Pimax Crystal VR: "I Can't go Back to 2D DCS World!"

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Apologies for the popping of audio sporadically in the recording. Shadow play apparently was unhappy to work with the camera and mic.

[@British_Dragon-4K-Simulations]

I’m twelve minutes in and it seems fine to me on my Nokia 8110 mobile phone.

[@JPsTechReviews]

Same, once I went to VR, I never went back. Varjo Aero user.

[@RobFisherUK]

It's not just immersion. It's spatial awareness. In an A-10 it suddenly becomes a lot more obvious how to keep the hill between you and the AAA, for example.

[@tenToesUp747]

Welcome to the VR club. There is definitely no going back!!!

[@charts3503]

VR brought me back to sims and into DCS. And I've gone all in! - Only VR, high spec PC, seated rig with high quality headphones, HOTAS and Voice Attack for game commands mainly. It has truly revolutionised what sim flying is, for me. Like you say, its addictive and I fly nearly every day.

[@SkyDawg91]

I have never played DCS in flatscreen haha. VR is THE way. The only way!

[@danip.1346]

I had the same feeling since the cv1 rift, six years ago. Never again without a headset. I still have the quest 2, and recently the crystal. There's no way back to flat screen. But I still remember the wow, the impression and the mind tricks the rift played in my head from day one.

[@Kifter1983]

Just sitting in the cockpit in VR is a wow experience. The first time you feel the size of the aircraft around you gives a new sense to the game. VR is just fantastic when piloting helicopters close to the ground. The 3D sense of depth, speed and stability/drift enables much better control.

[@theaviatorexperience4886]

Welcome to the club hedge - 7 years VR user here, don't know how people have stuck to 2D for so long :)

[@redtailpilot]

My thoughts exactly ever since my first VR hmd (CV1). Then the S, Pimax 8kx and now the Aero for the past two years 😊

[@bhdemp]

I've been a flat screener for the 6 years I've been on DCS and all 7 of my squad mates have moved to VR. My system is... I7, 1080TI and 64Gb RAM, which was "state of the art" when I bought it, but now I'd have to replace my entire desktop to accommodate VR requirements. I'm sure I will eventually but spending the extra $4K-$5K is a major drawback.

[@mdu2112]

You can run a Rift or HP G2. Join us!

[@redtailpilot]

You hit the nail on the head. As a real private pilot, once I experience VR over five years ago (Rift CV1), I was immediately blown away by how close it is to being in a real cockpit. Nothing else compares. That was the last time I used TrackIR, lol. It instantly became obvious to me that I could never go back. Since that time, I've had the Rift S, Pimax 8KX and currently the Aero for two years. I couldn't have imagined this back in the day when I started this hobby as a teenager (1980s) 😅 I also use PointCTL instead of the mouse in DCS, which really enhances the realism and is another game changer! Recently added a motion rig to complete my setup. Icing on the cake 😂

[@Mightymoose02]

My biggest financial mistake was going VR. Can never go back to TrackIR and monitors 😂

[@alexsp7086]

How??? you only need one vr headset and a good computer…

[@Mightymoose02]

@@alexsp7086 Yes, you said it 🙂. Translate to i9 13900K/RTX4090/Varjo Aero ++++

[@thomaslamont3237]

Thanks for the review! Very much appreciated. Been using VR in DCS for a while now (buddy provided me with a used Samsung Odyssey about 5 years ago … never looked back). Everything you say about the cost, set up headaches/hoop jumping and figuring out how to integrate this new hardware into your existing flight controller echo system is true. BUT, once those hurdles are dealt with the visual experience is very compelling, so much so that going back to 2D in just not an option for me. I have since been through the HP reverb G2, and now I am running Varjo Aero.

[@daveone191]

VR in DCS is just awesome and sooo much more immersive. When flying in VR, just rember to keep your fingers clear of the closing canopy!

[@alexsp7086]

When you think that this used to be a dream for many and now it’s possible to do it in your own home. Then yeah it’s highly worth every penny. Went from G2 to Crystal…. Holy sxxxxt did not expect that much of a difference. The crystal is insane… really blew me away.

