Never used VR
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I’ve never used VR and thinking about purchasing just for BMS. My question is, how does it all work together? Assuming you still use HOTAS, keyboard etc. If that’s the case, how do you interact with HOTAS and keyboard while wearing VR goggles… fumbling for switches etc. etc.
I have Voice attack but even with that it seems you would have to interact with buttons and switches etc.
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@Sabert00th Really the HOTAS isn’t a big problem once you get used to where everything is. Pretty much everything else can be done with mouse or voice activation. It should be noted that most VR headsets can be modified to open up a gap either side of your nose. So you can see down and enough to be able to see things like a keyboard or where a mouse is.
There is a a great VR finger tracking device called PointCTRL which allows you to interact with the cockpit just by pointing at what you want to click on and then pressing a button on the small unit on your index finger. But BMS doesn’t seem to support it at the moment.
Anyway. It’s not quite as impossible as you would first imagine.
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@Sabert00th I used DCS 100% VR for the last 18 months, BMS with headtracking before that.
DCS is a little easier for me with VR because they have a “mouse follows head” option and you can bind left and right mouse clicks to your hotas. So look at the gear handle, push hotas button, it moves. Look at mfd button, click it etc.
BMS hasn’t quite got that yet - you will still need to use your mouse for some things, which is easy to do in VR - you’ll get to know where your mouse is, it’s just as clunky and immersion breaking as it is in 2D/headtracking.
No VR hand controllers required. (You wouldn’t want them)
With DCS I just used hotas - and mouse for startup for some of the harder to get to switches - with BMS I find myself using my cougar MFDs even though I can’t see them, and a number pad for the ICP.
I can’t recommend VR enough.
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@rubbra I’m also clueless about VR and how to use ( a few) key board commands although I have picked up that a VR ( which one? ) headset can be modified as you mention. Any pointers to the minimum hardware specs for VR-CPU and GPU?
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@rubbra said in Never used VR:
@Sabert00th I used DCS 100% VR for the last 18 months, BMS with headtracking before that.
DCS is a little easier for me with VR because they have a “mouse follows head” option and you can bind left and right mouse clicks to your hotas. So look at the gear handle, push hotas button, it moves. Look at mfd button, click it etc.
Great comparison, thanks. With the “mouse follows head” option, is there a cursor of some kind so that you can see what you would press exactly? And can that cursor be hidden (toggled on/off) ?
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@danster Well VR is heavy GPU dependent I think, and the better CPU you get, the more your GPU can be utilized. But for starters it would require some let’s say 10th gen intel CPU (class 7 preferably) or 4th gen ryzen (class 800), minimum 16GB DDR4 (not so relevant but going any lower nowadays is just not smart) and at least nV2080 ti (it is very old) or 3070 and for AMD 6700 .
Sucks I know. I just bought me a new bike last year so no money (also no time)… But the future is still open.
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@Sabert00th said in Never used VR:
I’ve never used VR and thinking about purchasing just for BMS. My question is, how does it all work together? Assuming you still use HOTAS, keyboard etc. If that’s the case, how do you interact with HOTAS and keyboard while wearing VR goggles… fumbling for switches etc. etc.
I have Voice attack but even with that it seems you would have to interact with buttons and switches etc.
I would not switch to VR at this time if BMS is your main sim, for several reasons. First of all BMS VR is in it’s infancy and while it “works” the graphics and some functionality are not there yet. Second issue is the power required to run high resolution in VR is substantially more than 2D, and finally VR is rapidly changing. If you are in the US you can pick up an HP G2v2 for as little as $300 but keep in mind HP is pretty much abandoning VR (from what I have read). If you want clarity it is the best choice (IMO) among headsets under $1500, for wider FOV Pimax is better, for over $2k the clarity of the Varjo Aero blows all of them out of the water. Wait six months, see where BMS goes and the VR market goes, you can thank me then…
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A lot of good info in general pre-BMS VR support that talks about headsets and such in this thread:
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@Icer I disagree! VR isn’t changing that rapidly. Yes, things like the varjo headsets are quite different, but headsets like the rift S, Quest 2, index and Reverb G2 are still “current” despite being a few years old.
Yes BMS VR is “early life” but it’s very very usable.
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@jayb yes there’s a small blue cross hair. It would be nice if it faded slightly when not over a clickable target but not a major problem.
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@rubbra said in Never used VR:
@Icer I disagree! VR isn’t changing that rapidly. Yes, things like the varjo headsets are quite different, but headsets like the rift S, Quest 2, index and Reverb G2 are still “current” despite being a few years old.
Yes BMS VR is “early life” but it’s very very usable.
Nice thing about this forum is we can agree/disagree and all is well! I have the G2, the HP to run it, and in the case of (current) BMS prefer 2D, but that’s just me!
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@Icer I would certainly love a g2 and the gpu to drive it