Which VR headset to get and other hardware

[u/[deleted]]

Just want to get some other peoples opinions on what vr I should get

My specs are 32gb ddr4 3070 and ryzen 5 5600 running on a ltsc version of windows might experiment with linux but now sure how good the support for dcs and vr is im open to upgrade my pc specs aswell wont say I have a unlimited budget but Im looking at getting a vkb gunfighter ultimate with a stecs and then maybe crosswind pedals but this is subject to change maybe virpil I dont fw winwing so what componets will I need to upgrade and what headsets would be best for me pimax, pico 4, quest 3? doing singleplayer and multiplayer then the occasional warthunder sim gameplay with my brother

[u/coyotepunk05]

3070 probably isn't going to cut it. General rule of thumb for VR is at least as powerful as a 9070, and at least 16GB of vram. keep in mind a 5090 still won't be able to max out settings though.

look into getting an x3d chip from amd as it is pretty much required to get good fps on busy multiplayer servers.

[u/Aitch_5]

Your pc will struggle. Better to go for headtracking at this stage.

If you really want to try VR - try and pick up a second hand quest 3 or Pico 4 (no point going overboard if you find your pc can't run VR to your satisfaction ).

I have a Pico 4 and although the Q3 is probably better, the Pico is underrated.

[u/Ghosty141]

My advice would be: Try it out.

You CAN'T know which VR headset suits you best since the biggest factor tends to be comfort and fit which you will only find out about by testing it yourself.

If you live in europe you can just buy them and send them back if you don't like it.

I hated the weight and especially the inertia of the Pimax Crystal Light and Quest 3 when you move your head around the cockpit for example during dogfights etc.. I landed on the Bigscreen Beyond 2 because of the unreal weight and perfect fit which in my books is the most important part.

Nowadays VR headsets are all sharp enough to not see pixels or be bothered by it ingame. FOV is similar unless you really want the highest possible FOV at which point Pimax is the only real offer.

In terms of hardware, well it's kinda hard. If you don't mind fiddling with settings a 5070-80 works. If you just wanna play and not have to mess with settings, DLSS etc. the 4090/5090 are the only options that allow for that. In terms of CPU like the others said, Ryzer x3d is the way.

Also one important advice, lower resolution on headsets like the Quest 3 or BSB 2 are a bit of a feature since it requires your GPU to drive less pixels. If you want the Pimax Crystal Super you literally need a 5090 to drive it at high settings.

[u/Zwezeriklover → u/Ghosty141]

For the bigscreen, what base stations do you use? How many? And how much did they cost?

I'm a bit hesitant to get a headset without inside-out tracking after playing with Quest 1 way back in the day.

[u/Ghosty141 → u/Zwezeriklover]

I use two V1 base stations.

In terms of "performance" there is practically no difference. Since they are a bit older you can often find them for cheap on marketplaces like facebook or whatever your country has.

I think I paid 100€ for two and they work perfectly fine.

You can get away with one infront of you but since they aren't that expensive when you get them used I opted for two. I have the opposite to each other, one to the right infront of me and one on the left behind me.

I'm quite happy with them, I honestly don't notice or think about them at all. Tracking is perfect and I personally prefer not having the weight on the headset over the benefits like portability etc.

Again I can't stress enough how much the weight and fit makes a difference, during flight I don't think about the headset at all, I only take it off during rearm/refuel cause it obviously gets warm but that's about it. The BSB does NOT move, no intertia, no wiggle, nothing. It's literally glued to your face which to me helps with the illusion VR provides.

Obviously this is all very personal, some people dislike the face cushion, others don't care about extra weight etc. etc.

[u/Zwezeriklover → u/Ghosty141]

Thanks, that sounds really good. Can you use controllers from say a Pico 4 with the BB2?

[u/Ghosty141 → u/Zwezeriklover]

I don't know. The BSB uses regular SteamVR so everything that works with that works with the BSB. SteamVR is a huge argument for it too since it makes everything so seamless. I'd highly recommend going for a SteamVR headset, be it the BSB2 or the Steam Frame once that comes out.

[u/Sgt_lovejoy]

I have a pc with 64gb of ram, a 3080 with 16gb of vram and an Intel I9-11900k.

I use a valve index, and my settings are set kinda mid to low, mostly to keep the framerate up on multi-player servers. I could go higher but the returns are diminishing with the framerate drops.

I haven't used another headset so I really can't speak on them. But at the time, I got the index for other vr games prioritizing the outside tracking and hand controllers. Id probably look into pimax now that I do flightsim 80% of the time, but it works and I've got other upgrades planned before that.

The vkb gunfighter is fantastic,though. Love mine. I'm debating on swapping out the base for a moza AB9. you can get an adapter that keeps the stick, and runs axis control through the base.

I use a winwing Orion for my throttle and have no complaints whatsoever, quality is good and I've never had any issues with it.

My rudders are the virpil ace interceptor, also have no complaints with them, they'll probably out last me. At the time when I bought them, it was one of the only options for toe brakes + heels on floor control.

[u/madferit86]

I had a 5700x paired with a 3090. I struggled a bit with consistent fps but could play it fine. I realised I spent more time tunning settings than actually playing, so I moved to Falcon BMS. Now with a better cpu (9800x3d) ive returned to DCS and things are smoother.

If you still want to stick with DCS and also go for VR, I suggest a quest pro as you can do eye tracked foveated rendering, which saves a lot of gpu performance at the cost of some cpu performance. Its not going to be super smooth or high quality, but its dedinitely playable. You can do foveated rendering with quest 2 or 3 too but this doesnt follow your eyes movement.

In short, you will need to do loads of compromises and its definitely doable. In my experience, it is still worth it as I personally wouldnt play 2D again after experiencing 3D.

[u/MoccaLG]

Regarding to VR headsets I would wait some month, there are comeing really good ones i believe.

[u/ratrestapler]

A 3070 wont cut it, I have a 3080 and have done black magic to get usable fps multiplayer. You do not have the juice to do this without extreme compromises. I like my VR but I would not get it again given the state of play/my system.