Oculus Rift CV1 First Impressions

Discussion in 'Hardware Building/Buying/Usage Advice' started by MarcG, Nov 1, 2016.

  1. MarcG

    MarcG Registered

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    I've had the CV1 three months now and in that time I cannot think of any bad moments with it, I can count the CTDs on one hand which is pretty good considering it's still relatively early tech and the Oculus Software is still classed as "Beta". I've learnt a lot a long the way about how to quickly get the settings right for each game, sure it is a bit of a faff at times and especially with Racing Sims requiring different levels of Graphics Settings per track it can become a bit of a ball ache, but once you get up & running it's simply great and worth the effort.

    Just now I raced at Bathurst in Raceroom with the GT3 (McLaren) and it was a blast against some very good AI, for the entire race I kept recalling my visit to the track in 2014 and remembering what I did at certain points around the track (drunk & lying on the start line one night rings true!). But that is just what VR can do to you, because it feels so real it triggers memories of tracks you've visited in real life and that brings me to my main point from the last three months - the immersion is the absolute #1 reason to buy a Head Mounted Display.

    Sure the pixel density and low resolution is highly noticeable at times and not everyones cup of tea, but if you're able to over come the minor failings and appreciate the scale of what it is actually all about then you're onto a winner, with that in mind I'd say current VR tech is definitely for those Glass Half Full gents & ladies, if you're a Glass Half Empty dude then I suggest you wait a bit longer...but above all I recommend everyone try before you buy if at all possible.

    Both AC & Raceroom are simply great in VR, nothing beats "feeling" the g-forces as you climb Eau Rouge or battling side by side through The Chase, even just sitting in the glorious AC cockpits looking around is breathtaking. Whilst I didn't get on with pCars/LFS and my sub ran out at iRacing you can rest assured that right now 5 good Sims are VR Friendly with of course RF2 on the way, so the choice is plenty and I have no doubt it will only grow as time passes by. Elite Dangerous is simply fantastic, Flight Sims are also made for VR so there is plenty of other choices to warrant parting with the cash....oh and then there's the Horror Games :eek:

    That's all for me as those are my final thoughts in this thread as future RF2 posts will be in the relevant thread/s that will appear once it's live, however if you have any questions just shout and I'll respond.

    Thanks for reading, I hope I've been of some help whether its swayed you to buy or wait :)
     
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  2. FlashQld

    FlashQld Registered

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    Cheers Marc - I had an experience with my better half's son on a Playstation and i was absolutely blown away. My thoughts were racing and your brief discussion was great althouigh the word 'immersion' is the one that rings with me. This is what I'm looking forward to. I really can't wait to seat myself into a car and feel that immersion that I experienced with Starwars. The size, the depth, simple breathtaking. I haven't stopped talking about it.
     
  3. Eddy

    Eddy Registered

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    Everything you told us is so true Marc, again thanks for your honest and clear write-up.
    Bit of my experience being a Rift owner for 10 days now.
    It for sure wasn't a plug and play experience for me. I had issues with my USB3 ports which didn't recognize my rift sensor. From oculus forums and google i learned there are a lot of usb3 issues with mobo's who have chipsets on them who don't work well with oculus. So i had to buy a pci-e usb3 card and guess what, they send me a faulty one which messed up my whole computer leaving me tearing my already grey hairs out. After a lot of hassle i ended up with mounting a usb3 bracket connected to the mobo via a header and guess what all of a sudden the setup program from oculus worked like a charm.

    So now it became time to get me a racing sim which supports vr (i only have and use rF2) and ended up with giving raceroom a try .......immersion is the key word nothing more nothing less. and like Marc said if you want crisp and clear image when simracing i don't think this will be your cup of tea. But if you can get over it, then the only way to be "there" is going the vr route.

    I can't wait when my beloved sim (you know which one i mean) supports VR also, because as much as i like Raceroom with my new toy and being tempted to buy some cars and tracks for that. Nothing beats the feeling in rF2 for me.
     
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  4. vegaguy5555

    vegaguy5555 Registered

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    Rookie here to rFactor 2 and learning how to drive with all this rich and beautiful FFB and weight transfer. I love it. This is the most I have used my triples screens since I got them.

