Condor

Hi-
I am trying to create a more realistic setup. Currently I have:
Win10Pro 64, 16k, high end video card
MS Siderwinder FFB2
LG TV used as monitor
(I have DJI goggles that have an HDMI input; will these work for VR?).

Want:
Rudder pedals - VKB seem sturdy, allegedly do not slide on floor. $220 shipped to me (USA)
---comments on alternatives?
VR/headtracking -
----I am totally confused here:
-----------------Do VR headsets have internal headtracking or is this needed as an add-on?
-----------------What is 3DoF vs 6DoF (isn't it just up, down, left right; what else could one possibly need?)
-----------------Can I use headtracking with my big TV screen? I would be about 10 feet away (it is a large screen)?
-----------------TrackIR versus Edtracker versus ??? versus save my $$$ for a real VR headset (TrackIR is about $150++; VR is about $400(?) sounds like VR is a better solution?
____________Regarding VR - there seems to be lots of comments about VR headset that do not seem fully compatible; what is the best practice?

That is all (for now...).

Deep breath...you'll get it all together in time.

VR headsets have their own tracking. Early versions required several cameras to be set up around you to track the headset movements, but the latest Oculus Rift S did away with that and has built-in low-res cameras on the headset that track movement.

Track IR is a separate solution that is popular. It's cheaper and easier to set up, but has its limitations.

VR is incredible, but you need to map the buttons on your FFB joystick since you can't see your keyboard. You get used to finding the right keys in time. I put a small button on top of my G key so I could easily toggle the landing gear. I'm getting ready to add a usb ten-key pad with other keyboard functions mapped to it directly.

I haven't heard of anyone using DJI goggles.

Condor2 natively supports Oculus and there are ways to get some of the other VR options to work.

When you say "high end video card" did you check its benchmark? https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/ I had a decent CPU and ram, but my card was limited. So, I bought a new gaming system last winter.

Rudder pedals - I mostly race and don't use rudder pedals. If you're new to soaring, you probably want pedals. Search the forum for more options.

Hi Bluejet-
Thanks for the detailed response!

I think you have provided me with enough to get going. I guess I will have to put together my holiday gift wish list!
-Bob

MSFFII stick good and highly recommended but you should also get a throttle to augment the sparse button count and have a proper airbrake. VKB pedals are fantastic, particularly for gliding (or helicopters) as they are heel pivot mechanisms vs the typical power plane type pedals and they also use ball bearings, non contact sensors and use a cam for the centering mechanism so are extremely smooth.

VR all the way, and while there are technically better options for a beginner you can't beat Oculus Rift S for ease of use and its performance is not far behind much more expensive units though the audio on it blows. Forget about your Dji goggles... dedicated pc VR hmd are a fusion of high tech hardware and highly evolved software to make it all work.

Your understanding of tracking is correct... 3dof is only rotational axes where 6dov also includes translation axes so includes position as well as orientation. Stereoscopic vision is highly dependent on having all 6 as subtle head deviations provide the information our brains need to sort out what is close vs what is far and with only rotational tracking you can't benefit from parallax like we experiences irl. You can' definitely use tracking with your big screen, but honestly even a triple projector setup and TrackIR pales in comparison to a modest VR setup.

You may be interested to hear theres a cheap alternative for head tracking, for VR on a budget or try-before-you-lay-out-£150, I recently put together a track-ir-type headset that straps to the side of your headphones or install on a cap, cost about £18.50, uses 3 IR-LED's, 3 x aaa batteries and a second hand PS3 eye-cam modified to excluse visible light (using a couple of circles of old floppy disk). Works fine with Opentrack freeware, Condor2 recognises it automatically and its very immersive, very responsive. It is 6 DOF so you can twist, swivel and tilt your head, lean in and out out of the monitor, You can search on youtube for DIY Track-IR if you're interested or there's people selling kits for £45. Really great for flight sims.