The question that in reality I want to raise It is not whether the Oculus Rift are focused on any class of pilots, but rather For what kind of Simracer are the Oculus, today, not the ideal product? And I emphasize “today” because after almost 10 years as a simracer, after having configured many cockpits, hardware and software, having used one and three screens, having competed in a multitude of simulators, I categorically affirm that in about 5 years the simracers of all classes that they do not use a VR device to run.
I propose this article because I have detected a striking situation: if I read or hear some type of simracer speaking negatively about VR glasses, in almost 100% of the cases I discover that it is a Simracer Gamer or Occasional. In contrast, all other simracer classes (except those who have not tried it yet) agree that The Oculus Rift are already the peripheral that provides the highest levels of immersion and 3D positional control. to the pilot, a qualitative leap that will mark the new paradigm of simracing. Why then do these discordant voices exist?
The expansion of use of VR In my opinion, today it only has four conditions: health, the economic, the spectacularity and the incompatibility with some simulators.
Health
The first, the limitations it poses for certain users for health reasons, since in effect there are users who continue to experience dizziness when using VR glasses. Less now, with the new Oculus Rift CV1, since I have witnessed how users who expressed problems in this regard with the DK1 and DK2 prototypes, no longer raise them with the new Oculus Rift CV1, but others continue to feel uncomfortable. This is often due to Vestibular System which is related to balance and spatial control, since if we visually notice that we are moving somewhere and our body does not perceive any acceleration force, our sense of balance may be altered. Luckily, this only happens to one. minority of simracers.
But it must be clarified that many times the problem is only “initial adaptation”. When a person tries VR headsets for the first time, they may become dizzy. Therefore, it recommended at first is to do short sessions with these devices until our brain gets used to it.
The Economic
Today, they have a relatively high price. In addition, as if this were not enough, it requires hardware equipment “Top of the range” that most computers do not have, so in addition to buying the glasses, you will have to make an outlay that on average can be €800-1000 (minimum, a new GPU and more RAM) to leave your equipment adapted to the necessary requirements, that is if you can, because there will be many computers that no longer support these extensions.
The Spectacularity
And finally, the condition that we could call 'spectacularity of simracing'. It is about a type of simracing focused on the spectacular, to the visual effects, to see with maximum definition all the details of the car, the settings, the weather, the reflections and lighting effects... Many gamers expected that these first commercial VR devices that arrived in 2016 would give them the same graphic quality, and that is not the case. Commercial VR comes at a time when The graphic quality of computers with monitors is very high, and the graphic quality of the commercial VR glasses that we now have, while already sufficient, is not comparable.
On the other hand, in the field to which I am addressing, that of the professional simracer and that of simulators, not that of gamers, VR is not seen as something that will only provide spectacular experiences, but as a device that allows, above other aspects, facilitate the simracer the correct perception of the 3D space that surrounds you, so that you feel inside the car and on the track, like in real life, and can move through it with the greatest precision and control possible. The positional quality of the current VR is already excellent, but in terms of graphic quality it does not yet meet the high expectations of gamer simracers, because it does not reach the visual refinement to which they are already accustomed with monitors and, therefore, it is not spectacular at that level.
Incompatibility with some simulators
The last important factor, since neither ISI (rFactor2, rFactor) or REIZA (Game Stock Car, Automobilista) They have made a move to integrate Virtual Reality. A real shame, because they are going to be far behind compared to iRacing, Assetto Corsa, Pcars or Dirt Rally.
Special mention to Reiza Studios, who promised in their previous campaign Crowdfunding at Indiegogo who would do the development for the Oculus, and in the end they have not fulfilled it.
Many gamer simracers These four factors have not fit together well, but above all that of spectacularization. They feel disappointed and hence their negative attitude towards the current VR.
Having said all this, let's now get to know the opinion of several simracers about Virtual Reality. I have collected some testimonials from the Internet and others I have obtained directly by contacting professionals and simracing users whom I know. I'm going to try be as accurate and impartial as possible. (I will omit some names, since they have been opinions that I have read in forums or seen in videos).
Opinions of real pilots
–Ben Collins (The Stig – Top Gear) : "It's impressive. The perfect application for the Oculus is driving and flight simulators. You have 360 degrees of freedom. I was impressed by the way it makes you feel. You see the steering wheel, the wheels... you are there. And for racing especially, you are able to look at the mirrors and the apex of the curve simply by turning your head."
