Checking System for VR

[MadhouseSigma]

Hello and Good Day,

I'm looking to buy a VR headset and step into the vr world.

I wanted to check with some veteran experts if my current build is good enough or should i upgrade anything.

 

Im running :

CPU Intel Core-i5 8600k (currently not OC'd)

MB Asus Z370-F RoG

RAM 2x8gb G.skill Ripjaws V 2400

MSI 1060 Gaming X 6GB

Samsung 850 SATA SSD 250gb (for OS)

WD blue 1tb x2 for storage

PSU 650W 80+ Gold

 

Basic VR tests tell me to upgrade my GPU thats why im posting under the Graphic cars section.

 

Im looking to buy either the HTV Vive or the Vive Cosmos. As bonus points i would love to know the differences between these two and which one is the best for me?

 

Im looking to play games like beat sabre/ no mans sky vr/ and mostly arcade-ish fun games in the future.

 

Thank You in advance.

[jones177]

Games that are designed for VR are relatively easy to run.

Games that were designed for the screen and converted to VR are harder to run.

 

For example, I use a Oculus Rift S. It has a resolution of 2172 X 2016 and has a 80hz refresh rate. If my computer cannot maintain 80fps the Rift will drop to 40hz-40fps.

 

With No Man's Sky this can be an issue since you have to set up to run at over 1440p, 90fps(Vive =90hz).  With your current setup you would drop into the 40s even at 1080p playing the regular game so you need more than double the GPU power to run the VR version.

Games like Fallout 4 VR and Skyrim VR are a lot easier to run. 

 

My advice to you is get the most power you can afford. A used GTX 1080 ti or a new RTX 2080s would be my recommendation but you can do it with a lot less if you take No Man's Sky out of the equation. 

 

[MadhouseSigma]

4 hours ago, jones177 said:

My advice to you is get the most power you can afford. A used GTX 1080 ti or a new RTX 2080s would be my recommendation but you can do it with a lot less if you take No Man's Sky out of the equation.

I was actually looking at those two for a sub. But i dont know which way to go. The 1080 ti has more VRAM but 2080s has Ray tracing which if im honest I still dont exactly know what it is yet.

Im not going for VR gaming exclusivly and will still game on a monitor. However max monitor i can do is either my 22inch 1080p 60hz monitor or my 49inch 4k 60hz TV.

Either case im not going above 60hz atm but i like to have the option to upgrade to 120hz at some point. And on screen i play demanding games like PUBG.  Knowing this, which one would you recommend?

[jones177]

6 minutes ago, MadhouseSigma said:

I was actually looking at those two for a sub. But i dont know which way to go. The 1080 ti has more VRAM but 2080s has Ray tracing which if im honest I still dont exactly know what it is yet.

I play games with ray tracing but it is hard to do even with a RTX 2080 it. All it is good for is 1440p 60fps gaming. With a RTX 2080S it would be good for 1080p 75hz gaming.

I would go with the newer card just to see RT in Cyberpunk 2077 even though I will probably play without it.

 

I don't think you need the 11gbs vram now but I think we will all need more in the future. I use between 5 and 7.5gbs in the games I play at 4k and 3840 X 1600.

 

6 minutes ago, MadhouseSigma said:

Im not going for VR gaming exclusivly and will still game on a monitor. However max monitor i can do is either my 22inch 1080p 60hz monitor or my 49inch 4k 60hz TV.

For VR it is either one. My Son uses a GTX 1080 ti with a Rift S and has not complained about poor performance.

For a 4k TV it is either one as well.

 

6 minutes ago, MadhouseSigma said:

Either case im not going above 60hz atm but i like to have the option to upgrade to 120hz at some point. And on screen i play demanding games like PUBG.  Knowing this, which one would you recommend?

For 120fps in PUBG you would need a 2080 ti so you may want to wait for the 3080 to come out since it may cost less and have about the same performance as a 2080 ti.

 

So if you can wait for the 30 series cards go for it. We are more than half way through the 20 series cycle so it may not be the best time to spend a lot of money on a card.

