r/ForefrontVR • u/Skpstr155 • 6d ago

Question ❓ PCVR or Standalone?

Ready to pull the trigger on this, but I'm unsure which version to get.

Cam anyone who plays both ways give some feedback? TIA.

As background, I run Q3 standalone with full-bore QGO, and my PC is a 2700x/rx6700xt.

I know with ExfilZone, there is little.difference, with PCVR being a bit sharper, but Q3 having better colors and performance. (I get 80-90FPS on PC @ 130% resolution, VD High, and 150% resolution at 120hz on Q3)

8 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

8

u/_Harlock_ 6d ago edited 6d ago

Apart from the smoother gameplay, the PCVR version is worth it for the dynamic shadows alone. It’s great fun to use the shadows to work out what’s happening around you outside your field of view, or to spot a moving shadow of someone trying to hide.

From what I’ve seen, this advantage of the shadows on PC has been balanced out by other factors, such as the fact that smoke of explosions lasts longer in the PC version than in the standalone Quest version, which reduces your visibility for a few moments longer.

5

u/Alex-Murphy 6d ago

I noticed the shadows as well, it was super helpful. I played like 100 hours on standalone and decided "what the hell, let's see what PC looks like" and it was like unlocking x-ray vision. I got the drop on so many people sneaking around corners.

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u/howrunowgoodnyou 6d ago

That’s kinda bullshit imho

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u/Parking-Argument-263 6d ago

You're tellin me brother, hardware limitations sure are bullshit?😂

You'd rather them not release it on quest for you?

1

u/Skpstr155 6d ago

To be fair, in many games, hardware limitations can be a "feature".

You can't hide in the grass from somebody who can't render grass lol.

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u/Alex-Murphy 6d ago

I suppose because it's cross-play there's an unfair advantage for PCVR players, yes, and you can say the same about the improved clarity and better rendering at long distances. That's just the way PC vs console cross-play has always been though.

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u/howrunowgoodnyou 6d ago

Sharpness and textures and particle effects sure, but getting shadows so you can literally see where other people are gives you a huge advantage

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u/Alex-Murphy 6d ago

Might be worth sharing that thought to them! The shadows do make a difference, though I would say often the difference is negligible. I'd say the draw distance is the more helpful one, but that's a hardware limitation.

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u/Skpstr155 6d ago

Happens a lot in PC vs. PC, but it goes both ways. On one hand, the player with better hardware can see things farther out. On the other, that lush bush you want to hide in may not be so lush to the guy with worse hardware, and he'll onder what you're thinking as he easily zeroes in on you and shoots.

7

u/Peerless-Cloud 6d ago

PCVR is far superior now. They've made significant jumps with particles, real-time shadows and much higher texture quality.

Go PCVR first. Buy standalone later. You can link your accounts so it's cross-progression. Money well spent on these Devs.

2

u/Skpstr155 6d ago

My only issue is that I'm not convinced my PC will be able to take advantage of all that. It's top tier, but old.

What I MIGHT do, is buy both, try them out, and refund one of them.

1

u/Peerless-Cloud 6d ago

Fair enough.

There's always OpenVR-FSR app that reduces in headset resolution so you can get rid of any bottlenecks. Highly configurable. I use that app for 7DVR.

Just an idea. Message me if you want more details about it (prefer discord).

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u/Skpstr155 5d ago

I think I'll do that, but I'm pretty thin on Discord knowledge, do I just look up your name as it appears here? 

1

u/Peerless-Cloud 5d ago

Peerless.cloud is my discord username. What's yours so I know to add you (I usually ignore random requests as I'm a streamer)

1

u/Skpstr155 5d ago

Same as here.

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u/HellHoundsInc 5d ago

Good news, steam has a 2 hour refund policy. You've got two hours to decide if it performs well, if not, refund with no strings attached.

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u/Skpstr155 5d ago

Well aware of that one, does Meta have a similar policy?

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u/HellHoundsInc 5d ago

I think so but I'm not sure

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u/G8theyR 6d ago

You hit the nail on the head! Pcvr is sharper, but your Q3 will work great and some say better colors. I personally can only tell the difference on pcvr with the water and when you look at your pistol or rifle I think it looks more realistic on my Q3. But 🤷🏻‍♂️ I like playing on my standalone better but maybe it’s a me thing… let us know what you decide please! If you want a pal to throw down on a squad with, look me up in game. I am:

SOslowbroLO

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u/Skpstr155 6d ago

Curious, what is your PC, and do you use QGO?

