HP Reverb G2 and FS2020 VR: PERFECT MATCH?

[@tomholy]

"I don't pretend to be an expert on VR" but wow, you just made an excellent and trustworthy video on VR. Thank you.

[@quecksilber457]

I believe he really digs (as us Germans say) deep if he is interested in something. It is just always a pleasure to watch his videos.

[@BerraLJ]

I can't even imagine what you need to run the game in question and in VR, and the headsets are damn expensive, was looking at the Valve Index but just shy of 1100 euro is a damn lot of cash. But with that being said i am sure it is a great experience.

[@jimfrederich8852]

I really appreciate the work you put into your reviews. I feel like I am getting an honest review that covers all of the needed details. Being that you are also a pilot and former fighter pilot, that adds much weight to your reviews. Thanks for what you do and for your service!

[@rbarlow]

Thanks for the encouragement.

[@nikolaushauser3785]

Thank you a lot, Russ! I‘ve already watched some other videos about VR in fs2020 but was really waiting for your assessment. Like always it’s so wonderfully non-hysterical. We all love your approach to testing and film making - and of course your creative ideas for the technical improvements ! Belated merry Christmas 😉 and a happy new year from Germany, Niklas

[@Alejandro388]

Thank you! By the way, your voice def. has that airline pilot annoucement vibe to it, so calm and soothing as it should! :)

[@AndrewDean777]

Thanks Russ, your videos have real authority and are really enjoyable. I appreciate your narratives and approach (and the landing!)

[@scr33tch]

Love the trackball idea!

[@quecksilber457]

To be able to just use a mouse or trackball is just great. Asobo did an amazing job when it comes to usability compared to other vr applications. I was hoping for them to do exactly what they did: make some kind of 3D mouse pointer and let you use one of the easiest input devices available. A frickin' MOUSE. I do not understand why everybody else has to use those stupid laser pointers while being in a sim. I know they are great for standing vr experiences. But here the mouse is just the best.

[@mxcollin95]

Agreed...great idea!

[@jamiesalmonsculpture8599]

I've been getting great VR performance in my G2 in the sim for several months now. It's practically plug and play. Before that it was more frustrating with constantly tweaking settings more than flying, but not anymore. 100 render scale, super smooth and detailed. It's mindblowing now and hugely addictive!

[@lh32186]

I’m using the rift s on everything on ultra settings and 100% rendering scaling, the games is running amazing in VR! But I am oc everything (2080ti@2100mhz@55c to 65c) it helps run this game very well in 4K and VR. Info is to help ppl with the game not to show off. Great content like always!!!

[@oczhaal]

Then you're probably running at 20 fps and 5-10 fps over big towns... That's what I get on my rig which is an overclocked i9 9900k + 2080 ti OCed as well.

[@lh32186]

@@oczhaal in ny the lowest I get is 35fps And usually get 48fps+. You could oc but temps got to stay cool. I have a fan pulling in air from the outside through a aluminum tunnel feeding the PC. It gets the temps down even to 55c and the cpu Ryzen 3600 23c oc to 4.2, 32gb of ram @380mhz. Anything to keep this FPS up🤷🏽‍♂️lol

[@quecksilber457]

@@lh32186 35 FPS in VR is just a pain in the ass. 45 is the absolute minimum on a 90 hz vr panel to get some kind of good experience. You sir are talking nonsense. And i can barely hold the 45 fps in standard vr settings with my 2080 Ti and a slightly overclocked 9900K in VR. Wich has to do with bad utilization of the GPU at the moment. I only get to 65 % GPU usage. They might get that fixed in a future update.

[@quecksilber457]

@@oczhaal Exactly, i believe he did set everything to ultra while in the normal mode and did not see that after activating vr there are different settings. :)

[@oczhaal]

@@quecksilber457 I guess so 😊

[@SallySparks]

Thanks, again, Russ, for a great video. I’m having a blast in MSFS with my Rift S and can’t wait for this upgrade. But I’ve got to beef up the computer first. Thinking of going AMD with the new Ryzen 5000 series and Radeon 6800XT, but have to wait for availability.

[@rccosplay3249]

@Travis Clark I got the i9 10900KF with Asus TUF RTX 3080. Awesome combo💖

[@mxcollin95]

As always, I really enjoyed this video. I love the way you put your videos together and really like to listen to your thoughtful and honest comments on stuff. 👍

[@rbarlow]

Thanks

[@10KenHall]

Top video. Russ, I have been trying to convince my mates how real VR makes your flying, everything is life size and head tracking is as real as it gets, I do a lot of flying in PNG and the terrain comes to life , some of those strips are so steep,and you can feel it. The virtual cockpit is the place I love to be, also because the G2 has a flip upp screen I can flip it up briefly to access either my streamdeck or Logitech panels for fiddly adjustments, only takes a second then I flip the headset back down, for Bush flying I just use brail technique to locate the throttle and landing gear parking brake on the throttle and same method for trim wheel and flaps on the flight panels, the honeycomb yoke I pretty much remember all the buttons and mag and starter, using the menu activated in VR I can drag the VFR map down and place it on the copilot seat, close of the menus bar and from there I pretty much can leave the headset on for the entire flight, when the hostie brings me a coffee it can get tricky maybe a modified mug or a straw would help. To sum up I believe VR is the future of all sims, I feel like I’m actually there rather than looking at a video of the flight. All the best for the channel it’s great to have pilots with your experience giving us tips and feedback. Cheers Ken

[@rbarlow]

I’m learning everyday too...love to share what my exploration reveals. I agree VR is the future of flight Sims

[@johnrowland2773]

Just found your channel, and it's nice to find knowledgeable content without it being an "ad" or over the top like so many of the big KZbin channels have become! G2 just arrived today (ordered 2 days ago! lol I thought I'd have more time to prepare and learn before it got here): Anyway, keep up the good work... very refreshing, and I look forward to seeing your future videos!