If you need a card now go for a used 1080 ti and get a 30 series card later. 

 

 

 

 

[trufret]

A 1060 will be enough to get a playable experiance in most VR games but if you want to super sample the image for extra clarity you'll want to extra power of a higher end GPU.

Might want to try with your 1060 for now and wait to see what the new AMD and Nvidia cards offer as they may be a better value than the Touring cards.

 

CPU should be fine but if you can O.C it a bit that's always helpful.

 

The original HTC Vive will use Valve's lighthouse tracking tech so it will be very accurate in room scale setups but you need to mount the 2 lighthouses in opposite corners of the room and plug them into the wall.

The wand controllers are decent but not the best

The resolution and lenses aren't as good as newer HMDs

 

The cosmos uses cameras to map your place space and track the controllers.  This can cause some issue if your hand is behind you back or otherwise out of view of the camera.

 

Currently they seem to be having some tracking issues with the cosmos so i'd investigate that further before jumping on board with that one.  They are going to sell a new face plate to allow the headset to use lighthouse tracking but you will need to get lighthouse capable controllers as the included ones only work with the cameras.

 

If you can get a Rift S, that would be a better and cheaper camera tracked system.

 

The Valve index would be a better lighthouse tracked system but i'm not sure if either is available in your country.

 

If you can get a Vive Pro that might be the best compromise at the point unless HTC can get their tracking issues sorted on the cosmos.

 

[steelo]

7 hours ago, MadhouseSigma said:

Hello and Good Day,

I'm looking to buy a VR headset and step into the vr world.

I wanted to check with some veteran experts if my current build is good enough or should i upgrade anything.

 

Im running :

CPU Intel Core-i5 8600k (currently not OC'd)

MB Asus Z370-F RoG

RAM 2x8gb G.skill Ripjaws V 2400

MSI 1060 Gaming X 6GB

Samsung 850 SATA SSD 250gb (for OS)

WD blue 1tb x2 for storage

PSU 650W 80+ Gold

 

 

Your GPU is very capable of running VR titles but you'll probably have to dial the graphic detail down to low-medium.

 

I know you're looking at the HTC Vive, but the GPU requirements should be fairly similar... I run a 1st gen Oculus VR with a RX570 4GB and have yet to run into a game it wasn't able to run. I play star trek bridge crew, Onward, Elite dangerous, robo recall, superhot and vader immortal on 'low' @ anywhere from 75-90 fps....these games are still comfortable for me to play without experiencing sickness.

 

Your 1060 is a bit more powerful so you should see slightly better results. Keep in mind though, our cards are on the 'low-end' of 'VR capable' GPU's and not ideal to run titles with high settings. Nonetheless, it should open the door for you to be able to experience VR and see if you enjoy it

 

 

[MadhouseSigma]

2 hours ago, trufret said:

If you can get a Rift S, that would be a better and cheaper camera tracked system.

 

The Valve index would be a better lighthouse tracked system but i'm not sure if either is available in your country.

 

If you can get a Vive Pro that might be the best compromise at the point unless HTC can get their tracking issues sorted on the cosmos.

 

Unfortunatly not all VR headset models are available in my country since I live in Iran and the sanctions make it much harder for these hardware to be available. Even if they are available they would be very overpriced because of the hurdles the importers need to go through to just get them here. Something like the Valve index would be priced to about 10 months of my salary and just not sensible(Im currently going through a 2 year military service which is mandatory here and because of that it pays very little). The reason i was looking at HTC versions was just because those were the headsets mensioned on steam and much more price friendly than the valve index. I actually dont have enough information about other models like the Oculus headset. What I can say is that im comfortable installing lighthouse trackers in my house and have a 5x5 meter room that i can do this in so im not looking for more play space than that. By your description i can tell you know  a lot about VR headsets so given my situation what would be a headset you can reccomend?

[MadhouseSigma]

2 hours ago, jones177 said:

So if you can wait for the 30 series cards go for it. We are more than half way through the 20 series cycle so it may not be the best time to spend a lot of money on a card.