    I have had Oculus Rift for over two years now. DK2 and now CV1. There were some things I miss about the DK2. I found it more comfortable for one and clearer. Yes!! I think there was a time when it was clearer, for two reasons. One was the lenses were clear and round which I miss. Took me a while to get used to the glare (I talked to HTC Vive owners and they say they have the same glare), and second Sweet FX. I really miss it as well. It didn't think it looked too good with a screen though but in VR it help outline and sharpened everything. It was easier on the eyes, but they haven't got it to work since the 64 bit update, at least in AC. Not sure why, but that's a little useless history about VR from the new guy.

    Oh! Did I mention I love the weight transfer and your rich FFB in rFactor 2? Can't drive worth a crap but it is fun and I am getting better.

    One other thing. Just my opinion. From my experience I would say VR hardware is alright for those of you on the fence. I don't think it would look that much better with more pixels at this point. It's a software bottle neck that can be improved to at least what it was last year with the DK2 and beyond because of the double screens and more pixels plus more FPS of the new VR. Also I noticed rFactor 2 has more simple graphics then Assetto Corsa which I have seen in the past run easier and therefore clearer. Just compare Pcars to AC.

    I think where the biggest improvement will be is anti-aliasing.

    Devs!! Use your time getting this to run smoothly and rFactor 2 will be the king of VR. Also, Sweet FX did outline everything, now that I think back to seeing it on a monitor, which was not noticed in VR but helped with aliasing. I think for AC it was a way of dumbing down the graphics. Now everything is too busy again. Just a thought guys!! Thanks all!!

    Can't wait for rFactor 2 VR!!
     
  5. LeStrat

    LeStrat Registered

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    So, image quality in CV1 is the same as DK2?

    I purchased DK2 in August 2014, and it lasted just 1 week in my house, each pixel has the size of a Cathedral, and the space between pixels is not less than the distance from my home to Proxima Centauri. And that crap is what people says is the best experience they have ever seen? That it's the same improvement as switching from pad to wheel?

    For a proper driving, using Oculus you can not look as far as you would in real life, because you just see a random colour pixel surrounded by a perfect black grid.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2017
  6. stonec

    stonec Registered

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    DK2 has 960x1080 pixels per eye, CV1 has 1080x1200, so about 25% more pixels. If you compare this video, the difference seems bigger than it is on paper.
     
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  7. LeStrat

    LeStrat Registered

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    Thanks for the clarification, mate!
     
  8. Adrianstealth

    Adrianstealth Registered

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    For static screen users :

    Go VR & all your wildest dreams will come true !

    Just make sure you have a decent PC to run it & your in Paradise
     
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  9. vegaguy5555

    vegaguy5555 Registered

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    What he said!!

    I was just trying to get across that programming can be improved a lot. Even with the DK2. The CV1 for sure can be way better with better antialiasing, field of view and so on. I know the gauges are clearer now but that's about it. It was better last year I think.
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2017
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  10. RaceNut

    RaceNut Registered

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    I feel the real improvements in VR image quality will arrive when hi-res displays merge with Foveated Rendering / Eye-tracking tech; not only for improved performance and clarity but, also for a more natural viewing experience. Beyond that, increasing the FOV may be possible but, that's likely quite some time in the future; there's only so much the current tech can support by pushing more pixels.
     
  11. vegaguy5555

    vegaguy5555 Registered

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    At this point I think getting a higher res VR headset would be like watching a regular 480p DVD on a 4K TV.

    What I would really like to see now is a new version of SweetFX.

    For some reason what looks good on triples screens gets fuzzy looking in VR.
     
  12. RaceNut

    RaceNut Registered

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    There are gains in VR-image quality to come from higher-resolution displays but, the hardware requirements would be extreme and the data bus too limited without using more cables. Granted, the resolution would have to be much higher - probably something closer to 8K for VR to be better quality - especially if FOV is increased; at that point, SDE becomes more of an issue again . . .

    Foveated-rendering with eye-tracking reduces the graphics-processing load by providing high-resolution only where our eyes focus; everything else can be rendered at much lower resolution. Of course, this tech is very early in it's development so in either case, major improvements in VR image quality are some years away at best but; the FOVE HMD is currently undergoing development with it's first DK.
     
  13. vegaguy5555

    vegaguy5555 Registered

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    I agree but if you would have seen the difference SweetFX made with the DK2 at the time you would understand how it would be much clearer with the CV1 and supper sampling.

    I still would say it was at least as clear (with more screen door of course) or even clearer in some cases.