[@phrozen755]

Title of this video was my thoughts when I initially moved to the index first, I could never go back to 2D. I tried a pimax crystal and hated the weight, especially doing heli SAR look arounds or dogfight training. Happy I settled with my Varjo Aero, it was a huge clear winner for me even down to the foveated rendering ability for more speed and performance. Great vid hedgehog, thanks - phrozen

[@amtscat05]

Love playing in my Q2 and Q3. The twitching I have seen when I watch my playbacks. That was my pulse. Not sure how to correct that out of videos

[@dcsdummypilot]

I said always: "you play DCS in 2D, you are playing a good simulation game. You are playing DCS in VR, you are trully getting the best experience of flying a plane without actually flying a real one."

[@davidpodbury8415]

Great video as always! I just upgraded from the HP Reverb G2 to the Pimax Crystal. You are 100 percent right. Game changer. I don't ever fly in 2d anymore. VR or nothing! It's an amazing experience. Cheers

[@biv000]

What GPU do you have? I use a G2 and run a 3080. I want to know if it's worth the upgrade to a Crystal before upgrading my PC. I thought with a 3080 the Crystal would not be able to deliver much of an upgrade for me.

[@davidpodbury8415]

@biv000 I first upgraded to the pimax a few weeks ago. I was running an all Ryzen build. X570 MOTHER board with Ryzen 7 5800x a RX 6800 XT with 16 gig of VRam and 64 gigs of DDR 4 ram. It was still a decent upgrade to the Pimax as it seems to be able to deliver better visuals with the same hardware. That being said, I did just build an entire new setup last week. I am now running a X670e motherboard. Ryzen 7 7800X3d RX 7900 XTX 24 gig of VRAM and 64 gig of DDR5 6000 RAM. It was a lot of money to shell out, but the visuals are that much better.

[@tenToesUp747]

I use a two way button and a dial to move all mouse actions to the hotas. Full immersion!

[@nemisis_wolf]

Thanks for the update, love your content keep up the good work. Definitely getting the Pimax when i finish building my new PC that's being put together with Top end performance for DCS as the main goal. Maybe the Pimax 12k will be available by then and the next gen GPU's from Nvidia we wil see. Already got the VP Rhina Force feedback Stick base on order that also is supposed to be a gamechanger compared even to the High end controls from Virpil and WinWing. All that combined with my DoF reality H3 motion pit this is going to be my year for DCS hardware upgrades lol.

[@rwhunt99]

It is nice when you have the best gear! I can't afford something like that. At the same time; you can't settle for something that is inferior in picture quality. I truly wish we could test these for like one or two weeks with the option to buy. My issue has to do with eyeglasses - bifocals and buying additional special lens to fit the headset. I also have concerns about getting sick from the dizziness that I've heard about.

[@Boots3862]

Excellent review, very complete and reasonable. Sounds like the tweaking is not out of line with what you see with any of the current generation or immediate past generation headsets. In a year or so, when Microsoft finally completely tanks my Reverb G2, this is what will replace it (unless I get a big packet of $$ and can do it sooner...); thanks for confirming that judgement. I am also bald, and LOVE the hat. I need to find one like that, because I find that I do get some extra slippage when moving my head around a lot because there is no hair to help adhese the headset to my head. It's true: once you go VR (with modern gear, at least) you really don't go back.

[@strikkflypilot927]

There really is no going back, if You have the Crystal,the Aero, Bigscreen Beyond or Quest 3, You are pretty much set👍

[@andyrudeseal6347]

Love my Crystal, but a bit of advice, get the DMAS speakers, about 100 usd and can switch in under 5min The cheaper speakers are ok, but man the DMAS are close to Index quality. Yes the fibre optic cable does not charge much at all. I'm going back to my copper one. Get a top strap and counterweight as well if your neck gets sore. This first headset I've owned where I said WOW when I put it on.

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Thanks!