[@terrysharpe23]

Thank you so much for this video.... Started following you today, just got my Reverb G2 yesterday

[@rbarlow]

Once you get things set up and pass the initial learning curve you’re gonna love it.

[@ithorn100]

Hi Russ, love your channel. Would you still recommend the HP Reverb G2 or is there now (Jan 2023) another VR headset you would recommend? Thanks

[@rbarlow]

For the price it is still an awesome entry level choice but I gotta believe HP must have something better in the pipeline. Buying tech is always a crapshoot as it is a moving target that always seems to get cheaper and better with time. But waiting means you are missing out on VR. Check out the channel by VR Flight Sim Guy as he also has reviewed the Quest 2 which might be an option. I haven’t tried that.

[@redwatch1100]

I put a small table to the right of me and bought a USB extension cable and hooked it into a powered USB port for all of my hardware. I plugged my mouse also into this and I put it on the table to my right. In front of me I have a Wheelstand Pro with my x-56 controllers attached to it and rudder pedals. I rarely use the keyboard for anything.

[@julianhall2008]

Thanks for the video, looking to get a g2 when my new PC turns up.👍

[@benjammin8458]

Hey Russ - Great video. I'm getting ready to jump from Rift S to HP Reverb 2. I'm a RWP and I've been flying VR since it was implemented in P3D v4 and like MSFS VR way better. There are caveats but Asobo is constantly working on this sim and it has made massive improvements since I was involved in the alpha testing! Thanks for including your hardware specs as well. Jumping into new CPU as well.

[@rbarlow]

Thanks for your comment Ben. Still hoping for hand tracking some day.

[@lh32186]

From your experience with the rift s and g2, do you think I should upgrade from the rift s to the g2 or wait? And also my experience with the rift s have been great with all my sim games. So, Idk if the price difference is as much as the performance difference?

[@lloydyt1]

Hi mate sorry to jump in i would stay with rift s for now i have rift s got all SIM setings to low but water to high, set the render to 160% level of detail to 160% level of terrain 160% same in open developer tool all cleans up then looks like the SIM in pc mode, rift s will look terrible at 70 or 80%, using i7 coffee lake and 1080ti. Looks perfect very smooth with little screen door effect mite help you im well pleased and my spec old 😉

[@g-maniac8670]

G2 is a graphics hog but with the right settings it's a dream come true.

[@F388949]

very interesting to get the opinion of a fighter pilot, thanks, I also use FSVR with 5950 3080 G2, I am completely amazed and enchanted by what Azobo did, but have not yet fully understood how to tune it properly to get the best results. Again thanks !

[@soziologeek3340]

I have a 3080 too paired with a 3700x and Reverb G2. Well at the moment the only and best option to gain fps is to reduce the render scale in the openxr dev tool to about 70% and check the box for latest preview. Motion reprojection seems to work for some, for me it makes just everything stuttery. In MSFS you can leave the render scale at 100% and use a mixture of high and ultra settings. The renderresolution makes subjectively about 90% of your performance. Reducing the renderresolution in openxr makes the image more blurry while reducing it in MSFS makes it more pixelated. Personally I like the look of reducing it in openxr much more. In MSFS I started with high settings like in the preset, loaded up some demanding locations with bad weather and played with the settings in game while watching the fps counter from the openxr dev tool. At the moment the optimization for VR is just in a bad state especially with the 30xx cards, we can only wait for better drivers, msfs optimization and features like DLSS to get more eye candy and performance, until then reducing renderresolution is the only option to make it playable but not fully enjoyable.

[@felcas]

Thanks for the video. Do you play DCS?

[@svoigt2622]

Another great video, making me want to save up for VR, always concerned about how to work with the instruments, love the solution you came up with using the trackball.

[@rbarlow]

You know I heard about the Internet several years before I actually jumped in. Afterward I was asking myself why I waited so long to avail myself of this great asset. I think you’re find VR flying the same way.

[@svoigt2622]

@@rbarlow thank you sir, will probably do it when I upgrade my video card..

[@towmanland]

Dam when is my Christmas coming, you young guys have all the fun. I wish I could afford this technology. Thanks for the video.

[@rbarlow]

😄

[@MrWilfAdventures]

I'm also loving my G2 in msfs. To bring up the menu to change weather and other settings in the sim you can use the tab key to bring up a menu without exiting the flight. Also just pressing escape and going into the general menu you can tweak any graphics settings without going to the main menu.

[@rbarlow]

Thanks for the pointers... very useful

[@CrotZari]

Hi Russ! Good video! I have a G2 headset on my PC and find it works well. I hop between Aerofly FS which was my first VR simulator with my old headset. I also run DCS to be able to fly the Huey UH1 chopper. And I do some flying in IL-2 that I just got recently on a steamsale. All these sims fly well on my G2, but in MS FS 2020 I keep having chrashes that exit me to the Windows mixed reality homespace and the desktop on the pc. It can really ruin the flying for a whole evening. I noticed when a friend came over, that the discover-flights in VR never seem to crash form me. But if I choose the same region and similar weather and plane, it can crash. Do you ever run into chrashes like these?

[@guitarproud]

Thanks for this! I was considering the G2 for sims but was put-off by lots of people complaining about a bad distortion/blur on everything not directly in the center compared to lower res headsets like the Quest 2 or Rift S. No problems with this?