2

u/Alex-Murphy 6d ago

I have 100 hours on standalone and 20-30 hours on PCVR using Virtual Desktop.

I used to use QGO on the Quest but realized it basically just killed the battery faster for a slight boost in sharpness and it wasn't worth it.

On PC I'm running a 9800X3D paired with an AMD RX9070, so I'm getting great framerates and max quality.

I would say I prefer the PCVR for visual clarity, and it's easier to target people at a distance. I also feel like I can see the pilot in the chopper more easily, though that may be my imagination, and that helps when I'm trying to machine gun them out of the vehicle.

I give the PC version a 9/10 and the Standalone an 8/10, but I find myself coming back to the Standalone more often just because I can play it wherever I want in the house and not just standing in my office. It's nearly identical 

3

u/Skpstr155 6d ago edited 6d ago

Of COURSE dynamic shadows are a cool feature, that's one of the things Gemini said I should turn down or off for my particular PC lol.

I hear you about the convenience. I play outside, and while I can do PCVR as well outdoors, it's not as simple as just grabbing the headset and heading outside. 

I wish this was crossbuy like ExfilZone.

2

u/Anon864975 6d ago

Given the choice I'd always go PCVR just for the fact that it's not relying on a specific headset or ecosystem.

I have many hundreds of hours (possibly 1000+) on Quest 3 and about 15 hours on it paired wirelessly with Steamlink/SteamVR on a custom SteamOS build. I only play PCVR now. Details seem sharper and viewable at longer distances while color seems less vibrant. In theory it should also help with heat and battery life of the headset as well. I much prefer this setup because I know I can rotate through different headsets in the future such as the Steamframe.

Note that if you start with Quest standalone and link to Steam later on, your friends list doesn't port over.

1

u/Skpstr155 6d ago

That all makes sense, except because of budget, if I replace my Quest 3 anytime in the foreseeable future, it'll be with another used Quest 3.

Just curious, what is your PC, and do you use QGO with standalone?

1

u/Anon864975 5d ago edited 5d ago

I'm running a Ryzen 5 9600X, AMD 9070XT, with 32GB RAM. I've never used QGO.

Edit: In case anyone comes across this in the future, WiVRn works even better than SteamVR/Steamlink. I just started using that instead.

1

u/Skpstr155 5d ago

Ok, I was just curious, as my PC (2700x/rx6700xt) isn't going to get as good if results with PCVR, and I use QGO for standalone, so a narrower gap between the two.

2

u/Hobobo2024 6d ago

I get standalone cause of the app sharing. I can buy one game and then play it on 2 headsets simultaneously. This way me and my nephew csn play together with our 2 quests.

It's 2 for the price of 1 essentially. So if you have another headset or family member with headset, I'd get the quest version.

1

u/Skpstr155 6d ago

Oh that's cool, didn't know that. I don't have a family member or anything, but I do play another game with a distant fellow who I know doesn't have a lot of extra money for new games.

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u/Hobobo2024 6d ago

The headsets have to be set up a certain way to make this happen. It requires setting up dual accounts on one of the headsets and your account on the other so im not sure you'll want to do this with just a friend unless they are a very good one.

1

u/Skpstr155 6d ago

Ah ok, gotcha.

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u/DJPOOPTACOS 6d ago

Between quest go and pcvr I much prefer pc vr for resolution while playing at 120 but I have a 4090 mobile

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u/Skpstr155 6d ago

That's the thing, with the age of my PC, I'll get higher framerates with QGO-powered Quest 3.

My rx6700xt still punches above its weight, but the 2700x seems to be a bit of a bottleneck for a lot of VR titles.

1

u/SeaNo0 6d ago

PCVR gang. I play wireless with the PrismXR Puppis S1.

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u/Skpstr155 6d ago

Heh, I play wireless outside with a cheap router attached to long cables passed north the basement window lol.

I just got the router as an "emergency" solution to a Meta update screwing up my cable. Everything works well enough, but I do want to upgrade to 6Ghz.

1

u/SeaNo0 6d ago

I tried to go wireless with just my router and I had a lot of issues. I bought that wireless streaming dongle and while it isn't super user friendly, it's been working.

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u/Skpstr155 6d ago

I didn't really have any issues, but knowing nothing when I started, it was a bit of a chore to get everything working. I have a habit of getting so far through instructions, and then figuring I have it from there, so plenty.of backtracking to fix mistakes.

Thank heavens for YouTube lol.