[@nicholasrjabow8709]

Agree that you can't go back to 2D after VR. Started with a Reverb G2 and upgraded to the Crystal last year. I'll also say that adding a haptic device (such as the Buttkicker) to the mix gives even a greater feel of realism. In terms of comfort, I purchased the thicker face cushion and it did two things. It made the headset feel more comfortable and as I wear glasses, provided a decent gap between lenses and glasses (If you wear glasses I think the thicker cushion is a no brainer). The other bit of software I can't do without is Voiceattack. What can't be mapped to the HOTAS can be voice mapped. For example I have the voice command "recentre" mapped to recenter my view...which can drift a little.

[@PappaBear_yt]

I've never tried VR (so far), but I'd sure love to. Being on a real tight budget a HOTAS is of bigger priority atm. VR price is not the only issue: if all components of the system are not top notch, you're pretty much screwed, from what I understand. I guess I'll have to wait a decade or two for the prices to drop significantly.😁 I'm happy for you, though! Enjoy! 🙋🏼‍♂️

[@johnt7155]

I played a little in VR on my Quest 2, but running on a 1060 was not ideal. I didn’t play flight sims for about a year, and having just bought a 4080, I jumped back into DCS. Tried it in VR again, and now I am hooked. Spent the past two days flying in VR and don’t think I can go back to 2D. I’m actually using the Quest 2 wirelessly, and it runs better than using the cable and the Oculus software.

[@IlliniGeek]

I agree, there is no going back. I have a f18 mip and various button boxes that will now collect dust. 😂

[@ACG_Jaydog]

VR is the only way to go for immersion. I've been flying the Crystal a couple months now and am still trying to dial in my settings. Somedays, and some servers it looks sharp, while other days, it might not be as crisp, depending on what servers I am in. I like recording with shadowplay with my recommended monitor setting but that surely affects performance some, especially in DCS.

[@VR_Aviator]

Welcome to the next level. The Crystal is my 4th headset, and probably the most temperamental. When it works, it is awesome. When it doesn't, someone might get a great deal.

[@marc_svsengineering4319]

Pimax Crystal is by far, my favorite VR. I only use it for DCS so I won't be able to comment on anything else. It does have some pros and cons in my experience. I don't look at FPS because there a lot of factors not related to VR. (45-79 FPS on AMD System) 70hz, 90hz,,120hz never seen a difference and no issues. You still can see the edges but doesn't seem to be noticeable in game. The new pass through is great but won't work in DCS. If the battery dies or there is an issue where Pimax losses connection with the headset it will crash DCS. No issues for me on comfort and I can wear it for 6 hours plus. I don't get sweaty or hot from it but that's just me. Sound and Mic are some of the best I have used. There is a hand tracking adapter, but I haven't used it. Comes with two batteries and they should be hot swapable but haven't tried it. Battery lasts way too long for me to give you an accurate time on how long it lasts. Has a long single cable and shouldn't be an issue when using it on a PC. Every time you lift it off (keyboard use, sip of coffee, ect) it has to calibrate your face position which can be an issue if you're flying at the time, takes a few seconds. I constantly have to reset VR position in game and if you look over your shoulder too fast, don't be surprised that your now outside the plane. Eye tracking is real good but can be a pain when using the DCS pointer and you find your VR pointer off screen. I use this with DOF Reality motion sim and had no issues using it in combination with VR/Motion. You can also purchase the Flight sim version from Pimax (No hand controllers) to save some money. I am sure with DCS and Pimax working together this will just get better, the last update from Pimax removed a lot of issues for me.