[@pngnadzab]

Great video Russ I have the g2 as well big improvement in colours in xplane love the g2 with msfs2020 👍

[@casaamaril]

I am sure I'd like it and I am sure it will be the future of flightsimming, but for me it will still take some time before I will probably experience it myself. Thanks for the insight and the video, it's nice to hear how an experienced pilot enjoys this flight simulator. The light is so beautiful in this simulator and some planes are quite realistic. Subscribed.

[@drewfliesbikes]

I just ordered two touchscreen monitors and bought air manager because I just watched your other videos. But now I need a VR headset and kensington trackball. Thanks. How am I going to sneak all this into my basement?! The VR headset looks better for practicing maneuvers while the flat panel is better setup for practicing procedures and instrument approaches. Most helpful video!

[@rbarlow]

Exactly right! If your wife is a sound sleeper try moving stuff in between 2-3am....if she wakes up say you heard a noise in the basement. She’ll end up thanking you😁

[@StuartParris-j9j]

I use the cv1 and I fly dcs... the thing I have with dcs is it has a built in cursor for the headset. I was wondering if fs2020 has that ability

[@CrotZari]

Also, I maximize the mixed reality window (using Alt + Enter) to make it cover the screen, then I start recording the screen. The caveat with that is that the mouse will no longer work in VR as the simulators screen isn´t the active windows. I have mapped a lot of functions to my hotas in order to get rid of the mouse.

[@pupattolino75]

thanks for this video. very informative and clear! Happy 2021!

[@einfussganger]

3:17 Actually the dual-eye view was very helpful. If I adjust the size of my KZbin window, I can get the image separation to match my pupillary distance and achieve the 3D effect. Very nice!

[@rbarlow]

cool..... thanks walker :) didn't ever think that might be possible. Vielen Dank

[@vedisus]

Thank you for making this! very insightful!

[@mitxael]

Hello Russ. Thanks for your videos, they are really useful for sim lovers. I have recently purchased the knobster and I have used it quite often in 2D with the BETA of Air Manager for FS2020. The problem is that there are very little coded for it. Do you know if there are any plan for applying it to VR?

[@rbarlow]

Problem is that it is mostly designed for Air Manager panels.. I would love for Laminar or Asobo to incorporate it into the sims.

[@svenwd]

Also like that video a lot. Very honest, will go for one, message board comments were really discouraging so that is great to get some what seems realistic insight

[@ianmorcott3113]

Hi Russ, great channel. If you had to chose one VR headset, which would you choose?

[@rbarlow]

A bit early to swear by any recommendation but so far the HP Reverb G2 has the best visual quality of any I’ve owned. I had the original Rift, RiftS and now the G2. Of course with anything in technology we are shooting at a moving target. Today’s top-of-the-line product is next year’s(or month’s) mid range at half the price. The other thing I will say is that the experience can vary radically based on the computer or you are using to service it. My experience with oculus products is that they are a bit simpler to use than windows mixed reality. The RiftS served me well and until you try something better it seems amazing. Still you never know what’s right around the corner. Still if cost is not an issue and you have a strong CPU/GPU combo I would choose the G2. I really don’t know much about the oculus quest. Not in love with the fact that oculus requires Facebook integration and an account to use it now. Guys seem to love the Pixmax wide view units but they see rather large for my tastes. I will say that I have had no trouble selling my used units when I upgraded and getting a decent amount of my initial investment back. Just be careful to keep all the packaging so that you can package and sell it in a good condition. The bottom line: whatever you choose you will certainly enjoy it, it will grow toward obsolescence, and it doesn’t have to be a lifelong decision. Main thing is to just do it… this is sounding like a Nike commercial. Good luck.

[@andreasbeyer9921]

Nice . Will the Reverb G2 run with AMD Ryzen 7 3700x, B550, 32 GB and the RADEON rx5700xt nitro+ with mid resolution?

[@jcallum]

Thanks Russ. Good video. Haven't made the VR plunge yet but this helped nudge me in that direction. In the video you mentioned something about the heading bug and your Honeycomb throttle quadrant. Have you found a way to bind a joystick button to sync the heading bug? Have been looking for this for a while.

[@rbarlow]

The default setup in MSFS you can set the left dial to HDG and then the right knob sets heading. Not sure if simconnect has a sync Event for HDG

[@snowboyken]

Nice work man!

[@PorkchopExpression]

I got bored in MSFS playing on a monitor, but it's a completely different game in VR.

[@rbarlow]

I spent a career flying airplanes and not looking that much at the ground. I always said when I retired if I bought an airplane it would be something slow with a high wing so I could look out the windows. Having fun doing that right now in MSFSVR

[@ralongfortheride3453]

​@@rbarlow how long can you use vr without getting tired or eyestrain? Isn't it easier to look at a monitor? Thanks.

[@rbarlow]

@@ralongfortheride3453 well I seldom fly for more than an hour or two. I did feel motion sickness at first using the Rift CV1 and a computer with a less than ideal FPS. I never ever felt motion sickness flying but for some reason my brain didn’t like the visual motion without the accompanying inner ear inputs. I kept sessions to 15 minutes and it slowly went away. My limit now is mostly the comfort of the headset after an hour or two. Monitors are easier but not even close to the immersion of VR.

[@marcdraco2189]

@@rbarlow Bless ya Russ! Happy new year!