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/ex-stig-ben-collins-talks-development-of-project-cars/
–Jorge LaTorre (Former Single Seater Driver): "My first feeling when I sat down and put on the oculus was simply, SPECTACULAR!!!, it took me back to my time as a real pilot in a second. The truth is that it is a feeling that no matter how much I explain it, I don't think I will be able to convey it in words, since I know more about other things."
–Pilot A (Cars, Gt's and Prototypes): "When I tried the DK2, it's true that that pixel mesh was very noticeable when looking forward, but I was amazed by the immersion and the very natural way of driving. When they evolve a little more, I will have one at home."
–Driver B (Karting and Uphill Rallyes): "It's really amazing. When I have to go home and play with the screen, I lose the magic of being there driving."
–Driver C (Rallyes): "I have the Oculus CV1 and it is impossible for me to run with 3 screens, it is a step backwards. It is true that the image is not like that of a monitor, but on the contrary, I am inside the car, in 3D and with real scale."
–Pilot D (Cars and Drift): “Now I can only have the DK2, but it's so natural to drift that I couldn't go back to the screen.”
Reviews of Simracers Pro/Amateur
–Olli Pahkala (Simracer PRO iRacing): "Despite not seeing it in FULL HD, grille effect, etc., I don't care too much, since every time I put on the headphones, the errors disappear and my feeling is that I'm there driving. That's the thing, that you're there. In my first race with the Oculus on the WCS on Imola (iRacing) I had the confirmation I needed: “I was fast with the Oculus and I will be even faster once I get used to them.”
–Simracer A: "As soon as I tried them, I was amazed by the 3D sensation they gave you, even on the screen to configure them where you simply have a desk with some cards. You could look anywhere, up, down, behind... It was a completely new sensation, nothing to do with the 3D of TVs or movies."
–Simracer B: "I've tested them on several simulators such as LFS, iRacing and AC, and I'll never forget the first time I wore the Mrt5 of the LFS on South City. I was brushing against the walls and the feeling was incredible."
–Simracer C: “I'm serious, for me it has been a big change to play the Oculus with movement and vibration, I feel totally connected with the car, as soon as you take a few laps, you forget that it is a simulator and you assume that what you feel is the noise of the engine and that the car is doing exactly what you would expect with respect to what you see.”
–Simracer D: "Spectacular with iRacing, it fits like a glove. Despite I insist on the deficiencies it has (Lack of resolution and FOV), getting inside a Ford Fusion and seeing how gigantic the Daytona is, doing a couple of laps and seeing that the first time you can already stick to the wall or control the loss of grip... I enjoyed it ;-)”
Gamer Opinions
–Gamer A: "The resolution is very bad. A simracer will never improve times due also to the 90 Hz refresh rate compared to the 144 Hz of monitors."
–Gamer B: “I just bought the Oculus Rift CV1 and I'm going to sell them because I find the resolution insufficient for running.”
–Gamer C: “I am in love with ULTRA graphics, and until a few years pass, there will not be VR headsets that give me what I want.”
Conclusions
The reality is that Yes, piloting is improved with VR headsets, in my case I have verified it, and in the case of other fellow simracers as well. Therefore, Gamer A's statement is incorrect. The proof is what simracers with many years of experience competing at the highest level say, for example what he said Olli Pahkala (iRacing pilot). And as an example, what we see in these three races in which he has competed with the Oculus Rift Cv1, one of them from the Iracing world championship.
A Simracer Gamer or a Simracer Occasional They expect to see with complete clarity with VR glasses how the drop of water runs down the glass of their car, just as they already see on their monitors, or how the reflections of the sunset make the circuits a captivating visual experience, to give some examples of this type of graphic details that visually impact gamers. On the other hand, what they most expect rest of simracers by putting on VR glasses is that it allows them to better assimilate the distance to the apex of a curve, the real scale and positioning sensations of the car, for example, and since they do achieve this and in a very realistic way with the current ones Oculus, they ignore the rest of the aesthetic-visual aspects, because what it gives them visually, although it can be improved (because we would all like to see it perfect), It is more than enough to make the experience extremely positive overall.. To the first I would say: “Don't buy VR glasses yet", and to the others, "Don't hesitate: Try them and, if you can and they don't harm you, buy them.” From here on, let everyone do what they deem most appropriate.
As a friend told me recently: