests through caucus, but it was fully stable at 45 at low level, a few dips into the 30's overflying small towns, but no stutter.

F18, Generally good at 45, but mostly tested above water and in various ACM scenarios and aim9 practice above all 3 terrains.

Viggen (about like the f18, but limited testing on caucus map)

F5E, generally 45 in 1 on 1 instant action missions.

Mig15, like the F5, but very limited testing

Mig 21 Really bad, struggles to pull 30fps most of the time, 1 on 1's frequently dip into the 20 range. Easily the worst frames of anything in DCS I've flown.

Huey, free flight almost pulls 45 but in the city its usually a bit less

Gazelle, same as huey, solid 45 flying in caucus valleys though, but a bit less near/in cities. One big problem is that if the Viviane sight is on, it kills frames by 10-20fps, so only usable in auto-hover engagements where lower frames matter less.

FC3 planes, generally good at 45 in instant action, but again pretty limited testing

To be tested, Mi8, Ka50, F86, bf109, normandy, L39, a10c, tf51

Harlikwin, could you elaborate about the ASW off and ASW on keyboard shortcuts please ?

Are these in DCS ? I can't find them in the controls setup screen...

L.CTRL+KeyPad1 Disable ASW use ATW

L.CTRL+KeyPad2 Fore apps to 45hz disable ASW

L.CTRL+KeyPad3 Force apps to 45hz enable ASW

L.CTRL+KeyPad4 Enable ASW to work on auto

These only work on the Rift BTW.

Ok, sort of update.

Installed the shader mod last night on 2.5.3...

Now optimizing settings, so far I was able to pump up the PD1.4 and turn on MSAAx2. Though this may be too high in general, so I'll probably turn the PD down to 1.3. Honestly visually I'm not seeing any remarkable of differences but its a bit better in terms of clarity of the pit which is mainly what I want but I still have to zoom in on the DDI's in the harrier. With PD1.4/MSAAx2 I was getting into the 30's on the Hermes for take off but it bumped up to the 40's after takeoff. So I'm probably pushing it to its limit with PD1.4, 1.3 was a stable 45 in the same scenario.

Also, just realized the shader mod needs to be changed for the rift as its optimized for the vive in terms of FOV so I'll do that tonight maybe I'll see some slightly lower frames since the FOV setting for the Vive is smaller than for the Rift.

Anyhow it definitely lets me use some higher settings like MSAAx2 which was murdering my card before and even to bump up the PD by .1 which again a small improvement.

L.CTRL+KeyPad1 Disable ASW use ATW

L.CTRL+KeyPad2 Fore apps to 45hz disable ASW

L.CTRL+KeyPad3 Force apps to 45hz enable ASW

L.CTRL+KeyPad4 Enable ASW to work on auto

 

These only work on the Rift BTW.

Great, thanks !

I'll add that they sometimes seem to not work when flying, but usually work more reliably on the main load screen for whatever thats worth. (that or my system is barely pushing 45 most of the time).

In the shader mod you can reduce the size of the msaa mask, you only really need that in central vision.

By the time I figured that out I had memorized my ddi buttons and, I dunno. I missed some of the eye candy. I'm coming around to the idea if you run anything less than a 1080ti, life is easier if you resolve to live without shadows and msaa, get pd where you want it and go from there.

Its currently on whatever the default is. Ill play with it i guess.

Anyone know if mfaa works in VR?

Just a heads up for those not running steam VR you can re-gain a few % by turning off the Anti-Aliasing and High Quality Panel Rendering in Rift Settings Graphics.

It just might help a bit. :thumbup:

Just a heads up for those not running steam VR you can re-gain a few % by turning off the Anti-Aliasing and High Quality Panel Rendering in Rift Settings Graphics.

 

It just might help a bit. :thumbup:

Is this in occulus home?

I'm currently just futzing around after installing the shader mod and seeing what seems to work. Between DCS and NVIDA. I did get some fps boost from it, but I don't think it was anything like going from 60->90fps as reported.

I "think" MFAA actually might work in VR though I've read it doesn't. (have to turn on nvida panel) It seems when its on I get something "between" no AA and MSAAx2, and I loose a few frames.

In the gazelle at 1.2PD:

MSAA x2 is getting me from a stable 45 with it off to 30 (which still works fine as I get no judder and it seems smooth but 15 frames is alot) MSAAx4 gets me into the 20's frame wise so thats a no go.

Surprisingly, Grass on/off seems to eat a frame or two in the Gaz when I can see it IIRC I have it turned up about half way, so no major hit there. I think in the harrier when flying its more like 45 even with it on but on ship decks its like 30's. I gotta play with shadows, but I think its going to be an either/or choice between shadows and MSAA for VR.

I can't figure out if MSAA is actually working as it should with the VR shader mod. I can see a difference with it on/off globally (i.e. less shimmer on distant objects mainly), but if I understand the mask size thing it "should" just effect the center portion of the view, and I for the life of me can't see a difference between edges and the center when panning across them. I did change the total mask size from the Vive setting to the rift setting and I could definately see "ring" at the outer edge of my vision with the Vive setting, so that part works. I just see no similar effect with MSAA.

The other wierd thing I'm wondering about is that the DCS "detailed" frame parameters have my GFX memory load at something like 7-10gb or higher, and my card has like 4GB vram, and MSI afterburner tells me its using 3.7gb or so.

Get an aircraft like a tanker on your nose, look at it head on and then look at it out of the corner of your eye. That's where I saw the most difference with the msaa mask.

Thanks Mike,

I'll give that a try. I've mainly been trying it "in the pit" or on trees/distant thin objects. But haven't gotten anywhere with it. I'm mainly trying to get rid of shimmer and improving the readability of cockpit instruments at this point.

Yes in oculus home->settings->graphics, Im not sure what effect it has under steam.

The biggest problem is MSAA works harder as you ramp up detail or pseudo detail aka from increasing PD, it really ramps GPU usage for a while I did run PD at 1.1 and msaa @ 4 for me that gave slightly better image for a little less GPU usage and was more consistent performance wise across different maps.

As for 30FPS being smooth it seems that might be a function of 2.5.4 because yes even at lower frame rates it now seems smother it used to be anything under 45FPS was kinda like a stop frame animation a while back.

Im on 2.5.3 tho.

I'm looking at the VR guide that StrongHarm did a while back...

I am running 1.2PD and 2xMSAA with the VR shaders mod, and it mostly looks good with almost decent frames. Might drop PD to 1.1 to see if that helps, since I'm in the 30's for some helo's and planes, and 45fps for others, its smooth, but I'm guessing its gonna tank into the 20's with more units. Still not seeing the MSAA mask though... I lowered the value in the shader file from .25 to .2 which should narrow it if I understand it right, but I'm just not seeing much of an effect. The edges of the FOV aren't great, but I think thats just the frensel lens on the rift.

I guess the main way I'm looking at this is that MSAA is a computationally cheaper version of SS.

Thinking about it that way. MSAA2x = PD 2.0 image quality (well lets say 1.8 since its not as good) but at a lower performance cost since Supersampling is the most expensive way to improve quality. But with MSAA2.x you pay only .3 PD points (per people on the forums, and I'm not sure thats right).

So assuming performance cost wise his suggested setting of 1.2PD and 2XMSAA cost @ .2PD) is equal to 1.5PD.

But the image quality is 1.2*(1.8 ) = 2.16PD

I "think" in just terms of SS I could probably run 1.4 or 1.5PD with the shader mod. So I'll give that a look, but per his chart it won't be anywhere as good looking as 1.2 with 2xmsaa.

I've also been meaning to test the force IPD issue, folks have reported improved clarity with that set better.