[@georgeseaman9392]

@@ralongfortheride3453 This really depends on the headset and individual. I can't wear a Vive Focus 2 for more than 30 minutes without getting uncomfortable. Right now I can wear the Reverb G2 for a few hours before it bothers me. The Rift S was the most comfortable. I wore it for 5.5 hours once on a non-stop cross country flight. I bought a facemask guard for that which made the difference. I'm going to see if it is available for the Reverb G2. None of this, however, was related to eye strain. It was all headset comfort. I never feel any eye strain. I also asked my ophthalmologist if there were any reported studies of issues using a headset for extended periods and he said there was no evidence of it being harmful. As Russ stated, it is easier to fly flat screen but I won't fly without VR anymore.

[@scr33tch]

Looks amazing, thank you for a very balanced view. I'd be interested to know what your render scaling settings were in MSFS and OpenXR. I've got a i9 10900 and 2070 super and have to tune them down to 60% to make it playable.

[@Nervegas]

Im using the Rift S on a 1070GTX and I have my render scale at 80 with everything on med/high and it runs smoothly? Do you have a lot of background processes running?

[@scr33tch]

@@Nervegas I turned off reprojection and anti virus and it's remarkably smoother, and 40fps on 90% OpenXR and 100% on MSFS.

[@CC-gt3ro]

I have ryzen 1800x zen 1 and gtx 1080ti with samsung odyssey 1440x1600 per eyes and everything runs smoothly at high end settings with scaling 85. Something must be wrong on your machine. I have 32GB ddr4/3200 and ssd 3500MB/sec. My 1080ti is the blower edition which send the heat outside in the back and cool my ssd with the wind airflow. It runs everything smoothly at 90hz. I think i can push even further the scaling close to 100 ( i didn’t try yet). But the visuals are already stunning. Make sure you don’t have too much process in the background, i keep only the most important ones. Memory and memory speed is important. I don’t even overclock the gpu, to keep it safe for long time. I don’t need in vr mode because the resolution is inferior to my 2d mode in 4k which require more pixels. I overclock the gpu in 4k 2D , i don’t need in vr. So if i overclock in vr mode i bet i can get a scaling 100.or close.

[@FernandoMartinezSpiritAmI]

Hello Russ, I realy enjoyed your review and I like your direct approch to your knowledge as a pilot and as a MS Flight simulator usuary. I would like to buy the Microsoft Flight Simulator's new Virtual Reality software but it's not clear on the box which version it is. Could you point some link to the actual complete name of MS to purchase it. Thank you.

[@rbarlow]

Hello Fernando, The VR capability of Microsoft flight simulator is part of the standard installation. The reverb G2 is a windows mixed reality headset which is supported negatively by windows 10 or windows 11. Depending on the headset you use you may require additional software but it should be included with the VR headset.There’s also an application called OpenXR that is a free download from the Microsoft store. If you tell me what headset you use I could hopefully give you more information.

[@JamiKhan]

Please share your exact settings for VR with MSFS and HP Reverb G2 to get an acceptable and smooth performance in VR. Thanks.

[@rbarlow]

MSFS SETTINGS ibb.co/6DZLC10 OpenXR settings ibb.co/w0ZpG8G

[@g-maniac8670]

@@rbarlow I think you could use higher settings, this guy runs on 1080ti kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXzXaHpuhsuop5o

[@John-ic6zo]

Very articulate.Was you an instructor during your career?

[@jimsimpson2393]

Russ, yesterday I flew from Aspen to Leadville to relive childhood memories. I saw those strange plateaus you mentioned, too. I flew at them to see them up close and as I approached, they each would melt into normal terrain. I’m guessing they are some kind of mapping glitch like the many bridges I see that are running under water. I am glad to hear your positive feedback on the G2. I have one ordered but I don’t think I will see it before February. My current Vive Pro is adequate but difficult to read the function descriptions on the buttons and switches on the control panels...

[@rbarlow]

The good news is that my February hopefully many of the bugs in MSFS virtual reality will be worked out. Yes those are strange formations that I’ve seen in many places but it seems like most have a little bit of water or a pond at the top.

[@timmy3822]

I've been wanting to get a VR set for a few years now, but they never seemed to quite hit the mark in terms of resolution and ease of use. The Vive with it's requirement for external tracking is just a massive pain. The G2 looks like everything I've wanted from a VR set and it isn't as pricey as most either which is great. Great video, thanks. Hoping to be flying around in VR before too long :).

[@paulphibbs5362]

Hi Russ, I've been enjoying VR in the CV1 and quite surprised at the performance from my mid ranged system. My 2080ti allows me to supersample to improve the display but my I7 6700 processor is showing it's age and I was surprised that my VR experience was a good as it was. Some issues I've noted are: 1) Sometimes the mouse disappears on you. First it appears to freeze and then disappears. Often, you can bring it back but it is annoying when it happens. 2) I've heard some people use VR to take off and then switch back to monitor mode for the less interesting parts of the flight. When I try this, all the power settings don't translate to the Monitor mode, switching back to VR mode reinstates the previous behaviour. 3) When i initiate VR Mode, it always places me next to the plane externally and I need to use the Center key to place me inside the cockpit. 4) Text in the Flight plan window for the PFD is so small that even leaning in and pressing the zoom in button on the mouse finds it difficult to read. I know I need to upgrade soon but VR flying in MSFS is so good in the Rift that I might wait a bit.

[@rbarlow]

Lots of things to reply about but let’s start with the mouse. I think MSFS tries to hide the mouse when it’s not active for a while to get rid of the visual clutter which breaks the immersion. When you move the mouse the next time it comes back. I would prefer not to have the mouse at all but I can see their point. Second I don’t suggest trying to switch back-and-forth between VR and 2D monitors.I wish it was possible once in VR to manage the whole process similar to the way it works in X-Plane. I don’t know why you were placed outside the airplane but I am placed in the pilot seat when I initiate VR. I think there is someway in the configuration files to set the initial starting point but I don’t know exactly how. I think once it gets off it stays there until he gets reset. Finally, I’m surprised that you get that good performance from the original rift, I owned one and upgraded to the rift S and thought it was life-changing. The view is so much clearer but I can tell you that the reverb G2 is another step beyond that. Of course we are shooting at a moving target. The technology will continue to evolve and we will spend high prices for the best gear only to have it be the mid range gear in a couple years. It is frustrating to spend a lot of money on something that is so perishable but I’m also thankful that the technology moves forward each and every day.

[@737sst]

Russ, you find the peripheral vission OK. I have only limited experience with VR but it seemed to me that I was watching something through diving goggles. One actually doesn't see what's 90 degrees left or right (unless you move your head). Maybe the new HP Reverb is different.

[@rbarlow]

Actually the official FOV is stated at 100-110 degrees. I found without the pad and frame my eyes were closer to the lenses and I didn’t notice the tunnel effect hardly at all.

[@737sst]

@@rbarlow Thx Russ. 100-110. I guess we'll need a couple degrees more then. Compared to a 180-200 degree wrap around screen (and a couple of projectors) which really makes your stomach turn around. But I'll admit, it costs more money and space.

[@737sst]

Or the Primax 5k+ could be an option. Nearly 180°.

[@g-maniac8670]

Great video, love your presentation style. Have you tried running with motion reprojection disabled in open xr app? Really improved smoothness for me.

[@rbarlow]

Thanks for the suggestion I’ll give it a try. I appreciate your comments.

[@mxcollin95]

Maybe I missed it in your video but have you tried MSFS with your Oculus S? I’d love to see a little of what that looks like in comparison. I’m knew to VR and just ordered an Oculus Quest 2 headset and am going to try that with X-Plane 11. Here’s to hoping it works!

[@rbarlow]

You will love it. BTW I love the RiftS and will think about trying it with MSFS

[@heathbirley1774]

Do you use the Knobster with VR Russ? I'm new to sims, and torn between building a 5 screen sim with Knobster similar to yours, or trying to use VR..

[@regfeener]

Expert or not Bud that was a great post.. Loved it..

[@rbarlow]

Thanks for the encouragement

[@nerolowell2320]

The low FPS killing the eyes

[@DurgaDas96]

I like your presenting skill. My only feedback is that i tended to lose track if and when your talking about the headset or the flight simulator program. Thanks.

[@rbarlow]

Thanks for the comments. I can see what you mean.

[@someguyyoudontknow263]

Russ would you say one needs the Honeycomb Yoke and quadrant with quality pedals to get a realistic experience with the Reverb? I'm new to VR and was wondering if just a Yoke will due since everything else is in the VR environment and one rarely changes the throttle. Thanks

[@rbarlow]

Honeycomb Alpha is nice but has no throttle. I would say during takeoff and landings the throttle gets frequent inputs. If you want a decent budget yoke look at the CH products yokes. The have a built in throttle. Many joysticks have a throttle too. Both CH and most joysticks have a number of assignable buttons too which you can use for things like gear and flaps. As a pilot I think Rudder Pedals are needed for realism but you can easil operate without them for a while. Enjoy Simming!

[@someguyyoudontknow263]

@@rbarlow thanks. I guess I need to get my budget together and copy your setup. I had the Ch stuff years ago but I prefer whatever is more realistic. I sold it when I realized Flight Simulator X wasn't going to preform like I wanted it to.

[@lreese68]

Nice centerline there Russ!

[@bengtceder7826]

Thanks for a good review

[@deadmausish]

Subbed..thanks for making me glad I ordered the Reverb.

[@rbarlow]

Each new headset seems to get better and better. G2 is the best price/performance value now I think.

[@PaulJones-ev1eu]

I have to say Russ I had about given up on VR until I watched this video, now for the third time guess I will be purchasing another headset. I started flying in Vietnam and never stopped, something I feel so passionate about. Now older and flying less I am so pleased with all the progress with the computer techs that have made this all possible. To you, I say bravo that you have an awesome way about how you make your presentations and I can't wait to view the rest of your videos. Before I order is it the HP Reverb G2 Virtual Reality Headset? I just want to be sure. Many thanks for your time and effort, much appreciated.

[@rbarlow]

Yes correct. HP Reverb G2. Be sure you have a beefy PC to use it at higher settings.

[@PaulJones-ev1eu]

@@rbarlow As you described you're PC it sounded as though you were describing mine. I'm heavy into sim racing and have been with iRacing.com for over 12 years. We just went over 100k subscribers and it's very computer demanding. We also support VR in iRacing but the vr headsets just were not ready, but like you. many of my fellow races are giving thumbs up reports on the reverb.

[@PaulJones-ev1eu]

BTW Russ, what part of the world do you reside?

[@rbarlow]

@@PaulJones-ev1eu near Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

[@PaulJones-ev1eu]

@@rbarlow Findlay, Ohio

[@olivierlesage7033]

Yes, those guys at Microsoft and Asobo did a great job for the VR. It is really impressive to fly with the Oculus. Great sense of depth.

[@marcdraco2189]

What about the distortion? I compared it to DCS and IL2 and both were way better.

[@CC-gt3ro]

Same here with the samsung odyssey v1

[@CC-gt3ro]

@@marcdraco2189 i have no distortion at all with samsung odyssey v1 and great color and contrast with the amoled displays at 90hz.

[@marcdraco2189]

@@CC-gt3ro 8 months is a loooooong time in development and MSFS has had some updates in that time. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to get back into it and I'm buried in tish right now. Maybe they fixed it? Either way, I'm glad not everyone has the same issue.

[@olivierlesage7033]

@@marcdraco2189 no distortion as far I am concerned

[@rcbruce841]

Russ ,nice job. Question i have the Lenova WMR. considering the Reverb G2. Which choice G2, Oculus Quest, or Rift S

[@rbarlow]

For me G2 is a step above the RiftS ...not sure about Quest2

[@yougeo]

please always name the video card and cpu and memory you are using.

[@sascenturion]

Hi Russ Thanks for your thoughts and experience with vr . At 5.50 in the video ..am i right in understanding that the rift s is visually better quality than the reverb G2?

[@vitmedia]

As always, a great video, thanks Russ. For finance reasons I had to settle for the Rift S, but now I am very tempted to be utterly irresponsible and get the G2 (whenever it becomes available again). I'll see if my wife will take a second job . . . lol. I'm starting to build up muscle memory when using my external gear in VR, but I long for the day when there's a KnobXP equivalent for MSFS! Happy new year :-)

[@rbarlow]

Sounds like a great plan. She’s gone at work and she won’t be complaining that you’re spending all your time on your SIM pit. Win-win

[@vitmedia]

@@rbarlow I can't begin to tell you how much trouble I'm now in . . .lol!

[@nashfan1000]

New to all the vr stuff. Do you still use the flight yoke and throttle quadrant as if you were not in VR? I am looking at getting the Logitech yoke and throttle quad due to budget. Also I just have a dell i5 quad core gaming computer that when I got it they said should handle anything I wanted. Thanks for any info.

[@rbarlow]

Need good GPU for VR. I5 is fine if the CPU has a good MHz. I definitely use hardware controls in VR for throttle, yoke, and rudders. I think the CH products yoke has more realistic feel even though the durability is less. Maybe you can find used and save your money for a Honeycomb Aeronautical Yoke

[@raysim2955]

When In VR if you move the mouse does the menu bar show up?

[@redwatch1100]

Go check out some of the South Pacific Islands. Guadalcanal is really cool. I also like flying in Vanuatu area.

[@johnpanik7511]

Hey Russ how about IFR with the G2 , track ball and MFS2020. Video

[@rbarlow]

Right now XP11 is far better fit IFR flights because the nav gear is more realistic and you can set ceiling and visibility to precise levels.

[@ThomasGrillo]

Thanks for the video. I'm currently just using a 46" monitor, and have been using, well, trying to use the old TrackIR headset. I have only the right eye, and even it's only 20/500 (with lenses), and it's a very narrow field of view. So, when I turn my head, the monitor goes outside the field of view, even at max sensitivity. I've thought of using a VR headset. My only concern is how the sim's user interface is presented. Is it possible to have the UI show in just the right eye? Or, how does that work? Thanks for the video.

[@rbarlow]

The VR headset would probably be a better solution than trackiR. Just like natural vision you see what your head is pointed at and can set up a joystick button to temporarily zoom in for a closer view. The interface is presented in both eyes so although you will miss the 3d effect it BK is large in scale and you can zoom in as needed. I have somewhat reduced visual acuity due to aging and if Ty here is an positive to that it is that I don’t notice the screen door effect as much. You will probably get a good experience with even a used Oculus Rift or RiftS if you don’t want to spent a fortune to try it out. Or maybe a friend could let you try theirs out but with covid-19 that might not be that easy. The point is that the things people are paying extra for now( higher Rez and bigger FOV) may not pay off as you describe your vision but in any case even so I feel you would benefit and it will be a better experience than your current set up. I hope you give it a go and please let me know your impressions if you do.Good luck.

[@XxRUDER4CERxX]

Would you say this runs more smoother than X-Plane11 VR?

[@rbarlow]

I see it runs at least as good and it looks prettier

[@fffrrraannkk]

Wow that looks really good through the G2. I use an Index and can't even read any of the gauges with a 2080 ti. I would have guessed you'd have worse performance than me since the G2 takes more power.

[@j.pauljones7601]

So Russ, I'm looking for all types of information on graphics setups. I know it will very from one computer setup to another but just a video on setting up the graphics for your computer I think would be helpful. If you have one after your going to G2 reverb would be very helpful. Any thoughts ?

[@bobbysmith743]

Mr. Barlow, I’m remembering that, at one time during your reviews, you mentioned that you were able to use Air Manager with MSFS 2020. I can’t recall what the solution was. Would you mind sharing that’s again?

[@rbarlow]

You need to use the 4.0 beta. It can be downloaded from the Sim Innovations wiki. You need the beta plugin too. To activate use the username/password in the wiki instructions. Installing the beta will be separate from your current 3.7 version which can be upgraded when 4.0 is final and released.

[@bobbysmith743]

Many thanks to you, sir. Here’s wishing you a blessed new year. B-t-w, I am a faithful watcher of your channel.

[@AptosWatcher]

I'm using TrackIR5 and quite happy with it, but the temptation of VR still calls. I notice you have the Honeycomb yoke and throttle quadrant. Have you been able to use them instead of the mouse while in VR? Or is that too difficult?