    I still believe a lot can be done with tuning the graphics for VR and the way it is see in stereo optics. It doesn't seem to translate 1 to 1 from what looks good on the monitor. If there could be an app made that would distort the graphics in some different ways so a person could adjust it to there liking while in VR is the way I think may work.

    More pixels are always good but I way disappointed with the CV1 in some ways. Not because of quality of screens but more noticeable out of focus of the graphics.
     
  14. RaceNut

    RaceNut Registered

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    I did have a DK2 and tried SweetFX but, I didn't like the way it made the graphics appear more chunky; I also tried a diffuser lens protector but, that was too blurry.

    I find the CV1 focal area to be an improvement over the DK2's. The main drawback to CV1 is the Fresnel lens flare; aside from that and slightly lower FOV, I think CV1 is better all around.
     
  15. vegaguy5555

    vegaguy5555 Registered

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    I thought it was wider? I think it looks wider? I tried the defuser too. And it kind of has the same kind of fuzziness that I remember from the defuser, now that I think of it. I think the gauges are easier to see now but the trees are not as clear. That's why I say it's programming. I know it's 3D and complicated but in the end its still a picture. There is no reason why it can't be made clear. I still don't think more res and pixs on either side will help until it is all in focus.

    I agree. I think the CV1 is good for now.
     
  16. Eddy

    Eddy Registered

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    Today i've got me Assetto just to know what they did with VR.
    I don't wanna start a AC is better than rF2 discussion my preferences may be known to the peeps around here.
    Is it bad......no not at all......but i'm hooked to rF2 (yep call me fanboy i don't care)

    BUT what they did with vr and the way it looks in my oculus is just stunning and very addictive.
    i start to understand what all those guys around mean when they say they can't go back to screens even if you're in the luxury of using triples.

    Ohw and i did read somewhere that if you need glasses for reading you can try using vr without glasses, now i need glasses (+2.25) and guess what i tried today without wearing them in vr and it worked. Image quality was very good and i could read what was on screen also brake markers i could read way more early.
    I don't know how this is possible and will dig into it just to understand but for those of you who also are "older" maybe you could give it a try and be surprised.

    i'm feeling young again :p:D
     
  17. Magus

    Magus Registered

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    I think AC has done a fantastic job with VR & the only reason I have piled hours of game time into it. Their version of VR is still in Beta yet it is absolutely fantastic experience once on the track & I have become a fan of the game only through its implementation of VR. I would like to say the same for R3E but neither the VR nor the physics/FFB are pleasing to me. I REALLY hope that rF2 VR follows suit from AC in that you can have the options quite high (apart from reflection & pp) on a mid range system and still have a steady 90fps with 20+ field. I quite like the colours in AC VR too, where as in R3E, everything is tinged in blue. I'm really hoping rF2 VR is something on par with AC as the game deserves it and will be an absolute jewel for those that know.

    With regards to glasses, I recently picked up one of THESE VR COVERS for eye wear. Initially I wasn't too impressed with the difficulty of getting it over your head but now after practice it is much easier and realised the resolution was a lot better in the headset than I though without glasses. Reading the font in the AC set up menu is actually pretty clear now :D
     
  18. vegaguy5555

    vegaguy5555 Registered

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    VR is the only reason I have over 1500 hours in AC.

    Since I reinstalled rF2 from about three years ago I can't drive very long in AC anymore even with VR, but you are right, AC is hands down the best when it comes to VR for clarity and fps efficiency.

    It's kind of funny because we had to have a vote and yelling season with Stefano to update the CV1 when it came out last year.

    rF2 is lean with graphics and rich in physics, which I think is going to be mind blowing combination.

    Can't wait!!

    God speed to rFactor 2 and Studio-397!!
     
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  19. RaceNut

    RaceNut Registered

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    Oh yeah, I still remember some of the fits people had over that poll - VR? Oh Noooooooooo! :D

    And then the conspiracy theories began to mount . . .
     
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  20. vegaguy5555

    vegaguy5555 Registered

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    Stefano took one on the chin that night. It was getting pretty ugly at one point. Guys threatening refunds from Kunos after they preordered the CV1 for four or five months earlier. After spending $650+ US and Stefano comes out and says "I never was planning on supporting VR". He must have known. There was a lot of us talking about the CV1 release and Kunos had a big update planned last spring with the Oculus release and then nothing.

    Oh yeah! Sh%#@t hit the fan!!
     

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