The Real Truth About Switching To Vr In Dcs

Introduction: A Chance Encounter with DCS

A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon the world of Digital Combat Simulator (DCS). It all started with the comments on my "Secrets of the F-14" episodes, where I shared procedural tips for flying the F-14 Tomcat. Many members of the DCS community reached out to me, expressing how helpful those episodes were in their efforts to improve their skills in flying the F-14. Through these interactions, I connected with RG at BVR Productions, now Authentic Media, who proposed the idea of getting involved in DCS. With the support of Eagle Dynamics and Thrustmaster, I built my first DCS rig, which I documented in my episode on "Mooch's DCS Rig." Since then, my journey in DCS has included various "Mooch's Hacks" and "Real F-14 Pilot Flies DCS" episodes.

Later on, the amazing team at Next Level Racing sent me their Boeing Military Edition Sim Pit, which has become an integral part of my rig. If you haven't seen the episode where I unbox, build, and review this piece of gear, I highly recommend checking it out. Throughout these episodes, I was using TrackIR for visuals, which was a great system but had its limitations. However, the constant chorus of DCS enthusiasts telling me to switch to virtual reality (VR) kept growing louder.

Hesitations: A Leap into Uncharted Territory

Initially, I was hesitant about switching to VR. Several subject matter experts had advised me that TrackIR was preferred over VR for content creation. They claimed that head movement could make VR content harder to watch. Additionally, I had the chance to fly with a friend's VR rig, and the overall experience didn't impress me. The resolution of his setup was far from ideal, with visuals resembling an impressionist painting rather than a high-definition simulation. But the persistent recommendations, especially from my trusted patrons, nudged me toward VR.

However, as is often the case in life, things were not as easy as they seemed. Switching to VR came with its own set of challenges. One of them was the strain on my back from hours of sitting in ejection seats and swinging a golf club. On a lighter note, I discovered that a fat wallet filled with other people's business cards and expired membership cards could also take a toll on my back. Thankfully, I found the perfect solution to my wallet dilemma: The Ridge, a sleek and functional wallet that redefined the meaning of "high-speed low drag." The Ridge holds up to 12 cards and comes with a money clip. It even comes in over 30 colors and styles. If you're interested, Ridge is currently having a sale for their 10th anniversary, and you can save up to 40% on your order through March 26th using my special link: ridge.com/mooch.

With my back woes somewhat addressed, it was time to dive into the world of VR. I purchased a headset, settling on the HP Reverb G2, which fell in the middle price range for VR headsets at around $450. Excitement filled the air as I plugged the goggles into my computer, anticipating a transformative experience. However, I found myself faced with the same disappointment I had encountered with my friend's VR rig. The resolution was underwhelming, and there was an annoying clipping effect. It seemed as though gaming in VR was not living up to the hype.

A Series of Trials and Errors: The Pursuit of Better Visuals

As someone who tends to learn by burning rather than doing the research upfront, I embarked on a journey to improve my VR setup. I reached out to the DCS VR veterans in my Discord server, received advice from patrons, and watched countless DCS VR episodes on YouTube. It was during this process that I stumbled upon the OpenXR Toolkit, a downloadable app that allowed me to tweak my settings while in DCS. Armed with this toolkit, I was able to improve the resolution of my VR experience. However, it's worth noting that the user experience of the OpenXR Toolkit requires some patience, as it involves a fair amount of keystrokes to adjust the settings. Furthermore, operating the keyboard while wearing the goggles proved to be a skill that needed honing. Yet, with practice, I began to find my way around the keyboard without relinquishing my VR immersion.

It is important to mention that the HP Reverb G2 headset comes with two hand control gizmos. While these gizmos appeared fun in the VR realm, I found myself primarily relying on the traditional mouse for navigation and control.

Achieving optimal VR performance required tweaking various settings within the Mixed Reality, Nvidia, and Windows Games interfaces, as well as within DCS itself. Recommending specific settings would be akin to playing a game of trial and error. However, I encourage you to search for episodes on DCS VR settings on YouTube and choose one with a substantial number of views. The insights and recommendations from experienced users will prove invaluable in your quest for a better VR experience.

After following the advice of the DCS community and experimenting with different settings, I saw a noticeable improvement in frame rate. Frame rate and resolution are the two key variables that significantly impact the VR experience. Higher resolution provides enhanced definition for objects such as trees, ships, and other airplanes, while a higher frame rate ensures smoother motion. With the implementation of OpenXR and the adjustments made through the OpenXR Toolkit, I managed to enhance both aspects.

The Search for Perfection: The Never-Ending Quest

Though my VR experience had improved, it still fell short of the exceptional visuals provided by TrackIR. Thus, I decided to take more drastic measures and invest in new hardware. In my initial rig, I had a particular graphics card that failed to work properly. Considering the conventional wisdom that a 2070 card was insufficient for powering VR in DCS, I sought out a more capable card. In the end, I chose to purchase a completely new rig—the Corsair Vengeance I7400 gaming PC—rather than upgrading my existing setup piecemeal. Equipped with ample storage, memory, and, most importantly, a GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, the Corsair Vengeance became the centerpiece of my new VR experience. It took approximately six weeks for this custom-built PC to arrive, but the wait was worth it.

With my new hardware setup, the DCS VR experience became truly immersive. The feeling of being in the cockpit transcended the limitations of a monitor. The virtual world enveloped me, providing a sense of depth and motion that made maneuvers like flying in formation, tanking, and landing on carriers much more intuitive. The enhanced immersion facilitated a greater understanding of relative motion, especially closure rates. Additionally, occupying the RIO cockpit triggered vivid flashbacks, further blurring the lines between virtual and real experiences.

As I delved further into the world of DCS, I encountered the latest advancement in the DCS VR experience: multi-threading. While I am not an expert in network engineering or coding, my understanding is that multi-threading optimizes the distribution of the VR demand signal across your CPU, resulting in higher frame rates. In my case, using multi-threading led to frame rates that were 30 to 40 frames per second higher, which was a noticeable improvement.

Conclusion: The Unending Pursuit of Realism

Having experienced the immersion and joy of VR flying, I find it highly unlikely that I will return to using TrackIR, even for content creation. VR, as everyone claimed, is undeniably awesome. The pursuit of higher frame rates and resolution becomes a never-ending quest. However, I see this as part of the fun in continuously improving the level of realism in my presentations. The sense of presence and engagement with the virtual world is unparalleled.

For those track IR flyers in DCS who are contemplating making the switch to VR or are considering starting from scratch, I hope this episode has provided you with useful information to kickstart your journey. From my personal experience, the time and financial investment have been well worth it.

Thank you for joining me in this adventure, and if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the channel and ring the bell so you don't miss any future episodes. If you would like to support the channel, consider using the Super Thanks feature or becoming a patron at patreon.com/WardCarroll.

I look forward to sharing more exciting experiences with you in the future. Until then, happy flying!