[@CC-gt3ro]

I have the ch yoke and pedals and i use them in the sansung odyssey vr headset. It is like real airplane now. I have also the track ir 5 and i can tell it is working great as well in 4k high end settings. But in the vr headset it is another level of realism, believe me, it is like real, you have the same feeling like real plane that you don’t have with the track ir5. You get vertige and same feeling like in real. My heart is beating high because my brain think it is real..really..i don’t have this feeling with the track ir5, despite it is very realistic to look in the cockpit and i have very high resolution to read text and knobs. In the vr headset you are in the real plane, It is also much more stable also to manipulate the control in the vr headaet than with the track ir5. With the track ir 5 i had a lot of trouble to rotate knobs and keeping the head stable enough so it does not activate the focus with the mouse wheel. Also it was more difficult to keep the plane stable and manipulate the garmin 1000 with the trackir5 because you don’t have the real feeling, and i was losing the horizontal level. Everything is more easy and realistic in the vr headset but you need a good high resolution headset and a high end computer. I have ryzen 1800x 8/16 cores, 32GB ddr4/3200, ssd samsung nvme 1.3 nvidia 1080ti blower edition, a good airflow in your case, a good motherboard, and optimize your system. W10 latest patches and drivers. My machine runs at incredible quality at 90hz super smooth, with high end settings. And i think i can easily push further by overclocking the gpu and cpu, which i don’t to preserve them. I don’t need to push the gpu as much in vr mode anyway, it is already nearly real. I ocerclock in 2d mode 4k with the trackir5 as the resolution is higher 3840x2160. Instead of 2880x1600. So in vr , fs2020 is running at much more higher fps and can work at 90hz without issues with my configuration. I can’t imagine with the more recent cpus and rtx cards. The 90hz is the vr refresh rate, not the fps. I didn’t check the fps in vr mode but it seems like realtime for me. In 2d mode i get 61fps in 1440p and 33fps in 4k. In the vr headset i bet i am at 60fps or close. The track ir5 is still good if reading every text without focusing (getting closer) is absolutely mandatory and without fatigue. It is still a very good devices, but difficult to go back when you have seen in vr. Ideally to get the same quality (text reading) you would need the hp g2 or better the professional headset. But the samsung is very close and i simply need to move the head closer a bit to read the text perfectly. I have the v1 without the filter (that appear in the v2) and i think it helps as i get more clarity despite seing a little bit 5e screendoor effect (but very very very little), honestly the image is splendid and acceptable. I have a 32 inch 4k screen, and by comparison i can say the samsung odyssey is very acceptable, (extremely impressed). It is not 5e screen of course but for a headset bought in 2017 it is extremely good.

[@sierracharlie2275]

Nice video Russ, thx for your insights. I do not succeed to have sufficient fps with my HP reverb G1 (only 15fps) in MSFS2020 as I do in X-plane (app. 40fps). As I read, for the time being only HP reverb G2 is supported by the MSFS2020. If this is the case, I have to wait until my HP reverb G1 is being supported by SteamVR.

[@juergenstark2462]

Russ, I have a similar set-up...would love to connect directly if possible.

[@rbarlow]

Contact me at the email contact at flapmodster.com

[@bengtceder7826]

Is it worth it to go VR?

[@ramtin-s8722]

Thanks for the video! I subscribed. Btw you mentioned you were a fighterpilot? May I ask which fighter/s you flew?

[@rbarlow]

I flew the venerable F-4E Phantom II . I was based in Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. This was in the 1977-79 era. After that spent three years in Germany flying the OV-10A Bronco....You can look that one up if you’re not familiar. Fun to fly but a come down after flying the Phantom.

[@ramtin-s8722]

@@rbarlow wow what an experience! I salute you sir. The f-4 phantom is my all time favorite fighter..so much respect from me!..I can very well understand the come down after flying the phantom...I can imagine that a transfer to the viper would be a bit more exciting...do you only fly in mfs2020 btw or DCS as well?

[@Bolling0]

But for a cheaper good experience is the Oculus Quest 2 not the best budget headset?

[@rbarlow]

Never tried the Quest 2 as yet

[@nate0031]

So a few more months in, do you still think the Reverb G2 is the way to go for MSFS? Thanks!

[@lipslide101]

Good stuff Russ!

[@K4Ri80]

You can remove the original foam from the face mask fabric and put there something much thinner and softer. Works gerat.

[@rbarlow]

Thanks great idea

[@dylanhagsauce8629]

Great video buddy nice honey comb just got one can't wait for bravo throttle you buddy?

[@rbarlow]

And we just a set of three more inserts that cover all the XP11and MSFS included airplanes except the Boeings. The are all unique and need a separate insert

[@randellriley795]

Another great video Russ! Contemplating taking the plunge into VR, but my priority is generally procedures and trying to flip switches and knobs with a controller concerns me a lot. It deviates from what you actually do in the airplane and negates the need for the past investment in a lot of peripheral hardware, RealSimGear, Air Mangager & touch screeens, etc. That said, I can't wait to violate airspace rules and fly in close to Mt. Rushmore or under the Golden Gate Bridge.

[@rbarlow]

Yes I haven’t given yo my triple screen visual and sim pit yet but hand tracking may make it happen at some point. In the meantime VR is just so real feeling.

[@georgeseaman9392]

Hi Randall, I have a full set of instruments. I still use them with VR. It takes a few flights but eventually muscle memory enables you to reach relatively close to the knob you need to turn. Just place your coffee well away from your panels! :)

[@celticat61]

Awesome Vid Mate, thanks for posting - very informative! Just a question, for the most part of the video the imagery seemed “jerky”, was that how it seemed natively when wearing the headset or just an effect of the transition to 2D?