If you need a card now go for a used 1080 ti and get a 30 series card later.

The more I look into this the more i come to the conclusion that the best option for me is to buy a headset first, play on low to medium setting and upgrade my GPU later on. I didnt even consider that there was going to be a 30 series so thank you for that. Do you by any chance know how long it will take for them to come out? I know there hasnt been any official word, just some educated guess. I actually am going to play Cyberpunk 2077, Im waiting for it to come out and go on Sale at some point to buy it since it doesnt have any pre order bonuses.

[jones177]

The rumors say they will come out in six months. The 20 series released in July and the 10s in May so it sounds about right.

 

I usually buy last gen cards too when there is a release. When the 20s came out I bought a GTX 1080 ti for $100 off and when the 10 series came out I bought a GTX 980 ti for $150 off. It is the only time when you can get really good deals on cards.

 

   

[trufret]

15 hours ago, MadhouseSigma said:

Unfortunatly not all VR headset models are available in my country since I live in Iran and the sanctions make it much harder for these hardware to be available. Even if they are available they would be very overpriced because of the hurdles the importers need to go through to just get them here. Something like the Valve index would be priced to about 10 months of my salary and just not sensible(Im currently going through a 2 year military service which is mandatory here and because of that it pays very little). The reason i was looking at HTC versions was just because those were the headsets mensioned on steam and much more price friendly than the valve index. I actually dont have enough information about other models like the Oculus headset. What I can say is that im comfortable installing lighthouse trackers in my house and have a 5x5 meter room that i can do this in so im not looking for more play space than that. By your description i can tell you know  a lot about VR headsets so given my situation what would be a headset you can reccomend?

If HTC is your best bet for a VR kit you really have 3 options.

 

Original HTC Vive (Black one):

Lighthouse tracking (Good Tracking)

Wand controllers

Lower resolution with earlier Fresnel lenses

Cloth headband with separate earbuds

Deluxe audio head strap with built in headphones is extra purchase

Cheapest option but also discontinued since the cosmos launch.

 

Vive Pro (Blue one):

Lighthouse tracking (Good Tracking)

Wand controllers

Comparable resolution and lenses to most current headsets

Deluxe head strap with headphones built in 

Most expensive but probably the best all around performance HTC offers.

 

Vive Cosmos

Camera based tracking

More comfortable controllers

Comparable resolution and lenses to most current headsets

Separate purchasable Face-plate that will allow use on lighthouse tracking systems on headset but HTC wands or Valve Index controllers would be required.

Initial reviews seem to indicate tracking issues with their camera based system so you may want to hold off until they sort that out.

 

All HTC headset will work with the HTC wireless adapter but will require additional mounting hardware kits for the Vive Pro and Cosmos.

 

Another option you could look at is getting the Original HTC Vive kit for now as it's the cheapest and then you can upgrade your headset only to a Pimax headset 5K+, 5K XR, 8K+, 8K X.  They will use the same lighthouses and controllers but give you a higher resolution display and much larger field of view.  They are also based in China so likely wont have as much trade restrictions.

 

The Pimax headsets do require additional software an tweaking to get running well so take that for what you will.

 

I'm currently using an original Vive kit with a Pimax 5K+ for DCS World and Onward and it's been working pretty well.

[steelo]

17 hours ago, MadhouseSigma said:

The more I look into this the more i come to the conclusion that the best option for me is to buy a headset first, play on low to medium setting and upgrade my GPU later on. I didnt even consider that there was going to be a 30 series so thank you for that. Do you by any chance know how long it will take for them to come out? I know there hasnt been any official word, just some educated guess. I actually am going to play Cyberpunk 2077, Im waiting for it to come out and go on Sale at some point to buy it since it doesnt have any pre order bonuses.

I agree, try it with your 1060 first and see if you enjoy it before spending a ton of money to upgrade your GPU...

 

btw, 1st gen oculus headsets should be dirt cheap now (if they are available in your area)

[MadhouseSigma]

3 hours ago, trufret said:

If HTC is your best bet for a VR kit you really have 3 options.