[@MANGO-md8yy]

Love your vids bro perfect for Night shift late night work days

[@Mako-sz4qr]

I’m glad your liking DCS in VR 👍🏻 it’s more of a simulator in VR then a sim game with TIR. It’s a truely amazing feeling but it does take some time to dial everything in for your likings. My only advice to new VR users is don’t chase the fps numbers get a balance of smoothness and graphic quality is the way to go. Best Regards 🍻

[@mikeck4609]

When it comes to frame rate, VR can be a bit misleading. I used to run my oculus Q 2 at 90hz for a locked 45fps (per eye). That was with headset resolution maxed and PD at 1.2. BUT….I had someone recommend dropping to 72hz…so I did. Surprisingly, at 36fps (per eye) the game was MUCH smoother. I believe it had to do with the terrain being able to load in quicker. Either way, 36fps was a lot “smoother” than 45fps. It also allowed me to increase my encode resolution from 2900 to 3600 (approximate numbers and this- more than any other setting- improved the visuals) my PD to 1.3 and increase things like Clouds to high, terrain shadows flat, etc Point is that even though i went from 45fps to 36fps, the game felt a lot smoother and feels very smooth overall; much more than 36fps in 2d (i have 2d looked at 60fps). Combined with a significant increase in settings, it also allowed me to make the game look ALOT better. If you use the Quest 2, have the resolution maxed and run at 90hz…put it down to 72hz and see if it’s smoother. Sounds counterintuitive but it’s true

[@jonasfogelberg9300]

There’s a “hidden cost” to VR that’s never mentioned. And that’s the keyboard commands that you normally use but now you can’t see the keyboard anymore. So you need to buy something (Virpil Control Panel for instance) that lets you map these commands. Then you have to have a mount for this device… I ended up buying a 3d printer too which has served me very well.

[@Schimml0rd]

Idk, I just bind it to keys I can easily feel out and by laying my head back I can look out over my nose 😅

[@flightsimstuff5417]

Yup. My Track IR has been in a box for years now. All we need is _reliable_ hand tracking now, but I've managed fine without.

[@shd4618]

I had vr. I went back. I go through phases of loving and hating it. The cost is prohibitive. I honestly get cheesed off with problem fixing technical issues. When it works, it's great, but the performance is inconsistent at best. I find the lag and stuttering immersion breaking. I spend much more time with track ir. It works.

[@TheJack4000111]

I'm with you on that Brother. And wearing that stupid fucking thing on my face is a big no no

[@duguluse2089]

I also cannot go back to 2D! Been using the Quest Pro. I have a Hotas setup and some panels from Winwing. But I also leave one VR controller in my lap, and use that to control a lot of the switches and knobs. I think it's a good solution as of right now until Hand and Finger Tracking in DCS becomes a real thing.

[@d1fballplayer]

Sir!... bind the left and right, and scroll functions of your mouse to your stick! I use it a ton and I rarely have to take my hands off the stick. Also bind the vr zoom somewhere useful.... never pick up that controller again! Fyi.. To turn twist knobs you click and hold while lifting or lowering your head

[@ricbish]

Nice video!! I've had the HP Reverb2 for a couple years so switching to the Pimax was pretty easy. I think the Pimax is great and the Crystal is so clear its amazing. When you get the eye tracking working my FR were so high I didn't even bother looking at them after a few minutes. It was so smooth and clear. Now granted I'm utilizing a RTX4090 so it better be smooth right? I don't think it was very hard to get it working. There are SO MANY Pimax Crystal setup videos and flight sim setup vieos it was very easy to find what I needed to get it setup how I liked. Anyway great vieo/ Glad you finally got to see VR and see whay everyone loves it. I fly so much better in VR than with Track IR. I still use Track IR for video though. I don't know what software to use for Live Stream or capturing mission video in VR so I stick with 2D. Any suggestions? Thanks and thanks for the video!!!🤙

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Thanks! OBS seems to be the go-to for streaming.

[@MichaelMoellerTRLInc]

I own a Crystal and an HTC Vive XR Elite. My take on the Crystal is it has amazing image clarity and field of view. As a stand alone, so far it's utterly useless, and does not lend itself to portability. The pass thru is buggy in black and white and the headset is very front heavy and bulky. The included usb hub is garbage and it requires a display port connection to work in PCVR until the wifi module is released. In contrast the XR Elite is very light and very portable, has color pass thru that works very well, is an excellent stand alone headset with built in wifi that works just fine in DCS. The stand alone software available is decent with numerous good free apps, as well as paid apps available. The MR capability is really impressive and there are now additional trackers for doing full body tracking as well as an optional purchase. The image quality is very good but not as clear or nearly as wide as the Crystal. If I could only keep one I would keep the XR Elite because it's just a better all around more polished product. That said if I just wanted a headset for dedicated PCVR and didn't care about stand alone features or portability I would go for the Crystal. You are correct though once you put one on and sit in an Apache or whatever your favorite aircraft is you may be unwilling to ever go back.

