Whats the worst bit of kit you purchased?

[Kurvz]

What gear have you purchased for your simrig that was a waste of time or waste of money and hardly or ever used.

I think the worse every thing I got was a G29 upgrade from a G27, at the time I really wanted those extra buttons, but sadly it was not built as well, and the build quality was shocking compared to the G27 IMO, so it went back in the bock after a while and is now in the loft gathering dust.

 

[ShinyAndy]

Seriously? I couldn't be happier with it, for both racing sims and for many other games.

Just didn't get on with it! VR in its current state isn't for me; too clunky, too hot, too vomit inducing, too uncomfortable, too smeary and compromised graphics even on a top end system.

I sold it after almost four months of trying and went 1440p triples, 99% of the immersion with 0% of the problems

 

[Daniel oliver]

And finally the "I cannot belive they did not solve this yet" candidate: That damn "flickering and blackout" bug! M****F****! To be honest, I knew about this before from a YT review, but I (naive as I am) thought they'd sort that out with time.
The Rift S is extremely picky when it comes to putting it on your head for the first time of a session. If you do it while already sitting down in your racing seat (which is within the guardian barriers, btw) or in other totally random positions the HMD doesn't "like", the image comes up for a few seconds, then flickers and finally blacks out. Once that happened, you need to follow an unnerving plug out, plug in, wait (and finally reboot) cycle to get it working again.
Same thing happens if the Rift is already connected to the PC before windows has started, so simply leaving it connected to the PC is no option.
Only the remembrance of the price tag prevented me from smashing that thing on the wall in these situations.

The black out bug was sorted ages ago. I use a rift s every day and have no problems whatsoever. It might be worth getting a pci usb 3 card as most rift problems are usb incompatibility.

 

[ao1977]

The black out bug was sorted ages ago. I use a rift s every day and have no problems whatsoever. It might be worth getting a pci usb 3 card as most rift problems are usb incompatibility.

Well, if it was sorted or if it had something to do with the usb port, how do you explain the issue occurs repeatable in the conditions mentioned, but basically never when I'm standing upright in the middle of the guardian zone? (Without any impact on the ports, in all cases there's enough of the cable lying on the floor, not changing the mechanical load on neither the plugs nor the sockets.)

 

[Sim Strata]

Worst: Fanatec CSL GT3 Rim. Abysmal quality.

Best: Fanatec Formula Carbon, GT2 rim, V3s, CSL PS4 and last but not least DD1. All highest quality and brilliant pieces of kit.

 

[Elaphe]

Just didn't get on with it! VR in its current state isn't for me; too clunky, too hot, too vomit inducing, too uncomfortable, too smeary and compromised graphics even on a top end system.

I sold it after almost four months of trying and went 1440p triples, 99% of the immersion with 0% of the problems

Triples wouldn't even get 50% of the inmersion you have with VR.

 

[Timobkg]

Fanatec Shifter sat here going dusty, and handbrake lol.

Because you don't like them, or just upgraded to better ones?

 

[Timobkg]

Triples wouldn't even get 50% of the inmersion you have with VR.

Not in the sense of being able to look around as if you're there inside the car, no, but triples also don't have the downsides of VR.

I tried a regular Rift, and it felt like stepping back in time two decades. Everything was blurry and pixelated, and I couldn't read the dash or the signage around the track due to the Screen Door Effect. It wasn't a top of the line PC, but it could power three 1080p monitors with all the graphics settings on High while maintaining 60fps, while VR required lowering the graphics settings to Low with a huge drop in visual fidelity. Also the very narrow field of view which made me feel like I had blinders on.

All of that was pretty immersion breaking, as the huge drop in visual fidelity meant that instead of feeling like I was really driving the car I felt like I was transported inside Need for Speed 2 (or at least as I remember it).

I was also incredibly nauseous within 5 minutes such that I had to stop and go lie down (no issues in other VR titles like The Climb or Lone Echo). That may be more immersive, but that kind of immersion I can do without.

In more chill sims like ETS / ATS I didn't get nauseous, but I became hyper aware of the headset - such that I was constantly aware of its weight and pressure on my face, and constantly had an itch on my nose that I couldn't scratch because scratching would move the goggles and make everything tilt and go blurry. I had no issues with this hyper-awareness in active VR games, but with ETS I couldn't not feel it. And I also had the issues of poor resolution, SDE, inability to read the dash and street signs. I was also bothered by my inability to see my controls, my struggle to find where I put my water bottle, my sense of being cut off from the world and not being aware of what was going on around me.

I'm glad so many people love VR, but while I enjoyed it for VR games I couldn't get on with it at all for sims. Maybe in a few years when VR tech improves some more.

 

[ShinyAndy]

Triples wouldn't even get 50% of the inmersion you have with VR.