 

Original HTC Vive (Black one):

Lighthouse tracking (Good Tracking)

Wand controllers

Lower resolution with earlier Fresnel lenses

Cloth headband with separate earbuds

Deluxe audio head strap with built in headphones is extra purchase

Cheapest option but also discontinued since the cosmos launch.

 

Vive Pro (Blue one):

Lighthouse tracking (Good Tracking)

Wand controllers

Comparable resolution and lenses to most current headsets

Deluxe head strap with headphones built in 

Most expensive but probably the best all around performance HTC offers.

 

Vive Cosmos

Camera based tracking

More comfortable controllers

Comparable resolution and lenses to most current headsets

Separate purchasable Face-plate that will allow use on lighthouse tracking systems on headset but HTC wands or Valve Index controllers would be required.

Initial reviews seem to indicate tracking issues with their camera based system so you may want to hold off until they sort that out.

 

All HTC headset will work with the HTC wireless adapter but will require additional mounting hardware kits for the Vive Pro and Cosmos.

 

Another option you could look at is getting the Original HTC Vive kit for now as it's the cheapest and then you can upgrade your headset only to a Pimax headset 5K+, 5K XR, 8K+, 8K X.  They will use the same lighthouses and controllers but give you a higher resolution display and much larger field of view.  They are also based in China so likely wont have as much trade restrictions.

 

The Pimax headsets do require additional software an tweaking to get running well so take that for what you will.

 

I'm currently using an original Vive kit with a Pimax 5K+ for DCS World and Onward and it's been working pretty well.

I can also get my hands on an oculus headset or an oculus dk2(i found more of the dk2 version though i dont know the difference between them). If i wanted to buy any htc headset it would be a pack and thats it. Separate headset and lighthouse trackers cant be found here. Same for the oculus rift ones.

[trufret]

1 hour ago, MadhouseSigma said:

I can also get my hands on an oculus headset or an oculus dk2(i found more of the dk2 version though i dont know the difference between them). If i wanted to buy any htc headset it would be a pack and thats it. Separate headset and lighthouse trackers cant be found here. Same for the oculus rift ones.

Don't bother with a DK2. it was their 2nd development kit before they made their first commercial version (CV1). They do not support motion controls are are much lower res than anything out now.  I'm not even sure if the new oculus software even supports them anymore. They were mostly for developers to start building VR stuff with but anyone could buy them.

 

Problem with buying an Oculus CV1 at this point is replacement cables are very difficult to find since they went discontinued.  If you ever damage your cable or twist it too much you have a very expensive paperweight.

 

You haven't said what games you were looking to play so

 

If you are looking to play Flight sims/ racing sims/ stuff where reading text in game is required i'd say your best bet overall is the Vive Pro full kit

https://enterprise.vive.com/eu/product/vive-pro/

It's expensive but it's resolution is on par with most of today's headsets

 

If that's too expensive you can still get a very good experience out of the original vive kit just be aware that the resolution makes reading text or picking up fine details in games a little harder but you still get very accurate tracking.

https://www.vive.com/eu/product/

 

It all depends on how much you want to spend and what you want to play at that point.

 

I guess to summarize

 

If you just want to play now and have it work without spending a ton of money:

Buy an Original Vive Kit

 

If you want to spend a bit more right now for higher resolution and a better head strap:

Buy a Vive Pro kit

 

If you go with the original Vive kit or Vive Pro kit and later decide you need a higher resolution headset, look at https://www.pimax.com/

Their headsets are compatible with the Vive's controllers and lighthouses so all you need to do is plug in the Pimax headset and install their software and you can use your existing Vive controllers and lighthouses with it.

 

or wait to see if the Cosmos fixes their tracking issues 

[steelo]

1 hour ago, MadhouseSigma said:

I can also get my hands on an oculus headset or an oculus dk2(i found more of the dk2 version though i dont know the difference between them). If i wanted to buy any htc headset it would be a pack and thats it. Separate headset and lighthouse trackers cant be found here. Same for the oculus rift ones.