[@ruf01au]

great content - would love to know the settings you're running as im running the crystal on a 4080, or maybe do another vid on them.

[@christianwall7181]

I don’t think we’ve seen you in person before, or if we have, I cannot remember. Nice to put your face to your voice!

[@l8knight845]

I pictured him at 55 shorter with a beer gut and a beard? Missed the mark!!! Lol

[@christianwall7181]

@@l8knight845 I missed the mark too!!! 🤣

[@mururoa7024]

Try reducing upscaling or canceling it altogether. It should get you even more fps and given the image quality of the Crystal you'll still read the dials just fine.

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Yeah, I was experimenting last night.

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Thanks for the tips

[@British_Dragon-4K-Simulations]

I was in the Pimax Crystal yesterday and l was on the Normandy 2.0 map in the Mustang after binding my WinWing controls and when I climbed to approximately 24,000ft I noticed that my frame’s were all over the place, having set it to 72Hz. I then backed out quickly after landing at Biggin Hill and looked at my CPU usage on my i9-12900k (in Afterburner) that’s OC’ed to 53 on the P-Cores and my first thread looked like it was the bottleneck. I only have 32G of RAM so I always thought it was that, but my CPU RAM and VRAM usage is high but not bouncing off the roof. 28G max CPU RAM usage and 18G VRAM usage. This was on the MT DCS version as well. I have Process Lasso and I’ve switched off the E-Cores. I’m going to lower my view distance to High. My Preload setting is only 40,000KM or just below the middle somewhere. I allowed both DCS folders through Windows Defender as well. I’m not GPU limited. RTX 4090. I’m glad I’ve finally found the culprit but that’s an expensive upgrade right now for me. Hopefully lowering the View distance will work. It was on Maximum. I don’t get this problem in the F-14A/B on other maps. Strange! Someone mentioned staggering my CPU Core usage in Process Lasso. I might try that as well. But I think that was for memory leaks only.

[@nemisis_wolf]

Adding extra ram to get 64Gb might still improve your situation dramatically, I know many DCS players that have done so and even though technically the system shows it isnt using al your memory having that extra spare room to shuffle info back and forward makes it easier on your PC. You say that 28Gb max used but this only leaves 4gb to play with and could be causing delays in system info transfer as data searches for that unused memory. Imagine it like a car park, if its empty you can find a space and get in and out way easier than if it is 90 to 95% full. You have to take longer time to find a space and wait for the other traffic to get out the way going in and out. Double the size of the car park and it's back to being easier to park up and get out again. Same issue with memory and data transfer, if most of the memory is used and being constantly accesed it's going to struggle even though it's got some spare capacity. Ram will be a far cheaper upgrade and will certainly do no harm to your system. Have several guys confirmed that the upgrade to 64gb definitely improved things for them. Just MHO of course I'm no PC guru. Also has several people tell me when they updated to 64Gb that disabling the Windows paging file got rid of micro stutters from thier system. But you will need minimum 64Gb ram to do this

[@British_Dragon-4K-Simulations]

@@nemisis_wolf Thanks for the reply but I've got much bigger problems now. I switched off Hyper Threading in the BIO's just after I posted this and now I can't even get DCS to work in 2D or VR at all. I've been trying to fix it for the last nine hours. I know my game file and DCS SSD is fine as I repaired it and tested another game, so I'm guessing it's a C:Drive issue or Saved Games Folder issue. I'm so frustrated. I just wanted a little performance boost and I've screwed everything up. I've reset my Bio's settings to default and I've tried everything I can think of. I've had multiple Blue Screens of death as well. I'm just going to go to bed. This is so infuriating. Sorry.

[@nemisis_wolf]

@@British_Dragon-4K-Simulations Damm that's so frustrating hope you get it back running properly

[@British_Dragon-4K-Simulations]

@@nemisis_wolf Thanks! I've just woke up. I'm just about to go through the 3,000 lines (or so) in the DCS Log in the Saved Games Folder to see what happened when I last attempted to load up the DCS MT exe. Their will be a clue in there. Hopefully! When I fix it and get DCS to where it was before this screw up, I will reply to your original comment. Thanks for trying to help with my performance. :)

[@British_Dragon-4K-Simulations]

@@nemisis_wolf I'll reply to it now. Yeah, I could add another two sticks of 16G CPU RAM. Then I will have 64G. Thanks for the feedback information you have had from previous DCS Simmers! It's much cheaper than getting the 14900K. I was always on the fence about this but you are probably right. And I will end up going to 64G in the future anyway. But for now I will lower the view distance and Preload further and replicate flying in the Mustang with the Instant Action Take Off mission, flying at 24,000ft approximately, over the South East of England to see if it improves. I don't want to risk screwing up again by changing BIO Motherboard settings. I've lost Windows doing that before so things could be worse! Thankyou! :)

[@Luminoso72]

i just sold my big monitor, i play with the quest 3 only, which is just fantastic…

[@alexandrebelinge8996]

Pimax is good a sample review that's for sure.

[@keithmitchell6240]

I'm so tempted and I bet it's more immersive than 2D monitor w/ TrackIR... but DCS jets have so many switches and knobs I can't imagine figuring that out. And I don't want to use Voice Attack to do everything. I love having switches to throw in my semi-cockpit.

[@goji059]

nay nay, voice attack all the way

[@vracan]

ok you play pushbutton game and I actually fly an aircraft

[@Wheelman_PCAS]

I spent literally days of my vacation tweaking performance in my quest 2 a year ago. It never performed with my modest 3070 gpu. It was sucking the joy out of flying, so my advice is if you can lose yourself in the world via the mission/ work alone, skip the headache and max out the graphics in 2D.

[@Mightymoose02]

I use the mouse to flip switches. Works great.

[@Wheelman_PCAS]

@@Mightymoose02I did to while testing VR. the mouse isn't any problem it's almost the same as using it in 2d

[@Wheelman_PCAS]

The immersion paradox: VR yay depth perception, I feel like I’m really there! Oh crap FPS tanks in a fireball dogfight. TrackIR boo I’m looking a flat screen… woah what happened I’ve been totally immersed in a multiplayer mission for an hour and I forgot there’s anything outside my flat screen!

[@Jay1787]

Nah man, I'd rather have triple screens than 1 screen and track IR. Luckily I have VR which is tons better than both. It's really abnormal to move your head and try and keep your eyes on your screen. I hated it and won't ever go back to it.

[@Wheelman_PCAS]

I know what you mean! But Track ir never bothers my eyes at all, it's just knowing what I'm missing in VR that sometimes makes me wish for it again. Are you able to get into unit-heavy areas or multiply a/c dogfights w/o fps collapse? @@Jay1787

[@garethhughes5745]

Just saying about the uptake of people getting VR, this is my experience.... Well, its less essential to have VR than it is to have a Hotas stick. considering i spent £200 on my X56, + a bit more for rudder pedals, I certainly am not going to spend £1000+ on something less essential than the X56. I wouldnt even buy it even if it was the best VR on the market for more than £150. VR ,might well be very good indeed, but if you dont go shopping because your busy having fun gaming, then you dont miss what you could have bought. But i'm glad you are enjoying yourself :)

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Yeah, I wouldn't buy one of these unless I had the HOTAS to go with

[@OnlyNapalm]

I believe You, there is no way back to 2D. That 's why I will not take that step, yet 😂 It's very developing tech.

[@generalgrevous2458]

'One of us, one of us, one of us....'