Each to their own and I'm glad it works for you but I turn the lights off and I'm completely immersed with none of the downsides

 

[maelstrom]

I was also incredibly nauseous within 5 minutes such that I had to stop and go lie down (no issues in other VR titles like The Climb or Lone Echo). That may be more immersive, but that kind of immersion I can do without.

...

I'm glad so many people love VR, but while I enjoyed it for VR games I couldn't get on with it at all for sims. Maybe in a few years when VR tech improves some more.

That was exactly my experience of VR. Some people told me "stick with it and you'll probably get used to it" and someone else said it took them about a month using it every day to stop feeling nauseous! Life is too short to feel sick for a month when it may not even get better. How is that enjoyment?

There are a significant number of people who have this problem and, because of the different mechanisms that causes it, will probably never adjust. With some people, it's caused by low frame rates causing a slight flicker. Technology improvements may well help them. Another problem for many sufferers is caused by a sensory mismatch where your brain can't reconcile the difference between what your eyes see and what your inner ear detects. Other than using an expensive motion platform, there's very little chance of these people ever adjusting to it. Sadly, I fall into this last category.

 

[Timobkg]

That was exactly my experience of VR. Some people told me "stick with it and you'll probably get used to it" and someone else said it took them about a month using it every day to stop feeling nauseous! Life is too short to feel sick for a month when it may not even get better. How is that enjoyment?

There are a significant number of people who have this problem and, because of the different mechanisms that causes it, will probably never adjust. With some people, it's caused by low frame rates causing a slight flicker. Technology improvements may well help them. Another problem for many sufferers is caused by a sensory mismatch where your brain can't reconcile the difference between what your eyes see and what your inner ear detects. Other than using an expensive motion platform, there's very little chance of these people ever adjusting to it. Sadly, I fall into this last category.

Yeah, I had no issues with VR games that many people report having nausea issues with, like The Climb, but after 5 minutes of Project Cars in VR I was done. I had to go lie down for the rest of the evening - I couldn't even look at a monitor or TV or smartphone for the rest of the night.

Maybe I could get used to it over time, but I have no desire to subject myself to that when I am perfectly happy with monitors and can actually enjoy my limited free time.

Another issue with VR goggles is that some people who wear glasses physically can't use them - the VR goggles will painfully push the glasses into your face. This happened to a couple of my family members, and they can't even try VR unless they redesign the goggles.

 

[Chrhun]

Another issue with VR goggles is that some people who wear glasses physically can't use them - the VR goggles will painfully push the glasses into your face. This happened to a couple of my family members, and they can't even try VR unless they redesign the goggles.

I get that VR is not for everyone. For glass wearers, there are big differences between the headsets. I could hardly fit my glasses inside a Rift, but with a Rift S it's not an issue at all - there is plenty of space.

On the topic, I'm not really that disappointed with any of my purchases, the only thing I've had to send in for repairs is the Fanatec McLaren wheel, but now that it's fixed I like it a lot!

 

[Timobkg]

I get that VR is not for everyone. For glass wearers, there are big differences between the headsets. I could hardly fit my glasses inside a Rift, but with a Rift S it's not an issue at all - there is plenty of space.

On the topic, I'm not really that disappointed with any of my purchases, the only thing I've had to send in for repairs is the Fanatec McLaren wheel, but now that it's fixed I like it a lot!

Interesting, I didn't know that the S was designed to be more accommodating of glasses. There may be hope for glasses wearers yet.

 

[DrewRosenHouse]

Fanatec handbrake is my worst piece of hardware. I had issues early on with it having sensitivity issues and choppy input. Also, overall its my cheapest feeling piece of hardware. It has side to side play in it, and pulling on it doesn't really have a good handbrake feel. You get what you pay for though.

It really is a peice of flimsy junk, i can pull mine with my pinky finger.

 

[Alvaro de la Orden]

Interesting, I didn't know that the S was designed to be more accommodating of glasses. There may be hope for glasses wearers yet.

Companies have been helping for a good while now
https://vroptician.com/prescription-lens-inserts/oculus-rift-s/

 

[Elaphe]

VR is not to blame if you use old hardware (try the Rift S instead of Rift, much better picture definition), or a computer that is not fast enough to manage it (1080 Ti minimum). Power is very important, because you must prevent frame drops at all costs, as it's one of the reaons for nauseas and feeling sick. I think VR for videogames, and especially for sim-racing, is not only the future, but also the present. Just try a simple game such as Eleven Table Tennis and it's impossible that it doesn't blow your mind because there's no way you can feel the same with other type of display or control method. I'm so excited about how VR will improve in the future.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Purchased the Simraceway SRW-S1 rim after I saw I could mod it to my G27. Worst decision ever - if felt flimsy and cheap, and had a surprising amount of play when turning. Went back to the default rim.

The lesson was very much that you get what you pay for.