I'd stay away from the dk1/2. If I recall correctly, they lacked some tracking. I have a cv1 and although it has it's limitations, I still have a blast playing VR games. btw, I've seriously bent the cable to the point where it was about kinked and have yet to experience a failure...

[MadhouseSigma]

6 hours ago, trufret said:

Don't bother with a DK2. it was their 2nd development kit before they made their first commercial version (CV1). They do not support motion controls are are much lower res than anything out now.  I'm not even sure if the new oculus software even supports them anymore. They were mostly for developers to start building VR stuff with but anyone could buy them.

 

Problem with buying an Oculus CV1 at this point is replacement cables are very difficult to find since they went discontinued.  If you ever damage your cable or twist it too much you have a very expensive paperweight.

 

You haven't said what games you were looking to play so

 

If you are looking to play Flight sims/ racing sims/ stuff where reading text in game is required i'd say your best bet overall is the Vive Pro full kit

https://enterprise.vive.com/eu/product/vive-pro/

It's expensive but it's resolution is on par with most of today's headsets

 

If that's too expensive you can still get a very good experience out of the original vive kit just be aware that the resolution makes reading text or picking up fine details in games a little harder but you still get very accurate tracking.

https://www.vive.com/eu/product/

 

It all depends on how much you want to spend and what you want to play at that point.

 

I guess to summarize

 

If you just want to play now and have it work without spending a ton of money:

Buy an Original Vive Kit

 

If you want to spend a bit more right now for higher resolution and a better head strap:

Buy a Vive Pro kit

 

If you go with the original Vive kit or Vive Pro kit and later decide you need a higher resolution headset, look at https://www.pimax.com/

Their headsets are compatible with the Vive's controllers and lighthouses so all you need to do is plug in the Pimax headset and install their software and you can use your existing Vive controllers and lighthouses with it.

 

or wait to see if the Cosmos fixes their tracking issues 

Im looking to play arcade-ish games like beat sabre and also some adventure games like no mans sky. Unfortunatley as far as i know primax headsets are non existent in my country.  And a vive pro is very hard to find. I can get my hands on a new htc vive or oculus rift or a used one for a pretty good price. I found a used htc vive that was bought by an architecture firm for 3d designs but not used more than 20 hours max since the firm has since shut down. There is also a used oculus rift for about half the price of the used vive. I dont really know a lot about their differences. I mean i read all the specs but i dont have any real world hand on info about them.

[trufret]

10 hours ago, MadhouseSigma said:

Im looking to play arcade-ish games like beat sabre and also some adventure games like no mans sky. Unfortunatley as far as i know primax headsets are non existent in my country.  And a vive pro is very hard to find. I can get my hands on a new htc vive or oculus rift or a used one for a pretty good price. I found a used htc vive that was bought by an architecture firm for 3d designs but not used more than 20 hours max since the firm has since shut down. There is also a used oculus rift for about half the price of the used vive. I dont really know a lot about their differences. I mean i read all the specs but i dont have any real world hand on info about them.

The Oculus Rift CV1 is still a decent headset but try and get at least 3 of the tracking cameras for room scale and a spare cable for the HMD if you can. You'll also need at least 4 open USB 3.0 ports as each camera needs a usb port plus the headset needs a USB and HDMI.  You can sometimes get away with USB 2.0 ports but it's hit and miss and you may need a USB 3.0 PCIE expansion card if your USB controllers doesn't want to play nice.

 

The Vive only needs 1 USB 3.0 port and 1 HDMI, as the lighthouses just need wall power, and has been a lot less picky about USB controllers from what I've found.

 

The Vive's tracking accuracy is still a bit better than a 3 camera Rift system but it's close enough you probably won't notice.

 

Pimax may not be sold locally in your country but you may be able to order them directly from china if you need to.  They are only good for the headset now anyway as they don't have their own controllers of lighthouses yet.  It's more of a future consideration if you buy a vive and in a couple years want better visuals that still work with the rest of your equipment.