[@jamesmcd71]

I would love to make the jump to VR. I'm 52, and I grew up with the PC. We had to learn to code because MS DOS required you to ues it's language. But I never really got into gaming. That was until I tried DCS for the 1st time. I was instantly hooked. In the last year, I have spent more money than I care to think about on DCS. So the price is a little higher than I like. But that might be OK if I didn't also need a $1000+ gpu to run it. I would love to know how it runs on a good midrange GPU, like a 4070 or a 7800xt.

[@vracan]

Im not really gamer Im 62. DCS and elite dangerous only games I play and only in VR. I have a 3080ti and 10900k and 64gb. I run 64hz in my pimax5+ and running absolutely butter smooth

[@mikeck4609]

Well, oculus users are screwed after the version 63 update as it won’t run DCS. So until ED drops a fix….SOL. It’s been weeks so I may have to drop the cash. I was going to get a Quest 3 but it won’t work either. Crystal is just soooo expensive no?

[@laartwork]

I fit pay sims. VR is the only way to play Skyrim, Fallout and Hitman

[@T-Cup314]

Nice to see your face ! :) I need to sell a kidney to get one of these haha

[@irishpat64]

I was really looking forward to the Wide FOV lenses but so far early reviews are disappointing 😢

[@TheEvilclown73]

A had a mandioca PC.. I played DCS in VR and went out and spent about 3 grand.🙂

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Seems reasonable to me!

[@jasonburrus8146]

I wear my audio headset over a quest now. Can you do that with the crystal or do you have to use the speakers on the crystal?

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

I use my headphones

[@biv000]

A very interesting and informative video Mr PHH. I am already a VR convert and now rarely run DCS in 2D too. I have a G2 and I love it. Of course I would crave that extra clarity and wider sweet spot that the Crystal is said to provide. However, even if I would be happy to spend the money on this headset I wonder whether I would actually get the full upgrade experience without also spending 3 times as much again on a new PC. I already run Quadviews FFR with the G2 and my RTX3080 is maxxed out with medium quality at 45 or 30 fps with motion reprojection. How would a Crystal be able to do a better job if my existing GPU is incapable of rendering more pixels and therefore the only benefit I would effectively get is just a wider sweet spot. I am thinking that I better save up for a 4090/5090 system first and then upgrade the headset. Not sure if someone in the same situation as me has upgraded to a Crystal and can comment on their experience here.

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

I've heard people running it on 30 series cards, but yeah having more GPU isn't a bad idea as you know it will work

[@MikeSmith-yy1lv]

Do you still use any HOTAS switches or is everything on voice attack? I always wonder if I would be happy fumbling around reaching for switches and trying to figure out which switch is which.

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

HOTAS for now...

[@Lucas_Pit]

I agree with you, VR or nothing. I’m using DCS, also MSFS but mainly sim racing. Currently on the G2 still and waiting for next gen CPU/GPU’s. Currently running 5950x + 3090. Perhaps by that time there is a competitor to the Crystal or perhaps the 12K is finally there ;)

[@kalifornia909]

One thing I wish dcs would do with vr is being the zoom axis to vr. Thr vr zoom is cringe

[@vracan]

I havent been able to go back to 2d since 2016. Even the thought of playing ANYTHING in flatworld makes me cringe.

[@Crazy-Bear-Gamer-Channel]

I have a system that could handle very well the Pimax (i7 13700+4090 on a Z790 AORUS PRO X ) I'm running all on a 39" 2K monitor with Track Ir, but what I hate the most is what You talk bout 7:15 ..during bfm I found often myself as my head in the game goes under the front panel height and I'm looking the HUD from bottom top! I HATE THAT! Only thing preventing me from purchase the pimax right now is that Here in Italy would cost bout 1800\1900€..that is like the cost of a 4090 right now.. :/

[@stevebarnett-f5o]

Looks great, but not for me, don't have funds for high end graphics card and processor + headset, run an AMD3600 + Nvidia 4060.

[@keithbriscoe99]

Do you get dizzy or feel weird using VR, while seated?