 

[Timobkg]

VR is not to blame if you use old hardware (try the Rift S instead of Rift, much better picture definition), or a computer that is not fast enough to manage it (1080 Ti minimum). Power is very important, because you must prevent frame drops at all costs, as it's one of the reaons for nauseas and feeling sick. I think VR for videogames, and especially for sim-racing, is not only the future, but also the present. Just try a simple game such as Eleven Table Tennis and it's impossible that it doesn't blow your mind because there's no way you can feel the same with other type of display or control method. I'm so excited about how VR will improve in the future.

I tried the Rift only a year ago (the Rift S only started shipping in May of last year) on hardware that met the recommended specs of VR and had no problem powering 3 1080p monitors. One would think that a card that can push 6.5 million pixels at 60fps (390 million pixels per second) on High settings wouldn't have any problem pushing 2.6 million pixels at 90fps (230 million pixels per second) on Low settings.

But that gets into some of my other issues with VR, as you accurately pointed out you need hardware that far exceeds the recommended specs (and reasonable performance expectations) and VR tech is advancing at a very rapid rate. I returned my Rift after a couple weeks, but had I kept it I would have been pretty pissed that only a few months later a new Rift came out at the same price that rendered my Rift completely obsolete. PC hardware is always advancing, but the GTX 2080 didn't suddenly render everyone's 1080 Ti's obsolete (cue Ray Tracing comment).

I did have some awesome experiences in VR, such as The Climb and SuperHot VR, but not being able to use it for sims made it feel like a novelty - something to dust off every once or twice a year to try the new games and then put it away again.

But who knows, maybe in a couple years we'll have the Rift T that will be lighter, more comfortable, and with even better screens, and a couple years after that we'll have GPUs that can actually power it, and then I'll give it a try again.

 

[Timobkg]

Companies have been helping for a good while now
https://vroptician.com/prescription-lens-inserts/oculus-rift-s/

Thanks, I had no idea this was a thing.

 

[bassun]

Speaking to VR tech. Yes, it has the potential to be the most immersive visually. Yes, currently it does not have the resolution to match top notch monitors. Yes, current GPU's will struggle to run things wide open on most headsets unless you have an absolute top tier card and CPU to support things. That said, I run a Rift CV1 off an i7 6700k and a GTX 1070. Is it a step back graphically? 100% yes, it is. Am I ok with that? Yep!

Would I like to see 8k per eye with eye tracking? Sure! Could my computer come close to supporting that? It barely keeps up with the Rift. Now, all that said - I do not get motion sickness from VR (save one title which I think flickers), certainly I do not from any race sim I've played. I am willing to take the lower quality images for all of the other gains. I would not go back to racing on a flat screen now.

So the Rift is kind of both the best and worst. I hate the image quality is so degradated and that the FOV is so much smaller. That really sucks. But - even with that - I will take VR over the best triple screen setup you can toss at me. In a few years, assuming VR continues to grow like it has over the last year, we will have some stellar options at semi-reasonable prices. 8K per eye? maybe not lol -- but maybe we don't need that...

 

[Furnace Inferno]

I tried the Rift only a year ago (the Rift S only started shipping in May of last year) on hardware that met the recommended specs of VR and had no problem powering 3 1080p monitors. One would think that a card that can push 6.5 million pixels at 60fps (390 million pixels per second) on High settings wouldn't have any problem pushing 2.6 million pixels at 90fps (230 million pixels per second) on Low settings.

But that gets into some of my other issues with VR, as you accurately pointed out you need hardware that far exceeds the recommended specs (and reasonable performance expectations) and VR tech is advancing at a very rapid rate. I returned my Rift after a couple weeks, but had I kept it I would have been pretty pissed that only a few months later a new Rift came out at the same price that rendered my Rift completely obsolete. PC hardware is always advancing, but the GTX 2080 didn't suddenly render everyone's 1080 Ti's obsolete (cue Ray Tracing comment).

I did have some awesome experiences in VR, such as The Climb and SuperHot VR, but not being able to use it for sims made it feel like a novelty - something to dust off every once or twice a year to try the new games and then put it away again.

But who knows, maybe in a couple years we'll have the Rift T that will be lighter, more comfortable, and with even better screens, and a couple years after that we'll have GPUs that can actually power it, and then I'll give it a try again.

You are looking at performance from the wrong angle because the numbers don’t take into account it’s rendering the image twice as two separate views which is why it’s such a performance killer as opposed to triple screens which is just a wider view. We need increases in both GPU and CPU power or specifically with CPU, engines which better utilise multi-threading!

With regards to the Rift S making the original obsolete I have the disagree, for me the slight bump in resolution does not make up for the switch to an LCD screen which is much lower quality in comparison. I’d choose the CV1 all day over the S.

I’m happy to stick with it until they release the proper next-gen headsets. Whilst the Index is an upgrade it’s not enough for me although perhaps my view would change if I saw it in action.

I switch between my 32:9 5120x1440 screen and VR in games that don’t support it and yes the image takes a hit but the feeling of just being in the car in VR is too good for me.