[@rbarlow]

I noticed that as well but it was very smooth and the headset. Somehow it must have been introduced and converting it to the to the image because it did not show on the screen into the either. I need to find a better way to do that. And no, I don’t have Parkinson’s disease.:)

[@desert1791]

use my HP Reverb G2 for Microsoft flight simulator 2020 and I don't get high-resolution because I have very loud GPU and CPU Nvidia Geforce GTX 1070 and I want to buy new pc if you know exactly which one work with HP Reverb G2 VR let me know and send me a link I'll be appreciated thank you so much.

[@rbarlow]

I have RTX2080ti so look for cards with similar or better benchmarks. The CPU clock speed is important too. Hard to find video cards now at a reasonable price since the bitcoin miners have bid up the prices

[@manuelestrada7653]

Thank you, Russ. I bet there's a business opportunity selling a turnkey G2, PC, FS2020 setup. I'd pay for one to avoid the setup hassles.

[@MrScott_e]

Sorry Russ! Been busy building my house. I, too, have the G2 and have been watching numerous videos on optimizing the setup of MSFS. Do share your settings if you feel that would help viewers. My PC is a I9-9900K @5Ghz, 32GB 4133Ram, and a EVGA RTX 2080Ti KingPin Hybrid 11GB.

[@rbarlow]

As I said on my video I am not an expert at VR so I’m a bit reluctant to share my Settings is anything that should be copied by others. If you are interested I know I posted them in this thread somewhere and I can find them and send them to you or appoint you to that post. Still I caution you that I am learning too.

[@paulruddick]

Hi Russ, Is it possible to detatch the earphones and use normal overhead earphone set ?

[@rbarlow]

I don’t think easily but the sound quality is good as is... way better than RiftS

[@eflaaten]

I have Reverb G2, RX6080XT with newest drivers, and Ryzen9 5900, 32GB RAM, PCIe4. Even with most settings low to medium, OpenXR to 70% with reprojection off I get constant stutters. When I pivot my head it is ok-ish, but when I move my head sideways or up/down the stutters are really bad. Very disappointing to have used 4000$ on gear just to play this sim, and have it perform like this. Any help would be appreciated. Bought it directly from Microsoft Store

[@rbarlow]

I wish I had some words of wisdom that could help you but I’m afraid maybe mine was just beginners luck.

[@mydreamsimcockpit7447]

Can you use glasses with VR ?🤔

[@rbarlow]

Yes. The Reverb G2 has some room between the lenses and where your glasses are. You can also buy prescription lenses that mount in the HMD for most cases. Of course the glasses style/size matters. Try before you buy if possible.

[@gvrose1]

I have the Quest 2 and I can get it to display 4K with very good results but the FPS is way too low to fly so I am back using my Old Rift headset. Will upgrade from my 1660 super to the 3070 ASAP. 3080 better but I will need to rebuild the power supply to power it.. Cheers and thanks for the video! CAH3..

[@rbarlow]

3070 should do the job!

[@darnedghost2008]

How accurate are the shadows in a VR headset does they flicker or are they sharp?

[@rbarlow]

yes a little unstable but there is a setting if you have the performance you should be able to sharpen them up.

[@kristijank2780]

You are quite luckly to be able to run FS in VR that well,but waching your video it looks to me like I can see some stutters on your left window...It might be your camera...I don know. I own CV1 and Valve Index on I7 9800k ,32gb ram and rtx 2080 super and my system is running far away from perfect on low details with scaling on 60-70 even on CV1, and Valve Index is almost unusable...all looks kind a cartoonish and lot's of stutters especially in well populated area with higher traffic...I do agree that FS has a good potential and future,but I am afraid that the only headset Asobo optimised for this sim at the moment is G2....

[@K11...]

Awsome video :) You have a new subscriber.

[@Incommensurabilities]

The OpenVR input plugin will let you record one eye more easily, apparently (I have oculus which has a different mirror tool)

[@rbarlow]

That’s what I am looking for is something similar to the oculus mirror tool that I used in X-Plane to show a full screen one I image with the full monitors resolution. I will check out open VR

[@jjohnson1667]

@@rbarlow Please let us know if you find out what can mirror without dropping performance. Right now, that's the only thing I can't seem to find out how to get Oculus hmds to mirror.

[@quecksilber457]

I have a Vive and i just start steamvr and MSFS (wich i also have in Steam) and that's it. Plain and very simple. I begin to believe, that buying the steam version of MSFS was a good decision, apart from less other issues, wich i heard about.

[@rbarlow]

Theoretically steam adds another layer of Software to operate alongside the sim. Theoretically openXR Should give better performance. Notice I said theoretically. I say if it works for you great because that’s what really matters

[@knarkate]

im looking to buy this headset but in all the videos ive watched it looks like theres this constant shake when playing in vr. almost like a low frame rate stutter. is that the case in person with the headset?

[@brentfugett2700]

John I've used the Oculus Quest 2 and I suspect the challenges may be similar, but we saw some pretty good stuttering with certain settings but with some tweaking we got that to smooth out. Bearing in mind you may need to compromise some definition and rendering features but once it smoothed out the experience really popped and became visually convincing, even if the image itself was not top notch. Also it depends on the power of your PC, GPU card etc.

[@oliverf944]

@11:30 try the frankonfov mod. People are using ‘vrcover’ Samsung odyssey face cushion on the hp reverb.

[@rbarlow]

Thanks that might bring me closer to the lenses.

[@g-maniac8670]

Just add sticky velcro, it's brilliant.

[@JongePionier]

Thank you!

[@rbarlow]

Thank you for the encouragement