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Initially. It's a swimmy motion sickness feeling. It passes and gets less severe over time.

[@kevoman4980]

I agree

[@wabbit234]

Steak and cheese Piemaxxing

[@Mahad458]

I purchased Quest 3 few weeks ago and the result was unacceptable, my rig is i9 11900k with rtx 3080 and 64 gb RAM. If pimax is anywhere near the same visual quality, then it is not for me either. it simply is not substitute for 2d visual quality.

[@Wheelman_PCAS]

Does vr work with anything less than a 4090? My 3070 doesn’t do the trick with my quest 2. The vr headset has been shelved for a year.

[@mrpawno4955]

Im Running 3070ti with Quest 3, what exactly doesn’t work for you?

[@Wheelman_PCAS]

@@mrpawno4955​​⁠readability, spotting distance, FPS. Do you do multiplayer dogfighting? If so can you spot the other guy decently at a distance or if he’s using track ir would you say he has an edge because of resolution?

[@mrpawno4955]

@@Wheelman_PCAS I agree that there is advantage of 2D and trackir, but mainly because of the zoom function

[@philb1167]

VR is awesome. My advice is don't get halfway into it as frustrated VR (i.e low end GPU) is just terrible.

[@smokincrater]

Hi, does it have a mixed reality feature?

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Not exactly, it's a passthrough system, but as I said, it's not perfect.

[@goji059]

i didn't need to hear this right now

[@LEAD-DISPENSER]

I've been using vr since the dk2 . i never race or fly 2d i don't know how people put up with it. When i look left I'm looking out of my left window at the world I'm in when 2derz look left they see their lounge wall .. also vr is cheaper per emersion point .to get anything even remotely close you need a full cockpit like the warthog project/ an at a bear min you need triples that all need mountings /power/ space/ .its a no brainer unless of course you just shelled out for triples lol they will say till the cows come home its better .......its not ..its just not .....sorry .

[@AceDotBoogie]

Same never went back once I got my G2 dialed In 🤣🤣 2D sucks

[@takeoffwithjakesoft]

IMO, the tech is promising but still too pricy and buggy for mainstream adoption. Maybe in 2 or 3 generations it'll be there.

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Possibly, it depends on the pace of development...which is getting faster.

[@MANGO-md8yy]

Hello

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Hello there!

[@getsideways7257]

There is no "2D DCS World"... stop with this VR BS already. If you prefer wearing two stereoscopic screens right next to your brain, well, be my guest. Just realize that there are normal people out there that don't want any of that dangling from their heads. People that also enjoy HDR (that is currently lacking in DCS). When it's hardly bulkier than your typical spectacles, then there will be enough reason to go all wowed and crazed, but with these plastic buckets? Thanks, but no...

[@BillyHill-f7w]

The first impression of VR will ware off a bit after a while but still awsome. I also said I never could go back to 2d but now I only fly 2d big screen. I admit it is because I got tired of VR not running smooth on my lesser PC build. You need high end PC to run VR on DCS etc. If you got high end your good to go but for poorer guys like me with medium specs or even on the lower side 2D big screen is best.

[@jimclarke6136]

Hey Prickly, What about the stress on the neck, being 50+ with a bit of a neck issue am a bit worried about the fatigue factor ? And cheers for doing what you do mate, great channel.

[@mrpawno4955]

It’s very front heavy

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

I'm 50 plus, and thus far its been fine. I think after an hour you'd probably notice it. I'm getting used to it more and more.

[@IamGlobal73]

The form factor is unfortunately the biggest no-go for me - that is why I ordered and waiting delivery of the Bigscreen Beyond VR “goggles” - similar in terms of price (need to add the lighthouses got them second hand from a Pimax user in Ebay who did not use them) and native to Steam VR and OLED. Yes there are some compromises too like a bit of glare (pancake lenses) and smaller sweetspot - but since I have no comparison I think I will not know a difference. If I need to travel - it all fits in a backpack with my i9-14900HX/RTX4090 gaming laptop.